10 Best Michelin-Starred Restaurants in California 2019

Considered the gold standard when it comes to restaurant reviews, the MICHELIN Guide has been a trusted resource for travelers and foodies alike since its inception over a century ago. Initially focused on European restaurants, U.S. eateries become eligible to earn Michelin stars for the first time in 2005. And while Michelin produces guides for New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., and the San Francisco Bay Area, after a decade-long hiatus the esteemed French company recently returned to Los Angeles to unveil its first-ever statewide guide for California.

A total of 27 brand new one-star distinctions were awarded across the Golden State, including a coveted first-time honor for San Diego, with two-star distinctions landing at seven restaurants between L.A. and San Francisco. From Southern California to the North Coast, the ten Michelin-starred restaurants highlighted below offer a snapshot of an exciting, ever-evolving culinary scene––and its rule-bending chefs––that draw on wide-ranging and eclectic cultural references.

 

CAMPTON PLACE

Lauded for his expert execution and mastery of flavors, the artful Cal-Indian cuisine by chef Srijith Gopinathan saw a returning two-star rank for this elegant dining room at the Taj Campton Place hotel. His ‘journey of tastes and textures’ includes a take on panipuri served in a small flower pot.

340 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Find out more on the Campton Place website

 

N/NAKA

One of the toughest reservations in L.A. (waitlists top three months or more) chef Niki Nakayama – now the first two-starred female chef of a Japanese restaurant – put her decidedly low-key Culver City dining room on the map with exquisitely executed thirteen-course modern kaiseki tasting menus.

3455 S. Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Find out more on the N/Naka Website

 

SUSHI GINZA ONODERA

The 16-seat sushi bar at this famed (and now two-starred) omakase-only restaurant is made of hand-sanded hinoki wood and a majority of its fish flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market. With counterparts in New York, Paris, and Tokyo an immersive dining experience here runs $300 plus.

609 La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Find out more on the Onodera website

 

ADDISON

Critically acclaimed chef William Bradley brought Michelin star status to San Diego with his exceptional seasonal fine-dining menus at Addison. Located in the Fairmont Grand Del Mar hotel, it’s a beautiful setting in which to enjoy 10 courses of dazzlingly inventive contemporary French cuisine.

5200 Grand Del Mar Way, San Diego, CA 92130

Find out more on the Addison website

 

DIALOGUE

Equal parts dining and experience chef Dave Beran entertains with artistic presentations throughout his multi-course menus at this intimate 18-seat restaurant in Santa Monica. Inspired by Southern California-grown ingredients, dishes are hyper-seasonal with a modern edge.

1315 3rd Street Promenade Suite K, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Find out more on the Dialogue website

 

HARBOR HOUSE

Chef Matt Kammerer put this remote Mendocino restaurant on the Michelin map with his refined New American ‘sea-to-table’ cuisine. All ingredients are grown or produced on-site (salt is made from evaporated seawater) or sourced locally within a 30-mile radius, including abalone and sea urchins from a nearby cove.

5600 CA-1, Elk, CA 95432

Find out more on the Harbor House Inn website

 

MAUM

Korea meets Northern California at venture capitalist Brian Koo’s fine dining restaurant in Palo Alto where chefs Michael and Meichih Kim earned a star for their hyper-local and hyper-seasonal modern menu. Open just four nights a week, diners eat together around a communal 16-seat wooden table.

322 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Find out more on the Maum website

 

RUSTIC CANYON

Executive chef Andy Doubrava and chef/owner Jeremy Fox put their inimitable stamp on farmer’s market-inspired dishes at this neighborhood favorite in Santa Monica. Menus morph with the seasons, are updated daily and utilize produce that is sourced directly from local ranchers and fishermen.

1119 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Find out more on the Rustic Canyon website

 

TACO MARIA

Chef Carlos Salgado wows with Alta California style cuisine at his casual open-kitchen restaurant in Orange County. Expect a fresh, Mexican-inspired twist on a la carte taco menus and prix-fixe four-course dinners made with meats cooked over fire and tortillas that are house-made with heirloom masa.

3313 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Find out more on the Taco Maria website

 

TROIS MEC

Located in a strip mall, Trois Mec (“three guys”) is an entirely unpretentious fine-dining experience. Here, chef Ludo Lefebvre et al. put classic French skills and techniques to the fore on creative four and six-course menus that change nightly. The restaurant itself is tiny (26 seats total) and reservation only.

716 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Find out more on the Trois Mec website

 

For a complete list of 2019 MICHELIN GUIDE CALIFORNIA winners visit the Michelin Guide.

 

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