30 December 2025
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Food has become one of the clearest signs of where the world is going next. In 2026, that pull is felt everywhere — from obvious heavyweights like Venice and the Amalfi Coast, where a smattering of new luxury hotels are due to open their doors and a new upscale train route in from Paris will serve to sharpen already-famous tables, to many places on our list that are newly stepping into the light.
In some destinations, landmark events, like the World Cup or big anniversaries, serve as a catalyst to put these destinations on travelers' maps — as have the recent launches of brand-new MICHELIN Guides. For instance, in Cebu, Philippines; Wrocław, Poland; and Jiangsu, China, formal recognition doesn’t create ambition so much as reveal it, bringing cuisines that have long been cooking with confidence, depth and a strong sense of place to the global stage.
These are the places to go now, according to our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors and our experts on the ground — before the reservations get harder to come by, the prices rise and the rest of the world catches on.
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Europe
1. Venice, Italy
Why go now: A hotel renaissance is about to reset the city’s future.
Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 62, including two Two-Star restaurants, eight One-Star restaurants and three Bib Gourmands.
Venice enters 2026 with a surge of high-profile openings by hospitality heavyweights — Orient Express, Cheval Blanc, Rosewood and Airelles are all vying for a piece of the floating city — reshaping how travelers experience and eat. Currently, a handful of local chefs are reworking lagoon cuisine with restraint and confidence like at the discreet, family-owned and run Vini da Gigio, but spots like these are few and far between, hiding among an inevitable slew of tourist traps. However, with the arrival of more high-end hotels by internationally renowned groups also comes the promise of big-name chefs heading up these hotels' swanky restaurants, possibly driving up the dining standards across the city (as well as prices).
The neighborhoods about to see a shift include the northern indie area of Cannaregio, close to where the Orient Express will open inside Palazzo Donà Giovannelli. The laid-back island of Giudecca, south of the main island, is also set for change as Airelles Venezia prepares to open its doors on April 1, steps from the soon-to-reopen Three-MICHELIN-Key Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice.
However, despite the changes in the pipeline, travelers willing to swap sweltering summers and the Biennale period (May 9 to Nov. 22) for quieter, crisp winters, will still be able to revel in a calmer Venice, when the city ticks to a slower, more local pace; and of course, reservations at some of the city's top (old and new) dining spots are easier to come by.
Where to Stay: Venice hotels are spectacular and distinct in their own way, from the Aman Venice inside a palazzo on the Grand Canal, to smaller tucked-away abodes like Madama Venice.
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2. Czech Republic (Beyond Prague)
Why go now: A nation-wide MICHELIN Guide redraws the map.
Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 79, including one Two-Star restaurant, eight One-Star restaurants and 18 Bib Gourmands.
The Czech Republic’s first countrywide MICHELIN Guide pushes attention beyond the capital of Prague, toward spa towns, rural inns and forest-framed kitchens. Potatoes, freshwater fish and foraged mushrooms anchor menus rooted in place and seasonality. And late spring to early autumn reveals markets, cycling routes and river towns at their best.
For our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, the regions to bookmark this year for their exceptional food scene are the South Moravian, known for its mountains, caves, rivers and local produce, as well as the extremely pretty UNESCO spa town of Karlovy Vary, home to the Grandhotel Pupp, said to be Wes Anderson's actual inspiration for the Grand Budapest Hotel in his 2014 feature film of the same name. For more riverside towns and crystal-clear lakes, South and Central Bohemia should also be on travel lists. Right now, the country feels quietly open, and newly confident; a perfect balance for exploring.
Where to Stay: The Czech Republic is scattered with dreamy stays, from One-Key castle hotel Villa Julius a Emma – Luxury Boutique Retreat in Carlsbad to the hip W Hotel in Prague.
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3. The Dolomites, Italy
Why go now: The Winter Games bring global attention — and lasting change.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 149, including one Three-Star restaurant, two Two-Star restaurants, 34 One-Star restaurants and 18 Bib Gourmands.
Cortina is hosting the Winter Olympic Games Feb. 6-22, making 2026 a turning point for the Dolomites in North Italy, with new infrastructure, refined mountain hotels and increasingly ambitious alpine cooking. Buckwheat, speck and mountain cheeses anchor menus in the terroir, making them feel local but modern, thanks to chefs looking to techniques outside of the Italian Alps. February offers spectacle, when the setting sun throws electric-pink light on the mountains, while summer rewards hikers with later days and more moderate temperatures, and diners with more varied produce. Visit before post-Games tourism reshapes prices and pace, if you can.
