Brazil gets its first three stars

Brazil now has its first three-star Michelin restaurants: Evvai and Tuju, both in São Paulo, were promoted in the 2026 guide on April 13. (guide.michelin.com) The awards were announced at the Michelin Guide Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo 2026 ceremony at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro. Michelin said the guide still covers only those two cities and lists 149 establishments in total. (guide.michelin.com) Both restaurants moved up from two stars, making Brazil the first country in Latin America with restaurants at Michelin’s top rank. G1 reported that no restaurant in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo lost stars in this edition. (g1.globo.com) Michelin’s three-star label means a restaurant is “worth a special journey,” the guide’s highest distinction. Michelin said the 2026 Brazil selection marked the first time it had awarded that level anywhere in Latin America. (guide.michelin.com) The result also reshapes the pecking order inside Brazil’s fine-dining scene. D.O.M. in São Paulo and Lasai and Oro in Rio kept two stars, while Madame Olympe in Rio was the only new one-star restaurant this year. (gq.globo.com) Evvai is led by chef Luiz Filipe Souza, whose cooking Michelin describes as a dialogue between Brazilian and Italian influences on the restaurant’s Oriundi tasting menu. Tuju is led by chef Ivan Ralston, and Michelin described the meal there as a progressive, multi-space dining experience. (guide.michelin.com, guide.michelin.com, guide.michelin.com) The 2026 guide also highlighted how Michelin is judging restaurants in Brazil beyond stars alone. GQ reported 44 Bib Gourmand picks for value, 82 recommended addresses without stars, and Green Stars for sustainability for A Casa do Porco, Corrutela, and Tuju. (gq.globo.com) Michelin returned to Brazil in 2025 after a hiatus, and one year later it handed the country its first top-tier awards. On April 13, that jump happened twice, and both times in São Paulo. (gq.globo.com, guide.michelin.com)