The Michelin Guide International solidified California’s reputation as a dining mecca during a culinary-star-studded ceremony Wednesday evening in Sacramento.
At the 2025 reveal, two Hollywood area restaurants earned three stars — the highest Michelin achievement — to give California a total of eight restaurants with that distinction (three more than New York City).
The guide also honored 14 restaurants for their two-star cuisine (two of them new to this level) and handed out five new one-star awards — for a total of 87 starred restaurants statewide, two more than last year.
“Tonight marked a momentous evening for California and its culinary community,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the Michelin Guide’s international director, in a statement before the ceremony. “Our anonymous Inspectors discovered extraordinary culinary gems to highlight in this year’s selection.”
The Bay Area’s new and elevated honorees:
— One star for Oakland’s tiny Sun Moon Studio, where chefs Alan Hsu and Sarah Cooper craft seasonal tasting menus. Michelin had listed this restaurant as a “new discovery” earlier this year. Sun Moon is the city’s second Michelin star restaurant, joining the two-star Commis.
— Two stars for Kiln in San Francisco, with its “artful creations” from chef John Wesley and a menu that “leans Nordic,” Michelin writes. The restaurant had earned one star in the 2024 guide.
— Two stars for Enclos in Sonoma, where chef Brian Limoges produces an “opulent tasting menu” inside an 1880 Victorian on the Stone Edge Farm Winery property. Enclos joined the guide this year at the two-star level.
California’s new three-star holders are Providence in Hollywood, which was elevated from two stars; and Somni in West Hollywood, which vaulted onto the list at the three-star level. From no stars to three stars? “While it is a rare occurrence, it is absolutely possible,” the anonymous chief Michelin inspector said.
The repeat three-star awardees were Dominique Crenn’s Atelier Crenn, Corey Lee’s Benu and Michael Tusk’s Quince, all in San Francisco; Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, in Yountville; SingleThread in Healdsburg, from chef Kyle Connaughton and farmer Katina Connaughton; and Addison, in San Diego.
Crenn remains the only female chef in the United States to lead a three-star restaurant, Michelin confirmed, .
Two-star Bay Area honorees retaining that award included chef James Syhabout’s Commis in Oakland, which has long been honored at that level, and Acquerello, Birdsong, Californios, Lazy Bear and Saison in San Francisco.
In the South Bay/Peninsula, both the Plumed Horse in Saratoga, with chef Peter Armellino at the helm, and the Village Pub in Woodside, under the direction of chef Mark Sullivan and the Bacchus group, retained the one-star status they have held since 2009.
The other one-star honorees from this region include Protégé in Palo Alto from executive chef Anthony Secviar and master sommelier Dennis Kelly; Wakuriya, the contemporary Japanese restaurant in San Mateo from executive chef and owner Katsuhiro Yamasaki; and another Sullivan/Bacchus restaurant, Selby’s dinner house in Atherton.
Michelin again awarded a star to both San Francisco restaurants owned by chef-spouses Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski — State Bird Provisions and The Progress. Cupertino native Brioza (who grew up in Danville) and Los Gatos native Krasinski met at De Anza College in Cupertino.
In the host city of Sacramento, both previously starred restaurants — Localis and The Kitchen — retained their one-star status for 2025. And Chris Barnum-Dann of Localis took home a special honor, the Michelin Sommelier Award.
One longtime standout lost its star after 17 years. George Aviet’s popular Chez TJ of Mountain View has been serving multi-course tasting menus in a Victorian house and garden under a succession of chefs.
As with all changes in star levels, Michelin inspectors — who review anonymously — make no comment regarding deletions or changes in star levels. That leaves owners, chefs and guests to speculate on what part of the dining experience may have been found lacking.
Michelin Guide officials say that their protocol requires inspectors to revisit all previous winners and new prospects with five criteria in mind: meal quality; harmony of flavors; mastery of technique; personality of the chef and cuisine; and consistency between each visit.
This is a developing story. Come back for updates.