Michelin Guide coming to St. Pete-Clearwater, recognizing region's evolving culinary scene

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For the first time, the prestigious Michelin Guide, the most well-known and respected authority on restaurants in the world, will recognize dining establishments in the St. Pete-Clearwater region.

Michelin and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater announced on Tuesday that the guide will be expanding to Pinellas County in 2025.   

“We are ecstatic to have been sought out and invited to be a part of the Florida MICHELIN Guide for the caliber of restaurants and culinary experiences you can find in St. Pete-Clearwater,” Visit St. Pete-Clearwater CEO and President Brian Lowack said in a statement.

“This inclusion now gives us the chance to show off our award-winning beaches and award-worthy culinary experiences as we set out to change the perception of what beach cuisine can be. With this new designation St. Pete-Clearwater will reach a new audience of food-focused travelers who are in search of an extraordinary culinary experience and America’s Favorite Beaches in one incredible destination.” 

In addition to Pinellas County, the Michelin Guide also announced the inclusion of the Greater Fort Lauderdale and The Palm Beaches in the 2025 Guide.  

The Michelin Guide’s anonymous inspectors are currently in the field, making dining reservations and scouting for culinary gems in the new territories.

During a press conference held Tuesday afternoon in downtown St. Pete, Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters said they were not provided a list of restaurants, but she expects them to evaluate small- and medium-sized restaurants, hotel restaurants, and some that are on located on the beach and in downtown.

The full 2025 restaurant selection will be revealed at a later date during the annual Michelin Guide ceremony for Florida. 

"We've been watching our culinary environment continue to elevate itself for the last 10 or 15 years. The number of fine dining establishments and high-end restaurants that have been opening up year after year here has been amazing. We've seen more executive chefs move to this area and recognize this area as an up-and-coming, not only as a fabulous destination but as a foodie destination. We are so incredibly proud to have this honor today," Pinellas County Chair and Tourist Development Council Commissioner Brian Scott said during the press event.

The news comes years after Michelin first entered the state in 2022. Currently, there are five Tampa restaurants that have earned a coveted Michelin star.

Lowack told St. Pete Rising that Michelin first reached out to them approximately a year ago, when talks sparked about a potential partnership.

There’s a two-year agreement with Michelin, $90,000 per year. The funding is made possible through the tourist development tax, which is paid for by overnight stays of visitors. The taxes are used to specifically promote, advertise, and market the destination, and for projects that increase visitation to the destination.

“Florida continues to raise the bar with its emerging culinary talent, international influences and the palpable passion of its local restaurant communities,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “Over the past three years, we’ve seen the Florida selection grow and strengthen as our Inspectors shined a spotlight on their discoveries. We look forward to exploring these new destinations and highlighting the excellence of their local restaurant scene.”

Numerous establishments in Pinellas County have received other prestigious awards in recent years, such as Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. Additionally, two chefs – David Benstock from Il Ritorno and Rob Reinsmith from Wild Child – have defeated Bobby Flay in Food Network competitions while the destination has also had a chef appearance on the competitive TV cooking show, Top Chef.  

"We have talked about this day for 11 years since we’ve opened our company here. People come to this county because we have beautiful beaches and beautiful cities, and they discover that we have delicious food, but now they're going to know before they come here, that this is a destination in which you can get the best world class food and beverage. And finally, our great chefs in the county are going to get the recognition that they deserve,” local chef Zachary Feinstein, owner of The Black Pearl and The Living Room in Dunedin, added during the press event.

“It's a very, very exciting time, very proud to be a part of this county. And what is being what's being done for us as business owners. We're going to start to see some really exciting things happen with chefs coming in from other states. We have a lot of people moving in from out of town, and now there's just even more reason to up the ante.”