São Paulo's Tuju and Evvai restaurants received Brazil's and Latin America's first three Michelin stars, announced on April 13, 2026, in Rio de Janeiro. Chefs Ivan Ralston and Luiz Filipe Souza were honored at the Copacabana Palace ceremony. No Brazilian restaurant had previously achieved this top distinction.
The Michelin Guide Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo 2026 ceremony, held on the night of April 13 at Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, awarded three stars—the highest rating for culinary excellence—to Tuju by Ivan Ralston and Evvai by Luiz Filipe Souza.
Ralston opened Tuju in 2014, focusing on seasonal Southeast Brazilian ingredients, earning its first star a year later and the second in 2018. Souza has led Evvai since 2017, blending Italian and Brazilian influences after stints at places like Reale in Italy. "I thought I had lost the two stars," Souza said when called to the stage. "It was the most incredible thing that has happened in my life. I'm speechless."
Three restaurants retained two stars: D.O.M. by Alex Atala (São Paulo), Lasai by Rafa Costa e Silva (Rio), and Oro by Felipe Bronze (Rio). One-star restaurants dropped to 19, with Madame Olympe by Claude Troisgros (Rio) as the only newcomer in that category.
Other awards included the green star for sustainability to A Casa do Porco, Corrutela, and Tuju; young chef to Pedro Coronha of Koral (Rio); best service to Raphael Zanon of Casa 201 (Rio); and mixology to Anderson Oliveira of D.O.M. Actress Nathalia Dill hosted, joined by Rio mayor Eduardo Cavaliere and Michelin international director Gwendal Poullennec.
