If Michelin came to Ottawa tomorrow — who would earn stars?

Ottawa has never been rated by the Michelin Guide — but the city’s dining scene is stronger than ever. Here’s our running watchlist of who would likely earn stars, Bib Gourmands, and a mention in the world’s most famous dining guide.

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Michelin stars aren’t about glitz — they’re about precision, consistency, and the ability to deliver a world-class dining experience every single night. Here’s who we think would make the cut if Ottawa were under the Michelin spotlight right now.

Predicted One Stars⭐ Atelier — A modernist tasting-menu restaurant and the city’s most ambitious kitchen.⭐ Stofa — Technical execution meets quiet elegance in Wellington West.⭐ North & Navy — Venetian soul food, beautifully executed.

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Possible One Stars⭐ Arlo — Progressive, ingredient-driven plates and a deep wine program.⭐ Riviera — Elevated brasserie cooking with capital-city polish.⭐ Supply & Demand — A raw bar, seafood and pasta–focused kitchen where precision meets understated elegance.

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Bib Gourmand CandidatesMichelin’s Bib Gourmand recognizes restaurants offering excellent food at more moderate prices.
🍽️Sundari's Kitchen🍽️Fauna🍽️Jfuse🍽️Town

🥂 What do stars actually mean?

Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants offering exceptional cooking, worth a special journey.⭐ One Star: High-quality cooking, worth a stop.⭐⭐ Two Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour.⭐⭐⭐ Three Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.Ottawa currently has no Michelin-rated restaurants, but Toronto, Vancouver, and the province of Québec do — meaning Ottawa could be next.

⭐ Updates

November 2025 — Ottawa Tourism Meets with Top Chefs to Discuss Michelin PotentialOttawa Tourism recently held a closed-door conversation with a group of leading Ottawa chefs to discuss how the city can better position itself for future consideration by the Michelin Guide.Chefs from North & Navy were in attendance, along with representatives from several other well-known restaurants in the city. While no official statement has been released from Ottawa Tourism, multiple chefs who were present confirmed that the discussion focused on:What Michelin looks for in a city — consistency, culinary identity, international visibility, and a concentrated level of excellence.How Ottawa restaurants can work together to elevate standards and present a unified culinary narrative.Potential next steps, including chef-led collaboration with Ottawa Tourism, hosting visiting critics, and organizing media or industry tours to spotlight Ottawa’s finest kitchens.This marks the first known instance of formal dialogue between Ottawa Tourism and the city’s culinary leaders specifically about Michelin readiness — a significant milestone for a city not yet on the Guide’s map.

October 2025 - The 2025 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver has just been unveiled, bringing the city’s total to 12 One-Star restaurants, up from ten last year. Inspectors added a few new names while reaffirming the strength of Vancouver’s existing stars, along with several fresh Bib Gourmand selections that broaden the city’s culinary map.Ottawa, however, remains off Michelin’s list — at least for now.

September 2025 - Toronto & Region’s 2025 Michelin awards brought some big wins—Pearl Morissette elevated to Two Stars, aKin earned its first Star, and Sundays picked up a Green Star, among other additions. Meanwhile, Ottawa still has no restaurants with Michelin Stars—for now—but with the growing spotlight on Canadian cities like Québec and Vancouver, many in Ottawa are hopeful its food scene might soon get its chance in the Guide.

September 2025 — Ottawa Michelin Watch is live.
We’ll be tracking which restaurants in Ottawa are most likely to earn Michelin stars (or Bib Gourmands) if and when the Guide arrives. This list will be updated regularly — check back for predictions, new contenders, and local dining news.