A New Culinary Destination: MICHELIN Guide Launches Southwest Edition

Today the MICHELIN Guide announced its latest expansion into the Southwest region of the U.S. with the launch of the MICHELIN Guide Southwest edition. This regional Guide will cover the states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

As the MICHELIN Guide embarks on this regional approach, the anonymous Inspectors will be able to experience the Southwest's culinary richness in its entirety, from celebrated metropolitan hubs to distinctive communities across the region. The Southwestern U.S. offers a dynamic and growing culinary community, with an emphasis on local ingredients and international influences, providing dining experiences for every type of traveler both near and far.

"Our anonymous Inspectors have been out in the field researching the culinary scene across the Southwest and have been eager to expand further into the region to share their discoveries with the world," said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. "We are excited to showcase the distinct cuisine styles that are representative of the cultures throughout the Southwest, which blends a rich mix of traditions and culinary talent."

The MICHELIN Guide's anonymous Inspectors are already in the field, making dining reservations and scouting for culinary gems throughout the region. The full restaurant selection will be revealed during the annual 2026 MICHELIN Guide Southwest Ceremony, which will be announced at a later date next year.

ARIZONA

"Arizona's food culture is rich and diverse, and the maverick artisans and chefs who keep pushing it forward deserve the chance to be recognized in the world's most prestigious culinary guide," said Alix Skelpsa Ridgway, Interim Director of the Arizona Office of Tourism. "The expansion of the MICHELIN Guide to Arizona not only shines a light on our very best restaurants and restaurateurs, it signifies to global travelers that a culinary journey through the Grand Canyon State is one well worth taking."

NEVADA

"Las Vegas sets the standard for world-class dining, and it's only the beginning of Nevada's culinary journey," said Rafael Villanueva, CEO of Travel Nevada. "Partnering with the MICHELIN Guide gives us the opportunity to highlight the remarkable experiences found across the Silver State - from celebrated restaurants on and off the Las Vegas Strip, to the rich Basque traditions that define communities along I-80 in northern Nevada. We're excited for travelers to explore the full depth and diversity of Nevada's culinary story through this guide."

NEW MEXICO

"By joining this partnership to bring the MICHELIN Guide to the Southwest, we're ready to show the world that the Land of Enchantment is home to unforgettable restaurants on par with the top foodie destinations across the country," said Acting New Mexico Tourism Secretary Lancing Adams.

UTAH

"For years, locals and visitors have celebrated the remarkable culinary talent found in Utah. With the MICHELIN Guide's arrival, we are thrilled to share that experience with the world. This affirms the quality and creativity of our dining scene and reinforces our region as one of the most compelling destinations for food, beverage, culture and adventure." - Sundance Resort, Visit Park City, Visit Salt Lake.

The MICHELIN Guide is constantly observing the evolution of culinary destinations around the world. The Guide's selection process is determined by anonymous Inspectors and remains completely independent. The MICHELIN Guide is working with various destination marketing organizations on marketing and promotional activities only.

The MICHELIN Guide in North America  

Michelin announced its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Florida (Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022, adding Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater in 2025, statewide in 2026); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023), Mexico (2024), Texas (2024), Québec (2024), the American South (2025), Boston (2025), Philadelphia (2025) and now the Southwest (2026).  

About the MICHELIN Guide
Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants.

• The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that's rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef.

• The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value - often known as personal favorites among the inspectors when dining on their own time.

• The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable gastronomy.

• Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide inspectors.

The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin's inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the inspectors in the very beginning.

The restaurant selections join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an amazing hotel.

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 60 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.

All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin's anonymous inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated.

To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world.