Michelin debuts first PH Guide, awarding 9 top restaurants

Insider Spotlight

• Michelin launched its first-ever Philippine restaurant guide
• Helm earned two stars; eight others receive one star each
• Gallery by Chele won both a MICHELIN Star and Green Star honor
• Twenty-five eateries joined the Bib Gourmand list for great value
• Special awards spotlighted rising chefs and hospitality leaders

Michelin has officially put the Philippines on its global culinary map with the launch of the MICHELIN Guide Manila and Environs & Cebu 2026, unveiled Thursday, October 30, 2025, at the Manila Marriott Hotel.

The debut selection featured 108 establishments — 90 in Metro Manila and its environs, and 18 in Cebu — reflecting the nation’s growing culinary prestige.

“We are honored to present the first edition of the MICHELIN Guide in the Philippines,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guide. “This selection pays tribute to a new generation of Filipino chefs… and the culinary authenticity and creativity found across the country.”

By the numbers

• One restaurant earned Two MICHELIN Stars: Helm, led by Chef Josh Boutwood, praised for its artistry, precision, and deep respect for local ingredients.
• Eight restaurants received One MICHELIN Star, including Asador Alfonso, Celera, Gallery by Chele, Hapag, Inatô, Kasa Palma, Linamnam, and Toyo Eatery.
• Twenty-five restaurants — in Manila and Cebu — earn Bib Gourmand honors for quality food at moderate prices.

• Seventy-four are MICHELIN Selected for culinary consistency and excellence.

What’s new

Gallery by Chele also captured the MICHELIN Green Star for sustainability, recognized for its farm-to-table ethos and community sourcing.

Special recognition

The MICHELIN Special Awards highlighted the people behind the plates:

• Young Chef Award: Don Patrick Baldosano, 27, Linamnam — for creative use of Filipino ingredients through fermentation and aging.
• Service Award: Erin Recto, Hapag — for blending global experience with warm, guest-centered Filipino hospitality.

• Exceptional Cocktails Award: Benjamin Leal, Uma Nota — for inventive, cross-cultural cocktails using local ingredients.

Why it matters

The first Philippine edition of the MICHELIN Guide marked a milestone in Southeast Asia’s culinary landscape, celebrating Filipino ingenuity, sustainability, and a new wave of globally competitive chefs whose work bridges heritage and innovation.

— Ramon Nocon | Ed: Daxim L. Lucas