Evvai Earns Three Michelin Stars, First in Brazil and Latin America
Evvai in São Paulo becomes the first restaurant in Brazil and Latin America to receive Three Michelin Stars, led by Chef Luiz Filipe Souza.
Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar 
Evvai has been awarded Three MICHELIN Stars, becoming the first restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil, and Latin America to achieve the distinction. The recognition places the restaurant, among the highest-ranked dining establishments globally, marking a milestone for the region’s fine dining sector.
Historic Michelin Recognition in São Paulo
The Three MICHELIN Star award represents the highest level of recognition in the MICHELIN Guide, reserved for restaurants offering exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. Evvai now joins a limited global group of restaurants with this status, alongside another São Paulo-based restaurant, Tuju, marking a significant development for Brazil’s international culinary standing.
Located in the Jardim Paulistano district of São Paulo, Evvai opened in 2017 and has evolved from a contemporary Italian restaurant into a concept that blends Brazilian and Italian culinary traditions. The restaurant’s progression reflects a broader shift in Latin America’s hospitality sector toward globally competitive fine dining experiences rooted in local identity.
Concept Evolution and Culinary Positioning
Under Chef Luiz Filipe Souza, Evvai has developed a menu centered on the concept of “Oriundi,” a term referring to people of Italian descent living outside Italy. The approach combines Italian techniques with Brazilian ingredients and influences, creating a structured culinary narrative that integrates heritage with innovation.
The menu avoids traditional fusion formats, instead presenting a cohesive framework where flavors, textures, and temperatures are deliberately orchestrated. Dishes are designed to reflect both cultural origins and contemporary interpretation, aligning with evolving global trends in fine dining that emphasize storytelling and identity.
The restaurant’s offering has expanded over time to include a tasting menu format that evolves regularly, allowing the kitchen to introduce new combinations while maintaining a consistent conceptual foundation.
Dining Experience and Operational Detail
The dining experience at Evvai is built around precision and attention to detail, with a focus on ingredient quality, temperature control, and presentation. The service structure includes detailed explanations of dishes, optional enhancements such as caviar and truffles, and curated wine pairings.
The wine program is managed by sommelier Marcelo da Fonseca, recipient of the MICHELIN Sommelier Award 2025, who integrates both domestic and international labels to complement the progression of the tasting menu.
The restaurant also incorporates distinctive elements into its service, including illustrated cards created by the chef to accompany each dish. These visuals provide context and narrative, contributing to an experience that blends culinary execution with creative presentation.
Operationally, the kitchen maintains a visible and structured workflow, with an emphasis on precision and coordination. Each dish is prepared and served as part of a sequence, ensuring continuity across the multi-course dining format.
Menu Highlights and Culinary Execution
The tasting menu features a range of dishes that demonstrate the restaurant’s technical and creative approach. Examples include oysters paired with jambu herb granita, king crab with coconut and pink peppercorns, and a reinterpretation of scallop-based preparations presented in multiple textures.
Other courses include a monochromatic reinterpretation of Brazilian moqueca using fish, squid, and heart of palm, as well as a dessert progression highlighting Amazonian ingredients such as cupuaçu. Each dish integrates contrasting elements, including temperature variation and textural balance, to enhance the overall experience.
The structured progression of courses reflects a deliberate pacing strategy, where each dish builds on the previous one, contributing to a cohesive narrative across the meal.
Industry Context and Regional Impact
The recognition of Evvai with Three MICHELIN Stars underscores the growing prominence of Latin America in the global fine dining landscape. Historically underrepresented in the highest tier of the MICHELIN Guide, the region is increasingly gaining attention for its culinary innovation and diversity.
São Paulo, in particular, has emerged as a key market for high-end dining, supported by a diverse cultural base and access to varied ingredients. The success of Evvai reflects the city’s ability to support concepts that combine international techniques with local identity.
The award also highlights a broader trend within the restaurant industry, where chefs are moving beyond traditional cuisine boundaries to develop hybrid models rooted in personal and cultural narratives.
Evvai’s achievement positions Brazil as a significant player in the global fine dining sector, with the restaurant now operating at the highest level of international culinary recognition.