Where to Stay: Bookmark the rave-worthy Two-MICHELIN-Key Forestis, known for its wellness offering, or the chalet-style De Len in Cortina.
4. Wrocław, Poland
Why go now: A Central European food city steps out of the shadows.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 22, including three Bib Gourmands.
Wrocław’s MICHELIN Guide recognition signals its arrival as a food destination for the high caliber of its local Polish cuisine. Chefs are young and ambitious, reinterpreting Silesian traditions — pierogi, game, fermentation — with modern precision. A vibrant city, Wrocław has a large young population, thanks to its university, meaning ambition is always bubbling in its restaurants. It's also a gem of a town that's truly off the beaten path. Cafés and wine bars line the Oder River, giving the city a relaxed atmosphere and in terms of what to see, the old market square area should be bookmarked for its character, as well as the original old town of Ostrów Tumski. Visit in the warmer months, around May or June, and September, during university term time, to really see the city come alive.
Where to Stay: Book to stay at One-Key Hotel Altus Palace for its stately style or the more urban PURO Wrocław Stare Miasto.
5. Amalfi Coast, Italy
Why go now: A legendary coastline gets a new way in.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 79, including one Three-Star restaurant, three Two-Star restaurants, 25 One-Star restaurants and six Bib Gourmands.
The launch of Belmond’s new train service starting in May will redefine travelers’ arrival on the Amalfi Coast. Once there, the food remains elemental — anchovies, lemons, hand-rolled pasta — served with renewed confidence. May and late September are ideal, when kitchens cook for seasonality rather than survival and the coast regains its luminosity.
Where to Stay: There are so many sumptuous hotels on the Amalfi Coast, like the Three-Key Il San Pietro di Positano, as well as more boutique stays like at Casa Buonocore.
Middle East
6. Saudi Arabia
Why go now: A newly launched MICHELIN Guide signals a culinary coming-of-age.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 52, including 11 Bib Gourmands.
Saudi Arabia’s new MICHELIN Guide reframes the kingdom as a dining destination to watch. In major cities Riyadh and Jeddah, chefs reinterpret rice dishes, grilled meats and Red Sea seafood within ambitious new cultural districts. The scene is mostly local but has an international side picking up pace with Japanese, Chinese, Lebanese and French cuisines being those of choice for now. Also worth noting, and confirmed by our Inspectors, is that alcohol is not available in Saudi Arabia, although alternatives are readily available; but as drinking rates fall globally, this may be an incentive rather than a deterrent for a growing demographic of travelers.
In terms of when to go, cooler months — November through February — bring terrace dining and festival energy, especially after Ramadan (slated for mid-February this year). For travelers seeking what’s next, this is a moment of rare access and momentum in a destination that's bulking up its infrastructure, hotels and cultural offerings as part of its ambition to feature on traveler checklists before the decade is out.
Where to Stay: From desert stays such as Caravan by Habitas AlUla, to island hotels like Two-Key Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, there’s something for every type of traveler.
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Asia
7. Cappadocia, Türkiye
Why go now: Witness a landscape destination’s culinary awakening.
Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 18, including one One-Star restaurant and five Bib Gourmands.
You'll no doubt have seen images of tens of hot air balloons floating in orange-tinted skies above this magnificent land of towering rock formations shaped by centuries of natural erosion. However, Cappadocia’s MICHELIN Guide debut elevates the UNESCO-listed region beyond its natural wonders. Cappadocia is the place to taste true local fare with 70% of the cuisine being local, with a growing farm-to-table philosophy. Think clay-pot stews, soups, grilled meats, ancient grains and Anatolian wines, which are now popping up as part of thoughtful tasting menus, often inside cave hotels that double as dining rooms. In general, chefs tend to work with local produce and traditional techniques, including fermentation. Go in April to May and October, which offer balance between dramatic skies, cooler temperatures and tables that finally match the view.
Where to Stay: There area some wonderful hotels to bookmark in the region, like Two-Key Argos in Cappadocia or a cave hotel like Signature Cave Cappadocia, Trademark Collection by Wyndham.
8. Jiangsu Province, China
Why go now: China’s most refined cuisine steps into focus.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 73, including five One-Star restaurants and 36 Bib Gourmands.
Jiangsu’s MICHELIN Guide spotlights one of China’s most elegant regional food traditions — freshwater fish, subtle seasoning and classical technique. In the cities of Suzhou and Nanjing, garden culture is paired with deeply serious kitchens. Spring and autumn are ideal times to visit as it’s not too hot — Nanjing is also known as one of China’s Three Furnaces, with temperatures peaking in August — and when seasonal produce defines menus. For travelers seeking depth beyond megacities, Jiangsu knows how to please demanding palates.
