Michelin Guide Spain & Portugal 2018 – Hints and Rumours

Michelin fever is here and next week we will be delighted to bring you the results of the Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 when the brand new red guide is presented from Tenerife. As with every year there is much speculation and the bets are on!!! How many overall new stars??? A new Michelin 3*restaurant??? More Michelin starred restaurants for Portugal??? All will be revealed on the 22nd of November 2017 and we’ll bring you the results live from Tenerife.

In the meantime:

Hints, from the commercial director of Michelin Travel Partner Spain and Portugal, have suggested that we will again be showered with stars for the Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018. Whilst no names have been mentioned, rumor has it that there could be at least 2 NEW Michelin 3* restaurants!! Some 5 NEW Michelin 2* restaurants!! And around 20 NEW Michelin 1* restaurants for the Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018! That’s a lot of (speculated) sparkling going in Spain and Portugal!

We love Michelin gossip and apparently it will be a very good year for Spain in all star categories … and we have our fingers crossed for Portugal too  :-)  Michelin, however, implies a great year every year and then the reality actually turns out to be quite different!

But anyway, the NEW Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 is on its way and based on the numeric hints that the commercial director of Michelin Travel Partner Spain and Portugal implies here’s some speculation for the NEW Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018:

 Possibility of a new Michelin 3 Star Restaurant?

There will be at least ONE, as it is implied that the number of Michelin 3* restaurants will pass 10! So the speculation is 2 as in 2017 the number of Michelin 3* restaurants reached 9: Akelarre, El Celler de Can Roca, DiverXO, Arzak, Azurmendi, Quique Dacosta Restaurante, Sant Pau, Martín Berasategui and Lasarte.

Names sounding out as a New Michelin 3* restaurant for the Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 are Aponiente, Miramar, Àbac, Atrio, Les Cols, Santceloni or Martín Berasategui (a favorite of the Michelin inspectors – he has 8 Michelin stars to date) for his restaurant  M.B. in Tenerife (coincidence that the presentation this year is from there?). And then what about poor Mugaritz? Eternally awarded Michelin 2* status year after year. And of course there’s Portugal too with a strong contender like Belcanto.

We’ll let you know the results of the NEW Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 next Wednesday …

 How many NEW Michelin 2* restaurants?

Apparently there will be various New Michelin 2* restaurants in the Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018, but less than the amount of New Michelin 2* restaurants last year, which was 7 (5 in Spain and 2 in Portugal) so the estimate is 5!  Some of the names flying around to be upgraded to Michelin 2* status in the Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 are Ricard Camarena, Disfrutar, Nerua, Noor, Kabuki Wellington, Dos Cielos, Tickets and Etxebarri … One thing that Michelin have advanced is that one New Michelin 2* restaurant will be in a geographical location somewhat hidden !?! Could this be true? We’ll let you know next week …

 New Michelin  1* Restaurants?

There is expected to be about the same number of New Michelin 1* restaurants for the Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 as in the last few years,  so around 20, and some names that are coming up are Enigma and Eneko … we have our fingers crossed for Divinum in Girona!

Twenty  New Michelin 1* restaurants is a good number although apparently there could have been more this year but some restaurants due to be awarded with a Michelin star for the NEW Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 have subsequently closed!

And talking of closures, there will also be some lost Michelin stars for the NEW Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018, such as Celeri in Barcelona who are currently closed since the summer (for refurbishment or relocation).

We’ll let you know the results of the NEW Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal 2018 next week … in the meantime, all this speculation is hungry work :-) Bon appetite!

We have many fine dining opportunities for you all over Spain and / or Portugal.  Any of our sample private Gourmand Breaks Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours gives you the chance of fine dining – contact us for your personal quote!