It’s the first time the Boston region has been included in a Michelin restaurant guide, and we’ve received a single one-star spot and a handful of other awards.
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311 Omakase. / Photo by Armani Thao
It only took 99 years for the Michelin Guide to arrive in Boston, but now the international authority on gastronomy is finally here. Announced at a Nov. 18 gala in Philadelphia, 26 Greater Boston restaurants received an award in the region’s inaugural year, part of the Northeast Cities edition of the guide. 311 Omakase won Boston’s only Michelin star for 2025, and Mahaniyom co-owner Chompon “Boong” Boonnak was honored with the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award, one of five special awards presented in the Northeast Guide’s five regions (Boston, Philadelphia – also new to the guide, New York City, Chicago and Washington, DC). “Quality” and “Value for money cooking”) and “Recommended” restaurants that serve good food but have not yet achieved star status. There were a few omissions, which are a real shame, but there’s a lot to celebrate: congratulations to everyone who took part in Boston’s first year of Michelin.
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Michelin guides, which grew out of the French tire company, have existed in various forms since 1900. They initially captured important travel information like gas station addresses, and in 1926 restaurant recommendations came into play. Today, the widely recognized restaurant guides are international and appear annually. The restaurants are evaluated by full-time anonymous inspectors with experience in the hotel industry. They focus on ingredients, flavors, cooking techniques, texture and “the chef’s personality as expressed in their cooking,” although the stars are technically awarded to the restaurant and not the chef. Factors such as ambience and service take a back seat.
The highest honor is three stars, given to restaurants “where the cuisine elevates craft to an art form and some dishes become classics.” Two-star restaurants, on the other hand, serve dishes “that are both sophisticated and inspired…where the personalities and talents of the team are showcased in expertly prepared dishes.” Boston missed the boat in both of these categories – good luck next year. (To be fair, there are only about 150 three-star restaurants and 500 two-star restaurants in the entire world, and several longtime three-star winners in the United States were downgraded to two stars this year, including Alinea in Chicago.)
In many cases, regions must pay cash – often hundreds of thousands of dollars – to Michelin to encourage the company to cover the area. According to Michelin, the costs go towards marketing and advertising; Individual restaurants cannot buy stars. In the case of Greater Boston, Meet Boston and the Cambridge Office for Tourism were among the organizations that struck the deal with Michelin (terms were not disclosed, but The Globe reports that the three-year partnership cost just over a million). Inspectors have reportedly been hanging out in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and other areas within the Route 95/128 corridor.
In the end, Michelin found a handful of local restaurants worth recognizing – including 15 in Boston itself and the rest in Cambridge, Brookline, Newton and Lynn. Here’s the first collection of Michelin-starred restaurants in the Greater Boston area – and check back soon as we’ll be adding a few of our own insider picks for each spot, as we just completed our annual Top 50 Restaurants list and have been eating our way obsessively.
One star restaurant
Michelin awards one star for “high-quality cuisine”.
- 311 Omakase (South End, Boston)
Bib gourmand restaurants
Michelin pays attention to affordability and awards the “Bib Gourmand Award” for “good quality and good value for money”.
- Bar Volpe (South Boston)
- Fox & the Knife (South Boston)
- Jahunger (Cambridgeport)
- Mahaniyom (Brookline Village)
- Pagu (Main Square, Cambridge)
- Sumiao Hunan Kitchen (Kendall Square, Cambridge)
Recommended restaurants
Michelin awards “recommended” restaurants (also “selected”) for their “good cuisine”. They don’t have a star yet, but maybe in the future…
- Asta (Back Bay, Boston)
- Carmelina’s (North End, Boston)
- Julia (Cambridge)
- The Mistress (Back Bay, Boston)
- Lenox Sophia (South Boston)
- Moëca (Cambridge)
- Mooncusser (Back Bay, Boston)
- Neptune Oyster (North End, Boston)
- Nightshade Noodle Bar (Lynn)
- Oleana (Cambridge)
- Pammy’s (Cambridge)
- Select Oyster Bar (Back Bay, Boston)
- Somaek (Downtown Crossing, Boston)
- Thistle & Leek (Newton)
- Toro (Boston)
- Urban Hearth (North Cambridge)
- Wa Shin (Bay Village, Boston)
- Woods Hill Pier 4 (Seaport District, Boston)
- Zhi Wei Cafe (Leather District, Boston)
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