Where to Stay: There are a handful of hotels in Jiangsu Province, like the futuristic looking Hualuxe Nanjing Yangtze River or urban Andaz Nanjing Hexi.
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9. The Philippines
Why go now: Filipino food claims its global moment in Manila and Cebu.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: In Cebu, our Inspectors have added 18 restaurants, including six Bib Gourmands, and in Manila, there are 88 restaurants, including one Two-Star restaurant, seven One-Star places and 19 Bib Gourmands.
With MICHELIN Guides in Manila and Cebu, Filipino cuisine gains overdue international framing. While the hotels and dining scene here are already buzzing, there is a host of local young chefs with independent styles leading an emerging new wave of food culture steeped in balancing traditional and international techniques. Still at the heart of Manila’s local cuisine are savory staples such as Sisig, Sinigang, Inasal and Adobo. These dishes showcase a balance of sweet, salty and acidity, achieved through the skilled use of regional spices and fruits and cooking techniques like marinating and grilling. There's also an abundance of fresh produce year-round, due to great weather, our Inspectors noted when doing their rounds.
In terms of vibe, Manila is a sprawling metropolis with a mix of traditional neighborhoods and skyscrapers, and this contrasting setting mirrors the various influences in its food scene. The city buzzes with modern dining rooms that mix American, Chinese, and Spanish influences, while Filipino food is a blend of the country's diverse tradtions.
In the south of the country, the coastal city of Cebu — the second-largest metropolitan area in the Philippines — is a well-developed, iconic destination known for its beaches and swanky resorts. Here, the developing food scene anchors itself in seafood. January to March offers the best weather, best produce and best atmosphere.
Where to Stay: Manila has a handful of good-quality hotels, like the Grand Hyatt Manila for a rooftop pool or Shangri-La the Fort for top service. In Cebu, the One-Key Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort or Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan are great beachside options.
North America
10. Route 66, USA
Why go now: A century-old road finds new relevance.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: Start in Chicago (105 restaurants, including one Three-Star, four Two Stars, 15 One Stars and 33 Bib Gourmands) and finish in Los Angeles (165 restaurants, including two Three-Stars, three Two-Stars, 20 One-Stars and 42 Bib Gourmands).
The 100th anniversary of Route 66 makes 2026 the definitive year to drive it. Across eight states, diners, barbecue joints and motels are being revived with care, ready for a fresh wave of visitors. Events will span the route’s 2,448 miles, from Springfield, Missouri’s centennial kick-off in April to Tulsa’s Capital Cruise in May — a bid for the world’s largest classic-car parade — and Amarillo’s 10-day Texas Route 66 Festival in June. The anniversary also spotlights Indigenous histories, with programs at Albuquerque’s Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and Oklahoma City’s First Americans Museum.
In terms of the food — pie, smoked meat, chili — it grounds the journey in local staples. And big news for the region this year: we're launching a MICHELIN Guide for the Southwest covering Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, highlighting the region's top dining destinations, including along Route 66. So, watch this space if you're planning to visit.
For now, MICHELIN Guide adepts can follow our Inspector recommendations for where to get their fill of quality plates at the start and end of the Route in Chicago and Los Angeles, where we already have Guides. In terms of when to visit, while many travelers opt for summer, it does get hot, so plan for late spring and early fall for milder temperatures and less traffic on open roads that drive you right to the heart of storybook Americana.
Where to Stay: Route 66 has several stays worth making a note of, like ARRIVE Albuquerque, a great option housed in the former sixties Downtowner Motor Inn. In Chicago, hotel options are plentiful; go for the Two-Key Pendry. In Los Angeles, the Three-Key Hotel Bel-Air Dorchester Collection is one of our top picks.
11. The American South
Why go now: MICHELIN Guide recognition reshapes the south of a country's narrative.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: The MICHELIN Guide American South 2025 includes one Two-Star, 18 One-Stars, 50 Bib Gourmands and 159 selected restaurants across Alabama, Atlanta, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Across the American South, a new culinary clarity is taking hold. In Alabama and Mississippi, chefs elevate regional staples with restraint; Atlanta anchors innovation; Louisiana deepens its Creole and Cajun authority; the Carolinas refine seafood and whole-hog traditions; and Tennessee sharpens its smoke-driven identity. Not forgetting our big story in New Orleans, where Emeril's, the only Two-Star restaurant in the region, is led by a chef who is now the youngest in MICHELIN history to lead a restaurant with Two Stars. At only 22 years old, Chef E.J. Lagasse helms things up at the restaurant his father, the renowned chef and television personality Emeril Lagasse, opened 35 years ago.
