Michelin Guide’s Arrival in Philadelphia Heralded by City’s Culinary Community

It's about time. On Tuesday, May 13, Philadelphia officials announced that the prestigious Michelin Guide is finally arriving in the city to a crowd of people who gathered at the Barnes Foundation for the news conference.

Michelin's partnership with the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau has been several years in the making. The city's culinary community is heralding Michelin's arrival in a city that will be a prime gathering spot for thousands of people during the semiquincentennial or 250th birthday of the United States in 2026.

"Of course, you know it already that you have a great food scene," Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guide, said in remarks captured by CBS News Philadelphia, "but the world still needs to know about it."

"Having Michelin go live with their special ratings in time for 2026, man, that is just the icing on your fancy cakes that y'all make out there," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro added.

Nicholas Elmi, a Philadelphia-area restaurateur and chef who spoke to CBS News Philadelphia, said that Philadelphia's dining clientele is unmatched anywhere else. "The customers in Philly are not scared to tell you what they think about your food, and I appreciate that. It gives you really, really thick skin, so some of us are kind of nervous about Michelin coming in," he said.

Restaurant selections for Michelin's inaugural guide in Philadelphia will be revealed later this year. According to Michelin, inspectors are already embarking on their culinary tour of Philadelphia's food scene. 

In the Michelin Guide Northeast Cities edition, Philadelphia joins Boston, Chicago, New York City, and the District of Columbia.