California’s vibrant culinary scene continues to shine brightly as the Michelin Guide unveils its latest selections. Food enthusiasts and discerning diners will be thrilled to learn about the ten new Bib Gourmands, one new Green Star, three exceptional restaurants elevated to Two-Star status, and seven new additions to the prestigious One-Star category. This year’s announcement reaffirms California’s position as a premier dining destination, celebrated for its innovative cuisine, dynamic chefs, and an abundance of exquisite flavors.
Among the celebrated chefs reaching new pinnacles of gastronomic excellence are Justin Cogley, Harrison Cheney, and Jordan Kahn. Chef Cogley, at the helm of Aubergine, is lauded for his ability to seamlessly blend relaxed luxury with refined culinary techniques, creating dishes that are both captivating and sophisticated. Harrison Cheney’s distinct New Nordic approach is more defined than ever at Sons & Daughters, offering an elegant tasting menu that showcases his culinary vision. Jordan Kahn’s highly anticipated return with Vespertine has made a dramatic impact, presenting a unique dining experience with a tasting menu that unfolds across different floors of the restaurant.
For an in-depth look at what captivated the Michelin Inspectors and to explore the newest MICHELIN Guide Stars in California, delve into the details below.
Vespertine: A New Two-Star and Green Star Revelation
Vespertine (Culver City)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine has emerged from a hiatus with a bold and imaginative new chapter, earning it a coveted Two-Star rating and a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainability. Housed within a striking, futuristic red steel structure, affectionately known as “the Waffle,” Vespertine offers a dining experience that is as avant-garde as its setting. Diners embark on an extraordinary tasting menu journey that progresses through different levels of the building, enhancing the multi-sensory experience. Each dish is a visual masterpiece, showcasing not only Chef Kahn’s daring creativity and whimsical approach but also his masterful technique and harmonious balance of flavors. Standout examples include the scallop dish with passionfruit, ají amarillo, and delicate horseradish tuile petals, and the intriguing “obsidian mirror” of smoked mussel cream paired with salted plum. The meal culminates in a captivating dessert that leaves a lasting impression with its kaleidoscopic flavors.
Vespertine’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its zero-waste ethos, working in tandem with its sister restaurants to ensure the comprehensive utilization of all ingredients, earning it the Michelin Green Star.
Aubergine: Newly Minted with Two Michelin Stars
Aubergine (Carmel-by-the-Sea)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Nestled within the luxurious L’Auberge Carmel, Aubergine achieves a harmonious balance of relaxed luxury and refined dining, now recognized with Two Michelin Stars. Chef Justin Cogley’s culinary philosophy seamlessly merges classic techniques with a sleek, contemporary aesthetic, resulting in a distinct sense of place that is uniquely his own. The restaurant prides itself on sourcing exceptional quality ingredients, prepared with meticulous skill and presented with an artistic flair. Signature dishes include the inventive “cabbage” taco, filled with shallot jam, Madeira-braised treviso, Kaluga queen caviar, and crispy cabbage chips. Diners can also savor the exquisite rice roulade with Dungeness crab, enhanced with a delicate white dashi and butter sauce, or the intensely flavorful triple-seared dry-aged ribeye, brushed with wagyu XO. The experience is further elevated by the impeccably knowledgeable sommeliers, always on hand to guide guests through an exceptional wine list.
Sons & Daughters: Elevated to Two Michelin Stars
Sons & Daughters (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Contemporary
This intimate and charming Nob Hill gem, Sons & Daughters, has ascended to Two Michelin Star status, recognized for its poise, polish, and consistently impressive dining experience. Chef Harrison Cheney’s culinary direction leans towards a clean, minimalist New Nordic style, evident in his elegant tasting menu. The menu masterfully integrates preserved fruits and vegetables, pristine seafood, and expertly aged meats. The meal commences with impressive starters such as the refreshing cured California trout, dressed with a chilled fish bone broth and infused with herbed oil. Rutabaga is ingeniously transformed into thin strands, mimicking pasta, and paired with a creamy smoked pork fat sauce. The applewood roasted quail, featuring crispy skin breast with a luscious jus and Napa Valley greens, alongside a leg and thigh glazed with fermented blueberry, showcases the depth and creativity of the cuisine.
New Entrants to the Michelin One-Star Ranks
Hilda and Jesse (San Francisco)
Cuisine: American
Hilda and Jesse brings a uniquely creative and ambitious approach to brunch, earning its first Michelin Star. This passion project from co-owners Kristina Compton and Rachel Sillcocks, named after their grandparents, blends their fine dining expertise with a welcoming and cheerful atmosphere. The space evokes a modernist diner, setting the stage for cuisine that is equally refined. The cooking style is bold and unpretentious, a vibrant mix of flavors and top-tier ingredients, resulting in dishes that are both surprising and deeply satisfying. Dinner features a rotating, seasonal multicourse menu with optional enhancements.
