Michelin Guide Philippines 2027 reveals its picks on 29 October

The Michelin Guide Philippines 2027 selection lands on 29 October, when inspectors reveal a second round of stars for Manila and Environs and Cebu at the Manila Marriott Hotel.

The reveal starts at 5pm local time and will be livestreamed on the Michelin Guide Asia YouTube channel. Inspectors spent the past year working through Metro Manila, nearby provinces and Cebu, tasting from fine-dining rooms to carinderias and lechon stalls.

Philippine Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco and Michelin international director Gwendal Poulenc are expected at the ceremony, which follows the country's first Michelin Guide selection in 2025. That debut named nine starred restaurants, led by Helm under chef Josh Boutwood with two stars, alongside Asador Alfonso, Celera, Gallery by Chele, Hapag, Inato, Kasa Palma, Linamnam and Toyo Eatery. A further 25 restaurants held Bib Gourmand status, and more than 80 made the wider Michelin Selected list.

Their latest discoveries point to a dining scene gathering momentum in intriguing ways.

A dining scene gathering momentum

"Their latest discoveries point to a dining scene gathering momentum in intriguing ways," the guide said of this year's round, pointing to emerging chefs working alongside established names and to Philippine cuisine anchored in heritage rather than trend.

Manila's selection leans on chef-driven, contemporary rooms; inspectors found Cebu's strength in lechon, charcoal grilling and seafood pulled straight from its markets. Calamansi, kamias and tamarind keep turning up as the acid backbone across both cities, the kind of detail that separates a guide write-up from a tourist board press release. It is the same homegrown produce behind recent stories like the Philippines' ube export suspension, brought in to protect supply at home.

Five criteria and a bigger slate for 2027

Inspectors score every meal against the same five points used worldwide: quality of ingredients, mastery of technique, harmony of flavour, the cook's personality on the plate, and consistency across repeat visits. Nothing in the criteria changes for a second-year market, which is partly the point: it explains why some restaurants keep their stars and others slip out of contention.

The Manila and Cebu reveal also lands in the Michelin Star's centenary year, a hundred years on from its 1926 introduction in France. For a guide still filling gaps across Southeast Asia, a second Philippine edition is a small but deliberate step, proof the first year wasn't a one-off tied to a launch party.

The full list, stars included, arrives on 29 October.