MICHELIN Guide Philippines 2027 is here, and walang natanggal na stars! At the second-edition ceremony last October 29, 2026 at the Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport World Resorts, Michelin named 127 restaurants across Manila and Environs, Cebu and Pampanga, up from 108 last year. Helm keeps its Two MICHELIN Stars, FLOW by Chef Kevin Jonathan Uy earns the only new star, and all eight other one-star restaurants keep theirs, for a total of 10 starred restaurants. Add 31 Bib Gourmand picks (8 new, 2 promoted) and 86 MICHELIN-Selected restaurants (18 new), plus the country’s first-ever Opening of the Year Award.
As Paolo Tugbang of the Department of Tourism told me right after the ceremony, “This year is more of a test of consistency rather than a test of new beginnings for the chefs… the second year is always a make or break year.”
The biggest takeaway for me? Filipino food made up nearly 60% of this year’s new entries. Nakakaproud! Here are all the winners, the morning-after chika, and my post-award analysis.
Save this cheat sheet of all the 2027 winners for your Michelin food crawl!
1. FLOW One Michelin ★
Congratulations to FLOW for adding a pleasant addition to the Michelin Stars in the Philippines! We heard so much stories of how thoughtfully yummy flow when they opened last December. Please we’re raving about their tasting menu and even their version 2. It’s so inspiring to see young Enderun chefs going for their dreams and achieving a one MICHELIN Star award on their first year. This will be on top of every ones Michelin eat list this year in Manila. Galing!
2. Finally, Pampanga Represents!
Finally, Pampanga now has four restaurants in the MICHELIN Guide: Tito Boy by Chef Bong Sagmit and Apag Marangle by Chef Cherry, both new Bib Gourmand picks, plus Mila’s Tokwa’t Baboy and Souq, both new to MICHELIN Selected. Tito Boy also took home the MICHELIN Service Award for Restaurant Manager Clyde Joshua Zafra. Admittedly, some of our old Kapampangan favorites didn’t make the cut this year. And I’ve never met anyone who’s been to Souq, so I’m excited to try it!
Congratulations Pampanga – the culinary capital of the Philippines is now in the Michelin Guide!
3. WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT
“We’re happy that we have new restaurants on the guide. We’re also sad that some of them did not make it this year. It’s a pruning season for the restaurants, and we expect more next year.” — Paolo Tugbang, Department of Tourism
For the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, congratulations to our favorites Azela, Balay Dako, Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen and C.H.E. Bacolod Chicken House Express. Well-deserved! We have to go on a road trip to Apag Marangle and Tito Boy in Pampanga soon. And for Cebu, masarap ba talaga ang Tatang’s Lechon at Kalipay!? Let me know in the comments!
For the ones promoted from MICHELIN Selected to Bib Gourmand, we got to try Butcher Boy in Alabang and Ato-Ah in Cebu.
For the new MICHELIN Selected restaurants, congratulations to Chef Robby Goco, who finally brings a MICHELIN Selected restaurant to Tagaytay with Elaia by Cyma. Congrats as well to Chef Kevin David’s Idalia, and to the newly opened Tadhanà by Chef Frances Tariga, which also won the first-ever MICHELIN Opening of the Year Award. Abé and Haliya finally made the list too, along with Kong and Chef Jorge’s Makanai. At the top of my MICHELIN eating list is Digámo by Chef Francis Lacson in Marikina, this year’s MICHELIN Young Chef Award winner!
4. MICHELIN Pressure is real
Consistency is key to keeping your MICHELIN Selected recognition. It isn’t automatic. Restaurants have to keep working hard to hold their standards year after year.
There’s a perception that new restaurants have a better chance of making the list than places the inspectors have already visited and passed over. The key is to be a chef-driven restaurant with consistently high-quality ingredients and cooking, and a menu that reflects the chef’s personality on the plate.
Michelin inspectors judge every restaurant on the same five criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, the chef’s personality expressed through the cuisine, and consistency across the menu and over time.
We’re still rooting for Metiz and Chef Stephan to earn a well-deserved One MICHELIN Star. There’s a perception that it’s hard to move up from MICHELIN Selected or Bib Gourmand to a Star, and we feel the same way about Chef Bruce Ricketts of Iai and Chef Jorge Mendez, especially once Modan reopens.
5. Team Sinigang wins!
During the awarding ceremony, there was an informal poll where every guest voted for their favorite Filipino dish by dropping a ping-pong ball into a glass jar. I voted for Kare-Kare, but the crowd favorite was Sinigang!
6. Tasting Pavilion Favorites
The MICHELIN-starred chefs’ tasting pavilion was the most anticipated part of the post-awards cocktail celebration.
The Hokkaido Scallop with Uni by Chef Jason Atherton of ROW | On 45!
Of course, most people were raving about Chef Josh Boutwood’s Wagyu Pares!
7. Pre-Ceremony Yawaragi VIP Lunch
Thank you to the Department of Tourism and Newport World Resorts for hosting a VIP lunch at Yawaragi, Hotel Okura Manila, to celebrate the MICHELIN Guide Philippines 2027! It was a great way to share our predictions, talk about what to expect, and build up the excitement before the awarding.
Yawaragi VIP Lunch
APPETIZER
Salmon | Kani Tsume
Sustainable salmon salad wrapped in potato (white truffle flavor), crab claw steamed in sake, topped with Tanqueray gin jelly and green miso sauce
Chef Keiichiro Fujino, Executive Chef, Japanese Cuisine
SOUP
Edamame | Kabocha | Jamon
Japanese soybean and butternut squash soup with crème fraîche, crispy jamón serrano and sesame croutons
Chef Jerrymie Tamayo, Executive Chef
MAIN COURSE
Land | Sea
Binchotan charcoal-grilled Angus beef tenderloin with Arima sansho demi-glace
Pan-seared scallop with miso glaze and yuzu beurre blanc foam
Japanese mushroom risotto
Chef Jerrymie Tamayo, Executive Chef
DESSERT
The Bamboo
Matcha chocolate, azuki red bean, vanilla sponge cake and chocolate soil
Chef Vi Serrano, Senior Pastry Chef
Hotel Okura Manila · Newport World Resorts
8. Michelin Guide After Party!
The MICHELIN Guide after-party at The Whisky Library was the best way to cap the night, as we celebrated the achievements of the chefs and restaurateurs!
final thoughts
Congratulations to all the winners! Now, let the MICHELIN food trips begin! Which restaurant is first on your list? Tell us in the comments, and save this post for your next food trip.
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: This article was written entirely by a human—reflecting my own biases, opinions, and insights—with grammar and clarity checked using AI assistance. Thank you to Michelin Guide for the media invitation to the awarding ceremony last October 29, 2026.
p.s. it was awesome to catch up with our chef, restaurateur, sponsor and food industry friends!
