Eleven restaurants from Miami Beach and the Greater Miami area were awarded Michelin stars at the recent release of the 2022 Michelin Guide to Miami, Orlando and Tampa—Michelin’s first culinary guide to Florida. A further four restaurants in Orlando also received stars. Miami’s popular modern French restaurant, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, is the only eatery in the new culinary guide to receive two stars. In total, 118 Florida restaurants made the guidebook.
Located in Miami’s Design District, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon opened in 2019 and is one of 10 of the late chef’s L’Atelier restaurants. His protege, culinary director Alain Verzeroli, leads the Miami restaurant known for elevating simple dishes like the humble pomme puree—one of Robuchon’s specialties. The restaurant’s entry in the Michelin Guide notes that the “menu is a study of vibrant tastes and smart compositions that pack big flavor minus the heaviness” and recommends diners “go with the seasonal prix fixe.” L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon’s sister restaurant Le Jardinier received a single Michelin star. Both received The Exceptional Cocktails Award.
The Korean steakhouse Cote Miami, also in the Design District, received a Michelin star, and its sommelier, Victoria James, was named Sommelier of the Year. The American eatery Stubborn Seed in South Beach, Boia De, an Italian restaurant in a strip mall in Little Haiti, and Elcielo in Downtown Miami all received stars. Two hotel restaurants in Miami—The Den at Sushi Azabu Miami at Marriott Stanton South Beach and The Surfclub Restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel, Surfclub—received stars. The latter is the brainchild of chef Thomas Keller, the man behind The French Laundry, the 3-Michelin star restaurant in Napa Valley.
In a press statement applauding the Miami entries in the guide, David Whitaker, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, said: “This prestigious honor serves to solidify Miami and Miami Beach as one of the most sought-after business and leisure travel destinations in the world. Miami is not only an international destination but also a melting pot of cultures with food being key to showcasing the different traditions from around the world that call Miami and Miami Beach home.”
Two hotel restaurants in Orlando are among the four eateries in the city to receive stars: the rooftop restaurant and bar Capa, at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, and the steakhouse and seafood eatery Knife & Spoon at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, led by chef John Tesar from Bravo’s “Top Chef” TV series. Rounding out the list for Orlando are Japanese restaurants Kadence and Soseki.
A further 29 restaurants were singled out for offering great food at affordable prices with a Bib Gourmand designation. Of these, 19 are in Miami and Greater Miami, seven are in Orlando and three are in Tampa. These include: Doya (Miami), Hometown Barbecue Miami, Chug’s Diner (Coconut Grove), The Ravenous Pig (Winter Park), Papa Llama (Orlando), Rooster and the Till (Tampa) and Rocca (Tampa), among others.
“As you can see, Miami, Orlando and Tampa have very much to offer to international food and wine enthusiasts,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guides, in a press statement. “This very first selection of the Michelin Guide in Florida highlights glittery Miami, storied Orlando and breathtaking Tampa, offering a unique blend of international cuisine and Florida flavors. Local foodies as well as travelers will enjoy exploring these mesmerizing and rich Florida culinary destinations.”
Dana Young, the president and CEO of Visit Florida, said in a press statement: “Our cuisine is a huge part of who we are and what we offer to visitors. We know that Michelin’s presence here will take the Florida vacation experience to new heights and have an incredible impact on our tourism brand.”
