New York’s omakase scene reshuffled at the top this fall: the 2025 Michelin Guide promoted Sushi Sho to three stars while stripping Masa of one, leaving the city with four three-star restaurants rather than five.

Michelin announced the New York results at its Northeast Cities ceremony in Philadelphia on November 18, 2025. Sushi Sho — chef Keiji Nakazawa’s omakase counter at 3 East 41st Street, in the shadow of the New York Public Library’s main branch — was the only restaurant in the region elevated to the highest category this cycle. The restaurant opened in early 2024 and held two stars before the promotion.

A rare pre-ceremony demotion

In an unusual move, Michelin disclosed Masa’s demotion days before the formal ceremony. Masa, chef Masa Takayama’s omakase room at the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle and long among the most expensive meals in America, dropped from three stars to two.

The guide does not publicly explain individual star losses. The effect was arithmetic: New York’s three-star roster fell from five restaurants to four. The remaining three-star list is Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Per Se and Jungsik — the Tribeca Korean fine-dining room that became the first Korean restaurant in the United States to earn three stars in 2024.

Masa was not alone in the demotion column nationally. Michelin moved Chicago’s Alinea and Virginia’s The Inn at Little Washington from three stars to two in the same broader announcement.

New stars

Sushi Sho’s promotion sat atop a longer list of gains. In the two-star tier, Joo Ok, a Korean tasting-menu restaurant in Koreatown led by chef Chang-ho Shin, was elevated from one star to two.

Four restaurants earned their first Michelin star:

  • Bridges, previously a recommended listing, in Two Bridges
  • Muku, a kaiseki room in Tribeca
  • Huso, on Greenwich Street, focused on reimagined seafood and meat plates
  • Yamada, a kaiseki destination from chef Isao Yamada

The pattern reflects a continued tilt in New York’s fine-dining apex toward Japanese and Korean tasting formats, which now occupy both new three-star slots and several of the cycle’s promotions.

What the count means

Star counts are watched closely because they move reservations and prices. Sushi Sho’s elevation drew immediate attention in part because its omakase, while a luxury booking, is priced well below the city’s most expensive three-star counters — a contrast with Masa, whose multi-hundred-dollar tasting had defined the top end of New York omakase for two decades.

The full 2025 selection, including bib gourmand and recommended listings, is published on the Michelin Guide’s New York City pages. Michelin has signaled it will continue updating the Northeast guide on an annual cycle.

Verification

Frequently Asked Questions

Which New York restaurant earned three Michelin stars in 2025?
Sushi Sho, chef Keiji Nakazawa's omakase counter at 3 East 41st Street near the New York Public Library, was promoted from two stars to three at the November 18, 2025 ceremony. It is the only New York restaurant elevated to the top tier this cycle.
Why did Masa lose a Michelin star?
Michelin downgraded Masa, the Columbus Circle omakase temple, from three stars to two ahead of the ceremony. The guide does not publicly explain individual demotions; the change dropped New York's three-star roster from five to four.
How many three-star restaurants does New York City have now?
Four: Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Per Se and Jungsik. Sushi Sho replaced Masa at the top, keeping the count flat at four.
Which restaurants earned their first Michelin star in New York in 2025?
Four new one-stars were named: Bridges, Muku, Huso and Yamada. Joo Ok, in Koreatown, was promoted to two stars.