Holbox (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Mexican
Inspired by a Caribbean island off the Yucatán Peninsula, Holbox, located within Mercado La Paloma, has become a Los Angeles culinary destination, now with a Michelin Star. Chef Gilbert Cetina draws from Mexican coastal cuisines, creating dishes that are deceptively simple yet burst with remarkable flavor. The restaurant emphasizes impeccably fresh, high-quality seafood, evident in its vibrant aguachiles and ceviches, exceptional tacos on house-made heirloom corn tortillas, and expertly grilled lobster, enhanced by an array of outstanding house salsas. The ever-changing menu and highly sought-after tasting menu on Thursdays and Fridays ensure a continuous stream of delights.
Kiln (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Industry veterans Chef John Wesley and general manager Julianna Yang have joined forces at Kiln, a Michelin One-Star restaurant where personable service and artful culinary creations thrive in a warehouse-chic space. The tasting menu, available as a full experience or an abbreviated bar tasting, showcases Nordic-inspired cuisine, highlighting preservation techniques like curing, drying, and fermentation. Despite the apparent simplicity of the dishes, intricate techniques and compelling flavor combinations are at play. Creative energy permeates the entire meal, with standout opening snacks like the crispy puffed beef tendon and more classically influenced dishes such as the squab breast lacquered with burnt honey and served with a truffled jus.
Meteora (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Creative
Meteora, a whimsical and immersive dining destination, has earned a Michelin Star for its otherworldly ambiance and Chef Jordan Kahn’s singular cuisine. The space, adorned with tangled greenery, moody lighting, and entrancing music, sets the stage for a unique dining experience. Primal live-fire cooking is combined with a zero-waste philosophy and a focus on sustainably sourced wild and organic ingredients. Dishes are both memorable and delicious, such as the charred yam with a buttery sauce, smoked trout roe, and grilled hazelnuts, and the raw scallops with macadamia nut leche de tigre, banana, and crunchy kombu. The beverage program, featuring cocktails without refined sugars, wild-harvested herb teas, and single-origin coffees, aligns with the restaurant’s compelling ethos.
R|O-Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach)
Cuisine: Japanese
Tucked away in a shopping center, R|O-Rebel Omakase offers a serene and striking escape, now recognized with a Michelin Star. Chef Jordan Nakasone oversees two nightly omakase seatings, rooted in Japanese tradition but with a contemporary approach focused on seasonality and product quality. Beyond exceptional sushi, including Japanese white salmon and shima aji, the menu features a surprising number of kitchen dishes, such as the gindara (cod) in a cauliflower dashi, and a comforting chawanmushi topped with firefly squid and shaved bottarga.
7 Adams (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Californian
7 Adams, helmed by Chefs Serena and David Fisher, has earned a Michelin Star by offering an exceptional five-course menu at an accessible price point. The restaurant’s unfussy Californian cuisine emphasizes solid technique and thoughtful flavor combinations, allowing seasonal ingredients to shine. Dishes like the caramelle pasta with kabocha squash and chanterelles, and the crisp-skinned black cod with sunchoke confit and shellfish broth, exemplify this approach. Desserts, such as the apple crumb cake with orange bay leaf ice cream and satsuma granita, provide a memorable finish.
Uka (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Japanese
Uka, a sleek hideaway within Japan House at Ovation Hollywood, has been awarded a Michelin Star for its meticulous attention to detail and authentic kaiseki dining experience. Chefs Yoshitaka Mitsue and Shingo Kato, formerly of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, ensure the highest quality by sourcing fish directly from Japan twice weekly and utilizing local products for peak freshness. Guests can savor six or nine-course menus, featuring traditional dishes like kabutamushi alongside French-influenced creations such as grilled abalone with butter ponzu and wagyu with red wine jus and miso butter sauce.
