Business
Michelin Guide American South Ceremony Adds Three Nashville Stars, Bringing City Total to Six
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- 5th & Taylor, Junior and Present Tense earned Michelin stars at the October 21, 2026 ceremony at The Pinnacle in Nashville.
- Bastion, The Catbird Seat and Locust, all part of Strategic Hospitality, retained their one Michelin stars.
- Maiz de la Vida earned its first Bib Gourmand, and Emeril's in New Orleans was the only Southern restaurant with two stars.
Three Nashville restaurants, 5th & Taylor, Junior and Present Tense, earned Michelin stars on October 21, 2026, bringing the city's total to six Michelin-recognized restaurants. Yahoo reported the results from the ceremony at The Pinnacle in Nashville, the second year of Michelin's American South guide.
Nashville's New Stars and the Ceremony
The ceremony was emceed by Charles Esten, who played country singer Deacon Claybourne on the drama "Nashville." The guide debuted in 2025, bringing the internationally recognized restaurant rating system to Tennessee for the first time. Last year, Nashville earned three Michelin stars, awarded to Bastion, Locust and The Catbird Seat, all part of the Strategic Hospitality restaurant group.
Josh Habiger, chef and partner at Bastion, said the 24-seat Wedgewood-Houston restaurant has been full or nearly full every night since receiving its star in 2025, easing some of the financial uncertainty that comes with running a small restaurant. "As a restaurant owner, you have like 100 problems every single day that you may have to worry about," Habiger said. "If you know you're going to be full, it takes a handful of those 100 problems off your plate," he said.
Julio Hernedez's Maiz de la Vida earned its first Bib Gourmand. Hernandez, born in Tlaxcala, Mexico, first launched his business making tortillas, and he said any win for him was a win for immigrants everywhere. "We have that on our shoulders, so we deliver," he said. Strategic Hospitality's restaurants each retained their stars, and no other Michelin stars were awarded. Emeril's in New Orleans was the only Southern restaurant to leave the ceremony with two stars, first awarded at the inaugural event in 2025.
Michelin Guide's Global Scale
According to akta.pro company records, the MICHELIN Guide spans 19,313 restaurants globally, including 161 three-star, 544 two-star and 3,162 one-star restaurants. The guide also lists 3,673 Bib Gourmand and 11,772 Selected restaurants. The MICHELIN Guide is the restaurant and hotel rating division of the Michelin Group, operating across more than 40 countries with 1,500 or more Key hotels, and it monetizes through territory fees from tourism boards, sponsorships and the Plus subscription.
Michelin's Recent Guide Expansions
Michelin entered Oceania in November 2025 with the MICHELIN Guide New Zealand/Aotearoa, covering Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, partnered with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and New Zealand Tourism for the mid-2026 unveiling, Yahoo reported. In October 2025, Michelin initiated its first-ever MICHELIN Guide Philippines selection for 2026, covering 108 restaurants, with Helm in Makati earning two stars. Michelin also plans a multi-city US expansion in 2027 into the American Great Lakes region, with Minneapolis committing $250,000 per year for three years to fund coverage.
What Comes Next for the Guide
Michelin's planned 2027 expansion into the American Great Lakes region covers Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, according to akta.pro company records. The New Zealand/Aotearoa selection is set for unveiling in mid-2026.