MICHELIN Guide Selects 12 New Mexico Restaurants for First-Ever Southwest Restaurant Selection

LAS VEGAS — The MICHELIN Guide revealed the inaugural restaurant selection for the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Southwest at a ceremony that took place at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Overall, 12 New Mexico restaurants were recognized. Additionally, New Mexico culinary experts took home two of the four MICHELIN Special Awards, which highlight the exceptional passion and expertise of selected professionals.

"As tonight marked our momentous return to Las Vegas, and more broadly the Southwest region, we were able to celebrate the dedication and passion of the outstanding restaurant communities throughout these four states,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “From world-renowned dining destinations to hidden culinary gems, the Southwest offers an impressive breadth of exceptional restaurants, which this inaugural selection proves. Our anonymous Inspectors were continually impressed by the authenticity, creativity and sense of place expressed throughout their journeys. Congratulations to all those receiving recognition!”

Two MICHELIN Stars

Restaurant de Joël Robuchon (Las Vegas, NV; French Contemporary cuisine)

Leave behind the casino cacophony and settle in for a world-class dining experience at this sumptuous enclave on the ground floor of the MGM Grand. Fashioned to evoke an intimate salon with Art Deco panache, the opulent space is deeply carpeted and dressed up in regal aubergine velvet, gilded accents and sparkling crystal. Dinner here is an event; you'll progress through a series of courses driven by contemporary French cuisine and global inspiration, beginning with a tableau of house-baked breads and ending with a chariot of mignardise. Expect creations like crustacean gelée with crabmeat and caviar; crisped daikon with dashi; and roasted venison with red wine-poached pear. The menu is enhanced by an extensive and impressive wine list.

One MICHELIN Star

Guy Savoy Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV; French Contemporary cuisine)

Ensconced in a quiet corner on the second floor of the Augustus tower of Caesar’s Palace, guests will find a private world of elegance and luxury. Enjoy the graciously poised service and turn your eyes to lovely views of the city lights, or the stately procession of carts loaded with Champagne, breads, cheeses and sweets. The cuisine offers a vintage French sensibility and can be had either à la carte or as a tasting. In both cases, the signature dishes are the highlight, like the indulgent black truffle and artichoke soup, accompanied by toasted mushroom brioche. A truly epic wine list, the size of a medieval manuscript and arriving on its own side table, boasts both legendary bottlings and surprising finds.

é by José Andrés (Las Vegas, NV; Spanish Contemporary)

Secreted away in a vividly surreal space inside Jaleo, on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan, this private counter offers a window into the imagination of Chef José Andrés and his team. The intricate multicourse menu spans a procession of beautifully presented dishes suffused with whimsy and drama. A sense of theater is omnipresent, stewarded by attentive service and the backdrop of the dynamic kitchen team, with nary a dull moment. Cleverly devised bites might include a "PB&J" consisting of feather-light meringue "bread" with a filling of foie gras mousse, pine nut butter and huckleberry jam, or a course mirroring the flavors of Spanish vermouth: a Santa Barbara prawn paired with briny olive spheres and a mandarin snow. The ingenuity continues to the end, with a flurry of playful sweets.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV; French cuisine)

Globetrotting gastronomes will need no introduction to this distinct concept. The iconic counter-dominated design with its red-and-black color scheme is familiar territory; particularly since this Las Vegas location has been in operation since 2005 (it is located on the ground floor of the MGM Grand). Offering contemporary French cuisine, à la carte dining is an option, but the menu découverte is truly the best way to experience the distinct cuisine. In the hands of this team, the humble potato is transformed into a luxe salad dressed with black truffle vinaigrette; a plump sea scallop is seared a la plancha and presented with a coconut and citrus foam; and gorgeously roasted quail is accompanied by a side of the late chef's world-famous pommes purée.

Monte (South Salt Lake, UT; American Contemporary cuisine)

Located within the Beehive Distillery in South Salt Lake, this ambitious restaurant charts its own course in the region. Gin barrels stacked high, concrete floors and a handful of widely spaced tables set the stage, as Chef Martín Babio draws on decades of experience to prepare a refined tasting menu that leans on local producers. French, Italian and South American influences weave in and out of view, as dishes arrive carefully presented and boldly flavored. Past highlights include a riff on French onion soup, coffee-cured venison with truffled potato purée and rabbit ravioli with ginger and lemongrass. Moving dinner along at a smooth clip is the chef's wife, Karen, who oversees a professional, attentive service team.

Bib Gourmand

The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors identified 18 restaurants to receive a Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value. The full list can be found below.

Southwest’s 2026 Bib Gourmand restaurants

MICHELIN Special Awards

In addition to the Bib Gourmands and Stars, the Guide announced four Special Awards:

Southwest’s 2026 Recommended restaurants

Mindful Voices – a tribute to inspiring concepts

New for 2026, the Mindful Voices platform brings together inspirational voices from across the hospitality industry – an editorial space where chefs, hoteliers, and winemakers can share their stories and pioneering practices, both with one another and the rest of the world.

“Mindful Voices will give a platform to all those who are rewriting the rules in their respective fields,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “This new framework draws directly from what our Inspection teams witness firsthand: encounters and experiences that are transforming how things are done and that deserve to be shared. Staying true to its identity and values, the MICHELIN Guide will amplify and give full resonance to these voices from the worlds of gastronomy, hospitality and wine so that they can be heard, wherever they may be.”

Christopher Bethoney from Campo at Los Poblanos in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM is one of the chefs recognized as a Mindful Voice in this inaugural selection. Additionally, Charleen Badman from FnB in Scottsdale, AZ has also been recognized as a Mindful Voice for the 2026 edition.