Inside Pe Se on the Upper West Side. City Foodsters/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.
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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Dining and Cooking