Welcome back to Project M, the final chapter in The Palm Beach Post’s ongoing series exploring Palm Beach County restaurants recognized by Florida’s 2025 Michelin Guide and how to enjoy them without overspending.
This week features our top value recommendations at each stop, including specific dishes to order when dining on a budget, but still hoping to leave satisfied.
Of the Guide’s nine recognized restaurants, we visited seven: Aioli, Palm Beach Meats, Būccan, Coolinary, The Butcher’s Club, Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats and Stage.
Who’s missing from our Michelin Guide restaurants recap?
Konro, the only Palm Beach County restaurant to earn a Michelin star, has been removed from the Guide because of its closure following the arrest of chef and co-owner Jacob Bickelhaupt on charges of domestic battery, aggravated battery and attempted murder.
We also skipped Moody Tongue Sushi, a “selected” Michelin recommendation, at the Hilton West Palm Beach. The restaurant with a Michelin-starred sister in Chicago offers a non-negotiable $145 fixed-price omakase experience, though there are summer specials to be had from $65 to $95.
Our methodology
Excluding its Bib Gourmand picks (Palm Beach County’s winners are Aioli and Palm Beach Meats) which highlight more affordable options, the Michelin Guide isn’t exactly known for budget-conscious dining.
But with a little strategy, it’s possible to enjoy standout dishes without overspending.
Listed alphabetically, our picks for the best dishes to savor your experience without the splurge.
Aioli
The dish: “Pick 2” – a salad or soup plus half sandwich, $15.50
Why we love it: This combo whispers value and variety in perfect harmony. This lunchtime lifesaver is a terrific find for those who want a satisfying, balanced meal without overspending.
Details: 7434 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-366-7741, aioliwpb.com.
Būccan
The dish: Sweet Corn Agnolotti, $21 for a generous half portion
Why we love it: The velvety and vibrant dish screams summer in a bowl. It’s a longtime menu favorite that showcases chef Clay Conley’s gift for turning humble ingredients (hello hot dogs) into haute cuisine.
Details: 350 S. County Road, Palm Beach, 561-833-3450, buccanpalmbeach.com
The Butcher’s Club
The dish: Wagyu steak burger with gruyere, $36
Why we love it: Burgers are almost always the best deal at a fancy spot, and The Butcher’s Club proves the rule. Its version is a juicy and decadent knockout served with fries. It’s the kind of burger that makes you forget you’d even considered ordering a slab of steak.
Details: 400 Ave. of the Champions at the PGA National Resort, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-627-4852, PGAResort.com
Coolinary
The dish: Chicken and waffles, $30. Runner up: Maple Bourbon Banana Pudding Cake, $15.
Why we love it: Exemplary comfort food. Crispy boneless fried chicken mirror the kids’ menu favorite, layered atop waffles that are surprisingly shareable and not overly messy. We split the dish and the half portions were perfectly sized. That said, we loved dessert more.
Details: 4580 Donald Ross Road, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-249-6760, thecoolpig.com
Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats
The dish: A full-sized Bolo (Roman-style gnocchi topped with braised beef), $32 and listed under appetizers.
Why we love it: Beyond its rich, scrumptious flavors, this dish stood out as the most satisfying and value-packed option on the menu, exemplifying Project M’s goal.
What we’d do differently: Knowing now that the Michelin-recommended empanadas, carpaccio and cookies we ordered were part of a $45 summer prix-fixe deal that also includes a vegetarian gnocchi dish, we would have gone that route, although we’d probably get the chicken which looked fantastic. It’s a solid value and exactly the kind of find Project M is all about. Fingers crossed there’s a version of this deal available during season.
Details: 480 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, 561-336-3977, nicholsonmuir.com
Palm Beach Meats
The dish: Wagyu beef tapa, $19
Why we wish we ordered it: Our actual order comprised the famous $11 Frito pie and $19 burger. When seeing this same-priced dish as the burger delivered to another table, it looked amazing and had so much going on: shaved wagyu, garlic fried rice and a sunny-side-up egg. Next time.
Details: 4812 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-623-7471, palmbeachmeats.com
Stage
The dish: Butter Chicken Masala, $26
Why we love it: Deeply flavorful, this Michelin-recommended dish is something you order once and immediately plan to order again. You could share it, but it’s not quite enough for two as a main, and really, you’ll want it all to yourself.
Details: 2000 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-408-3685. and 5377 Town Center Road, Boca Raton, 561-409-2376; stagekitchenandbar.com
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: An essential dining guide to Palm Beach County’s elite Michelin restaurants
Reporting by Diana Biederman and Eddie Ritz, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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