California’s vibrant culinary landscape continues to dazzle, and the latest Michelin Guide California 2023 selections are a testament to its innovative cuisine, passionate chefs, and exceptional flavors. This year’s guide welcomes a remarkable array of new stars, including ten Bib Gourmands, a Green Star, three Two-Star distinctions, and seven prestigious One-Star awards. It’s clear why the Michelin Guide inspectors are captivated by the Golden State’s dynamic dining scene.
Elevating California’s gastronomic heights are chefs like Justin Cogley, Harrison Cheney, and Jordan Kahn, each pushing culinary boundaries in their unique ways. Cogley at Aubergine is celebrated for his seamless blend of relaxed luxury and classic techniques with a modern flair. Cheney at Sons & Daughters refines New Nordic cuisine into an elegant tasting experience. Kahn’s Vespertine marks a dramatic return, offering a multi-sensory tasting menu that evolves across different floors of its iconic location.
Dive deeper to explore what Michelin Guide inspectors admired in these establishments and discover all the details about the newest Michelin Star recipients in California.
New Two-Star and Green Star Awardee
Vespertine (Culver City)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine has made a striking comeback after a hiatus, emerging with a renewed and imaginative vision. Housed within the architecturally stunning “Waffle” building, Vespertine offers an extraordinary tasting menu journey that unfolds across different levels of the structure. Each dish is a visual masterpiece, showcasing Kahn’s daringly inventive and often whimsical culinary approach, all while underpinned by impeccable technique and harmonious flavors. Highlights include a visually arresting scallop dish paired with passionfruit, ají amarillo, and delicate horseradish tuile petals, and the intriguing “obsidian mirror” of smoked mussel cream with salted plum. The dining experience culminates with a captivating dessert, leaving a lasting impression of kaleidoscopic flavors.
Vespertine’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its Green Star recognition, sharing resources with its sister restaurants to ensure comprehensive ingredient utilization and minimize waste.
New Two-Star Restaurants
Aubergine (Carmel-by-the-Sea)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Located within the luxurious L’Auberge Carmel, Aubergine strikes a perfect balance of relaxed luxury and refined dining. Chef Justin Cogley’s culinary philosophy blends classic techniques with a sleek, contemporary aesthetic, creating dishes that deeply reflect the unique terroir of Carmel-by-the-Sea. The restaurant is known for sourcing exceptional quality ingredients, which are skillfully prepared and artistically presented. Signature dishes include a surprising “cabbage” taco filled with shallot jam, Madeira-braised treviso, Kaluga queen caviar, and crispy cabbage chips. Diners also rave about the rice roulade with Dungeness crab in a white dashi and butter sauce, and the triple-seared dry-aged ribeye with wagyu XO. The experience is further enhanced by the knowledgeable sommeliers who guide guests through an exceptional wine list.
Sons & Daughters (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Nestled in San Francisco’s Nob Hill, Sons & Daughters is a cozy yet polished gem that consistently impresses. Chef Harrison Cheney’s culinary direction leans towards a minimalist New Nordic style, showcased in an elegant tasting menu. This menu artfully combines preserved fruits and vegetables, pristine seafood, and carefully aged meats. The meal might commence with a refreshing cured California trout, enhanced with chilled fish bone broth and herbed oil. Rutabaga is transformed into delicate pasta-like strands, served with a creamy smoked pork fat sauce. Another standout is the applewood roasted quail, featuring crispy skin breast with a rich jus and Napa Valley greens, complemented by a leg and thigh glazed with fermented blueberry.
New One-Star Restaurants
Hilda and Jesse (San Francisco)
Cuisine: American
Hilda and Jesse in San Francisco is redefining the brunch scene with its imaginative and ambitious approach. This passion project, helmed by co-owners Kristina Compton and Rachel Sillcocks, draws on their extensive fine dining backgrounds. The restaurant’s name itself is a tribute to their grandparents. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, reminiscent of a modernist diner, and the cuisine is equally refined. Hilda and Jesse’s cooking is bold and unpretentious, a vibrant mix of flavors and top-quality ingredients, resulting in dishes that are both surprising and deeply satisfying. For dinner, they offer a seasonal multi-course menu with enticing optional additions.
