The State Room Restaurant has been honored for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2026 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine. The restaurant earned Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for the 21st consecutive year, recognizing its continued commitment to offering an exceptional wine selection and dining experience.
“The restaurant industry is rapidly transforming as diners become more selective about when, how and what they drink. As wine drinkers grow more mindful, restaurants are adapting with creative wine programs,” saids Marvin R. Shanken, chairman and CEO, Wine Spectator. “Congratulations to the 4,012 restaurants that earned a Restaurant Award and continue to elevate the wine experience for guests around the world. We raise a glass to your success.”
“The State Room Restaurant is honored to receive our 21st Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator,” said State Room Operations Manager Elayna Taylor. “We take great pride in being able to share our extensive list of nearly 900 bottles with all those who join us for dinner — from our loyal community guests to international travelers staying the night at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center. We encourage guests to experience East Lansing in a brand new light beyond college game days — try a new bottle of wine, stay the night in our on-campus hotel and explore all the capital region has to offer.”
Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards recognize excellence in restaurant wine service across three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, with 2,083, 1,830 and 99 winners this year in each respective category.
Best of Award of Excellence recipients display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation.
Wine Spectator’s special Restaurant Awards issue is available on newsstands July 21.
Follow Wine Spectator on Instagram (@Wine_Spectator) and use hashtag #WSRestaurantAwards for posts about this year's awards. WineSpectator.com/Restaurants also features coverage of winners, interviews with leading wine directors, wine picks and pairing tips from sommeliers at award-winning programs. In the Restaurant Search, all winners can be searched by name, location, award level, cuisine, wine specialties and pricing. Winners are also profiled in the free Restaurant Awards app, available for iPhone and iPad users.
The State Room Restaurant is the perfect mix of casual and upscale dining with creative seasonal menus from award-winning chefs, an extensive wine list, Michigan craft beers and an elegant bar. Make a reservation at Go.MSU.EDU/StateRoom or call 517-432-5049. Learn more at KelloggCenter.com or follow @StateRoomRestaurant on Facebook and Instagram.
Author: Bethany Zimmerman