Israeli Chef’s Miami Restaurant Becomes First Kosher Venue To Earn Michelin Star

A restaurant opened by Israeli chef Raz Shabtai in North Miami has become the first kosher restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star. The award was announced Thursday as part of the Michelin Guide Florida 2026 selection.

The recognition marks a milestone for kosher dining, a category long viewed as operating outside the highest levels of the international fine dining world. Michelin stars are considered among the most prestigious honors in the restaurant industry, and Mutra's award is being celebrated as a breakthrough for kosher cuisine.

"It's not just about Mutra getting that star, but it's about the entire Jewish community getting that," Shabtai said following the announcement.

Mutra opened in February 2025 in North Miami, away from the better-known restaurant districts of Miami Beach. The restaurant is named after Shabtai's grandmother and centers on Middle Eastern cuisine inspired by his upbringing in Jerusalem. Its menu combines farm-to-table ingredients with contemporary cooking techniques, including fermentation, while drawing heavily on the flavors and atmosphere of Jerusalem's markets.

In its description of the restaurant, Michelin highlighted Shabtai's interpretation of classic Middle Eastern cuisine and pointed to dishes including beets with ajo blanco and beetroot sorbet, lamb kebab served with smoked eggplant cream, Tunisian-style chicken and muhallebi dessert.

The award was announced during Michelin's annual Florida ceremony, which this year expanded to cover the entire state. Mutra was one of two restaurants newly awarded one Michelin star in the 2026 guide and was the only Miami restaurant to receive a new star this year.

For Shabtai, the achievement follows years of work in restaurants in Israel and the United States. Born in Jerusalem, he began working in kitchens as a teenager, taking jobs as a dishwasher before advancing through restaurant positions including waiter, bartender and cook. He later worked at several prominent restaurants, including Raphael and Basta in Israel and NUR in New York.

When Mutra's name was announced, Shabtai was visibly emotional and broke into tears.

"It's a moment of joy, it's a moment of pride, it's a moment of relief, it's a moment of confirmation," he said.

In another interview after the ceremony, he added: "I still can't digest it."

While kosher restaurants are often defined primarily by their adherence to Jewish dietary laws, Shabtai has said he never viewed Mutra as a restaurant whose identity began and ended with kashrut. Instead, he focused on creating a chef-driven dining experience that happened to be kosher.

"Kosher is me, it is my root, and it is what I eat at home," he said.

The Michelin star places Mutra alongside restaurants led by Israeli chefs who have earned Michelin recognition around the world, including Assaf Granit, Eyal Shani, Gilad Peled, Matan Zaken and Gal BenMoshe. Unlike those achievements, however, Mutra's distinction comes as the first Michelin-starred kosher restaurant, opening a new chapter for kosher fine dining.

For Shabtai, the moment ranks among the biggest accomplishments of his career.

"It's like winning the Super Bowl or an Emmy or an Oscar."