Photo retrieved from Adobo Magazine

It is no secret that MICHELIN has recently launched the MICHELIN Guide in the Philippines last October 2025, with Manila and Cebu as the first destinations explored. This month, we bring you some MICHELIN-awarded restaurants in the country, and make that road trip as first intended by the award giving body:

Taste Makati City’s understated: go for lunch at Your Local, and dinner and drinks at Lampara

An Asian Fusion restaurant located in the Central Business District of Makati City, Your Local may have an unassuming entrance, but inside its modest interiors is a buzzing dining area and busy kitchen. The restaurant serves fairly affordable high quality gastronomic delights that are also ideal to share. Lampara on the other hand, is located at the hip Poblacion side of Makati City, it is a Neo-Filipino Bistro in Poblacion, and a go-to spot for creative local-inspired dishes and cocktails rooted in Filipino traditions. Highlights include the duck-based Dinuckdukan, Tres Leches flan, and customizable vegan options, all served in a relaxed, come-as-you-are setting

Go for a full-course tasting menu at the Philippines’ sole 2-star MICHELIN awardee, Helm

Armed with the belief that every plate could tell a story, Helm’s dream and boundary pushing endeavors has recently come into fruition with its receipt of the two-star MICHELIN award. Helm serves themed, seasonal set menus that are inspired from various categories such as films or street food. Experience fine dining and warm, professional service in this 24-seater, open kitchen restaurant where, as described from their website, dining becomes theater

Experience Cebu through their dishes! Go for lunch at Lantaw in Compostela and enjoy that open-air, sea-view breeze, or go to Abaseria Deli and Cafe in Cebu City for that home-y quaint feels

More than the nature and sea that surrounds the island province of Cebu, its environs are also teeming with gastronomic delights! If one can’t get enough of the sea, why not have a seaside dining experience at Lantaw where the open-air and outdoor seating areas offer a vibrant escape from the city. A must-try from this restaurant are their grilled dishes that’re perfect for the setting. Another well-loved restaurant in Cebu is Abaseria Deli and Cafe. Tucked in a quiet corner in the city, the restaurant has a nostalgic, home-y feeling; to complete the vibe is their menu which are home-cooking staples such as the Sinigang and Humba

Enjoy elevated afternoon snacking at Taqueria Franco

A mix of Mexican cuisine and French culinary expertise, Taqueria Franco offers one-of-a-kind fusion cuisines such as Mussels and Blue Cheese, Chicken A L’orange, and French Horn Mushroom Taco. Don’t worry about getting your hands dirty, and enjoy the tacos as they are; how, you ask? Just fold, bite, and repeat! As they say, these are French Classics rebuilt and made the Franco way

Trust the locals’ recommendation: enjoy stir-fried noodles at Lola Helen’s in Marikina City, or Chie Chie’s Pancit Batil Patung in Makati City

Never miss out on a local’s recommendation as it’s those spots that have been ingrained in the community, and where one can learn stories of cultures or traditions passed down. Try Lola Helen’s– a humble noodle spot in Marikina that’s known for their Chinese stir-fried noodles, or Chie Chie’s Pancit Batil Patung in Makati City which is a roadside stall service Pancit Batil Patung, a noodle dish from one of the provinces in northern Philippines with Miki noodles, carabao beef, pork liver, vegetables, and poached egg

Photos retrieved from each restaurant’s social media page, and from the MICHELIN Guide Office website