California’s Michelin Three-Star Restaurants
California boasts an impressive array of Michelin Three-Star restaurants, representing the pinnacle of culinary excellence:
- Addison (San Diego) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Atelier Crenn (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Benu (San Francisco) Cuisine: Asian
- Quince (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- SingleThread (Healdsburg) Cuisine: Contemporary
- The French Laundry (Yountville) Cuisine: Contemporary
California’s Acclaimed Two-Star Restaurants
The Golden State is also home to a wealth of Two-Star Michelin restaurants, offering exceptional dining experiences:
- Acquerello (San Francisco) Cuisine: Italian
- Aubergine (Carmel-by-the-Sea) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Birdsong (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Californios (San Francisco) Cuisine: Mexican
- Commis (Oakland) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Harbor House (Elk) Cuisine: Californian
- Hayato (Los Angeles) Cuisine: Japanese
- Lazy Bear (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Mélisse (Santa Monica) Cuisine: Modern French
- Providence (Hollywood) Cuisine: Seafood
- Saison (San Francisco) Cuisine: Californian
- Sons & Daughters (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Vespertine (Culver City) Cuisine: Contemporary
California’s Extensive List of One-Star Restaurants
California’s culinary depth is further showcased by its extensive list of Michelin One-Star restaurants, each offering a unique and noteworthy dining experience:
- 715 (Los Angeles) Cuisine: Japanese
- Angler SF (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Aphotic (San Francisco) Cuisine: Seafood
- Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford) Cuisine: Californian
- Auro (Calistoga) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Bell’s (Los Alamos) Cuisine: French
- Camphor (Los Angeles) Cuisine: French
- Caruso’s (Montecito) Cuisine: Californian
- Chez Noir (Carmel-by-the-Sea)Cuisine: Contemporary
- Chez TJ (Mountain View) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Citrin (Santa Monica) Cuisine: Californian
- Cyrus (Geyserville) Cuisine: Californian
- Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura (Beverly Hills) Cuisine: Italian
- Gwen (Los Angeles) Cuisine: Steakhouse
- Hana re (Costa Mesa)Cuisine: Japanese
- Heritage (Long Beach)Cuisine: Californian
- Hilda and Jesse (San Francisco)Cuisine: American
- Holbox (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Mexican
- Jeune et Jolie (Carlsbad)Cuisine: French
- Kali (Hollywood) Cuisine: Californian
- Kato (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Asian
- Kenzo (Napa) Cuisine: Japanese
- Kiln (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Kin Khao (San Francisco) Cuisine: Thai
- Knife Pleat (Costa Mesa)Cuisine: Contemporary
- Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Localis (Sacramento) Cuisine: Californian
- Madcap (San Anselmo) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Meteora (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Creative
- Mister Jiu’s (San Francisco) Cuisine: Chinese
- Morihiro (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Japanese
- n/naka (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Japanese
- Nari (San Francisco)Cuisine: Thai
- Niku Steakhouse (San Francisco) Cuisine: Steakhouse
- Nisei (San Francisco)Cuisine: Japanese
- Nozawa Bar (Beverly Hills) Cuisine: Japanese
- O’ by Claude Le Tohic (San Francisco) Cuisine: French
- Orsa & Winston (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Contemporary
- Osito (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles) Cuisine: Italian
- Pasta | Bar (Encino) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Plumed Horse (Saratoga) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Press (Saint Helena) Cuisine: American
- Protégé (Palo Alto) Cuisine: Contemporary
- R|O-Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach)Cuisine: Japanese
- San Ho Won (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Selby’s (Atherton) Cuisine: American
- Shibumi (Los Angeles) Cuisine: Japanese
- Shin Sushi (Encino)Cuisine: Japanese
- Six Test Kitchen (Paso Robles) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Soichi (San Diego)Cuisine: Japanese
- Sorrel (San Francisco) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Ssal (San Francisco) Cuisine: Korean
- State Bird Provisions (San Francisco) Cuisine: Californian
- Sushi Ginza Onodera (West Hollywood)Cuisine: Sushi
- Sushi Inaba (Torrance) Cuisine: Japanese
- Sushi Kaneyoshi (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Japanese
- The Kitchen (Sacramento) Cuisine: Contemporary
- The Progress (San Francisco) Cuisine: Californian
- The Restaurant at JUSTIN (Paso Robles) Cuisine: Californian
- The Shota (San Francisco) Cuisine: Japanese
- The VIllage Pub (Woodside) Cuisine: Contemporary
- Uka (Los Angeles)Cuisine: Japanese Contemporary
- Valle (Oceanside)Cuisine: Mexican
- Wakuriya (San Mateo) Cuisine: Japanese
California’s consistent recognition in the Michelin Guide underscores its status as a global gastronomic leader. From innovative newcomers to established icons, the California Michelin Guide continues to be a definitive guide for exceptional dining experiences. Whether you are seeking a casual Bib Gourmand meal or an unforgettable multi-star culinary journey, California’s diverse and dynamic restaurant scene promises to deliver. Explore the full California Michelin Guide to discover your next exceptional dining adventure.
Written by MICHELIN Guide
