Michelin guide 2026: latest bone of contention is geographical gaffe

No gala, not even a cursory email reminder to watch an online ceremony — maybe there was some kind of AI-generated presentation? The third annual Michelin Argentina guide, which raises the profile of restaurants in Buenos Aires City and Mendoza province, slinked in and out on 13 July, barely a blip on the radar of its own accord. Twenty minutes later, social media stomped straight over the French guide’s own seven-slide post heralding the four new single stars and two Bib Gourmand recommendations, individual establishments sharing their joyful news. I’ll get round to congratulating those six additions and the various individual awards later in the show. First, we will tread the familiar debate territory once again with a few same old, same old exclusions. Plus! There’s some brand-new controversy in the shape of poor, nay abysmal, map reading when it comes to Michelin, the French tire company that created the guide in 1900 in a bid to encourage drivers to undertake more road trips (and wear out their wheels). Gastronomes’ favorite Gran Dabbang of Palermo, bafflingly, is still overlooked. It remains delicious, well priced, and revered by, well, everyone. It’s bang on, for god’s sake. And, for a guide that talks up identity, there’s little more Argentine than our meat meccas, yet parrillas remain few and far between. As for Mendoza, attention was definitely showered upon the province (as it should be), yet Piedra Infinita at Familia Zuccardi — named World’s Best Vineyard for three consecutive years by 50 Best — continues to be snubbed. But the real bone of contention this time is the inclusion and then indecently rapid exclusion 24 hours later of an Acassuso-based restaurant because it is, in fact, located outside the city. That’s the sound of Riedel glassware being swept to the floor… According to Michelin’s own stipulations, establishments have to be located in the city of Buenos Aires or in the province of Mendoza. At the 2023 press conference at the Four Seasons Buenos Aires, I asked this very question: what, exactly, did ‘Buenos Aires’ mean: did it include the province, and if so, up to what distance? (I also recall asking how much it was costing the respective city halls to participate.) Geography was pertinent in 2023 as there was one firm favorite of chefs, diners and media watchers located beyond the PanAmericano highway: Alo’s of La Horqueta in San Isidro. Despite its high standards, exciting seasonal tasting menu and being a culinary incubator for young cooks to thrive, grow, and then move on, chef Alejandro Feraud’s restaurant has never been included, simply due to its location. Reviewing the updated guide with a group of friends, Silvina noted that Kobito was located in Acasusso, Greater Buenos Aires, and we agreed that it seemed pretty weird. I sniffed around Michelin’s website to see perhaps if the rules had changed, if perhaps Alo’s had been included. Nope, it was just this one restaurant beyond the city limits and a good six kilometers from the ring road dividing the capital from the province. This doesn’t have a happy ending, as you can imagine. I emailed the PR company managing Michelin’s Argentina guide and asked if the rules changed and, if so, if they could send them to me because I couldn’t find them online. I wanted to know why this restaurant in particular had been included. It turns out that Michelin had bungled it up. A day later, I received this email from Michelin: “Following verification, it was determined that the inclusion of this establishment in the selection was solely due to a geolocation error in our internal tools. “This issue caused the restaurant to be identified as being within the geographical area of ​​the selection, leading to its inclusion. We have since identified the source of the problem and implemented the necessary measures to correct this situation and prevent it from recurring. “We, of course, offer our sincerest apologies to the affected establishment. It is important to emphasize that this decision is in no way related to the quality of its culinary offerings, which we fully acknowledge, but solely to the fact that the restaurant is located outside the geographical boundaries defined for this selection.” And with that, akin to France and England, out went Kobito. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, a five-day-old croissant to break a crown on, like gulping on a glass of water but some wretch filled it with tequila. It’s most peculiar to me, that with all the technology in the world, Michelin’s “internal tools’” geolocator got it wrong. I also question the inspector or inspectors who dined there, probably arriving via a ride-sharing application, six kilometres from the city, never looking at the map or the app, and were just on automatic eating pilot. This expert(s) apparently don’t even operate in an analog way or have an inkling of curiosity about their destination. Go dine, goddammit! (then write up the review.) Is that how Michelin treats their staff, as submissive robots — lift knife, cut protein, spear with fork, raise to mouth, chew and swallow — on a digesting mission? I am all for such guides being as geographically inclusive as possible, and would love to see gems in San Antonio de Areco, La Plata, Mar del Plata or indeed Acassuso receive recommendations. But these are also political and economic decisions, and if Michelin does continue in Argentina in 2027, let’s hope the internal tools have sharpened their act, the robotic inspectors polish up their control units and actuators when it comes to geolocations, and Michelin doesn’t cause anymore heartache. And while there are no hard or fast rules about how long a restaurant should be open before being able to enter a guide, Chuchú, in Retiro, opened on 31 March 2026. The guide was released 13 July. While I applaud the recognition for any brand-new place getting off the ground, the ragout lasagna I lunched on on 4 April was tepid. (Of course, I mentioned it to the chef, in the thick of the challenging soft opening phase, so he was aware for the next diner.) Aramburu of Recoleta retained its two stars, as did all the prior one-stars (because it is possible to lose them.) And despite announcements that Michelin was going to phase out green stars for sustainability, regardless, one Mendoza restaurant received the accolade. And following up on Mengano, lawyer-turned-chef Facundo Keleman now has two Bib Gourmand accolades to his name. As promised, congratulations to the new awardees. Well earned.