Michelin announced the addition of five Florida Panhandle restaurants to its famous Michelin Guide.
The Michelin Guide first came to Florida in 2022, but less than a handful of cities participated at the time. 2026 is the first year that the guide has expanded to the entire state.
Pensacola’s A Mano Panino, known for its handcrafted Italian sandwiches, stands out from the pack. It earned a “Bib Gourmand” distinction, signifying excellent food at affordable prices.
A Mano Panino
What the Michelin Guide says: Located in the East Hill neighborhood within the converted, historic Sacred Heart Hospital, this fast casual spot from husband-and-wife duo Alex and Ashley Lamonte is all about sandwiches, especially on their signature schiacciata bread. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce this Tuscan-style bread that’s similar to focaccia but thinner and crunchier — it’s delicious either way. Notable considerations include the La Cadenza, combining tender roast beef, horseradish, mustard seed cornichon relish and finished with a demi-glace. La Cantabile, layered with ahi tuna confit, caper mayonnaise, tapenade and giardiniera is another must-order. It’s all packaged to go but a seat on their patio is always a good choice.
Bitterroot
What the Michelin Guide says: It may be tucked away in an everyday shopping center in Destin, but this casual farm to table restaurant offers so much more than expected. Concrete floors, a wood-beamed ceiling and marble-topped tables lend a contemporary country appeal to this appealing space. It’s the kind of place where you can pop in any time of day for a bevy of Southern-leaning casual, comforting dishes like the house-made, charred biscuit smothered in a bone marrow and black pepper gravy. Main dishes like Gulf shrimp and grits as well as sweet tea pork chop tempt at dinner, but no meal is quite complete without a wedge of house-made pecan pie sided by a scoop of brown butter ice cream.
Evie Mae’s BBQ
What the Michelin Guide says: Located in Miramar Beach, this spot’s focus is on Texas-style barbecue. The sweet smell of smoke fills your nose as you approach the space, and once inside, step in line, order and wait for your cut-to-order meal to be called. Do not miss the green chili cheese sausage; a large link dotted with peppers and gooey pockets of cheese. Next, try the smoked turkey breast with a black pepper rub, both moist and flavorful. Notable sides include the baked potato casserole, a warm potato salad with sour cream and cheese elements and the sautéed green beans with bacon.
Roux 30A
What the Michelin Guide says: Set along Florida’s Emerald Coast in Grayton Beach, Roux 30A is the kind of place that charms at first sight. Slightly quirky in style (think pot racks strung with flatware), it’s an inviting space where diners are seated at communal tables or counter stools with a view of the open kitchen. The tasting menu is equally endearing. The kitchen prepares a handful of courses with contemporary American leanings, all based around the seasons. The ever-shifting menu promises creativity in dishes like pasta made with purple sweet potato powder with beech mushrooms in a Parmesan and sage sauce that’s topped with a savory, seared U-10 scallop. Local cobia rolled with sweet potato threads over sautéed pumpkin and caramel apple sauce leans into the season in an especially flavorful way.
Daytrader Tiki Bar and Restaurant
What the Michelin Guide says: Nestled within the small Seaside community, The Daytrader Tiki Bar and Restaurant leans into the tropical tiki vibe without any of the expected kitsch. Colorful and contemporary with plenty of outdoor seating (some even resembling tiny beach shacks), this spot is all about tiki-style cocktails and a menu that skews both Polynesian and Hawaiian. Start with some sharable snacks like the boiled peanuts, seasoned with anise, ginger and togarashi. Try the pork lumpia with sweet chili dipping sauce and the crispy tuna rice with lime oil, lava salt and fried garlic before tucking into one of the many handhelds, rice bowls and seafood-forward main dishes. The not-too-sweet coconut custard cream pie with mile-high meringue and passion fruit sauce is the perfect ending.
What is Michelin’s Bib Gourmand distinction?
The Bib Gourmand distinction is named after the French tire company’s iconic mascot, Michelin Man, whose actual name is Bibendum. It was first used in 1997, and it honors restaurants that “simply offer good quality, good value cooking,” according to Michelin.
What are Michelin Guide restaurants without distinction?
Not all restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide carry a distinction, but that doesn’t mean they should be overlooked.
“A restaurant in the selection without a star or Bib Gourmand is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal,” says Michael Ellis, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Five Florida Panhandle restaurants were just added to Michelin Guide
Reporting by Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
