For years, locals have been saying it. The food scene in St. Pete is different than people think, and Thursday, Michelin offered its latest confirmation.
The Michelin Guide announced its newest Florida additions, and St. Pete once again found itself earning recognition alongside some of the state’s most celebrated culinary destinations. Two new St. Pete restaurants joined Michelin’s Recommended list, while three existing selections retained their status.
The newest additions are Elliot Aster at The Vinoy, led by Chef Lee Wolen, and In Between Days, the intimate Japanese-inspired concept from Chef Justin Schwetzer.
Meanwhile, Fortu, IL Ritorno and Sushi Sho Rexley all retained their Recommended designation, reinforcing what many local diners already knew: St. Pete’s culinary momentum is not a one-year trend. It’s becoming part of the city’s identity.
What makes this update particularly interesting is the range of restaurants now being recognized. On one end, there’s Elliot Aster, a polished fine dining experience inside the newly renovated Vinoy Resort. The restaurant arrives with serious pedigree behind it. Chef Lee Wolen’s Chicago restaurant, Boka, has held a Michelin star for more than a decade, making Elliot Aster one of the most ambitious restaurant openings St. Pete has seen in recent memory.
On the other end is In Between Days, a restaurant that could not feel more St. Pete. Tucked inside a bungalow, the restaurant has quietly developed a devoted following through its thoughtful Japanese-inspired menu, vinyl soundtrack and neighborhood atmosphere. Michelin’s recognition proves that excellence doesn’t always arrive with white tablecloths and grand dining rooms.
The restaurants retaining their Recommended status tell an equally important story.
IL Tirorno continues to anchor downtown’s fine dining scene more than a decade after opening. Fortu had established itself as one of the city’s most sophisticated dining experiences, while Sushi Sho Rexley has become a destination for serious sushi lovers across Tampa Bay.
Taken together, the list reflects a dining scene that has matured considerably over the past several years. The bigger story isn’t that St. Pete is still waiting for its first Michelin star, it’s that the city now has five Michelin-recognized restaurants and a growing list of chefs producing the kind of dining experiences that are forcing inspectors to return year after year.
Behind every restaurant on this list are chefs, servers, bartenders, dishwashers, farmers, fisherman, local suppliers and countless people who have helped shape the city’s dining culture. These restaurants are not succeeding in isolation. They are part of a larger ecosystem that continues to make St. Pete one of the most exciting places to eat in Florida.
For locals, this is another reminder that some of the state’s most celebrated dining experiences are right here in our own backyard. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion at Elliot Aster, grabbing a seat at Sushi Sho Rexley, sharing plates at Fortu, enjoying handmade pasta at IL Ritorno, or discovering the unique experience that is In Between Days, these are the kind off restaurants that help define a city.
As St. Pete continues to grow, recognitions like this serve as a reminder of what makes the city special in the first place. The creativity, passion and sense of community that built these restaurants are the same qualities that continue to shape St. Pete itself.
Michelin may have put these restaurants on its list, but locals have been supporting them all along.