Helm, 3F The Shops at Ayala Triangle Gardens. Photo courtesy of Josh Boutwood.

Makati is the Philippines’ Michelin capital: Helm’s 2 stars plus 5 more starred tables in one city

Makati just became the Philippines' fine dining capital with six Michelin-starred restaurants, including the country's only two-star table. Here is where to eat. #MichelinGuide #MakatiFood #ManilaFood


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Makati just became the Philippines’ fine dining capital: six of the nine restaurants that earned Michelin stars in the country’s debut guide are inside this one city, including the only two-star restaurant in the entire country.

Helm, Chef Josh Boutwood’s 24-seat chef’s counter at Ayala Triangle, took the country’s first and only Two Michelin Stars, while Celera, Hapag, Inatô, Kása Palma, and Toyo Eatery each earned One Michelin Star.

Here is everything you need to know about eating at each of them, with the details from the official MICHELIN Guide selection.

The only two-star table in the Philippines: Helm

Helm restaurant chef's counter

Helm is an intimate 24-seat restaurant at 3F The Shops at Ayala Triangle Gardens, led by Filipino-British chef Josh Boutwood, and it took the country’s only Two Michelin Stars.

The Inquirer reports it captured the highest rating at the inaugural 2026 guide launch, with an ever-evolving themed tasting menu built on Josh’s half-British, half-Filipino heritage.

Designed in black, copper, and grey with a chef’s counter facing the open kitchen, dining at Helm is closer to theater than a meal.

Celera: modern Filipino with two chefs at the wheel

Celera restaurant

Celera earned One Michelin Star for its Asian contemporary cooking, with two chef-owners pushing flavors from Japan and Singapore into tight, modern Filipino plates.

The MICHELIN Guide’s own description highlights the kitchen’s confident, contemporary take on local ingredients, and the restaurant has also appeared on Asia’s 51-100 Best Restaurants list in 2026.

Hapag: the modern Filipino tasting menu

Hapag restaurant

Hapag is a One Michelin Star restaurant in Makati known for its seasonal tasting menus that rework Filipino classics with modern technique, per its MICHELIN Guide listing.

Its kitchen consistently lands on the short list of must-book Makati tables, and the star recognition has only raised the reservation pressure.

Inatô: the fire-powered route to Filipino food

Inato restaurant dish

Inatô’s One Michelin Star recognizes its philosophy: an exploration of the different routes that lead to Filipino food, built around wood fire cooking.

The restaurant’s official site describes the menu as highlighting Filipino roots, and its dishes, like the grilled oysters and pompano, carry the smoke of the kitchen’s hearth.

Kása Palma: wood fire and island inspiration in Poblacion

Kasa Palma restaurant

Kása Palma sits at 6042 R. Palma in Poblacion, and its One Michelin Star comes for a wood-fired kitchen with an island-inspired vibe and a bold tasting menu.

Chef Aaron Isip’s cuisine d’auteur is reservation-only, and the restaurant’s own site displays the 2026 Michelin star as its calling card.

Toyo Eatery: the pioneer that finally got its star

Toyo Eatery restaurant

Toyo Eatery, at The Alley at Karrivin in Chino Roces Extension, is arguably the most talked about restaurant in the Philippines, and its One Michelin Star finally made the hype official.

Chef Jordy Navarra’s modern Filipino cooking, including the famous Bahay Kubo dish of 18 vegetables, has been profiled by the MICHELIN Guide itself as a reinvention of local food.

The complete Makati Michelin lineup

Restaurant Stars Area Cuisine
Helm 2 Ayala Triangle Creative tasting menu
Celera 1 Makati Asian contemporary
Hapag 1 Makati Modern Filipino
Inatô 1 Makati Wood fire Filipino
Kása Palma 1 Poblacion Wood fire, island inspired
Toyo Eatery 1 Chino Roces Modern Filipino

The guide’s full selection also covers 25 Bib Gourmand eateries and 74 selected addresses, with Makati landing its own share of Bib Gourmand picks including Lampara, Your Local, Manam at the Triangle, and Taquería Franco.

The bottom line

Makati has more Michelin stars than any other Philippine city, and the spread is remarkable: a two-star chef’s counter, a pair of wood-fire kitchens, and two of the country’s most celebrated modern Filipino tables.

Every one of these restaurants requires a reservation, several weeks ahead for the most popular, and the star ratings have made that even harder.

If you can only book one, Helm is the once-in-a-country experience, and if you want the food that defines modern Filipino cooking, Toyo Eatery and Hapag are the tables to fight for.


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