Michelin expands Mexico awards to Puebla, Jalisco, Yucatán

Michelin expanded its Mexico selection on May 20 to include Jalisco, Puebla and Yucatán, widening the guide beyond the six regions it covered when it launched in the country in 2024. The 2026 Mexico guide now spans Mexico City, Oaxaca, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo, Nuevo León and the three newly added states, according to Michelin and El Universal. The 2026 selection includes 29 Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico, Michelin said in its post-ceremony roundup. Michelin also said the guide now counts 63 Bib Gourmand restaurants after adding 16 new value-focused entries this year. ### Which places were newly brought into Michelin’s Mexico map? (guide.michelin.com) Jalisco, Puebla and Yucatán were the three new additions announced by Michelin for 2026. Michelin International Director Gwendal Poullennec said the expansion reflected the guide’s effort to highlight “outstanding culinary offerings from across the country.” (guide.michelin.com) Michelin said Jalisco would join the existing Mexico selection alongside Mexico City, Oaxaca, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo and Nuevo León. El Universal’s report on the winners listed the same group of returning regions and said Puebla, Jalisco and Yucatán had entered the selection this year. ### Why did Michelin single out those three states? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin described Jalisco as a state shaped by Indigenous and Spanish culinary traditions, Puebla as a place with layered flavors and techniques rooted in colonial and Indigenous cultures, and Yucatán as a cuisine drawing on Mayan and colonial influences. Those descriptions appeared in Michelin’s expansion announcement and again in its 2026 Mexico trends article. (guide.michelin.com) Ignacio Alarcón, national president of restaurant industry group CANIRAC, said Michelin’s presence in a destination acts as a tourism catalyst because travelers use the guide to decide where to go and spend. He said the recognition helps position Puebla, Yucatán and Jalisco internationally. ### What did the new states actually get in the 2026 guide? (guide.michelin.com) Puebla, Jalisco and Yucatán appeared immediately across several Michelin categories, not only in the broader restaurant selection. Michelin’s 2026 stars article highlighted Mural de los Poblanos and Restaurante Casareyna in Puebla, Birriería las 9 Esquinas in Guadalajara, and Micaela Mar y Leña and Pueblo Pibil in Yucatán among notable entries from the newly added states. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s Bib Gourmand roundup said the new affordable additions included Pueblo Pibil, Restaurante Casareyna, Semitas “Beto,” Tacos Y Gorditas Elvira, Vica and Taquerías Kisín from the newly added regions. The article said the 16 new Bib Gourmand picks pushed the national total to 63. ### Were there other Mexico awards beyond stars and Bib Gourmand? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s Mexico coverage for 2026 also highlighted special awards tied to individual restaurants and staff. The guide’s official site said Jonathan Robles Bravo of El Mural de los Poblanos in Puebla won the 2026 Sommelier Award, while a separate Michelin article said Priscila Moreno of Máximo in Mexico City won the Exceptional Cocktails Award. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s official Mexico site also presented the full national restaurant database for 2026, listing 225 restaurants across starred, Bib Gourmand and recommended categories. That broader count shows the expansion was not limited to a handful of award winners. ### Where did Michelin unveil the 2026 Mexico selections? Jalisco hosted the 2026 Michelin Guide Mexico ceremony on May 20, marking the first time the event was held in that state, Michelin said. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin announced the host location in March, before releasing the 2026 winners and category roundups this week. Michelin’s post-ceremony articles published on May 20 now serve as the main reference point for the 2026 Mexico guide, including the full list of starred restaurants, Bib Gourmand additions and special-award coverage. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) (guide.michelin.com 3)