Credit: PHLCVB / Love Park
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, Philadelphia is about to get its list of must-try culinary hotspots.
Announced on May 12, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) revealed that Philadelphia will be included in the MICHELIN Guide Northeast Cities edition. Both Philadelphia and Boston will join the edition’s lineup alongside Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C.
For those unfamiliar, the Michelin Red Guide is a highly esteemed guide that rates restaurants around the world. Undercover inspectors secretly attend restaurants and then review their menu based on five criteria: quality products, harmony of flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine, and consistency between each visit and throughout the menu.
If the restaurant’s cuisine meets the inspectors’ high standards, it can be awarded one to three red stars. A restaurant with one star is worth a stop, two stars is worth a detour, and three stars is worth a journey. Only 13 restaurants in the United States have earned three stars.
With America’s 250th birthday coming up next summer, it seems like the opportune time for Michelin to dole out their coveted stamps of approval to the restaurants in America’s most historic cities. The millions of tourists expected to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, and Philadelphia’s heritage landmarks will likely be looking to the MICHELIN Guide to find their post-event dinner reservations.
In 2024, Philadelphia became one of eight destinations in the United States to have its own Michelin Green Guide. While Michelin is most iconic for its Red Guides, which is what Philadelphia is receiving this summer, its Green Guide rates attractions with green stars on the same scale.
In a statement, Michelin’s Editor-in-chief Phillippe Orain told the PHLCVB that Philadelphia is “the most important historical city in the U.S.” and “the best way to make a quick and very important introduction to the U.S.” for foreign tourists. This sentiment is why Philadelphia will be a prominent player in America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Featured in Philadelphia’s Green Guide are three-star destinations such as Independence National Historical Park, the Liberty Bell, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These locations will surely be popular for Summer 2026 tourists looking for a taste of American history.
So, the relationship between the PHLCVB and Michelin has been forming since at least last summer, serving to provide tourists with both Philadelphia’s must-see attractions and standout restaurants.
For the Red Guide, the restaurant selections will be revealed later this year during the annual MICHELIN Guide Northeast Cities Ceremony. Inspectors are already in the field, trying Philadelphia’s highest echelon of restaurants.
Since the search has begun, the regular couple sitting at the table next to you at Zahav might just be secret Michelin agents looking to find the illustrious three-star restaurants for America’s 250th birthday party. You never know!
