Palm Beach's Emelina earns a Michelin star

Michelin Guide added Emelina in West Palm Beach to its 2026 one-star list on Aug. 5, making it the first Palm Beach County restaurant to hold a Michelin star. The guide’s official listing identifies Emelina as a Cuban restaurant at 424 Park Place and assigns it one star, Michelin’s designation for “high quality cooking.” Palm Beach County’s broader showing was larger than a single star. Local television station WFLX reported that 10 restaurants in the county received Michelin honors on Aug. 5, with Emelina leading the group as the county’s first starred restaurant. Michelin’s own West Palm Beach and Florida directory pages now show Emelina as the city’s only starred restaurant. ### So what, exactly, did Emelina win? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin awarded Emelina one star in the 2026 guide, the level the organization describes as “high quality cooking.” The restaurant’s Michelin page places it in the starred category rather than Bib Gourmand or Selected. West Palm Beach’s Michelin directory currently lists one starred restaurant, one Bib Gourmand and two Selected restaurants. (guide.michelin.com) That means Emelina is not just newly recognized; it is the only one-star listing shown for the city on Michelin’s site. ### Who is behind Emelina? Michelin’s listing names chefs Osmel González and Camila Salazar as the pair behind Emelina’s kitchen. (guide.michelin.com) The guide describes the restaurant as an intimate space with a small counter facing an open kitchen. Michelin says the chefs ask “what Cuban cuisine would look like if global inspiration is applied to its foundation.” The inspectors say that approach comes through in dishes including poached local oysters with yucca foam, cherry tomatoes with Cuban oregano chimichurri and macadamia milk foam, and rabo encendido, a reworked oxtail stew. (guide.michelin.com) ### Why is this a first for Palm Beach County? (guide.michelin.com) Palm Beach County had Michelin-recognized restaurants before this week, but not a starred one, based on the current guide pages and local reporting. WFLX described Emelina as the first restaurant in the county to win a Michelin star. Michelin’s current West Palm Beach page supports that by showing Emelina as the lone starred listing in the city. (guide.michelin.com) Florida’s statewide Michelin directory places Emelina among the guide’s starred restaurants across the state, alongside restaurants in Miami, Orlando, Tampa and other markets where Michelin had already established a larger footprint. ### Which other local restaurants are in Michelin’s orbit now? Michelin’s West Palm Beach page shows Palm Beach Meats as the city’s Bib Gourmand recipient for 2026. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin describes that award as recognizing “good quality, good value cooking.” Palm Beach Meats, at 4812 S. Dixie Highway, is listed by Michelin as an American restaurant centered on wagyu beef, with owners Eric and Meghan San Pedro named in the guide’s write-up. (guide.michelin.com) The same West Palm Beach page also lists Moody Tongue Sushi, Ela Curry & Cocktails and aioli among Michelin-recognized restaurants in the city. ### What does Michelin’s write-up say diners should expect? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin says most of Emelina’s ingredients are sourced from South Florida. The inspectors point to local oysters, produce, dry-aged beef from a local rancher and sauces built around green mango mojo and black beans. The guide also fixes some practical details for diners. Emelina is listed at 424 Park Place, Suite 101, in West Palm Beach, with pricing shown at the three-dollar-sign level and cuisine classified as Cuban. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin says reservations are handled directly by the restaurant. ### Where can readers check the designation now? Michelin’s 2026 Emelina page is already live and labels the restaurant “One Star: High quality cooking.” Michelin’s Florida and West Palm Beach restaurant directories also show the current local lineup, including Emelina’s star and Palm Beach Meats’ Bib Gourmand designation. (guide.michelin.com)