The 2018 Michelin Guide to New York City has arrived, dishing out another shocking demotion for a longtime classic and a new milestone for Japanese restaurants.
The list of 72 restaurants considered the best in the city was assembled by a team of anonymous inspectors and spans three boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn and a lone Queens entry. Michelin’s Bib Gourmand guide to the best affordable restaurants, was released last week.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s flagship, Jean-Georges, was docked one star by Michelin, dropping it to two-star status.
“It was a difficult decision for us to make,” Michelin Guide director Michael Ellis told Eater. “Unfortunately, we saw a slow glide downward. It started off with small things … and it didn’t get any better. It was kind of on cruise control.
“Our hope is that he’ll be able to get that third star back very quickly.”
The last time the guide demoted a New York City restaurant was in the 2016 guide, when chef Daniel Boulud’s Daniel was knocked down a peg from three stars to two, where it remains on the 2018 list.
Despite the New York Times’ scathing review of Per Se, the classic French restaurant retained its three-star Michelin rating.
In happier news, Sushi Ginza Onodera in Midtown East has become not just New York City’s but the United States’ first-ever two-star Japanese restaurant, up from its debut with one star in the 2017 guide.
“Our inspection team enjoyed their initial visits to Sushi Ginza Onodera, and return visits this year confirmed it is on par with two-starred sushi restaurants around the globe,” said Ellis.
That’s not the only good news for fans of Asian food. Out of the six new restaurants that earned one star, three feature cuisines from Japan and South Korea. All of the new restaurants are in Manhattan.
There are only 127 one-star restaurants in the world, and New York City has 56 of them. There are also 11 restaurants with two stars, and five with three stars, out of 116 worldwide.
Here’s the full list, with new entries bolded:
Three Stars
“Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, Midtown West — chef César Ramirez
Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square — chef Daniel Humm
Le Bernardin, Midtown West — chef Eric Ripert
Masa, Midtown West — chef Masa Takayama
Per Se, Midtown West — chef Thomas Keller
Two Stars
“Excellent cuisine, worth a detour.”
Manhattan:
Aquavit, Midtown East
Atera, Tribeca
Daniel, Upper East Side
Jean-Georges, Upper West Side
Jungsik, Tribeca
Ko, East Village
Marea, Midtown West
The Modern, Midtown West
Sushi Ginza Onodera, Midtown East
Brooklyn:
Aska, Williamsburg
Blanca, Fort Greene & Bushwick
One Star
“High quality cooking, worth a stop.”
Manhattan:
Agern, Midtown East
Ai Fiori, Midtown West
Aldea, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Aureole, Midtown West
Babbo, Greenwich & West Village
Bar Uchū, Lower East Side
Bâtard, Tribeca
Blue Hill, Greenwich & West Village
The Breslin, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Café Boulud, Upper East Side
Café China, Midtown East
Carbone, Greenwich & West Village
Casa Mono, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Caviar Russe, Midtown East
The Clocktower, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Contra, Lower East Side
Cote, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Del Posto, Chelsea
Dovetail, Upper West Side
Gabriel Kreuther, Midtown West
Gotham Bar and Grill, Greenwich & West Village
Gramercy Tavern, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Günter Seeger NY, Greenwich & West Village
Hirohisa, SoHo & Nolita
Jewel Bako, East Village
Junoon, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Kajitsu, Midtown East
Kanoyama, East Village
Kyo Ya, East Village
L’Appart, Financial District
La Sirena, Chelsea
Minetta Tavern, Greenwich & West Village
The Musket Room, SoHo & Nolita
Nix, Greenwich & West Village
NoMad, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square
Rouge Tomate, Chelsea
Satsuki, Midtown West
Sushi Amane, Midtown East
Sushi Inoue, Harlem, Morningside & Washington Heights
Sushi Yasuda, Midtown East
Sushi Zo, Greenwich & West Village
Tempura Matsui, Midtown East
Tori Shin, Midtown West
Uncle Boons, SoHo & Nolita
Ushiwakamaru, Chelsea
Wallsé, Greenwich & West Village
ZZ’s Clam Bar, Greenwich & West Village
Brooklyn:
Delaware and Hudson, Williamsburg
Faro, Fort Greene & Bushwick
The Finch, Fort Greene & Bushwick
La Vara, Downtown Brooklyn
Meadowsweet, Williamsburg
Peter Luger, Williamsburg
Rebelle, SoHo & Nolita
The River Café, Downtown Brooklyn
Queens:
Casa Enríque, Long Island City