The Michelin Guide International solidified California鈥檚 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 鈥 the highest Michelin achievement 鈥 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 鈥 for a total of 87 starred restaurants statewide, two more than last year.
鈥淭onight marked a momentous evening for California and its culinary community,鈥 said Gwendal Poullennec, the Michelin Guide鈥檚 international director, in a statement before the ceremony. 鈥淥ur anonymous Inspectors discovered extraordinary culinary gems to highlight in this year鈥檚 selection.鈥
The Bay Area鈥檚 new and elevated honorees:
鈥 One star for Oakland鈥檚 tiny Sun Moon Studio, where chefs Alan Hsu and Sarah Cooper craft seasonal tasting menus. Michelin had listed this restaurant as a 鈥渘ew discovery鈥 earlier this year.
鈥 Two stars for Kiln in San Francisco, with its 鈥渁rtful creations鈥 from chef John Wesley and a menu that 鈥渓eans Nordic,鈥 Michelin writes. The restaurant had earned one star in the 2024 guide.
鈥 Two stars for Enclos in Sonoma, where chef Brian Limoges produces an 鈥渙pulent tasting menu鈥 inside an 1880 Victorian on the Stone Edge Farm Winery property. Enclos joined the guide this year at the two-star level.
California鈥檚 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? 鈥淲hile it is a rare occurrence, it is absolutely possible,鈥 the chief Michelin inspector said.
The repeat three-star awardees were Dominique Crenn鈥檚 Atelier Crenn, Corey Lee鈥檚 Benu and Michael Tusk鈥檚 Quince, all in San Francisco; Thomas Keller鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 Prot茅g茅 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鈥檚 dinner house in Atherton.
Michelin again awarded a star to both San Francisco restaurants owned by chef-spouses Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski 鈥 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.
One longtime standout lost its star after 17 years. George Aviet鈥檚 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 鈥 who review anonymously 鈥 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.