By Gus Saltonstall
The 2025 Michelin Guide awards took place recently and there are now 72 restaurants in New York City with coveted Michelin stars, including four on the Upper West Side.
Of the four eateries in the neighborhood that have Michelin stars this year, one of them is among the extremely exclusive group of restaurants with three stars.
Per Se, a French-American restaurant located at 10 Columbus Circle, once again achieved three Michelin stars in 2025. The eatery is run by Thomas Keller, who also oversees the incredibly popular French Laundry restaurant in California.
“An experience at Thomas Keller’s Per Se is one to be savored, recounted and remembered,” reads the Michelin Guide’s review of the eatery. “Signatures like: Oysters and Pearls’ or the grand dessert finale are reliable, thrilling bookends. What happens in between is a mature study in confidence and class.”
Per Se offers two tasting menus daily, a nine-course chef’s tasting menu, as well as a nine-course vegetable tasting menu, and no single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the meal.
Next up, there are a pair of two-starred Michelin restaurants on the Upper West Side.
Most newsworthy, the omakase eatery Masa, also at 10 Columbus Circle, which has had three Michelin stars for the last 15 years, was downgraded to two stars in the 2025 awards.
Masa is run by chef Masayoshi Takayama, and its tasting menus start at $750 in the dining room and $950 at the counter. It is one of the most expensive restaurants in the world.
“There is nothing like an omakase in the care of Chef Masa Takayama,” the Michelin Guide wrote about the eatery. “Few have both the imagination and the know-how to make foie gras nigiri, and few serve abalone so meltingly tender. It is a captivating experience that is singularly memorable.”
Here is the statement that Masa released on behalf of Takayama in light of losing one of its stars.
“For 15 years, we’ve been honored to stand among extraordinary company, and I’m so grateful to our guests for their enduring trust, loyalty, and friendship,” he said. “I am deeply proud of the hard work our team puts in day-in and day-out, and as always, we will continue to strive for excellence.”
The French restaurant Jean-Georges also earned two Michelin stars. The eatery at 1 Central Park West offers tasting menus that range from $218 to $478.
“Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s culinary empire stretches far and wide, but Central Park will always be his home,” the Michelin Guide wrote about the eatery.
Rounding out the group of Michelin-starred restaurants on the Upper West Side is Essential by Christophe, which maintained its one-star ranking. The eatery is located at 103 West 77th Street.
“Chef Christophe Bellanca’s dishes echo a simple elegance, evidenced by plump white asparagus on a fragrant bergamot-flavored crème with a refreshing herb vinaigrette and paper-thin slices of watermelon radish,” Michelin Guide wrote about Essential by Christophe.
The Michelin Guide also released its Bib Gourmands list, which is a guide to the best restaurants in New York City that won’t break the bank.
The Mexican eatery Covacha at 368 Columbus, between West 77th and 78th streets, was the lone neighborhood eatery to earn the selection in 2025. The immensely popular Chick Chick at 618 Amsterdam Avenue, near West 90th Street, did not retain the distinction from last year.
You can check out all of the 2025 New York City Michelin restaurants — HERE.
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Chick Chick isn’t that good and they seem to always have a subpar DOH rating too that they try to hide. They have a B now and were cited in their last inspection in May for “Current letter grade or Grade Pending card not posted.”
Chick Chick is good enough to be noteworthy, in my experience, but not sufficiently better than so many others in close vicinity that didn’t make the guide.
I was, on the other hand, underwhelmed by Dagon. I don’t understand the crowds. It looks the part of a nice place, but both entrees were subpar and the service was poor. But maybe I went on an off night.
I agree completely. Dagon is fine, sometimes even very good (e.g. the breads), but NOT exceptional or worthy of Michelin recognition.
Many of our friends and relatives around the world say Michelin has no real bearing outside of France. I might extend that to Germany, but in general, I think it’s true. Bib gourmand is essentially meaningless for locals in NYC. (e.g. Covacha is good… but the birria tacos at Birria Landia are loads better. And I’m sure there are so many mom ‘n’ pop places all over the city that do each dish at Covacha more deliciously than Covacha does it, even when Covacha uses new fangled ingredients or plates beautifully.)
Also, the difference in stars doesn’t always make sense. If it’s Michelin starred, you know you’re getting a certain kind of service experience, but a three star food experience isn’t necessarily better than a two star one, and a two star one isn’t necessarily better than a one-star food experience.
It’s just a few people’s opinions after all, right? I always like to supplement with additional opinions — including all the fine comments on the WSR!
Agree. The NYT 100 best restaurants list or the Eater guides are much better. More accurate and more useful for finding new spots.
