August 27, 2025
Provided Image/Mike Prince for Peter Breslow Communications
The 2025 awards ceremony for the Michelin Guide Northeast Cities edition takes place in November at the Kimmel Center. Above, a dish from Kalaya, where the Michelin Guide's international director stopped after announcing Philly restaurants would be added for the first time.
Philadelphia restaurants will be added to the Michelin Guide for the first time later this year — and the chefs will find out if they've made the cut during an awards ceremony held in the city.
The additions to the Michelin Guide Northeast Cities edition will be revealed Nov. 18 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The guide honors the top restaurants in the region by awarding them one, two or three stars, among other accolades.
The Northeast Cities edition previously was limited to Chicago, New York City and Washington. In May, when Michelin announced that Boston and Philadelphia restaurants, it said anonymous inspectors already had been scoping out restaurants to include.
"We are excited to honor and celebrate the talented culinary community of the Northeast Cities in the iconic city of Philadelphia, which is a shining example of hospitality," Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the guide, said in a statement. "These five cities are home to a rich foundation of culinary history and culture that makes each city stand out for its unique talent and local flavors. Our anonymous Inspectors look forward to sharing their discoveries with the world, including spotlighting eateries in Boston and Philadelphia for the very first time."
Invitations are required to attend the ceremony. Restaurants may receive a star rating, a Bib Gourmand — which marks an inspector favorite — or a Michelin Green star for sustainable gastronomy.
The Michelin Guide was first published in 1900 by tire manufacturers Andre and Edouard Michelin as destination suggestions for French motorists. In 1926, it was updated to include the one-, two- and three-star ratings. One star is worth a stop on a journey, two stars are worth a detour, and three stars are worth a trip specifically to visit the restaurant.
The full guide includes more than 40,000 restaurants. To be added, restaurants must pass multiple inspections that consider multiple factors — food quality, flavor, cooking techniques, consistency and how a chef's personality appears in the food.
Poullennec stopped at Kalaya, Her Place Supper Club and Casa Mexico when he revealed that Philly restaurants would be added to the guide, but Michelin said those restaurants were not necessarily part of its evaluations.
