24 June 2026
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On June 24, 2026, the latest Selection for the MICHELIN Guide California was revealed, spotlighting a total of 83 Starred restaurants. Below, you can delve deeper into the culinary trends that are defining California's gastronomy right now or simply browse every single Star, organized by number of Stars, then alphabetically by town/city. The two newcomers to the MICHELIN-Starred Selection for 2026 appear as "new," so you can easily identify the state’s newest sought-after restaurants.
California Makes History With the First Three-Starred Mexican Restaurant
San Francisco-based Californios is now the world's first Mexican restaurant to earn Three MICHELIN Stars. We sat down with our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors to learn more about what it takes to earn Three Stars and how Californios has impressed them over the years, earning One, Two and now Three Stars. Read the article here.
California Raises the Bar in the U.S. for Top-Tier Dining
It is yet another banner year for California, with two new Three Stars, one new Two Star and eight new One Stars, but it's not just about awards. California continues to impress our Inspectors with its diversity of cuisines and culinary approaches at all levels. While Californios sets a standard for contemporary Mexican food globally, Maria Isabel, a Recommended restaurant also in San Francisco, shows a more down-to-earth expression of the cuisine that is compelling in its own right. Enclos represents a happy marriage between California’s classic wine country cuisine with a modern edge, embodying the ascendency of Sonoma as a serious culinary destination. Naides in San Francisco is an exciting new benchmark for ambitious, chef-driven Filipino cuisine (and is one of only a few Starred Filipino restaurants), while Kato celebrates Chef Jonathan Yao’s family roots in Taiwan and the diaspora culture of Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley.
Nonalcoholic Pairings Are on the Rise
California is well known for its wine country, but the Golden State's restaurants are responding to guests' growing desire for nonalcoholic beverages with creative and thoughtful pairings. Exemplary programs at restaurants like Naides, Seline and Kato draw upon house ferments, foraged ingredients and the use of kitchen scraps for inventive drinks.
California's Ingredients Continue to Impress
It may not be news that California produces top-quality ingredients, but they keep getting better and better. Restaurants sourcing locally are blessed with a bevy of the best, from Wolfe Ranch quail to Masami Cattle Ranch American Wagyu. Local sourcing is leveled up in the state, where restaurants like Addison in San Diego serve strawberries from Harry's Berries, while Monte's in Santa Barbara and Restaurant Ki in Los Angeles source their fruit from Rincon Hill Farm. Seafood options like line-caught black cod and sustainably farmed abalone, Baja bluefin (often seen in San Diego) and Tomales Bay Oysters are seen far and wide. It's a bounty unlike any other state in the country.
10 restaurants Three Stars
13 restaurants Two Stars
Carmel-by-the-Sea: AubergineCulver City: Vespertine
Elk: Harbor House Inn
Los Angeles: Hayato
Los Angeles: Kato NEW
Oakland: Commis
San Francisco: Acquerello
San Francisco: Birdsong
San Francisco: Kiln
San Francisco: Lazy Bear
San Francisco: Saison
San Francisco: Sons & Daughters
Santa Monica: Mélisse
60 Restaurants One Star
Atherton: Selby's
Beverly Hills: Miura NEW
Beverly Hills: Nozawa Bar
Calistoga: Auro
Carlsbad: Jeune et Jolie
Carlsbad: Lilo
Carmel-by-the-Sea: Chez Noir
Encino: Pasta|Bar
Encino: Shin Sushi
Geyserville: Cyrus
Healdsburg: Troubadour NEW
Laguna Beach: R|O-Rebel Omakase
La Jolla: Lucien NEW
Long Beach: Heritage
Los Alamos: Bell's
Los Angeles: Corridor 109 NEW
Los Angeles: Holbox
Los Angeles: Kali
Los Angeles: KOJIMA NEW
Los Angeles: Lielle NEW
Los Angeles: Meteora
Los Angeles: Mori Nozomi
Los Angeles: n/naka
Los Angeles: Orsa & Winston
Los Angeles: Osteria Mozza
Los Angeles: Restaurant Ki
Los Angeles: Sushi Kaneyoshi
Montecito: Caruso's
Oakland: Sun Moon Studio
Palo Alto: Protégé
Paso Robles: Six Test Kitchen
Paso Robles: The Restaurant at JUSTIN
Rutherford: Auberge du Soleil
Sacramento: Localis
Sacramento: The Kitchen
Saint Helena: Press
San Anselmo: Madcap
San Diego: Soichi
San Francisco: 7 Adams
San Francisco: Angler SF
San Francisco: Hilda and Jesse
San Francisco: Kin Khao
San Francisco: Mister Jiu's
San Francisco: Naides NEW
San Francisco: Nari
San Francisco: Niku Steakhouse
San Francisco: Nisei
San Francisco: San Ho Won
San Francisco: Sorrel
San Francisco: Ssal
San Francisco: State Bird Provisions
San Francisco: The Progress
San Francisco: Wolfsbane NEW
San Mateo: Wakuriya
Santa Barbara: Silvers Omakase
Santa Monica: Citrin
Santa Monica: Seline NEW
Saratoga: Plumed Horse
Torrance: Sushi Inaba
Woodside: The Village Pub
Related Articles:
- California's Most Affordable Restaurants in 2026
- How Evan Williams Built California’s Most Acclaimed Cocktail Program
- How Sons & Daughters Makes a 24-course Tasting Menu Feel Intimate and Engaging
- Meet California's 2026 Young Chefs of the Year: Anna Sonenshein and Niki Vahle
Hero image: Savory tomato tarts. © Dean Mejia/Troubadour
Thumb image: © Kimberly Motos/Lucien
