Restaurants on edge as they wait to see if they’ve made Michelin’s first NZ guide
Monday, 22 June 2026
Michelin Guide fever is gripping hospitality as restaurants wait to see if they’ve made the cut.
Invites have gone out to the Michelin gala in Auckland, where the inaugural New Zealand guide will be unveiled, though the final list remains under wraps until June 30.
Investigations by The Press have unveiled the confirmed attendees from Christchurch include:
Gatherings owner Alex Davies
Cellar Door owner Tim Ogle
Fine-dining restaurant Inati owner Simon Levy
Odeon owner Shafeeq Ismail and head chef Marin Apin
Tussock Hill Vineyard, including head chef Adam Harrison
Miro head chef Troy Tolentino
An invite to the event does not secure an entry into the Michelin Guide.
The organisation was “keeping it quite schtum” on the final results, Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury branch president Jeremy Stevens said, but it would be “good to see what actually gets a mention in the guide and what gets a star”.
The Guide has three main forms of recognition: Stars - the highest accolade; Bib Gourmand, indicating exceptional food at reasonable prices; and Selected, which means a venue is recommended by a Michelin inspector.
Miro owner Sharon Pierce said she received an invite addressed to the “esteemed chef” requesting that “chef whites” be worn.
She said head chef Tolentino is a “very shy person”, but she insisted he attend the gala in this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
Keeping the invite under wraps, she was surprised by the number of customers who knew.
“So many people have come into the restaurant the last couple of weeks and gone, ‘oh my god, good luck’. We don’t even know how they know.”
Davies felt honoured just to be invited to the Michelin gala.
“To be actually going to one is incredible, and an achievement in itself,” Davies said. “It will be fun to engage in the world and see what the world has to say.”
But he said being open for 10 years was the greatest achievement “than there will ever be”.
“We’re doing something right regardless [of a Michelin recognition].”
Ogle echoed Davies and said it was an accomplishment “just to be in the room”.
The acknowledgement was “great for the team”, reflecting the “hard work of lots and lots of people … who let us do what we do”.
One chef not invited and unfazed by the snub is Mapu Test Kitchen owner Giulio Sturla.
The Lyttelton chef, who opens by appointment for dining experiences without a menu, said there were some “weird” cafes and venues invited to the gala, leading him to question Michelin’s decisions.
“It’s a marketing campaign.”
He said Mapu has served 1000 customers annually over the last six years.
“Word of mouth is more powerful than anything. [Customers] don’t follow stars, they follow stories.
“Let the customer make the noise, no one else.”
Tourism New Zealand invested $6.3m in bringing Michelin to the country, leading to 18 months of Michelin inspectors anonymously dining at venues in Christchurch, Queenstown, Auckland and Wellington.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy said research indicated that the Michelin Guide was the most trusted global restaurant selection tool, and 90% of frequent travellers trusted the Michelin Guide.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to elevate New Zealand’s whole food and beverage scene on the world stage and help to grow tourism.”