The famed Michelin Guide and its “restaurant inspectors,” seem to have taken a shine to the Golden State, awarding California restaurants one new Green Star, three new Two Stars and seven new One Stars in 2024.
There are also 10 new Bib Gourmands, many of them in the L.A. area.
What is a Michelin Star?
Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants throughout the world. The much-coveted accolade can be one, two or three stars. It’s like the hall of fame for restaurants.
The Michelin Guide began as a travel publication intended to encourage people to explore by car. The star system was first introduced in 1926, with a single star denoting “a very good restaurant.”
Today, to earn one Michelin star, a restaurant needs to be “a very good restaurant in this category.” For two stars, it needs to be “excellent cooking, worth a detour.” Three stars denotes “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
“Restaurant Inspectors” visit and review restaurants anonymously.
To diners who consider themselves connoisseurs of good food, serious “foodies” or “gourmands,” dining at a Michelin Star restaurant is among life’s highlights.
How to Earn a Star
A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. The five universal rating criteria used by the inspectors are as follows.
- Quality of products
- Mastery of flavor and cooking techniques
- The personality of the chef represented in the dining experience
- Value for money
- Consistency between inspectors’ visits
The anonymous Michelin inspectors are all full-time employees of the Michelin Guide. They are all former restaurant and hospitality professionals. Once several inspectors have eaten at a restaurant, they then discuss their experiences as a team in order to make a final decision.
New Two Stars and New Green Star
Vespertine
Cuisine Contemporary
3599 Hayden Ave., Culver City 90232
Info vespertine.la
Chef Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine emerges from a lengthy hiatus with a renewed creative vision.
The Green Star is an annual award which highlights restaurants with sustainable practices.
New Two Stars
Aubergine
Cuisine Contemporary
Monte Verde at Seventh, Carmel-by-the-Sea 93921
Info auberginecarmel.com
Chef Justin Cogley brings easygoing luxury and refinement that balances classic technique with a sleek, modern aesthetic. Highlights include: Rice roulade with Dungeness crab finished in a white dashi and butter sauce and the triple-seared dry-aged ribeye brushed in wagyu XO.
Sons & Daughters
Cuisine Contemporary
708 Bush St., San Francisco 94108
Info www.sonsanddaughterssf.com
Chef Harrison Cheney’s cleanly minimalist new Nordic style is offered in an elegant tasting menu that deftly weaves together a variety of preserved fruits and vegetables, flawless seafood and aged meats. Highlights include: Cured California trout dressed with a chilled fish bone broth drizzled with herbed oil and applewood roasted quail.
New One Stars
Hilda and Jesse
Cuisine American
701 Union Street, San Francisco 94133
Info www.hildaandjessesf.com
Offering what may well be the Bay Area’s most creative and ambitious take on brunch, co-owners Kristina Compton and Rachel Sillcocks offer food that is often bold and brash, a total riot of flavors mixed with stellar ingredients.
Holbox
Cuisine Mexican
3655 S. Grand Ave. #C9, Los Angeles 90007
Info www.holboxla.com/#/
This beloved counter, located inside a food hall, the Mercado La Paloma, is a distinctively Angelino phenomenon. Chef Gilbert Cetina, who previously cooked with his father at neighboring stall Chichen Itza, draws from Mexican coastal cuisines.
Kiln
Cuisine Contemporary
149 Fell St., San Francisco 94102
Info www.kilnsf.com
Chef John Wesley and general manager Julianna Yang have combined their talents at Kiln, where the kitchen delivers artful creations. The tasting menu leans Nordic. Highlight: Squab breast lacquered with burnt honey and served with a truffled jus.
Meteora
Cuisine Creative
6703 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles 90038
Info meteora.la/
Chef Jordan Kahn offers primal live-fire cooking combined with a zero-waste philosophy. Highlights: Charred yam with a buttery sauce accented with smoked trout roe and grilled hazelnuts, raw scallops with a vivid macadamia nut leche de tigre, banana and crunchy kombu.
R|O-Rebel Omakase
Cuisine Japanese
361 Forest Ave Ste 103, Laguna Beach 92651
Info rebel-omakase.com
Tucked away in a modest little shopping center, Chef Jordan Nakasone offers food rooted in tradition. Highlights: Standout sushi such as Japanese white salmon and shima aji, chawanmushi topped with firefly squid and shaved bottarga.
7 Adams
Cuisine Californian
1963 Sutter St., San Francisco 94115
Info www.7adamsrestaurant.com
Chefs Serena and David Fisher offer unfussy Californian simplicity, featuring thoughtful flavor combinations. Highlights: Caramelle pasta with a filling of sweet and nutty kabocha squash with buttery chanterelles, crisp-skinned black cod with sunchoke confit and shellfish broth.
Uka
Cuisine Japanese
6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028
Info ukarestaurant.com
Chef Yoshitaka Mitsue and Chef Shingo have a hideaway nestled within Japan House at the Ovation Hollywood. Fish is sourced from Japan and flown in twice weekly, then cured or aged in-house. It’s all part of the kaiseki dining experience.
2024 California Michelin Bib Gourmands
The 2024 Michelin Guide California offers 10 new Bib Gourmands. A Bib Gourmand, named after Bibendum, the friendly Michelin Man and the official company mascot, is not quite a star but a rating that recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.
Molti Amici
Cuisine Italian
330 Healdsburg Ave. Healdsburg 95448
Info www.moltiamici.com
The menu reflects the vibrant spirit of California.
Cedro Italian Restaurant
Cuisine Italian
2385 Michael Dr., Newbury Park 91320
Info www.cedrorestaurant.com
Each meal is a celebration of Italian culture and traditions.
Grá
Cuisine Pizza
1524 Pizarro St., LA 90026
Info xn--gr-nia.com
Organic sourdough pizza.
Little Fish
Cuisine American
1606 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90026
Info www.littlefishechopark.com
Liu’s Café
Cuisine Chinese
3915 1/2 W. 6th St., Koreatown, Los Angeles 90020
Info www.liuscafe.com
Chinese-American diner, bakery and cafe, inspired by food travels across Taiwan, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles
Cuisine Thai
5445 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90027
Mae Malai restaurant is operated by family members with recipes that have been passed down from generations.
Manohar’s Delhi Palace
Cuisine Indian, Features Punjabi style dishes
581 S. Azusa Way, La Puente 91744
Info www.mdelhipalace.com
Pollo a la Brasa
Cuisine Peruvian
764 S. Western Ave., Koreatown 90005
Family-owned and run for more than 30 years.
Quarter Sheets
Cuisine Pizza
1305 Portia St., Los Angeles 90026
Info www.quartersheetspizza.com
Dine-in and take-out pizzeria in Echo Park.
Lola Gaspar
Cuisine Mexican
211 W. Second St., Santa Ana 92701
Info www.lolagaspar.com
A cocktail bar and restaurant with a focus on Mexico’s vast culinary history.