MICHELIN Guide recognition accelerates momentum without smoothing edges. Visit in the fall, when heat recedes and harvest flavors dominate.
Where to Stay: As this entry spans several states, take a look at our hotels page for our Inspectors’ top stays.
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12. Florida, USA
Why go now: A statewide guide reveals depth.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 162, including two Two-Star restaurants, 26 One-Star restaurants and 36 Bib Gourmands.
Florida’s MICHELIN Guide broadens the state’s culinary identity beyond Miami. In addition to Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa, the new selection now includes restaurants in Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater. And beginning in 2026, the selection will grow further to become a state-wide selection covering all of Florida.
Meanwhile, Tampa, Orlando and Gulf Coast towns gain traction with seafood-driven menus and chef-led dining rooms. In January through to March, the season brings ideal weather and peak openings. In 2026, Florida feels less like a seasonal escape and more like a connected food destination.
Where to Stay: The Three-Key Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in the Florida Keys is a reliable option, as is the Two-Key Faena in Miami Beach, but we’re adding more and more hotels to our books for the state.
13. Boston, USA
Why go now: A historic food city looks forward.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 26, including one One-Star and six Bib Gourmands.
Boston’s newly launched MICHELIN Guide signals more than validation — it marks a shift: A new generation of chefs is modernizing the city’s seafood legacy, pairing pristine New England shellfish with global techniques and sharper dining rooms. Neighborhoods like South End and Fort Point feel newly energized, while hotel openings bring fresh ambition. Visit late spring or early fall, when markets and patios come alive and the city’s culinary future feels most visible.
Where to Stay: This city has some top stays, like the Two-Key Whitney Hotel Boston and Newbury, also a holder of Two Keys.
14. Philadelphia, USA
Why go now: The city steps out of the shadows.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 33, including three One-Stars and 10 Bib Gourmands.
Philadelphia’s MICHELIN Guide recognition crystallizes what locals have long known: This is one of the country’s most dynamic dining scenes. Chefs here cook with confidence rather than spectacle, blending immigrant traditions with seasonal mid-Atlantic sourcing. Neighborhood restaurants, not white-tablecloth locales, define the experience. Go in May to June or September, when markets peak and the city’s walkable neighborhoods reward lingering from table to table.
Where to Stay: Among hotels to stay at in Philadelphia, ROOST Midtown is a super stylish option, as is Anna and Bel, which has a MICHELIN Key.
15. Québec, Canada
Why go now: Terroir-driven cooking with a French focus earns global clarity.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 102, including one Two-Star, eight One-Stars and 17 Bib Gourmands.
Québec’s MICHELIN Guide elevates a food culture built on seasonality, restraint and French influences. Montréal’s inventive bistros coexist with rural tables celebrating maple, game and cold-water seafood. September is ideal, when harvest flavors peak and landscapes glow. In 2026, Québec feels fully international — distinct, grounded and quietly expressive.
Where to Stay: High-end Hôtel Place d’Armes (One MICHELIN Key) is a favorite place to stay in Québec, as is the laid-back Petit Hotel, also with One Key.
16. Vancouver, Canada
Why go now: A global football (soccer) tournament sharpens an already great food city.Total MICHELIN Guide restaurants: 76, including 12 One-Star restaurants and 15 Bib Gourmands.
As a 2026 World Cup host city, Vancouver steps onto a global stage it’s long deserved. The city’s culinary strength lies in its Pacific geography and cultural mix: pristine seafood, Asian influences and a growing spotlight on Indigenous cooking. New waterfront developments and hotel openings add momentum. Visit in summer 2026, when outdoor dining thrives and the city’s natural beauty becomes part of the table.
Where to Stay: We have a handful of top hotels on our books, including the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, which has Two Keys and the more intimate Wedgewood (One Key).
Hero Image: A collection of images from the best places to eat in 2026, according to The MICHELIN Guide. From top left to bottom right: New Orleans City Park © Susan Q Yin; A bowl of prawn soup at Pares Batchoy Food House in Cebu, Philippines © Image courtesy of the restaurant; Wrocław city center © Bianca Fazacas; Mr D'z diner on Route 66 © Heidi Kaden; Baita Fraina restaurant in Italy's Dolomites © Image courtesy of the restaurant; Hot air balloons over Cappadocia © Igor Sporynin; A diner tucks into noodles © Reimond de Zuniga.
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