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Michelin Guide To Evaluate All of Colorado for 2026 Edition

A new statewide contract ends the pay-to-participate model that left many communities out.

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 13: Brutø Denver was awarded both a Michelin Star as well as a Michelin Green Star for the 2023 Michelin Guide Colorado 2023 on September 13, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. The popular restaurant was awarded a Michelin star along with four other restaurants in Colorado. This is the first time Colorado restaurants have received Michelin-star ratings. The 2023 Michelin guide to Colorado's culinary excellence also featured nine Bib Gourmand restaurants, four "Special Awards," totaling 44 Colorado restaurants recognized. Together, that's a total of 15 types of cuisine reflected in the state's guide. One Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants using top quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavors are prepared to a consistently high standard. Two Michelin Stars are awarded when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes; their food is refined and inspired. Restaurants can earn a maximum of three stars. On the restaurant’s website Executive chef and owner Michael Diaz de Leon said “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with them…the people who give you their food, give you their heart. I want our guests to fell like they’re coming to dine in our home.” The five restaurants that were awarded a Michelin Star are: Brutø (Denver; Mexican/Contemporary cuisine), Beckon (Denver; Contemporary cuisine), Bosq (Aspen; Contemporary cuisine), Frasca Food and Wine (Boulder; Italian cuisine), and The Wolf's Tailor (Denver; Contemporary cuisine). Bruto was also awarded the Green-star award. The Michelin Green Star is a new benchmark for customers and professionals: inspectors assign the recognition to restaurants within their selections that are the most committed to a more sustainable approach to gastronomy.(Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Overview

  • Michelin confirmed inspectors will consider restaurants across Colorado for the 2026 guide, extending eligibility to cities, suburbs and smaller towns.
  • The guide previously recognized only Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek and Snowmass Village due to municipal funding arrangements tied to promotion.
  • Exclusive three-year city contracts have expired and been replaced by a single agreement with the Colorado Tourism Office, removing geographic limits.
  • Since the guide’s 2023 launch in Colorado, about 50 restaurants have earned recognition, including Denver’s The Wolf’s Tailor with two stars and eight one-star restaurants.
  • State officials and tourism leaders welcomed the change, which aligns with Michelin’s move to statewide coverage in Florida in 2026 and a new Southwest U.S. guide covering Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.