Tampa Restaurants Earn Coveted Michelin Stars at Water Street’s Edition Hotel

Japanese Omakase and Contemporary Fine Dining Restaurants Recognized

TAMPA — For the second year in a row, Tampa got some stars. On Thursday evening, two restaurants snagged a pair of coveted Michelin stars during a chef-studded award ceremony at the Edition hotel at Tampa’s Water Street development.

Japanese omakase spot Kosen and contemporary fine dining restaurant Ebbe each received a one-star rating from the elite restaurant guide, joining Rocca, Lilac and Koya as the only restaurants in the city with stars.

South Tampa’s Streetlight Taco received a Bib Gourmand, which is given to restaurants of good value. Chef Michael Brannock was at the ceremony Thursday, though that distinction for the contemporary Mexican restaurant was first announced last week.

Chef Ebbe Vollmer said he was surprised but happy to get a star. The selection of dishes at his tasting menu restaurant Ebbe rotates daily, and he tries to source locally when he can, but it has been more challenging than expected, he said.

“We have a path forward. We try to be a percent better every day, that’s our goal.”

Chef Wei Chen of Kosen was all smiles after the announcement, ecstatic about the night’s win.

“I’ve been a chef for 20 years and this is my first time getting a Michelin star,” he said. “I’m so excited.”

New Contenders in Tampa’s Diverse Dining Scene

Kosen and Ebbe are both relatively new additions to Tampa’s dining scene. Kosen, from the group behind the Bento franchise, opened in fall 2023 on the ground floor of the Pearl Apartments in Tampa Heights. Orlando-based Omei Restaurant Group owners Johnny and Jimmy Tung started the fast-casual Bento chain 20 years ago in Gainesville and now have 25 locations throughout the state. The group owns other Orlando restaurants, including Camille, which also took home a star on Thursday night.

Swedish-born Vollmer opened Ebbe in May 2023 inside the N. Franklin Street building formerly home to Mole Y Abuela in downtown Tampa. The chef has helmed other Michelin-starred restaurants in the past, including Singapore’s Jaan and Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road in London.

Maintaining Food Excellence and Sustainable Gastronomy

Thursday’s announcement marked the third time Florida restaurants have been eligible for stars since the international guide came to the state. It’s part of a paid partnership between the Michelin Guide, Visit Florida and tourism marketing agencies in Tampa, Orlando and Miami — the only Florida cities so far that have been eligible to receive stars.

Arguably the world’s most recognized restaurant ranking system, Michelin began bestowing stars and Bib Gourmand awards to restaurants in Florida in 2022 following a roughly $1.5-million investment from tourism boards in the state. The guide’s recently revamped funding structure favors these kinds of partnerships — Michelin’s expansions are now frequently paid for by hefty investments from the cities where it lands, a practice that has received a healthy amount of criticism.

While three is the most stars a restaurant can receive, snagging any stars at all is considered a major success in the industry. Inspectors visit restaurants anonymously and judge eateries on various criteria, including quality of product, mastery of flavors and excellence in technique.

Reactions from Chefs and Future Expansion

In their notes, inspectors praised Kosen for its omakase program and chef Chen’s “skill and precision” with dishes like a sea bream wrapped around sprouts with shaved black truffle and a nigiri program that leans traditional with “showmanship and style.”

Of Ebbe, inspectors said they enjoyed Vollmer’s “clever and confident” cooking, showcased in dishes that included Scandinavian accents like a beet roulade with brown butter and black cherry sauce and a braised oxtail with seared foie gras and a brunoise of sunchoke.

Water Street restaurants The Pearl and Predalina were also among the spots added as recommendations to the guide in February, as was Supernatural Food & Wine, but none got a star or Bib Gourmand mention during Thursday’s ceremony.

Seven other restaurants in the state were awarded one-star status on Thursday, including restaurants in Miami and Orlando. The guide also recognized restaurants for sustainable gastronomy, with the inclusion of Filipino restaurant Kaya in Orlando and Los Félix/Krüs Kitchen in Miami.

A spokesperson for Michelin would not share details pertaining to contracts, citing privacy concerns for “competitive reasons.” But once the guide for a particular city or region has been published, “the intent is for it to remain there” with continued financial investments, they said.

The Michelin Guide ceremony in Tampa marked a significant moment for the culinary scene in the city, with Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, expressing pride in Tampa Bay’s culinary achievements.

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