The inaugural MICHELIN Guide Philippines 2026 has finally provided its first line of restaurant selection. This is indeed a proud moment for the Philippine food scene and for the tens of thousands of Filipinos living in the UAE. This historical opening identifies 108 restaurants in Manila, Environs and Cebu, and highlights the rich food heritage in the Philippines that combines the flavours of Spanish, Chinese, modern Asian, and Malay. To Filipino residents of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the news evokes the feeling of national pride and a new desire to return home.
The UAE visitors have always found the Philippines an ideal site to visit due to its beautiful beaches, warm reception, and genuine cuisine. Through the MICHELIN ranking, the food enthusiasts in the Emirates will now have one more reason to venture out the restaurants in Manila and the food dishes at the coast in Cebu, be it visiting family or a tour, or they simply have a need to savour some of the best Filipino cuisine worldwide.
On Thursday, 30th October, at the Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport World Resorts, the first edition MICHELIN Guide Manila and Environs & Cebu 2026 was launched. This launch provides 108 restaurants in Manila, adjacent areas and Cebu. There is 1 two-star MICHELIN restaurant, 8 one-star MICHELIN restaurants, 25 Bib Gourmand restaurants, and 74 MICHELIN selected restaurants.
Helm Makes History as the First Two-MICHELIN-Star Restaurant in the Philippines
Helm has already accomplished a great feat and acquired two MICHELIN Stars in the First MICHELIN Guide Philippines. Helm is headed by chef Joshua Boutwood, who has a strong personal cooking style that can be traced to his half-British, half-Filipino background with Spanish influences. His contemporary tasting menu is a demonstration of intimate, precise, and expressive, creating emphasis on craftsmanship and identity.
8 Restaurants Receive One MICHELIN Star in Manila and Environs
Manila MICHELIN Guide 2026 has given 8 restaurants in Manila and Environs One MICHELIN Star due to their quality cooking:
Gallery by Chele: Gallery by Chele is a restaurant that is committed to environmental responsibility and sustainability by sourcing locally, minimising waste, and educating its staff and customers. MICHELIN Green Star was also received by the restaurant due to its sustainable gastronomy practices.
Hapag: This dining establishment creates a re-conceptualisation of classic Filipino cuisine with a refined touch, in support of the local ingredients and strong culinary traditions.
Inatô: Inatô is a small room furnished with a sculptural marble counter that has a sitting capacity of 8 diners, which serves the elegant Filipino cuisine.
Kasa Palma: The chef employs some French methods and Latin American globality up to South East Asia in making expressive wood-fired dishes of local products.
Linamnam: The chef of the restaurant, Don Patrick Baldosano, receives only 10 diners into what was once his childhood bedroom, but today a finely crafted dining room with woven wall hangings and wooden floors.
The other One MICHELIN Star restaurants in the Philippines are Metiz, Mèzon, and Toyo Eatery, which can provide various cuisine experiences based on the Spanish authenticity, the contemporary Asian fusion, and the strong flavours of the Filipino culture.
You can check the complete restaurant lists by clicking here.
Gallery by Chele Receives Green Star for Sustainable Gastronomy
Gallery by Chele has been awarded the MICHELIN Green Star due to its good farm-to-table philosophy and biodiversity, waste management and community sourcing practices. Chef Chele Gonzalez and his team show how food excellence and environmental care can be used in harmony with one another.
25 Bib Gourmand Restaurants in Philippines Offer Quality at Great Value
The Bib Gourmand list focuses on 25 restaurants where brilliant food is served at reasonable prices. This consists of 19 restaurants in Manila and Environs and 6 in Cebu.
Notable Bib Gourmand Restaurants in Manila and Environs:
Kumba – The dishes were based on the recipes of the mother of the chef and the experience in Singapore cooking, and went through China, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan.
Morning Sun Eatery– Ilocano comfort food such as kilawin, sweet pork skewers, pinakbet, and stand-out laing.
Manam at the Triangle – The Manam at the Triangle is a modern Filipino restaurant with minimalist lines and Filipino pop art at the Ayala triangular flagship.
COCHI – Contemporary Filipino touch, exquisite, and vibrant in the BGC environment.
Your Local -Neighbourhood favourite serving family-style food to share.
Bolero, Brick Corner, Cabel, Em Hanoi, Halong, LaPita, Lampara, Los Taco, Palm Grill (Diliman), Pilyas Kitchen, Sarsa, Some Thai, Taqueria Franco and Underbelly are the other Bib Gourmand restaurants in Manila.
Bib Gourmand Restaurants in Cebu:
Abaseria Deli & Café – Family heritage restaurant that offers delicious home-cooked meals such as sinigang pasayan, sinigang fish in black bean and humba stew.
Esmen – This is a 60-year-old market-side restaurant that serves mouth-tingling fish soup, the linarang, which is a blend of fresh porcupine fish that has been slowly simmered in wood fire.
Lasa – Filipino foodstuffs such as shrimp kinilaw with kimchi, chicken skin nachos and crispy pata.
Cebu Bib Gourmand’s other restaurants are CUR8, Pares Batchoy Food House and The Pig and Palm.
74 MICHELIN Selected Restaurants in Philippines Celebrate Culinary Excellence
In the MICHELIN Guide Philippines 2026, there are 74 MICHELIN Selected restaurants: 62 in Manila and Environs and 12 in Cebu. These restaurants have been considered due to their quality food, unique character and stability in providing quality.
MICHELIN Guide Philippines Special Awards Honour Industry Talent
There are three Special Awards which were granted in the First MICHELIN Guide Philippines edition:
Young Chef Award (sponsored by Visa) to Don Patrick Baldosano (Linamnam, One MICHELIN Star), who has managed to use Filipino ingredients and traditions to create innovative dishes at a very young age of 27.
Service Award to Erin Recto (Hapag, One MICHELIN Star), for hospitality, professionalism, and smooth service that portrays Filipino service.
Exceptional Cocktails Award to Benjamin Leal ( Uma Nota, MICHELIN Selected) has created innovative, globally inspired cocktails that celebrate the local taste.
The inaugural MICHELIN Guide Philippines 2026 is the beginning of a new era in the history of the culinary community of the Philippines, making it appear with other destinations of Southeast Asia. This recognition is expected to boost tourism, particularly from the UAE, where many travelers from Dubai and Abu Dhabi already visit Manila for its rich food culture and heritage. Both regions now share a strong culinary connection, as Dubai and Abu Dhabi also host multiple MICHELIN Star restaurants, creating exciting opportunities for food enthusiasts.
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