Michelin gives stars to 9 new California restaurants in 2025. Where to find them

Top chefs across California are celebrating new Michelin stars awarded to their restaurants.

Considered one of the most prestigious honors in the culinary arts community, Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants “offering outstanding cooking” and exquisite dining experiences, according to the Michelin Guide.

“We take into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time,” the Michelin Guide said in a news release.

While Michelin added 13 new restaurants across the Golden State to its guide — including three Sacramento eateries — in May 2025, nine other restaurants were included in this year’s Michelin Guide for superb food and drinks.

Here are the top-rated California restaurants that received new Michelin stars in the 2025 guide:

Which California restaurants got new stars in 2025 Michelin Guide?

According to the Michelin Guide, restaurants may receive one to three Michelin stars for exemplary food.

While a single star indicates “high-quality cooking,” the Michelin Guide explained on its website, two stars specify “excellent cooking” and three stars signify “exceptional cooking” that’s “worth a special journey.”

Two new California restaurants received three stars in the 2025 Michelin Guide California.

Somni in West Hollywood offers an upscale dining experience led by chef Aitor Zabala.

The restaurant serves a creative lineup of Spanish-influenced small plates — including mussel escabeche and shiso tartare tempura — crafted with precision and flair.

“All the while, the kitchen and service teams are in lockstep as they create and serve these arresting dishes,” the Michelin Guide said.

Providence in Hollywood offers refined contemporary cuisine led by chef Michael Cimarusti.

“The tasting menu blends global inspiration and classic technique with a modern sensibility, and sources the freshest and most sustainable seafood, often wild-caught from American waters,” the Michelin Guide said. “At no point during the meal will you doubt its impeccable quality.”

Signature dishes include a soft-poached egg with uni and salt-roasted Santa Barbara spot prawns.

These locations kept their three-star status in 2025:

• Addison, San Diego
• Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
• Benu, San Francisco
• Quince, San Francisco
• SingleThread, Healdsburg
• The French Laundry, Yountville

What’s on the menu at top eateries in San Francisco, Sonoma?

Two new California restaurants received two stars in the 2025 Michelin Guide.

Tucked inside a historic Victorian home, Enclos in Sonoma serves an “opulent tasting menu” that features local produce.

The Michelin Guide highlighted the lobster roll made with spiny lobster tartare, a creamy clam dish and the sorrel ice cream, which is decorated with edible leaves and flavored with makrut lime and pomegranate.

“All the while, diners will find the staff effortlessly charming, making the experience all the more magical,” the Michelin Guide said.

Kiln in San Francisco is run by chef John Wesley and general manager Julianna Yang.

The restaurant is known for its friendly service and creative dishes, with the menu featuring Nordic techniques such as curing, drying and fermentation.

“The creative energy is consistent throughout the meal, offering plenty to impress guests,” the Michelin Guide said.

These restaurants kept their two-star status in 2025:

• Acquerello, San Francisco
• Aubergine, Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Birdsong, San Francisco
• Californios, San Francisco
• Commis, Oakland
• Harbor House, Elk
• Hayato, Los Angeles
• Lazy Bear, San Francisco
• Mélisse, Santa Monica
• Saison, San Francisco
• Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
• Vespertine, Culver City

Where to find Michelin star restaurants in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara

Five new restaurants received one star in the 2025 Michelin Guide.

Lilo in Carlsbad offers an upscale dining experience. Guests start outside on a heated patio with small bites before moving into a sleek dining room for a multi-course meal.

“Chef Eric Bost and his team take clear pride in providing an extra level of care in their dishes,” the Michelin Guide said.

Signature dishes include dry-aged Japanese kin medai paired with a ragout of geoduck and bone marrow.

Mori Nozomi in Los Angeles is an intimate, eight-seat sushi spot led by chef Nozomi Mori.

“The unassuming space and soft-spoken service serve as a backdrop for an artfully prepared omakase that highlights purity and refinement,” the Michelin Guide said. “The lack of superfluous embellishment puts the spotlight on exceptional seafood (flown in several times a week from Japan) accented by seasonal produce from the Santa Monica farmer’s market.”.

From smooth egg custard to a calming cup of matcha, the Michelin Guide said, each dish is carefully crafted to perfection.

