Pittsburgh, American Great Lakes to join the global culinary map with new MICHELIN Guide edition

Today the MICHELIN Guide introduced the latest expansion into the Great Lakes region of the U.S. with the announcement of the MICHELIN Guide American Great Lakes edition. The new multi-city Guide will cover Pittsburgh, along with Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

This marks an exciting moment for the culinary future of Pittsburgh and the work we do at VisitPITTSBURGH to highlight our region to a global audience.

“This partnership with the MICHELIN Guide is an exciting opportunity to showcase the incredible creativity and modern diversity of Pittsburgh’s culinary community on a global stage,” said VisitPITTSBURGH President & CEO Jerad Bachar. “Our chefs and restaurateurs have been building a vibrant food scene for years, and this recognition will help attract new visitors, support local hospitality jobs, and strengthen Pittsburgh’s reputation as an exciting culinary destination for taste driven travelers.”

A City Forging Culinary Innovation

Home to more than 500 restaurants in the city alone – and thousands more across Allegheny County and the Western Pennsylvania region – Pittsburgh’s culinary scene has been building momentum for decades.

These establishments represent an incredible range of cuisines and cultural influences. The chefs and restaurateurs have long been pushing boundaries, drawing inspiration from the region’s diverse communities and deep industrial and Appalachian heritage, while also embracing modern techniques and global flavors. The MICHELIN Guide will help bring that story to an international audience and celebrate the talent that has made Pittsburgh one of the most surprising food cities in the country.

“The MICHELIN Guide is committed to fostering a culture of travel and dining by helping people discover unforgettable culinary experiences in new destinations,” said Gwendal Poullennec, Internation Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “We are excited to finally be putting a stake in the ground in the Great Lakes region, spotlighting the talent and food cultures across these six great cities. Our anonymous Inspectors have begun canvassing these cities for impressive culinary talent and are eager to share their experiences with you in the inaugural selection next year.”

A Strategic Partnership for Economic Growth

This partnership plays an important role in strengthening VisitPITTSBURGH’s broader culinary tourism strategy. 

Food is one of the most powerful ways that travelers experience a destination. Elevating Pittsburgh within the MICHELIN Guide ecosystem strengthens this key driver that not only attracts new visitors, but also encourages them to stay longer, explore more neighborhoods, and taste more of what the region has to offer.

In addition to attracting new visitors, recognition from the MICHELIN Guide will affirm Pittsburgh’s reputation as a destination for culinary talent. The hospitality industry already supports more than 43,000 jobs across Allegheny County. As the food scene gains recognition, more opportunities will become available for chefs, sommeliers, managers, and hospitality professionals.

Being part of the MICHELIN Guide signals to talented individuals across the country and around the world that Pittsburgh is a place where they can build careers, innovate, and be recognized for their craft. It helps attract the next generation of hospitality leaders while supporting the outstanding professionals who already call this city home.

“We are incredibly proud of our restaurant community and grateful to the chefs, operators, and hospitality workers who make Pittsburgh’s dining scene so special,” added Bachar. “Today’s announcement with the MICHELIN Guide is a celebration of their work — and a commitment to continue investing in Pittsburgh and the southwestern Pennsylvania region as a vibrant, welcoming, and world-class culinary destination. “

Restaurant Selection Process

The MICHELIN Guide’s selection process is determined by anonymous Inspectors and remains completely independent. Those anonymous Inspectors are already in the field, making dining reservations and scouting for culinary gems throughout the region.

The full restaurant selection will be revealed in 2027 at the MICHELIN Guide American Great Lakes Ceremony, which will be announced at a later date.

The MICHELIN Guide is constantly observing the evolution of culinary destinations around the world. The Guide’s selection process is determined by anonymous Inspectors and remains completely independent. The MICHELIN Guide is working with various destination marketing organizations on marketing and promotional activities only.

The MICHELIN Guide in North America
Michelin announced its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Florida (Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022, adding Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater in 2025, statewide in 2026); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023), Mexico (2024), Texas (2024), Québec (2024), the American South (2025), Boston (2025), Philadelphia (2025), the Southwest (2026) and now the American Great Lakes (2027).

About the MICHELIN Guide
Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants.

• The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef.
• The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value – often known as personal favorites among the inspectors when dining on their own time.
• The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in mindful gastronomy.
• Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide inspectors.

The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin’s inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the inspectors in the very beginning.

The restaurant selections join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an amazing hotel.

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 60 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.

All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin’s anonymous inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated.

To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world.

About Michelin North America, Inc.
Michelin is the leading mobility company and manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. For more than 130 years, Michelin has made contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications for demanding fields, including mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare and offer the finest experiences, from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 35 production facilities in the United States (michelinman.com) and Canada (michelin.ca).

For more information, contact:
Carly Grieff
Michelin North America