No fewer than 196 restaurants have been included in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Poland, which for the first time covers the whole country. This year ten restaurants were awarded a single MICHELIN Star, while Kraków’s Bottiglieria 1881 was the only establishment in Poland to retain two. Nineteen new Bib Gourmand distinctions were also conferred. It is a historic moment for Polish gastronomy and a clear signal that the country is making an ever greater mark on the global culinary map.
The Michelin Guide has been published since 1900, yet never before has there been an edition devoted to Poland alone. On the initiative of the Polish Tourist Organisation (POT), an agreement was signed with the Michelin Guide in 2023, under which Polish establishments now have the chance to join the elite ranks of the world’s finest restaurants and to compete for the coveted stars. By 2025, five Polish regions had been brought into the selection process. This year, thanks to the efforts of POT, Michelin’s inspectors were able to assess establishments from every corner of the country.
– Today, two qualities come together: the prestige of the Michelin name, built up over a century, and the ever-growing strength of Polish tourism. Our collaboration with Michelin, launched in 2022, has a clear purpose for us: we want to strengthen Poland’s standing as an appealing destination still more swiftly and effectively. Gastronomy is part of that, and it is becoming one of the most important elements of what we offer. Poland today can boast superb chefs, restaurateurs, local produce, regional traditions and a diversity of flavours that shape our image around the world. It is thanks to them that we can speak of tourism rooted in authenticity, quality and a singular experience – said Ireneusz Raś, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, during the gala in Kraków.
The results for Poland were excellent. Following verification and assessment by independent inspectors, ten Polish restaurants were awarded one Michelin star, while Kraków’s Bottiglieria 1881 retained its two. Thirty-eight restaurants received Bib Gourmand honours (including nineteen new ones) and 147 were recommended. Eliksir of Gdańsk kept its special MICHELIN Green Star and remains the only restaurant in Poland to hold this distinction.
– This is an extraordinary moment for us. After three years in which selected cities and regions have featured in the Michelin Guide, today we are celebrating a national selection embracing the whole of Poland. I am immensely proud of every distinguished establishment, for each one does a wonderful job of promoting our country around the world. I should like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to everyone who creates Polish gastronomy of such a high standard. Culinary tourism is now one of the strongest reasons for visiting Poland: nearly 70 per cent of the foreign visitors we surveyed say they come to our country to savour its flavours, to seek out its restaurants and to experience the very best of Polish cuisine – said Magdalena Krucz, President of the Polish Tourist Organisation.
This year’s gala also brought four special awards. The MICHELIN Opening of the Year Award went to WANDAL of Warsaw, a restaurant that creatively ‘vandalises’ Polish tradition, yet does so with real sensitivity rather than for its own sake. The Young Chef Award went to Ida Malec of Nat Bistro in Kraków, recognised for her maturity and for her accomplishments so early in her career.
The Service Award went to the team at the Babinicz restaurant in Szczawno-Zdrój, praised for their natural warmth and genuine dedication. The Sommelier Award, meanwhile, went to Dawid Kurlus of Maremma in Poznań, honoured for his knowledge, his attentiveness and his gift for guiding guests through the rich world of wine.
Promoting Poland as a culinary destination chimes perfectly with the latest travel trends. The Michelin Guide is a global, instantly recognisable brand that guarantees the highest standards in the establishments it singles out. The presence of Polish restaurants in its pages confirms the prestige of the country’s cuisine and is changing how Poland is perceived by foreign tourists, many of whom now plan their visit with this in mind. For tourism, the value of all this is hard to overstate. The figures show a marked rise in the number of visitors to the cities included in the selection, while the recommended restaurants have seen their custom grow by an average of 30 per cent. The presence of Polish venues in the Guide also does much to develop the domestic meetings industry, since for certain congresses a Michelin-starred restaurant is a prerequisite.
Featured restaurants:
Two MICHELIN Stars:
Bottiglieria 1881, Krakow
One MICHELIN Star:
Alon Omakase, Warsaw – NEW
Arco by Paco Pérez, Gdansk
BABA, Wroclaw – NEW
Giewont, Kościelisko
hub.praga, Warsaw
Most, Wroclaw – NEW
Muga, Poznan
NUTA, Warsaw
Rozbrat 20, Warsaw
Steampunk, Pszczyna – NEW
This year’s edition of the MICHELIN Guide confirms that Polish gastronomy has reached a world-class level, becoming one of the strongest pillars in the promotion of Poland as an attractive and highly regarded destination.
