The first Florida MICHELIN Guide is out and Miami Design District emerged as the leading hotspot neighborhood with their restaurants receiving four MICHELIN Stars and four Bib Gourmand awards. The MICHELIN Guides are one of the most influential restaurant review publishers. The MICHELIN Guides were first published in 1900 the French tire company Michelin and are published annually by city across the globe. For the first time in 2022 did Florida restaurants have the ability to earn a coveted MICHELIN Star, in which a restaurant can earn up to 3. A restaurant can annually earn or lose stars, making the MICHELIN Guide highly competitive among chefs and restaurants. Restaurants can also earn a Bib Gourmand award which recognizes good quality, good value restaurants.

Miami Design District’s French hotspot, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, was the only 2-Star-honoree in the state of Florida. Cote and Le Jardinier rounded out the Miami Design District’s Michelin Star recipients each earning 1 Star.

Restaurants in Miami Design District also notably received four Bib Gourmand awards for the neighborhood’s mediterranean outpost, Mandolin Aegean Bistro; Peruvian-Japanese hotspot, Itamae; American staple, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink; and acclaimed bakery, soon to join the neighborhood, Bachour.

Bib Gourmand recipient Mandolin Aegean Bistro

Other restaurants in Miami to receive a MICHELIN Star were Ariete, Boia De, The Den at Sushi Azabu, Elcielo Miami, Hiden, Los Felix, Stubborn Seed, and The Surf Club Restaurant from Chef Thomas Keller at The Four Seasons Surf Club.

Miami also had 15 more restaurants receive a Bib Gourmand award including Chug’s Diner, Doya, El Turco, Ghee Indian Kitchen, Hometown Barbecue, Krus Kitchen, La Natural, Lung Yai Thai Tapas, Phuc Yea, Red Rooster Overtown, Sanguich de Miami, Tinga y Cafe, Zak the Baker, and Zitz Sum.

Miami Design District is one of the hottest neighborhoods in the world, home to a number of luxury fashion houses, art galleries, fine dining experiences, and cafés. The open-air, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, known for its many distinct and artistic façades, notably boasts a highly energy-efficient infrastructure and became the first neighborhood in the world to achieve the Gold level (LEED ND: Built v4 Gold). The neighborhood was inspired by the worlds leading shopping districts including Fifth Avenue and Rodeo Drive and visitors can enjoy mature canopy-covered streets and walkways, sculptural specimen trees, and extensive rooftop gardens.

MDD MICHELIN Star Winners:

L’ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON (2 Michelin Stars)

La Foret Noire at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

L’atelier Miami is the newest incarnation of the late Chef Joël Robuchon’s groundbreaking concept, which first opened in Paris’s Saint-Germain neighborhood in 2003, and has since planted roots in the Miami Design District. L’Atelier’s name refers to a craftsman’s workshop, exemplifying immaculate technique and abundant creativity. The format of the menu at L’Atelier allows guests the flexibility to create their own experience. A meal can be composed of an à la carte selection of small plates, appetizers, and entrées, or the 4-course Summer Menu “Aux Saveurs L'été” a 4-course seasonal tasting with choices for each dish.

COTE (1 Michelin Star)

COTE, the Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-nominated KOREAN STEAKHOUSE™ and vision of proprietor Simon Kim, unveiled in Miami’s Design District in February 2021. The 5,892-square-foot restaurant emulates its flagship, high-energy New York City-based locale synonymous with marrying the fun and fire of Korean barbeque with the hallmarks of a classic, regal American steakhouse. The result is a unique and convivial atmosphere infusing a fine dining experience with world-class ingredients and service complemented with a show-stopping beverage program.

Le Jardinier (1 Michelin Star)

The French word for "gardener," Le Jardinier's cuisine and setting evoke a modern greenhouse in the heart of the Miami Design District. Michelin-starred Chef Alain Verzeroli's menu is focused on utilizing the highest quality vegetables, seasonal ingredients, and fresh herbs, fitting seamlessly into the modern, light-filled interiors designed by award-winning Architect Pierre-Yves Rochon. The refined yet approachable cuisine, atmosphere, and service creates a holistic hospitality experience for guests.

MDD Bib Gourmand Winners:

Mandolin Aegean Bistro (Bib Gourmand)

Mandolin will greet you with a dose of warm, genuine, Mediterranean hospitality as you indulge in the taste and traditions of the Aegean. Founded by husband and wife team Ahmet Erkaya and Anastasia Koutsioukis, Mandolin Aegean Bistro opened in Miami in 2009. They restored a 1940's home with one of the most notable gardens and outdoor patio space in Miami, where every attention to detail matters. Dedicated to using local ingredients while incorporating the Aegean techniques, this Turkish-Mediterranean cuisine has put Miami Design District’s dining on the map

ITAMAE (Bib Gourmand)

Located across from famed Buckminster Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome in Miami Design District’s Palm Court Plaza, Itamae is a 40 seat restaurant from Chefs Nando, Valerie & Fernando Chang offering technique driven, Peruvian-Japanese flavors and traditions while also celebrating local and seasonal ingredients. Itamae made The New York Times' 2021 Restaurant List as well as being regarded as one of the best restaurants in Miami by The Infatuation.

MICHAEL’S GENUINE FOOD & DRINK (Bib Gourmand)

The special experience that results when delicious food and thoughtful service come together, designed by a team who cares about great products and making people happy. Locals and visitors alike embrace and crave this unique approach to dining out — some may consider Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink a second home, a place where they’re comfortable, that they want to share with friends.

BACHOUR (Bib Gourmand)

Antonio Bachour grew up in Puerto Rico and was hooked on pastry from a young age, thanks to a childhood spent in his family’s bakery. He dedicated his first few years honing his trade in Puerto Rico as a pastry cook at Sand Hotel and Casino and Westin Rio Mar. In search of a better place to continue growing professionally, 2001 found Bachour States-bound, in Miami Beach, as executive pastry chef at Talula. Pretty soon he was trying his hand at Italian delicacies at both Devito South Beach and Scarpetta in New York and Miami.

Images via Miami Design District