Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach restaurants earn Michelin stars for the first time
The Michelin Guide, which reviews and rates restaurants from around the world, announced in February that it was adding three more Florida cities to its guide this year: Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches and St. Petersburg-Clearwater.
It appears Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches were ready for it.
Chef's Counter at MAASS in Fort Lauderdale and Konro in West Palm Beach were announced as additions to the 2025 Michelin Guide at a ceremony Thursday at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort. Both restaurants serve contemporary cuisine.
Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, praised the growth of Florida's restaurant industry.
'Florida has proven to be an international culinary destination, with the expansion to three new cities and five restaurants being welcomed into the Michelin star family in this year's selection,' he said in a statement. 'Our anonymous inspectors continued to be delighted by Florida's culinary community.'
MAASS, which is located in the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, offers 'a distinctive dining experience,' according to the internationally famous guide. 'Chef Ryan Ratino's tasting menu, in the hands of Chef David Brito, is a beautiful tribute to contemporary cooking with French techniques, Japanese ingredients and a few Florida highlights. Ingredients take center stage in courses like the single seared diver scallop over a truffle puree.'
The guide went on to praise the restaurant's 'upmarket' riff on chicken noodle soup and koshihikari rice cooked in a Japanese clay pot with maitake mushroom and topped with Comte foam.
Konro, helmed by Chef Jacob Bickelhaupt and his wife and sommelier Nadia Bickelhaupt, also makes use of the counter concept. 'Bold cooking takes center stage here, where an affinity for rich, umami-packed dishes surprises diners,' according to the guide.
'Meals begin with snacks; the foie gras mousse in a chicken-skin cone is a highlight. The chef's creativity is displayed in dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions and black truffle shavings, served with a golden egg.'
The guide also praises Konro's Binchotan grilled wagyu.
Other newly starred restaurants in Florida
No restaurants from the other newcomer to the guide, Clearwater/St Petersburg, earned stars this year, and neither did Tampa. But another South Florida spot did: Itamae Ao, a Nikkei-style Peruvian-Japanese spot in Miami, earned its first Michelin star. Chef Nando Chang is also a nominee for a 2025 James Beard Award in the Best Chef: South category.
Two Orlando restaurants earned stars, too. Sorekara Japanese restaurant became Florida's second spot to earn two stars (the first is L'Atelier du Joël Robuchon, which got its stars in 2022). Ryan Ratino of MAASS, who earned two stars for his restaurant Jônt in Washington, D.C., also earned a star for Ômo by Jônt in Winter Park. Talk about a good year.
In the 2025 Michelin guide, 31 Florida restaurants have stars. Miami leads the state with 15, while Orlando has nine. Tampa has earned five, and Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach have one apiece. No restaurants in the state lost a star.
Other Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach honors
Fort Lauderdale also gained its first ever Bib Gourmand, a designation for restaurants that serve great food at a great value: Heritage, from chef/owner Rino Cerbone. The restaurant is known for pizza and pastas.
There were a couple of Palm Beach restaurants added to the Bib Gourmand list, too: aioli and Palm Beach Meats, both from West Palm Beach. Four Orlando restaurants were added, too: Banh Mi Boy, Coro, Smokemade Meats + Eats and UniGirl. Florida has 36 Bib Gourmand-designated restaurants.
The two newly added areas also saw several local restaurants added to Michelin's Recommended lists. The Fort Lauderdale Recommended restaurants are Daniel's, A Florida Steakhouse; the Mediterranean spot Evelyn's at the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences; and Larb Thai-Isan.
In Palm Beach County, the following were added to the list of Recommended spots: Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats in Boynton Beach; Buccan, known for American cuisine in Palm Beach; The Butcher's Club at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens and Coolinary and the Parched Pig, also in Palm Beach Gardens; and Moody Tongue Sushi and Stage Kitchen & Bar in West Palm Beach.
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