Brooklyn added to Michelin watchlist
Michelin’s Spring 2026 teaser list added nine new spots across New York City, with five of those announcements in Brooklyn and cuisines ranging from French and Cambodian to Mexican (brooklynbridgeparents.com). Inspectors framed the additions as early watchlist entries — not full star awards — meaning diners and critics will be watching menus and service for the next review cycle (brooklynbridgeparents.com).
Michelin put five Brooklyn restaurants on its latest New York watchlist, giving the borough most of the city’s nine spring additions. (guide.michelin.com) The Michelin Guide published the update on March 25 and said new restaurants are added to its Selection twice a year, while Stars and Bib Gourmands are held for the annual ceremony. The new entries appear online and in the app with a “New” symbol. (guide.michelin.com) Brooklyn’s five additions are Entre Nous in Clinton Hill, Los Burritos Juárez in Fort Greene, Bong in Crown Heights, Vato in Park Slope, and I Cavallini in Williamsburg. The other four new New York City additions are in Manhattan: Le Chêne, Hwaro, Kisa, and Crevette. (guide.michelin.com) That split stands out because Michelin’s spring 2025 New York teaser list was larger — 16 restaurants — and spread additions across the city before the 2025 awards cycle. This spring’s list is smaller and Brooklyn has the biggest share. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) Michelin’s inspectors described the Brooklyn picks in neighborhood terms as much as culinary ones: Entre Nous as a Clinton Hill wine bar with an “impressive” natural wine program, Bong as a Crown Heights Cambodian spot built for shared plates, and I Cavallini as an Italian restaurant across from sibling spot The Four Horsemen. (guide.michelin.com) The guide singled out Los Burritos Juárez for border-style burritos from El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, a style it said is rarely found in New York. It called Vato a daytime tortilleria from the team behind Manhattan’s Michelin-starred Corima and pointed to its house-made flour tortilla burritos. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) (guide.michelin.com 3) Michelin does not treat these additions as star awards. Eater New York reported on April 15 that the new listings make restaurants contenders for Bib Gourmands or Stars later in the year, not winners now. (ny.eater.com) Brooklyn already has a deep Michelin footprint. Michelin’s New York listings show more than 350 restaurants citywide in the guide, with Brooklyn restaurants included across starred, Bib Gourmand, and recommended categories. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) For diners, the practical change is simple: five Brooklyn addresses now carry Michelin’s “New” marker, and the next Northeast ceremony will decide whether any of them move from watchlist status to a star or Bib. (guide.michelin.com) (ny.eater.com)
