Michelin Guide Recognizes New York Culinary Excellence as Sushi Sho Earns Three Stars

First Three-Star Award in Twelve Years Marks Milestone; Six New Restaurants Gain Recognition in City’s Fine Dining Community

Sushi Sho Achieves Highest Culinary Recognition Following Competitive Award Ceremony

Sushi Sho, an omakase restaurant helmed by chef Keiji Nakazawa located at 3 East 41st Street in Manhattan, has been awarded three Michelin stars–the guide’s highest honor–making it the first New York City restaurant to achieve this distinction in twelve years. The award was announced at the Michelin Guide 2025 ceremony held in Philadelphia Tuesday evening, which honored exceptional dining establishments across Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. According to Crain’s New York Business, the Michelin Guide, Forbes, and multiple culinary publications, Michelin’s inspectors wrote that chef Nakazawa exemplifies mastery of the highest order, with an omakase experience that is utterly unique in its pace, breadth, and persistence of excellence. The three-star designation represents the guide’s assessment that such restaurants feature superlative cooking from chefs at the peak of their profession, with cooking elevated to an art form and specific dishes destined to become classics. The last New York City restaurant to achieve three-star status was Jungsik in 2024, which serves contemporary Korean cuisine under chef Yim Jung Sik and represents the highest accolade ever awarded to a Korean restaurant in the city.

Comprehensive Recognition Across Fine Dining Categories and New Designations

Beyond Sushi Sho’s three-star recognition, the 2025 Michelin Guide announced promotions and new designations across New York’s fine dining landscape. According to Michelin’s official guide website and Crain’s New York reporting, chef Joo Ok’s restaurant in Koreatown received promotion to two stars, reflecting consistently high standards and precision in contemporary Korean cuisine. Three restaurants earned their first two-star designations this year: César on Hudson Street under chef César Ramirez for world-class seafood preparation, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare featuring chefs Max Natmessnig and Marco Prins’ Japanese-French luxury approach, and Sushi Sho itself upon elevation from two stars. Additionally, four restaurants earned one-star recognition for the first time: Bridges in Chinatown, Huso in TriBeCa featuring a reimagined caviar-focused fine dining concept, Muku offering kaiseki-inspired dining, and Yamada showcasing chef Isao Yamada’s lifetime dedication to kaiseki cuisine. According to Michelin’s definitions documented across the guide’s official documentation and reported by Crain’s New York, one-star recognition identifies restaurants using top-quality ingredients prepared to consistently high standards with distinct flavors, while two-star recognition honors establishments where personality and talent shine through expertly crafted, refined, and inspired dishes worth a detour. The guide’s anonymous inspector methodology, documented across Michelin’s official materials and industry reporting, ensures that inspectors dine incognito, pay for their own meals, and rate establishments on ingredient quality, flavor mastery, cooking technique, chef personality expression in cuisine, value, and consistency across multiple visits.

Market Trends and Economic Significance for Fine Dining Sector

The 2025 Michelin awards also included recognition of young culinary talent and sustainability leadership. According to the official Michelin Guide announcement, India Doris of Markette in Chelsea received the Young Chef Award, while Anie Shi of Lei, a Chinatown wine bar, earned recognition as a top sommelier. The guide’s Green Star designations honoring sustainable gastronomy pioneers reflect industry trends toward environmentally conscious fine dining practices. Notably, the guide announced significant changes to previously recognized establishments: Masa, the prestigious Columbus Circle Japanese and sushi restaurant, was downgraded from three stars to two stars, a decision reflecting Michelin’s reassessment of consistency and excellence standards. Similar downgrades occurred at Chicago’s Alinea and The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia. These changes left Eleven Madison Park, Jungsik, Le Bernardin, and Per Se as the only other three-star establishments in New York City. According to reporting across culinary publications and business news outlets, the Michelin Guide’s annual designations significantly impact restaurant reservations, revenue, and staffing as establishments adjust to changing recognition levels. The guide’s recognition carries particular weight in New York’s competitive fine dining market, where consumers often base dining decisions on Michelin classifications. For readers seeking comprehensive fine dining guidance, the official Michelin Guide website provides complete listings of all starred establishments, seasonal dining recommendations, and detailed reviews from the guide’s inspection corps.