Kyoto gains first new three-star

Kyoto has a new three-star Michelin restaurant for the first time in six years: Miyamaso was promoted in the MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka 2026. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin announced the 2026 Kyoto Osaka selection on April 23. The guide said Miyamaso is the first new three-star restaurant in Kyoto and Osaka since the 2020 edition. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) Miyamaso is a ryokan restaurant in Kyoto’s Hanase mountains. Michelin said chef Hisato Nakahigashi’s cooking centers on seasonal ingredients gathered from the surrounding satoyama landscape. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) The promotion raises Kyoto’s number of three-star restaurants to six. Michelin said the 2026 guide covers 479 restaurants across Kyoto and Osaka. (guide.michelin.com) The 2026 selection also expanded the middle tiers of the guide. Michelin awarded five new two-star restaurants and 19 new one-star restaurants across the two cities. (guide.michelin.com) At the lower-priced end, Michelin added 12 new Bib Gourmand picks. The new Bib list spans ramen, soba, izakaya, tonkatsu and Thai restaurants in Kyoto and Osaka. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin also introduced its first Sommelier Award for the Kyoto Osaka area in this edition, alongside the Mentor Chef Award and Service Award. Those additions widened the ceremony beyond star ratings alone. (guide.michelin.com) Miyamaso’s rise completes a long Michelin climb. Michelin said the restaurant earned one star in the first Kyoto Osaka edition in 2010, two stars in 2011, and three stars in 2026. (guide.michelin.com) (tokyoweekender.com) For Kyoto, the headline was not just one promotion but a reset at the top of the guide after a six-year gap. For Michelin, it was a way to show that Kansai’s fine-dining map is still changing, from mountain kaiseki to budget noodle shops. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2)