I know. I kept on seeing crowds there I was underwhelmed
I would go again but as they removed their outdoor dining shed I won’t go again. I do think the service there is really good though
Essential should have two stars. Easily. Anyone who has eaten at Michelin-starred restaurants—both here and in France—knows that Essential was robbed of a star. Again. Does Micheline not know what a sauce mousseline is?
Agree completely
When it comes to food and wine, I am simply unsophisticated and will never truly appreciate fine dining. I never note hints of blackberry or rose petals in a wine and couldn’t even begin to tell you what sauce mousseline is.
That said, I do like experiencing food when I travel the world but I keep it simple and eat what regular local people eat and drink.
Street food is my absolute favorite all around the world as well, Jane! But there are some occasions when eating small portions of beautiful food in a beautiful restaurant is kind of nice, don’t you think?
The standard for me when I eat out is that it be something I could not easily make myself at home. I don’t love burger or sandwich joints because we make excellent burgers already at home. Soup dumplings at a night market in Taipei, though? Yes please! Or Nigerian akara…. or Ecuadorian hayacas… or hor mok pla in Bangkok… or……..
Street food for breakfast, casual for lunch and fancy for dinner. It’s the gospel for Rick Steves and he’s right.
I’m partial to Fred’s. More dog-friendly.
368 Columbus Circle? Between 77th and 78th?
Columbus Avenue.
Bravo, Covacha! Easily one of the best values in the whole neighborhood, IMHO.
I miss Szechuan 74 and Bertha’s Burritos. Also Boulevard BBQ for their AYCE ribs!
Bertha’s or Harry’s? My memory is that Bertha’s was in the Village. Loved Harry’s.
And I miss the also non-Michelin starred, Caffe La Fortuna on 71st Street between Columbus and CPW.
Thanks for those memories
All overated. The bread at Per Se is stale, the wine steward at Jean George’s was a 22 year old student.
Well as for the latter, what do you expect from a restaurant in a Trump building?
And the former is in a glorified mall.
The Mexican place on Columbus, the only one on the list I’ve had a meal at, is good.
All these liberals with their artisanal doughnuts and Michelin starred lattes, Jean-George tasting menus, Masa omakases, and Thomas Keller’s French Laundry dry cleaning! Donut or cronut?
Stop buying your $5-$9 latte every morning and you’ll stop being latte for work!
I don’t think a lot of people dine 5 nights a week at Masa or Per Se, the way many spend $50 per week at coffee bars.
WSR
How does this comply with your comment policy”Comments that take cheap shots, escalate conflict, or veer into ideological warfare detract from the constructive spirit we aim to cultivate.”?
Yes. This is clearly ideological warfare.
You should see some of the other comments on here on a regular basis — and those aren’t even jokes!
Joke comments are fine but they should at least be funny?
Ideological warfare?
That seems a tad dramatic.
Just shocking the downgrade for Masa.
Now my family will have to cancel our standing bi-weekly reservation.
Personally, I always thought that the sushi at Masa was undercooked.
Was the saki also cold?
=)
Re: downgrade: I don’t think Masa has necessarily gotten much worse. It was never the paragon of amazing sushi that the likely non-Japanese Michelin reviewers thought it was — “just” good sushi that would be lost within the large tier of good sushi restaurants in any major Japanese city. The downgrade is likely just the result of other sushi restaurants in NYC getting so much better.* Masa is no longer in a class of its own in NYC as it was when it opened in 2004.
* For instance, Eiji Ichimura’s skill at preparing sushi probably exceeds those of any of the chefs at Masa. (I don’t think Masayoshi Takayama has actually worked at the counter at Masa for a very long time.)
For top tier sushi in our own neighborhood (at a fraction of the price at Masa), try Takeda (very traditional Edomai).
DogP:
I figured that Masa’s location atop a glorified mall would be a long term drag on quality.
Takeda is beyond my current budget, but I might try it once or twice had I funds.
Did you ever eat at Sugyama on 55th Street?
I don’t think I ever tried Sugyama. Is it still open?
I hear you about the $$. My family and I have really liked these mid-tier (I know, I know, “mid-tier”) sushi places in our nabe:
– One Bite Omakase
– Tsumo
Omakase lunches, if you are able to make time in during the day, are a great value!
No, it closed 2010ish.
I think its great that the UWS has some noteworthy upscale dining. Used to be a time when it didn’t. Isn’t it lovely to have a place to go where you can walk and take special guests? Isn’t it great that it attracts visitors who spend money. Isn’t it terrific they pay rent and hire staff? Fill vacant stores? Have been a consistent operator vs all the turnover? So much envy in these comments. If its not your thing eat elsewhere. You have that option.