The stars have been awarded, the Bib Gourmands announced and the celebrations well underway. But now that the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Southwest has made its debut, a bigger question remains: What does Michelin’s arrival mean for dining in the Southwest?

Quite a bit, as it turns out.

For the first time, restaurants across Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah were evaluated together under the MICHELIN Guide Southwest, putting four distinctly different culinary destinations on the same international dining map.

The inaugural results, announced Aug. 26 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, include 64 restaurants representing 24 types of cuisine. Five restaurants earned coveted MICHELIN Stars, another 18 received Bib Gourmand distinctions for quality dining at a good value and 41 were MICHELIN Recommended.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

Nevada emerged as the region’s fine-dining heavyweight, claiming four of the Southwest’s five MICHELIN Stars. Utah made history with its first-ever starred restaurant. Arizona didn’t receive a star but led all four states in Bib Gourmand selections, while New Mexico placed 12 restaurants in the inaugural guide.

Together, the results offer an intriguing snapshot of a Southwest dining landscape that extends far beyond any single city or style of cuisine, and one that now has the attention of one of the world’s most recognized restaurant guides.

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MICHELIN Guide Southwest 2026: By the numbers

The inaugural guide includes:

• 64 total restaurants
• 5 MICHELIN-Starred restaurants
• 18 Bib Gourmands
• 41 MICHELIN Recommended restaurants
• 24 types of cuisine
• 4 states: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah

Nevada emerged as the region’s star leader, with four Las Vegas restaurants receiving stars. Utah made history with the state’s first MICHELIN Star, while Arizona and New Mexico did not receive stars in the inaugural guide.

Arizona, however, led the entire four-state region in Bib Gourmand selections, earning seven of the guide’s 18 designations.

Arizona earns 19 MICHELIN Guide selections

Arizona landed 19 restaurants in the inaugural Southwest guide, including seven Bib Gourmands and 12 MICHELIN Recommended restaurants.

No Arizona restaurant received a MICHELIN Star in 2026, but the state claimed more Bib Gourmand designations than any other state in the Southwest guide.

Arizona Bib Gourmand restaurants

• FnB, Scottsdale
• Huarachis Taqueria, Phoenix
• kid sister, Phoenix
• Little Miss BBQ, Phoenix
• Lom Wong, Phoenix
• Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix
• Valentine, Phoenix

Arizona MICHELIN Recommended restaurants

• Atria, Flagstaff
• Bacanora, Phoenix
• Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion, Phoenix
• Fry Bread House, Phoenix
• Glai Baan, Phoenix
• Hush Public House, Scottsdale
• INDIBAR, Paradise Valley
• Latha, Phoenix
• Pretty Penny, Phoenix
• RESERVE, Scottsdale
• ShinBay, Scottsdale
• Tratto, Phoenix

Arizona culinary professionals also received two of the guide’s four Special Awards. Chef René Andrade of Bacanora and Huarachis Taqueria received the MICHELIN Guide Southwest Young Chef Award, while John Germain, wine director at RESERVE, earned the Sommelier Award.

FnB chef Charleen Badman was also recognized through MICHELIN’s Mindful Voices initiative for her work supporting local agriculture, seasonal cooking and community food systems.

Nevada dominates the Southwest’s MICHELIN Stars

Nevada received 24 total selections, the most of any state in the inaugural guide, and Las Vegas took home four of the Southwest’s five MICHELIN-Starred restaurant distinctions.

Restaurant de Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand received Two MICHELIN Stars, the highest rating awarded anywhere in the Southwest this year.

Three additional Las Vegas restaurants earned One MICHELIN Star.

