Michelin stars 2026: Which California restaurants won, which lost?

Chef Val Cantu’s Californios in San Francisco became the world’s first Mexican restaurant to earn three Michelin stars Wednesday, joining Enclos in Sonoma among the Bay Area restaurants elevated to the dining guide’s highest tier.

“Chef Cantu’s unique expression of Mexican flavors made with Californian flair is an art form,” Michelin officials said of the historic culinary honor. “Familiar items, even a humble tortilla, are elevated” at his restaurant in the city’s SoMa neighborhood.

Those announcements give California a total of 10 restaurants with that distinction, twice as many as New York City. Northern California holds seven of those 10.

RELATED: Full list of Northern California’s 2026 Michelin star restaurants

No Michelin-starred restaurant in the South Bay, on the Peninsula or in Oakland lost its distinction this year.

At the San Diego reveal ceremony, the guide also promoted one restaurant, Kato in Los Angeles, to the two-star list and honored nine new restaurants with one-star awards, including Naides in San Francisco, one of the nation’s few Michelin-starred restaurants serving Filipino cuisine.

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, Lazy Bear and Saison in San Francisco.

In the South Bay/Peninsula, two restaurants retained the one-star status they have held since 2009: 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.

The other one-star restaurants from this region that were honored again this year include Protégé in Palo Alto from executive chef Anthony Secviar and master sommelier Dennis Kelly; Sun Moon Studio in Oakland from chefs Alan Hsu and Sarah Cooper; 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.

Here are highlights of the inspectors’ comments on the Bay Area’s new and elevated honorees:

— In awarding Californios a third star, the inspectors wrote: “Combining a passion for Mexico’s rich heritage, an electric jolt of imagination and masterful technique, Chef Val M. Cantú has created a truly singular gastronomic destination. The menu draws upon a dizzying variety of Mexican flavors, utilizing the finest products and subtle international influences to transform familiar dishes into deliciously unique culinary creations.”

— On three-star Enclos, which joined the guide at two stars last year instead of the more typical one-star level: “This custom-designed domain of Chef Brian Limoge exudes cozy sophistication and is a respectful retooling of a late 1800s Victorian structure in downtown Sonoma. This tasting menu marries global flavors, refined technique and exceptional ingredients, including produce sourced from affiliated Stone Edge Farm, all shot through with subtle nods to the chef’s New England roots.”

— On new one-star Naides: “Named after Chef Patrick Gabon’s mother, there’s no mistaking this jewel box operation as anything other than a labor of love. Drawing upon the fine-dining experience of both Chef Gabon and partner Celine Wuu (who deftly manages the floor), Naides serves an original interpretation of Filipino cuisine in the form of a stylishly modern tasting menu. Pulling together Californian ingredients (including foraged herbs and flowers), traditional flavors and bold creativity, the dishes are as pleasing to look at as they are to eat.”

— On new Wine Country one-star Troubadour: The “charming,” French-inspired Healdsburg destination from Melissa and Sean McGaughey “is a popular sandwich shop and bakery by day, at night transforming to offer an exciting tasting menu that highlights Californian ingredients with flair and technical precision. … Naturally, the bread course is a highlight.”

— On new San Francisco one-star Wolfsbane: “Chef Rupert Blease and wife Carrie, who runs the front of house, make their much-anticipated return to fine dining with this stylish Dogpatch enclave. The indulgent multicourse tasting menu shows no shortage of creative flair, offering up Chef Blease’s distinctive take on contemporary Californian cuisine, cleverly accented with Nordic, Japanese and French elements.”

California’s eight 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; Addison, in San Diego; Providence, in Hollywood; and Somni in West Hollywood.

Crenn remains the only female chef in the United States to lead a three-star restaurant, Michelin confirmed.

Michelin again awarded a star to both Fillmore Street restaurants in San Francisco owned by chef-spouses Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski — State Bird Provisions and The Progress. Cupertino native Brioza and Los Gatos native Krasinski met at De Anza College in Cupertino.

Four restaurants lost their one-star status this year: Kenzo of Napa; O’ by Claude Le Tohic of San Francisco; The Shota of San Francisco; and Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn.

Besides the stars and the Bib Gourmands (for affordable, high-quality dining), Michelin honored several Bay Area industry professionals with special recognition: The Exceptional Cocktails Award went to the bar team at Maria Isabel in San Francisco, and the Outstanding Service Award went to Frida Blomdahl Hay and staff at Sons & Daughters in San Francisco.

Michelin Guide officials say that their protocol requires inspectors — who remain anonymous — to revisit all previous winners and new prospects with five criteria in mind: ingredient quality; harmony of flavors; mastery of technique; personality of the chef and cuisine; and consistency between each visit.

Details: The complete California Michelin Guide can be found at https://guide.michelin.com/us/en or on the free mobile app.