2 SoCal Restaurants Earn Michelin's Highest 3-Star Rating

Southern California is now home to three restaurants with Michelin's highest three-star rating.

Providence in Hollywood and Somni in West Hollywood were the only two restaurants in the state to earn three-star ratings in this year's Michelin Guide during a ceremony this week. Four other Southern California restaurants earned one-star ratings.

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. There's only one other in Southern California: San Diego's Addison.

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

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

Here's a rundown of the Southern California winners announced Wednesday:

Providence — Hollywood (Seafood)
Three Stars

"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."

Somni — West Hollywood (Contemporary)
Three Stars

"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."

Lilo — Carlsbad (Californian)
One Star

"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)
One Star

"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)
One Star

"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)
One Star

"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."

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

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