For the first time, the Michelin Guide has included Jacksonville and Northeast Florida in the Florida restaurants it considers for its highest three-star rating.
In its guide to Florida’s top restaurants, released May 28, Michelin did not award stars to any establishment in Northeast Florida but did recommend several.
They are:
Michelin offers up to three stars to restaurants based on five criteria: ingredient quality, harmony of flavors, mastery of culinary techniques, how the chef’s personality shines through the cuisine and consistency across the menu and over time.
Michelin awards are coveted in the industry.
The guide is one of the most respected in the culinary world, with the Associated Press referring to it as “the bible of gastronomy.”
Michelin employs full-time tasters who visit a restaurant several times to judge the ingredients and consistency. Service and decor are not considered.
Only 14 American restaurants have been awarded three stars. They include Eleven Madison Park, Per Se and Le Bernardin in New York, Smyth in Chicago and Addison, Somni, The French Laundry and Single Thread in California.
The Michelin Guide was started in the early 1900s by the France-based Michelin tire company to encourage people to drive to various destinations in Europe. It included maps, fuel stops, instructions on how to change tires and recommendations on restaurants and hospitality accommodations. The idea aimed at boosting car and tire sales and giving vehicle owners a reason to put more miles on their tires.
According to Forbes, the guide is now said to rate more than 30,000 establishments across three continents, with more than 30 million copies of the guide sold worldwide.
The Michelin Guide started including the United States in 2005.
OpenTable reports that there are 24 one-star Florida restaurants in the 2026 guide, plus two with two stars, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami and Sorekara in Orlando. None received three stars.