The Makati restaurant retained its Michelin Selected recognition in the 2027 edition, continuing a run that began with its inclusion in the guide’s inaugural Philippine list last year.
“Being selected in The MICHELIN Guide for the second year is as much yours as it is ours. We’ll carry on with the same heart that started it all, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to our table,” Aurora said in a Facebook post thanking its customers.
A personal tribute
Opened in 2023 on the ground floor of Makati’s Pacific Star Building, just below DivinaLaw’s offices, Aurora was inspired by Divina’s mother and his love of good food.
“It all started with Atty. Nilo T. Divina's dream of sharing the comfort of his mother's home cooking, and it keeps growing with every plate we serve,” the restaurant said in a separate post.
Executive chef Mark Jesraelle Sanchez and executive sous chef Christine Danielle Lim lead the kitchen, which serves Asian-inspired dishes including the grilled hamachi collar previously praised by Michelin inspectors.
Growing beyond Makati
Divina has since expanded the business with Bistro Aurora at The Podium in Ortigas, bringing the restaurant’s Asian-inspired comfort food to a wider audience.
The founder of DivinaLaw and dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law has previously spoken about applying the same standards of excellence from his legal career to his restaurant ventures.
Michelin Selected recognizes restaurants recommended by the guide’s inspectors and is separate from the more exclusive Michelin star awards.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
