Miami chef earns first Michelin star ever for kosher restaurant
‘Growing up in Jerusalem, I was surrounded by incredible flavors, spices and food that told stories,’ says Raz Shabtai, whose restaurant, Mutra, is also the first anywhere to get a 2026 Michelin star
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The prestigious Michelin Guide awarded Miami’s Mutra restaurant with a star on Thursday, a first for any kosher restaurant worldwide.
The eatery, opened a year ago under the leadership of Israeli chef Raz Shabtai, is inspired by the various immigrant food traditions of Jerusalem.
It is the first restaurant anywhere to receive a new Michelin star in 2026, as the prestigious guide revealed its expanded Florida selection of 200 restaurants for the first time.
“We’ve always believed kosher dining deserves the same ambition and creativity as any great restaurant in the world,” Shabtai said in a statement.
“Growing up in Jerusalem, I was surrounded by incredible flavors, spices and food that told stories. I wanted to bring that same feeling here, not only for the local Jewish community, but for all of South Florida.”
Mutra, named after his late grandmother, is Shabtai’s latest culinary stop in a journey that has taken him from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, New York, and now South Florida.
“Growing up in Jerusalem, I was surrounded by incredible flavors, spices and food that told stories. I wanted to bring that same feeling here, not only for the local Jewish community, but for all of South Florida.”
Chef Raz Shabtai and his team celebrate as they learn that their… pic.twitter.com/Jdd1Bp6mIm
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) May 28, 2026
Located in a shopping center in North Miami, Mutra’s menu includes such playful dishes as: One Perfect Falafel, Chicken Liver That Dreams of Being Foie Gras pate, and 1000 Layers steak with tahini-amba.
When tasting his dishes, Michelin inspectors wrote that “Israeli Chef Raz Shabtai has brought his take on classic Middle Eastern cuisine to diners in sunny Miami.”
Mutra becomes the world’s first strictly Kosher restaurant to receive a Michelin Star⭐️Israeli-born chef Raz Shabtai broke the crystal ceiling ????The Miami restaurant draws inspiration from multicultural food traditions of Jerusalem & immigrant communities https://t.co/Zh4MXjvn6M pic.twitter.com/M0LJmhDewJ
— Israel in Miami (@IsraelinMiami) May 29, 2026
The Times of Israel Community.