MICHELIN Guide is coming for New Zealand's Best Chefs

The world’s most recognised restaurant guide is officially turning its attention to Aotearoa New Zealand.

The inaugural MICHELIN Guide Restaurant Ceremony New Zealand 2026 will take place on Tuesday 30 June 2026, marking a major first for New Zealand’s hospitality industry, food culture, tourism sector and creative talent landscape.

For the first time, New Zealand restaurants will be recognised through The MICHELIN Guide, with the first selection covering Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. The ceremony will reveal which restaurants are included in the inaugural guide, including any MICHELIN Star, Bib Gourmand, Selected Restaurant and Special Award distinctions.

For those wanting to follow the announcement as it happens, the MICHELIN Guide Restaurant Ceremony New Zealand 2026 can be watched live here.

It is a big moment. Not just for restaurants, but for the people who give New Zealand food its voice, visibility and character.

At Collaborate Management, we know that food talent is never just about what happens on the plate. It is also about presence, storytelling, culture, hosting, media, connection and the ability to bring people into an experience.

That is why New Zealand’s first MICHELIN moment feels especially exciting for the chefs and culinary personalities represented by Collaborate. We have high hopes for Henry Onesemo, Nick Honeyman, and Zennon Wijlens

Henry Onesemo brings a deeply personal food story to the table through his highly awarded Tala, the Parnell restaurant celebrating Samoan flavour, heritage and hospitality with confidence, warmth and serious craft.

Nick Honeyman has already experienced MICHELIN recognition internationally, with Le Petit Léon in France awarded a MICHELIN Star. Nick’s work connects beautifully back to Aotearoa through Paris Butter, one of Auckland’s most admired dining rooms.

Zennon Wijlens, co-owner and head chef of Paris Butter, represents another part of this evolving New Zealand food story: local produce, modern technique, thoughtful leadership and a style of cooking that feels both sophisticated and grounded.

MICHELIN Stars are awarded for the food itself, with inspectors assessing criteria such as ingredient quality, technical skill, flavour harmony, the chef’s personality in the cuisine and consistency over time. It is famously tough, famously anonymous and famously influential.

But even beyond the stars, the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide in New Zealand gives our hospitality sector a new kind of international platform.

For diners, it creates curiosity.

For restaurants, it creates visibility.

For chefs, it creates momentum.

For Aotearoa New Zealand, it says something bigger: our food culture is ready to be seen on a global stage.

And for creative talent connected to food, lifestyle, hosting, media, events and storytelling, this is just the beginning.