The 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland selection was unveiled on Monday, February 9, 2026, at the Convention Centre in Dublin — per the guide's own ceremony coverage, which counted 20 new one-star restaurants in the UK and two restaurants newly elevated to two stars. For travelers plotting a eating-focused route through Britain and Ireland, the ceremony is the year's practical starting gun.
What was announced on the night?
Michelin revealed the full set of promotions on stage in Dublin: the 20 new one stars across the UK, the two promotions into the two-star tier, plus Green Star sustainability awards. The Bib Gourmand layer — the guide's designation for good cooking at moderate prices, and often the most useful for travelers — had already been announced a week earlier, on February 2, with 37 new additions, per Michelin's published schedule.
Why Dublin, and why it matters for Ireland
Holding the ceremony in the Irish capital put Irish restaurants at the center of the evening's attention and is a signal worth reading for trip planning. Dublin's dining room has been quietly deepening for years, and a Dublin-hosted ceremony typically coincides with strong Irish representation in the new selection. Travelers who associate the guide's British and Irish coverage with London alone will find the 2026 map wider — and Ireland's seafood houses, farmhouse cheese kitchens, and tasting-counter rooms are well represented in the Bib Gourmand tier in particular.
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How should a traveler use the 2026 list?
Three practical notes. First, newly starred rooms book out fastest in the six to eight weeks after a ceremony, so spring reservations for the class of 2026 should be made now rather than in May. Second, the Bib Gourmand list announced February 2 is the better planning tool for lunch-led itineraries and regional detours. Third, star status does not guarantee availability or fit — counter-format tasting rooms in particular seat small numbers, and several established starred restaurants in the two capitals operate limited service weeks.
What comes next in the Michelin calendar?
Great Britain & Ireland is one of the earlier European ceremonies in the 2026 cycle; continental selections — France, Spain and Portugal among them — publish on their own national schedules through the year. For a traveler, that means the British and Irish picture for spring and summer 2026 is now complete, while Continental planning benefits from waiting for each country's own announcement.