L.A. Jordan in Deidesheim earns third Michelin star as Germany's 2026 guide is unveiled

National picture

The 2026 Guide Michelin for Germany was unveiled on Tuesday evening at the Frankfurt Palmengarten. Nationwide, 339 restaurants secured at least one star, distributed across 12 three-star, 48 two-star and 279 one-star awards. The sole new three-star entry is L.A. Jordan in Deidesheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, where chef Daniel Schimkowitsch was momentarily lost for words.

I'm floored.

The earlier closure of the three-star Aqua in Wolfsburg, after Sven Elverfeld moved on, had threatened the top-flight count. Yet the 11 other three-star houses maintained their ratings, keeping the total at 12. Another emotional moment came when the Mühle in Schluchsee received its second star; chef Fabian Obergfell drew on 20 years of graft.

I don't need to pinch myself. I've worked hard for 20 years for this. It makes me super proud to stand here.

The 2026 guide is due for publication at the end of July.

Frankfurt takes centre stage

The host city saw two new two-star awards handed out on the night. Rausch, where chef Jochim Busch focuses on product-driven clarity, and The Dune, the restaurant inside the new Florentin luxury hotel led by Niclas Nussbaumer, both went straight to two stars. Elsewhere in the city, Lohninger in Sachsenhausen received its first star. Special prizes included the Opening of the Year award for The Cloud by Käfer in Munich (two stars), the Young Chef Award for Axel Boesen of Dopamin in Saarburg (one star), and the Service Award for Karin Weißer from St. Benedikt in Aachen. Observers noted that only male chefs were honoured on stage apart from the service category.

Shifts in the regions

Berlin retained its sole three-star restaurant, Rutz, and its four two-star addresses. Three one-star venues, Bieberbau, prism and Skykitchen, lost their distinctions, leaving the capital with 19 starred restaurants, down from 22 last year. In Lower Saxony, the closure of Aqua meant no restaurant holds three stars, though two two-star venues in Hannover, Jante and Votum, kept their ratings, and the state gained two new one-star entries. Saxony-Anhalt's Pietsch in Wernigerode held on to its two stars. Schleswig-Holstein's pair of two-star restaurants, Meierei Dirk Luther in Glücksburg and Söl'ring Hof on Sylt, retained their status, while all nine one-star addresses were unchanged. Saxony saw all eight one-star restaurants defend their ratings, but the state still lacks any two- or three-star representation. Bremen again received no star.

Behind the stars

Michelin inspectors work anonymously and possess a professional gastronomy background. They rate technical preparation, taste, personal style, value for money and consistent quality over time. The red guide was originally launched over a century ago to encourage motoring; the first stars for fine dining were awarded in 1926, and German kitchens began receiving stars in 1966.