Michelin’s Latin first
For the first time Michelin has awarded three stars to restaurants in Latin America — two São Paulo restaurants, Evvai (Ivan Ralston) and Tuju (Luiz Filipe Souza), reached the three‑star level. (elespanol.com) The reports note tasting menus at those top restaurants run about €250 and that the guide also highlighted Bib Gourmand picks to point readers toward more affordable, high‑value options. ( )
Michelin has awarded three stars in Latin America for the first time, and both restaurants are in São Paulo: Evvai and Tuju. (michelin.com) The guide announced the 2026 Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo selection after a ceremony at the Copacabana Palace on April 13, 2026. Michelin said Evvai and Tuju are Brazil’s first restaurants to reach its top tier, which the guide describes as “exceptional cuisine.” (guide.michelin.com; guide.michelin.com) Both winners were promoted from two stars, and both are led by chefs already central to São Paulo fine dining: Ivan Ralston at Evvai and Luiz Filipe Souza at Tuju. Brazilian coverage said tasting menus at the new three-star restaurants run around 1,400 to 1,600 reais, roughly €250 at recent exchange rates. (g1.globo.com; guia.folha.uol.com.br) Michelin’s Brazil guide still covers only Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, not the full region, so the first Latin American three-stars arrived through a city-pair edition rather than a continent-wide rollout. Brazilian outlets also noted that the 2026 guide now lists 35 starred restaurants in the country. (band.com.br; g1.globo.com) The 2026 selection also pushed a cheaper lane through Bib Gourmand, Michelin’s label for restaurants it considers good value. Reports in Brazil said six new Bib Gourmand restaurants were added this year, bringing the country’s total to 46. (g1.globo.com; guide.michelin.com) That split screen is part of the story: Michelin elevated two of Brazil’s most expensive tasting-menu rooms while also steering diners toward places with lower check averages in Rio and São Paulo. One of the new Bib Gourmand picks, Koral in Rio de Janeiro, was highlighted in Brazilian coverage as an example of the guide’s lower-cost recommendations. (g1.globo.com) Michelin also handed out other 2026 distinctions, including a first star for Madame Olympe in Rio de Janeiro, according to Michelin and Brazilian reports. The result leaves São Paulo with the region’s first three-star addresses and gives Brazil a new place on Michelin’s highest rung. (michelin.com; cnnbrasil.com.br)
