9 CA Restaurants Earn Michelin Stars For 2025, Including 2 Rare 3-Star Rankings

Michelin bestowed nine California restaurants with first-time and upgraded star ratings this week as part of its bid to recognize culinary excellence across the Golden State.

Two restaurants earned Michelin's highest three-star rating — both mark the first-ever three-star rankings in Los Angeles. Seven eateries earned two- and one-star ratings across the state. The restaurants were celebrated at the Michelin Guide California Ceremony on Wednesday.

“Tonight marked a momentous evening for California and its culinary community,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide. “Our anonymous Inspectors discovered extraordinary culinary gems to highlight in this year’s selection, including two new Three-Star restaurants."

Michelin's California Guide is published annually. Earning a Michelin star is the gold standard for restaurants — two stars are even better and three puts a restaurant in a rare category of culinary experiences that Michelin deems "worth a special journey."

There are just eight three-star restaurants in the entire state.

Seafood restaurant Providence first earned a two-star rating in 2019. Michelin upgraded it to three stars this week.

Here's what the guide has to say about the eatery:

"As has been the case since opening in 2005, purity and precision are the underpinnings of Chef Michael Cimarusti's California cooking; and his cuisine has grown even more impressive over the years. The tasting menu blends classic technique with a modern sensibility, global inspiration, and sources the freshest and most sustainable seafood, often wild-caught from American waters. At no point during the meal will you doubt its impeccable quality, especially while savoring dishes such as a tart of lobster mousse and box crab set in a crab beurre blanc, or roasted monkfish with cauliflower and shaved black truffles. Longstanding signatures like the soft-poached egg with uni and breadcrumbs or salt-roasted Santa Barbara spot prawns make for luxurious add-ons." (Read more at Michelin California Guide)

Somni, the other three-star winner, entered the Michelin Guide for the first time ever — rising all the way to top honors.

Here's what Michelin had to say about the contemporary restaurant:

"Chef Aitor Zabala and his dedicated team have awakened Somni, or "dream" from a long sleep and have fashioned this revamped iteration as a distinctly personal and unique dining experience. Tucked away just off Santa Monica Ave., the dining room's soothing, creamy palette with light wood and glass is marked by a colorful bull's head from the original spot, hinting at the Spanish-inflected cuisine. A procession of small bites is meticulously arranged and endlessly creative, sating diners with an abundance of rich flavors and textural interplay (think mussel escabeche, gazpacho, or the iconic shiso tartare tempura). All the while, the kitchen and service teams are in lockstep as they create and serve these arresting dishes." (Read more at Michelin California Guide)

Here's a rundown of the other winners announced Wednesday:

Two Stars

Enclos — Sonoma (Contemporary)

"Concealed inside an 1880 Victorian on the Stone Edge Farm Winery property, once inside this glittering workshop, guests enter a rarified realm. An opulent tasting menu marries global flavors, refined technique, and exceptional ingredients, including produce sourced from their two farms, all shot through with subtle nods to Chef Brian Limoges's New England roots."

Kiln — San Francisco (Contemporary)

"Industry veterans Chef John Wesley and general manager Julianna Yang have combined their talents at Kiln, where the warehouse space is warmed by personable service and the kitchen delivers artful creations. The tasting menu leans Nordic, highlighting preservation techniques like curing, drying and fermentation in dishes whose simplicity is belied by intricate techniques and compelling flavor combinations."

• Read more: 13 CA Restaurants Added To Michelin Guide 2025

One Star

Lilo — Carlsbad (Californian)

"Chef Eric Bost and his team take clear pride in providing an extra level of care in their dishes, evidenced in plates like dry-aged Japanese kinmedai paired with a ragout of geoduck and bone marrow or 40-day dry-aged beef ribeye with preserved gurumelo mushrooms, seaweed, and bordelaise."

Mori Nozomi — Los Angeles (Sushi)

"Plan in advance to visit this special spot, where there are just eight seats at the wood counter. While the fish is flown in several times a week from Japan, local, seasonal produce is worked into nearly every dish. Even the smallest details matter here, as evidenced by the Japanese ice imported for use in their five-course tea pairing."

Restaurant Ki — Los Angeles (Korean Contemporary)

"You'll need to read the instructions sent ahead of time to find the entrance to Chef Ki Kim's restaurant, but any navigation woes are quickly put to rest once you're inside this ten-seat spot. The contemporary Korean tasting menu pulls in global influences, and meals begin with a few bites such as shirako gimbap, a shell filled with truffle rice and diced kimchi, or crispy, tender octopus in a creamy sauce with octopus head and gochujang."

Silvers Omakase — Santa Barbara (Sushi)

"With just a handful of seats and a small staff, this omakase from Chef Lennon Silvers Lee is ever-changing. 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."

Sun Moon Studio — Oakland (Californian)

"A slightly clandestine air still prevails outside this inconspicuous little spot, but the secret is out: the handful of seats inside are hotly in demand. Chefs Alan Hsu and Sarah Cooper have both worked in some of the country's most celebrated kitchens, but here channel their talents on a more intimate scale."

Michelin also awarded two restaurants with Green Stars, which honor restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable gastronomy.

• Enclos — Sonoma (Contemporary)
• Sons & Daughters — San Francisco (Contemporary)

Browse the full Michelin California Guide at Michelin's website.

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