Nevada MICHELIN-Starred restaurants

Two MICHELIN Stars

• Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas

One MICHELIN Star

• é by José Andrés, Las Vegas
• Guy Savoy Las Vegas, Las Vegas
• L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Las Vegas, Las Vegas

Nevada Bib Gourmand restaurants

• China Poblano, Las Vegas
• Esther’s Kitchen, Las Vegas
• YEN Viet Kitchen, Las Vegas

Nevada MICHELIN Recommended restaurants

• Anima by EDO, Las Vegas
• Bouchon, Las Vegas
• COTE Las Vegas, Las Vegas
• Estiatorio Milos, Las Vegas
• Gymkhana, Las Vegas
• Kabuto, Las Vegas
• Kame Omakase, Las Vegas
• Lamaii, Las Vegas
• Michael Mina, Las Vegas
• Mott 32, Las Vegas
• Partage, Las Vegas
• Pho Ga Bac Bac, Las Vegas
• Ping Pang Pong, Las Vegas
• Soulbelly BBQ, Las Vegas
• Sparrow + Wolf, Las Vegas
• Stubborn Seed, Las Vegas
• Wing Lei, Las Vegas

Sean Christopher of Restaurant de Joël Robuchon also received the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Southwest Service Award.

The 2026 results mark a notable return for MICHELIN in Las Vegas. The guide had not evaluated the destination since 2009.

New Mexico lands 12 MICHELIN Guide selections

New Mexico did not receive a MICHELIN Star in the inaugural Southwest guide, but 12 restaurants made the final selection, spanning Albuquerque, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Five earned Bib Gourmand honors and seven were MICHELIN Recommended.

New Mexico Bib Gourmand restaurants

• Frontier, Albuquerque
• Jambo Cafe, Santa Fe
• La Choza, Santa Fe
• Paper Dosa, Santa Fe
• Tia Sophia’s, Santa Fe

New Mexico MICHELIN Recommended restaurants

• Arroyo Vino, Santa Fe
• Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque
• Izanami, Santa Fe
• Joseph’s Culinary Pub, Santa Fe
• Market Steer Steakhouse, Santa Fe
• Paloma, Santa Fe
• Restaurant Martín, Santa Fe

New Mexico also earned one of the Southwest guide’s four Special Awards. Joseph Simonson, spirits manager at Campo at Los Poblanos, received the Exceptional Cocktails Award for a beverage program deeply connected to the property’s organic farm, its lavender fields and ingredients from the surrounding region.

Utah earns its first MICHELIN Star

Utah made history in the inaugural guide.

Monte in South Salt Lake earned One MICHELIN Star, becoming the state’s first restaurant to receive the coveted distinction.

Located inside Beehive Distilling, the intimate restaurant from chef Martín Babío serves a tasting menu that incorporates local producers with French, Italian and South American influences.

Utah received nine total selections, including Monte’s star, three Bib Gourmands and five MICHELIN Recommended restaurants.

Utah MICHELIN-Starred restaurants

One MICHELIN Star

• Monte, South Salt Lake

Utah Bib Gourmand restaurants

• Feldman’s Deli, Salt Lake City
• One More Noodle House, South Salt Lake
• Phở 777, West Valley City

Utah MICHELIN Recommended restaurants

• Handle, Park City
• Koyote, Salt Lake City
• Matilda, Park City
• The Nelson Cottage by High West, Park City
• Star of India, Salt Lake City

How restaurants earn MICHELIN recognition

MICHELIN’s anonymous inspectors dine at restaurants and pay their bills in full, evaluating restaurants using the same standards across destinations.

Inspectors consider five primary criteria: the quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, the personality of the chef reflected in the cuisine and consistency across the menu and over time.

A MICHELIN Star recognizes restaurants MICHELIN considers exceptional for their cuisine, while Bib Gourmand honors restaurants offering high-quality food at a good value. Restaurants can also earn a place in the guide as MICHELIN Recommended selections.

For the Southwest, the inaugural results offer more than a new collection of restaurant accolades. They put four distinctly different dining destinations on the same international culinary map, from Sonoran flavors and New Mexican traditions to the spectacle of Las Vegas fine dining and Utah’s emerging restaurant scene.

And with 64 restaurants making the first cut, the MICHELIN Guide’s arrival gives culinary travelers plenty of new reasons to eat their way across the Southwest.

To learn more about the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Southwest, visit guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/guide-michelin-southwest