California’s star-struck chefs, hospitality workers, and restaurateurs all convened in downtown San Diego on Wednesday, June 24, to attend the Michelin Guide: California ceremony. It’s there that chefs found out the starred status of their restaurant
for 2026, whether jumping onto the guide for the first time or retaining a one-, two-, or three-starred ranking.
The biggest news of the night was the fact that not one, but two, Bay Area spots joined the ranks of three-Michelin-starred restaurants. Chef Val M. Cantu’s fine-dining restaurant Californios, and chef Brian Limoge’s Enclos made the jump from two stars to three, the only restaurants to earn that distinction this year. Californios is the first Mexican restaurant in the United States to earn the three-Michelin-starred distinction; the restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2015, later becoming a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in 2017. Meanwhile, Enclos has been a Michelin favorite from the start: The restaurant leapt into the two-Michelin-starred distinction in 2025, just six months after opening, and has already leveled up to three stars.
Nine new restaurants were added to the list of one-starred designations, with three Bay Area restaurants nabbing the honors. Troubadour in Healdsburg, plus Naides and Wolfsbane in San Francisco, each earned a star. Also joining the list of new one-star honorees were Corridor 109, Kojima, Lielle, Lucien, Miura, and Seline in Southern California.
The Bay Area also took home some special Michelin distinctions. Evan Williams and the bar team at San Francisco’s Maria Isabel took home the Exceptional Cocktail Award.
Frida Blomdahl Hay, general manager at Sons & Daughters, took home the Michelin Service Award, as well.
Michelin’s foray into California began with the guide ranking the San Francisco Bay Area in 2007; Los Angeles had its own guides in 2008 and 2009, before that city’s guide underwent a decade-long pause. Eventually, Michelin expanded to cover the entire state in 2019, thanks to the California Tourism Board, which gave Michelin $600,000 for the extended coverage of the state’s restaurants.
Here’s the full list of Bay Area Michelin-starred restaurants for 2026:
Three stars
Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Benu, San Francisco
Californios, San Francisco (Promotion)
Enclos, Sonoma (Promotion)
The French Laundry, Yountville
Quince, San Francisco
SingleThread, Healdsburg
Two stars
Acquerello, San Francisco
Aubergine, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Birdsong, San Francisco
Commis, Oakland
Harbor House Inn, Elk
Kiln, San Francisco
Lazy Bear, San Francisco
Saison, San Francisco
Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
One star
7 Adams, San Francisco
Angler, San Francisco
Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford
Auro, Calistoga
Chez Noir, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Cyrus, Geyserville
Hilda and Jesse, San Francisco
Kin Khao, San Francisco
Localis, Sacramento
Madcap, San Anselmo
Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
Naides, San Francisco (New)
Nari, San Francisco
Niku Steakhouse, San Francisco
Nisei, San Francisco
Plumed Horse, Saratoga
Press, St. Helena
The Progress, San Francisco
Protégé, Palo Alto
San Ho Won, San Francisco
Selby’s, Redwood City
Sorrel, San Francisco
Ssal, San Francisco
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Sun Moon Studio, Oakland
Troubadour, Healdsburg (New)
The Village Pub, Woodside
Wakuriya, San Mateo
Wolfsbane, San Francisco (New)