Restaurant Ki in Los Angeles offers a modern Korean tasting menu with global flavors.

The Michelin Guide highlighted several dishes, including the crispy octopus with gochujang sauce, truffle rice gimbap and charred sugar snap peas with trout roe.

Silvers Omakase in Santa Barbara is a sushi spot run by chef Lennon Silvers Lee.

“Some things change daily, while others change weekly, but one thing you can always expect is well-executed dishes made with rice from Japan that is milled in house, and fish that is sourced both locally and from Japan and then dry aged,” the Michelin Guide said.

The Michelin Guide highlighted the restaurant’s creative dishes, including the housemade sorbet, high-quality nigiri and uni rice topped with crunchy bits.

Sun Moon Studio in Oakland is an “inconspicuous little spot” with simple yet creative dishes, the Michelin Guide said.

Though seats are limited, the Michelin Guide said, chefs Alan Hsu and Sarah Cooper serve a seasonal tasting menu that highlights fresh California ingredients.

“The style is pared down and technically precise, letting products shine while adding a spark of personality, as in Dungeness crab with yuzu kosho butter, perched over silken tofu,” the Michelin Guide said.

These restaurants maintained their one-star status in the 2025 Michelin Guide:

• 7 Adams, San Francisco
• 715, Los Angeles
• Angler SF, San Francisco
• Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford
• Auro, Calistoga
• Bell’s, Los Alamos
• Camphor, Los Angeles
• Caruso’s, Montecito
• Chez Noir, Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Citrin, Santa Monica
• Cyrus, Geyserville
• Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Beverly Hills
• Gwen, Los Angeles
• Heritage, Long Beach
• Hilda and Jesse, San Francisco
• Holbox, Los Angeles
• Jeune et Jolie, Carlsbad
• Kali, Hollywood
• Kato, Los Angeles
• Kenzo, Napa
• Kin Khao, San Francisco
• Knife Pleat, Costa Mesa
• Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn, San Francisco
• Localis, Sacramento
• Madcap, San Anselmo
• Meteora, Los Angeles
• Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
• Morihiro, Los Angeles
• n/naka, Los Angeles
• Nari, San Francisco
• Niku Steakhouse, San Francisco
• Nisei, San Francisco
• Nozawa Bar, Beverly Hills
• O’ by Claude Le Tohic, San Francisco
• Orsa & Winston, Los Angeles
• Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
• Pasta|Bar, Encino
• Plumed Horse, Saratoga
• Press, Saint Helena
• Protégé, Palo Alto
• R|O-Rebel Omakase, Laguna Beach
• San Ho Won, San Francisco
• Selby’s, Atherton
• Shibumi, Los Angeles
• Shin Sushi, Encino
• Six Test Kitchen, Paso Robles
• Soichi, San Diego
• Sorrel, San Francisco
• Ssal, San Francisco
• State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
• Sushi Inaba, Torrance
• Sushi Kaneyoshi, Los Angeles
• The Kitchen, Sacramento
• The Progress, San Francisco
• The Restaurant at JUSTIN, Paso Robles
• The Shota, San Francisco
• The Village Pub, Woodside
• Uka, Los Angeles
• Valle, Oceanside
• Wakuriya, San Mateo

California restaurants honored for sustainable practices

Two California restaurants received the Michelin Guide’s Green Star, which honors eateries with sustainable practices, for the first time in 2025.

These restaurants “hold themselves accountable for both their ethical and environmental standards, and work with sustainable producers and suppliers to avoid waste and reduce or even remove plastic and other non-recyclable materials from their supply chain,” the guide said on its website.

New Green Star restaurants

• Enclos in Sonoma
• Sons and Daughters in San Francisco

Other Green Star restaurants

• Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
• Caruso’s, Montecito
• Chez Panisse, Berkeley
• Chi Spacca, Los Angeles
• Harbor House, Elk
• Heritage, Long Beach
• Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn, San Francisco
• Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
• Pomet, Oakland
• Providence, Hollywood
• Quince, San Francisco
• SingleThread, Healdsburg
• The French Laundry, Yountville
• The Restaurant at JUSTIN, Paso Robles
• Vespertine, Culver City

Angela Rodriguez

The Modesto Bee

279-386-2738

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.