Michelin lands in São Paulo

Michelin awarded its first three-star ratings in Latin America on April 13, and both went to São Paulo restaurants: Evvai and Tuju. (guide.michelin.com) The awards came at the launch of the 2026 Michelin Guide Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro. Both restaurants had held two stars before being promoted this week. (guide.michelin.com) (g1.globo.com) Evvai is led by chef Luiz Filipe Souza, and Tuju is led by chef Ivan Ralston. Michelin’s inspectors described Evvai’s “Oriundi” menu as a Brazil-Italy dialogue and Tuju as a multi-floor tasting journey built around Brazilian ingredients and seasonality. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) Michelin’s three-star label is its top grade, reserved for restaurants it says are “worth the journey.” In the 2026 Brazil guide, that category had been empty until this ceremony. (guide.michelin.com) (exame.com) The result also shifts the map of Michelin’s Latin American coverage. Brazil became the first country in the region to have any three-star restaurants, and it got two at once. (g1.globo.com) (michelin.com) The broader 2026 guide kept Brazil’s selected total at 149 restaurants and added 12 new entries. Michelin also introduced a new mixology category this year, while Rio restaurant Madame Olympe picked up one star. (guide.michelin.com) (g1.globo.com) (exame.com) Prices put both meals at the top end of São Paulo dining. Evvai’s 15-course Oriundi menu is listed at R$1,150 per person, while Tuju’s 10-course tasting menu is R$1,500 plus a 15% service charge. (terra.com.br) (evvai.com.br) Michelin’s own profiles point to two different models of luxury in the same city: Evvai leans on São Paulo’s Italian heritage, while Tuju centers a research-driven, seasonal Brazilian kitchen. The guide’s first three-star verdict in Latin America landed on both at once. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2)