Holbox (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Mexican
Named after a Caribbean island off the Yucatán Peninsula, Holbox is a beloved counter-service restaurant located within Los Angeles’ Mercado La Paloma. Chef Gilbert Cetina, building on his experience cooking with his father at Chichen Itza, draws inspiration from Mexican coastal cuisines. His dishes are deceptively simple, yet burst with remarkable flavor. The focus is on incredibly fresh, high-quality seafood, showcased in vibrant aguachiles and ceviches, excellent tacos on house-made heirloom corn tortillas, and perfectly grilled lobster, all enhanced by a selection of exceptional house salsas. The ever-changing menu ensures a constant stream of delights, and the highly sought-after tasting menu is available by reservation on Thursdays and Fridays.
Kiln (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Contemporary
Kiln in San Francisco is the result of a collaboration between industry veterans Chef John Wesley and general manager Julianna Yang. The warehouse-style space is made welcoming by personable service, and the kitchen delivers artful and inventive dishes. Kiln offers a tasting menu experience, with a full version of around twenty courses and a shorter bar tasting option. The cuisine has Nordic influences, emphasizing preservation techniques like curing, drying, and fermentation. Despite their apparent simplicity, dishes are technically intricate and feature compelling flavor combinations. The creative energy is consistent throughout the meal, with opening snacks like crispy puffed beef tendon setting the tone, and more classical dishes like squab breast with burnt honey and truffled jus also impressing.
Meteora (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Creative
Meteora in Los Angeles offers a whimsical and immersive dining environment, feeling almost otherworldly with its lush greenery, moody lighting, and captivating soundtrack. Guests are invited to immerse themselves in Chef Jordan Kahn’s unique culinary vision. Live-fire cooking is central to Meteora, combined with a zero-waste philosophy and a focus on sustainably sourced wild and organic ingredients. The resulting dishes are both memorable and delicious. A dish of charred yam with buttery sauce, smoked trout roe, and grilled hazelnuts exemplifies this approach, exceeding expectations. Raw scallops with macadamia nut leche de tigre, banana, and crispy kombu offer a delightful surprise. Even the drinks menu, featuring cocktails without refined sugars, wild-harvested herb teas, and single-origin coffees, aligns with Meteora’s compelling ethos.
R|O-Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach)
Cuisine: Japanese
Hidden in a modest shopping center in Laguna Beach, R|O-Rebel Omakase provides a serene and refined escape. As the name suggests, omakase is the focus, with two seatings per night overseen by Chef Jordan Nakasone. Rooted in Japanese culinary traditions, the omakase experience is contemporary, emphasizing seasonality and premium product quality. While sushi is a highlight, with standouts like Japanese white salmon and shima aji, the menu also features a surprising number of cooked dishes. These include gindara, cod in a cauliflower dashi with tonburi, and a comforting chawanmushi topped with firefly squid and shaved bottarga.
7 Adams (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Californian
In San Francisco, finding a five-course menu under a hundred dollars is a rarity. 7 Adams, helmed by Chefs Serena and David Fisher, makes it seem effortless, bringing their culinary magic to a sleek new setting. The cuisine maintains an unfussy Californian style, showcasing solid technique and thoughtful flavor combinations that allow seasonal ingredients to shine. Dishes like caramelle pasta with kabocha squash and chanterelles, or crisp-skinned black cod with sunchoke confit and shellfish broth exemplify this approach. Desserts consistently provide a strong finish, such as the apple crumb cake with orange bay leaf ice cream and satsuma granita.
Uka (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Japanese
Uka, located within Japan House at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, is a sleek and intimate hideaway where Chef Yoshitaka Mitsue and Chef Shingo Kato, formerly of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, pay meticulous attention to detail. Fish is sourced directly from Japan, flown in twice weekly, and expertly cured or aged in-house. Local sourcing also ensures top-quality ingredients. Uka offers a kaiseki dining experience, inviting guests to savor either six or nine courses. The menu is largely traditional, featuring dishes like kabutamushi with Japanese sea bream, but also incorporates French influences in dishes like grilled abalone with butter ponzu and wagyu with red wine jus and miso butter sauce.
California’s Michelin Three-Star Restaurants
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 Michelin Two-Star Restaurants
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 Michelin One-Star Restaurants
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*
Hero image: Bonjwing Lee / Aubergine
Thumb image: Yellow Nguyen / R|O-Rebel Omakase
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Written by MICHELIN Guide
