The Czech gastronomic scene is gearing up for another big moment. On 20 November, the Michelin Guide will publish its updated selection of the best restaurants from across the country. Will there be any new Michelin stars? And which establishments will make it into the gastronomic elite this year? The awards ceremony will take place in December at Pragovka in Prague.
Czech gastronomy is set to reach another significant milestone. The MICHELIN Guide is entering its second year of nationwide coverage and will present an updated selection of restaurants from across the country on 20 November. Expectations are high: attention is focused primarily on whether new Michelin stars will appear on the list and which establishments will manage to confirm their position among the best. The first nationwide selection, published last December, significantly raised the profile of Czech gastronomy abroad and helped draw attention to restaurants outside Prague as well.
The publication of the results will be followed on 14 December by the MICHELIN Guide Restaurant Plaques Presentation Event, which will take place at Pragovka in Prague. The event is organised by makro ČR, the project’s official partner, and CzechTourism, the destination partner for the Czech Republic.
Michelin is reshaping the map of Czech gastronomy. Attention is also turning to the regions
Behind every recommendation in the guide lies the work of restaurants, head chefs and their teams, who have been driving Czech gastronomy forward over the long term. The first nationwide selection has shown that top-class cuisine is not the sole preserve of the capital and that interesting gastronomic destinations can be found throughout the country. It is precisely this potential that the Czech Republic wishes to capitalise on in the tourism sector.
“The past year has shown that the nationwide MICHELIN Guide has an extraordinary reach even beyond our borders. It has helped the Czech Republic make a more significant mark on the world’s culinary map and strengthen its position among destinations with top-class gastronomy. We are making full use of this potential. We are showcasing Czech cuisine and restaurants in our campaigns, and our colleagues at our overseas offices are also focusing on them. We invite foreign journalists and influencers on familiarisation trips and show them that excellent cuisine isn’t confined to Prague. High-quality restaurants in the regions attract discerning guests who travel in search of good food and discover other places they might otherwise never have visited,” says Tereza Hofmanová, Director of the Czech Tourism Authority – CzechTourism.
She also emphasises that the benefits of gastronomic tourism extend far beyond the restaurants themselves. “The benefits don’t stop at the restaurant. People come for dinner, stay overnight, explore the town and spend money with other local businesses as well. Gastronomy thus helps to develop tourism across the entire region. The MICHELIN Guide is a concrete example of what the professional work of CzechTourism, cooperation with partners and systematic support for tourism can achieve. Without this work and cooperation, we might not have a nationwide guide in this form. Its benefits are already beginning to show, which is why we must continue along this path. We need to keep developing projects that attract visitors, help restaurants and benefit entire regions.”
Makro ČR also plays an important role in the project, building on the Czech partnership between the METRO AG group and the MICHELIN Guide in a number of European countries. Makro has long supported the domestic gastronomy scene, for example through the MakroGEN programme for young talent or the České pole initiative, which links Czech agricultural production with gastronomy.
“Czech gastronomy is now proving that it can hold its own among Europe’s best. This success is not down to a single evening or a single award, but to the day-to-day work of restaurateurs, chefs and their teams. The MICHELIN Guide highlights the very best while at the same time sending an important message to the entire sector: it pays to build on high-quality ingredients, honest craftsmanship, a distinctive style and the courage to do things well. It is precisely these entrepreneurs that we at makro wish to support, whether they receive a Michelin star or are simply working hard every day to build a high-quality gastronomic scene in their town or region,” emphasises Jiří Nehasil, Managing Director of makro ČR.
Michelin brings guests to restaurants. Some report an increase in footfall and turnover
The experience of restaurants from the first year of the nationwide guide shows that inclusion in the MICHELIN Guide can have a very tangible economic impact. CzechTourism surveyed the establishments immediately after the selection was published and again approximately six months later. The survey covered roughly half of the listed restaurants; the results should therefore be regarded as indicative. Nevertheless, representatives of the businesses confirm a positive impact on footfall, the number of bookings and interest from international guests. They most frequently reported an increase in footfall of 10 to 15 per cent, and in some cases as much as 30 per cent or more.
Restaurant La Villa in Zlín, for example, has seen a marked transformation. While previously guests mainly travelled from within a radius of around 40 kilometres to enjoy its cuisine, today the restaurant is also sought out by visitors who travel some 300 kilometres specifically to visit it, as well as guests from Slovakia. Some of them even book accommodation in the region straight away.
The Prague restaurant U Matěje also reports an interesting development. After receiving the Bib Gourmand award, the composition of its clientele changed significantly. Foreign visitors, who previously accounted for only a tiny fraction of guests, now make up around a fifth. The Strakonice restaurant Sůl a Řepa, meanwhile, reports a 30 per cent increase in turnover and greater interest from visitors from Austria, Germany and other parts of the Czech Republic.
The positive impact was also reflected in media interest. Between 11 and 31 December 2025, a total of 152 media features dedicated to the first nationwide selection of the MICHELIN Guide appeared in the media. Their reach exceeded 15.3 million impressions. In just under three weeks, the guide thus played a significant role in putting Czech gastronomy in the spotlight both at home and abroad.
The publication of the new selection in November will now reveal how the Czech gastronomic scene has evolved over the past year. For restaurants, this will not only be a prestigious accolade, but also an opportunity to attract new guests and put themselves on the world’s gastronomic map. We will find out on 20 November whether we can look forward to more Michelin stars this year.
