Miami — Chef Raz Shabtai’s restaurant Mutra has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first kosher restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star. Opened in February 2025, Mutra is named after Shabtai’s Jerusalem‑born grandmother, whose cooking and market visits inspired the restaurant’s identity.
Shabtai describes his culinary style as “Jerusalem cuisine”, rooted in memory and tradition rather than broad regional categories. Michelin inspectors praised Mutra’s inventive dishes, including beets with ajo blanco and beetroot sorbet, and the signature lamb kebab with smoked aubergine cream and tomato oil.
The recognition is groundbreaking because kosher kitchens operate under strict dietary laws, often seen as limiting. Shabtai, however, views these rules as a source of creativity: “Kosher is a beautiful spiritual way for me to bond with God, and the limitation that he gave me, but yet to do amazing good food that everybody can eat.”
The award challenges perceptions that kosher restaurants cater only to niche audiences, proving they can compete at the highest levels of gastronomy. Emotional scenes followed the announcement, with Shabtai in tears as staff celebrated with confetti, underscoring the significance of the achievement for the wider Jewish community.
Key Points
- Historic first: Mutra is the world’s first kosher restaurant with a Michelin star.
- Chef: Raz Shabtai, inspired by his Jerusalem‑born grandmother.
- Cuisine: Defined as “Jerusalem cuisine,” blending tradition and innovation.
- Signature dishes: Beets with ajo blanco, lamb kebab with smoked aubergine cream.
- Impact: Elevates kosher dining into the global fine‑dining scene.
Subscribe to the JFN WhatsApp Channel
