Exclusive — The Michelin Guide is making its grand return to Las Vegas. Four restaurants have been awarded stars, including Joël Robuchon and Guy Savoy, confirming the city—home to some 4,000 restaurants—as one of the world’s major culinary destinations. Laurent Garrigues reports.
Read the original article in French here.
Seventeen long years. It took nearly two decades for Michelin stars to shine once again over Las Vegas. The famous red guide, which had left the city after its 2009 edition, officially made its return on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, during a ceremony held at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. And for this highly anticipated comeback, French gastronomy took center stage.
Four Las Vegas restaurants were awarded stars in the inaugural edition of the Michelin Guide American Southwest, which now covers Nevada as well as Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Leading the list is Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand, awarded two stars. Now headed by chef Eleazar Villanueva, it is the only Las Vegas restaurant to achieve this distinction in the new selection.
Three restaurants earn one Michelin Star
Joining it are L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, also at the MGM Grand and led by chef David Lee, and Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace, under the direction of Nicolas Costagliola, each receiving one Michelin star. The same distinction went to é by José Andrés at the Cosmopolitan, the Spanish chef’s intimate restaurant, where Anthony Taormina leads the kitchen. No Las Vegas restaurant, however, received three stars, Michelin’s highest distinction.
Michelin’s return is particularly symbolic for a city where the guide first appeared in 2008, followed by a second edition in 2009. At the time, Joël Robuchon’s restaurant became the only Las Vegas establishment to earn three stars.
“This is a new beginning, the start of a new journey,” Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, said at the ceremony, according to local media. He explained that the new edition is intended not only to serve as a benchmark for restaurants throughout the region, but also to help attract chefs, talent and visitors. “When a destination is placed on the global culinary map through recognition, particularly through stars, it attracts both local and international guests,” he emphasized. For the Michelin Guide, Las Vegas is finally receiving “the recognition it deserves on the global culinary stage.”
The guide did not limit its honors to starred restaurants. Three establishments—China Poblano at the Cosmopolitan, Esther’s Kitchen in Downtown Las Vegas and Yen Viet Kitchen on Decatur Boulevard—received a Bib Gourmand, a distinction recognizing high-quality cooking at an accessible price.
In total, 17 Las Vegas restaurants are featured in the new selection, including Thomas Keller’s Bouchon and Michael Mina. Another award with a distinctly French flavor: Sean Christopher of Joël Robuchon received the Michelin Service Award, recognizing excellence in front-of-house service.
Vegas is back again!
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