Our predictions for Vancouver's 2026 Michelin Guide ceremony

Vancouver’s 2026 Michelin Guide ceremony is just around the corner, and if you’re anything like us, then you’re anxiously waiting to see which restaurants will make the cut this year.

Last year’s ceremony saw Sumibiyak Arashi and Sushi Hyun walk away with a star, alongside Good Thief receiving the Bib Gourmand distinction and Elem and Nero Tondo being newly recommended.

But perhaps more exciting than watching the actual ceremony is thinking about which of our favourite restaurants will be receiving awards this year. And with so many great new spots having opened in 2026, we wanted to share some of our predictions.

Keep on reading to see which restaurants will receive stars, Bib Gourmand, or Michelin recommendations, and let us know which ones you think are deserving of some Michelin recognition in the comments. And be sure to check back here on Oct. 6 to see the official list of winners.

Michelin Star

Kavita

The city has been absolutely buzzing about Kavita ever since it opened last year. Here, Mumbai-born chef Tushar Tondvalkar is presenting Vancouver with an ode to regional Indian cuisine alongside local ingredients.

Given how much Michelin historically loves a restaurant with an omakase menu, we feel pretty confident the Michelin Guide inspectors will be delighted by his “amma-kase” menu, which is an ode to Kavita’s namesake and Tondvalkar’s mother. We’re feeling pretty confident that the team will be walking away with a star at this year’s ceremony.

Address: 250 W. 3rd Ave., Vancouver

Five Sails by Alex Kim

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Five Sails by Alex Kim has long been deserving of a star ever since the Top Chef Canada season 12 runner-up took over the kitchen back in 2022.

After being blown away by his Altitude of B.C. menu earlier this year, which took diners on an adventure from the depths of B.C.’s waters all the way up to its mountaintops, alongside some of the best hospitality in the city (and being home to one of our favourite cocktails, the Toasted Grove), we could also see Five Sails by Alex Kim walking away with a star.

Address: 999 Canada Pl., Vancouver

Bib Gourmand

Nomo Nomo

Nomo Nomo is co-owned by Wayne Chow and Benedict Lam (Lam also being the co-owner of Bib Gourmand restaurant Lunch Lady), so it’s safe to say the team knows what it takes to receive the distinction.

Nomo Nomo stuns with its selection of share plates, with offerings like Red Crab with tamago salad and black truffle stacked high on milk bread and its mouth-watering Wagyu Sliders served on King’s Hawaiian rolls. But perhaps even more impressive than its food are its cocktails. We’ve managed to work our way through much of the drink menu here. While everything is great, the Karudamon (licor 43, Vietnamese coffee, green cardamom, coconut, white chocolate, and kokuto) is a must-try for first-time visitors.

Address: 1268 Commercial Dr., Vancouver

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Michelin-recommended

Touk

We’d be very surprised if Chanthy Yen’s new contemporary Cambodian restaurant Touk did not get a mention at this year’s Michelin ceremony. The Alberni Street restaurant has some of the best hospitality in the city alongside a stellar cocktail menu courtesy of our favourite Tara Davies and a menu of upscale Cambodian eats that we can’t stop thinking about (the Fraser Valley Tomahawk is a must-try).

Address: 1152 Alberni St., Vancouver

By Handson

By Handson stands out from the crowd with its dedication to its approach to maximalist dishes and drinks. Each cocktail is served with its own elaborate accompaniments (think sides of honeycomb and ice cream), and dishes are impressively decorated with an assortment of edible flowers and gold leaf. This is the type of restaurant to visit with an open mind and an even more open stomach, as the team always has something fresh and exciting on the menu.

Address: 847 Denman St., Vancouver

Nabi House

While it might be intimidating to be located alongside heavy-hitter restaurants like Michelin-recommended Nero Tondo and Air Canada’s Best New Restaurant Niwa, Nabi House stands on its own with its standout Korean fare.

The intimate Powell Street restaurant serves bites from spicy jabchae (glass noodles sautéed with leeks and bay scallops in a spicy pork tofu sauce) and royal court tteokbokki (braised beef with onions, dill and black pepper and chewy rice cakes), to substantial bites like its flame-broiled pork belly (braised in gochujang, apples, and honey) and extremely comforting perilla chicken soup.

This was one of our favourite restaurant visits this year.

Address: 1889 Powell St., Vancouver

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