Six new Tampa restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide Florida on Wednesday, nearly two months before the guide's venerable 2024 star is unveiled.
Streetlight Taco, Supernatural Food & Wine, Predalina, The Pearl, Kosen and Ebbe are all listed as “new” additions to the guide. In total, 19 new restaurants were added between Tampa, Orlando and Miami, the only Florida cities visited by Michelin inspectors.
Additions mean that restaurants listed may, but not necessarily, qualify for the guide's coveted star ratings or Bib Gourmand selections. According to a press release, the establishments are being highlighted “to help foodies enjoy new discoveries ahead of the annual announcement of Bib Gourmands and stars.”
Although the James Beard Awards are considered by many to be the Oscars of the culinary world, the Michelin Guide is arguably the most well-known and respected restaurant rating system, known for receiving international accolades and recognition for restaurants that receive star ratings.
While the most stars a restaurant can get is three, getting any stars at all is considered a huge success in the industry. The process is known to be highly confidential: inspectors visit restaurants anonymously and judge restaurants based on various criteria, including product quality, mastery of flavors and excellence in technique.
The guide also grants Bib Gourmand status to restaurants, reserved for “best value” restaurants where diners can leave “feeling satisfied, because they ate good food at such a reasonable price.”
It's been three years since the international guide began its trip to Florida, as part of a partnership between the Michelin Guide, the state tourism marketing agency Visit Florida, and the tourism marketing boards of Tampa, Orlando and Miami.
Since the guide's launch in Florida, local chefs have hoped that additional stars and accolades will help bring more widespread recognition to the Tampa Bay area.
So far, three restaurants in Tampa have received a one-star rating — Roca, Lilac, and Coya — and a few others have earned the Bib Gourmand rating, including Rooster & The Till, Gorkhali Kitchen, Psomi, and the since-closed Ichicoro Ramen restaurant .
The Stars and Bib Gourmand selections for the 2024 Florida Guide will be announced at a ceremony in Tampa on April 18.
“Lifelong beer expert. General travel enthusiast. Social media buff. Zombie maven. Communicator.”