Three American titans have each just lost their third Michelin star.
In a big restaurant industry shake-up, Michelin has announced that Alinea, the Inn at Little Washington, and Masa will be demoted from three stars to two when the latest guides for each region are announced at the upcoming Northeast Cities ceremony. The chefs and restaurants were made aware of the change before the event, Michelin said.
“The Michelin Guide maintains its role of providing fair and qualitative recommendations to consumers, with its team of expert Inspectors, following its global methodology,” the company said in a press statement. “It fully acknowledges the impact of its decisions on the establishments it honors. The Guide’s recommendations are far from fixed and are reassessed each year following anonymous and independent visits conducted by its Inspectors. These evaluations are based on the Guide’s methodology and five criteria, which ensure absolute consistency and uncompromising standards applied uniformly across the globe for the past 125 years.”
Alinea, the legendary Chicago spot helmed by chef Grant Achatz, has had three Michelin stars to its name since the guide first came to the Windy City back in 2010. The Lincoln Park restaurant is known for its modernist tasting menus, offering up boundary-pushing dishes that show off innovative techniques and a theatrical flair. Its menu draws on flavors from across the globe, influenced by Achatz’s time spent at El Bulli as well his years at the French Laundry.
“We were disappointed to learn of our Michelin Guide demotion to two stars,” the chef said in an Instagram post today. “For 20 years, Alinea has been devoted to pushing creativity, rigor, and the pursuit of perfection in our craft. That commitment remains as unwavering today as it was on day one, and will continue until the back door of 1723 locks for the last time. Congratulations to all the 2025 Michelin Guide recipients. Your dedication, talent, and hospitality continue to elevate our industry.”
Masa, meanwhile, earned its three stars in 2009, making it the first Japanese restaurant in the U.S. to achieve such a feat. Located in New York’s Columbus Circle, the spot is an ode to omakase. Masa Takayama, a Japanese-born chef, started his eponymous restaurant with some encouragement from Thomas Keller; now, Masa offers up one of the most expensive tasting menus in the nation, with fish flown in daily from Japan’s Tsukiji Fish Market of the utmost quality.
The Inn at Little Washington nabbed Michelin’s highest accolade in 2018 after sitting at two stars for the first couple years of the D.C. guide. Chef Patrick O’Connell, a self-taught culinary maestro, opened the restaurant in a garage 40 years ago, turning it into a can’t miss destination. The spot can be found in a town with fewer than 200 people, but the farm-to-table cuisine with touches of French techniques kept patrons venturing out to rural Virginia.
“We have the greatest respect for the Michelin Guide and have been honored to hold its highest distinction for the past seven years,” the Inn at Little Washington said in a statement to Robb Report. “We, and our guests, believe The Inn at Little Washington is better than ever—continually evolving, innovating, and nurturing a world class destination. We are proud to be among the handful of establishments south of New York City to receive the rare distinction of two Michelin stars. Our mission has always been to create a restorative, magical experience for every one of our guests—that, above all, remains our guiding star.”
As for Michelin, “the Inspectors look forward to revisiting Alinea, The Inn at Little Washington, and Masa, and ascertaining any evolution for future selections,” its statement concluded.
This is not the first time news Michelin stripping a famous restaurant of its star got out before the official announcement of the entire guide. Paul Bocuse’s L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges in Lyon, which had previously held three stars longer than any other eatery around the world (since 1965), lost its third star back in 2020, with papers leaking the news after Michelin’s director Gwendal Poullennec visited the restaurant to tell the staff ahead of the public announcement. The move sent a shockwave through the nation, met with outrage from critics and patrons alike. American diners may now be familiar with the feeling.
