Wednesday night time’s Michelin Information announcement was a historic one for Los Angeles: For the primary time within the information’s historical past, the worldwide eating compendium awarded three stars — the best score potential — to an L.A. restaurant. In truth, it awarded three stars to 2 L.A. eating places.
Michelin’s California Information is printed every year, highlighting the state’s greatest eating places in response to the corporate’s group of nameless inspectors. Michelin stars, awarded on a scale from one to 3, are extensively considered one of many highest accolades a restaurant can garner.
One star signifies “high-quality cooking, worth a stop,” two stars acknowledge “excellent cuisine, worth a detour,” and three stars translate to “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
A number of eating places in Los Angeles have been awarded two stars, however this yr earlier star holders Windfall and Somni crossed the edge into three-star standing — the one two eating places in California to newly earn the accolade in 2025.
Los Angeles chef Ki Kim of Little Tokyo’s Restaurant Ki received the Michelin Younger Chef Award, along with his restaurant incomes a single star. Kim battled psychological well being difficulties throughout the closure of his first restaurant, Kinn, however returned with a brand new trendy Korean tasting menu final yr. On the ceremony, held in Sacramento on the SAFE Credit score Union Performing Arts Middle, Kim was praised for his “exhibited leadership and dedication to the craft.”
Kim pictured in 2021.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Instances)
The 2025 statewide information additionally acknowledged 123 eating places with its “bib gourmand” awards, indicating “good food at a moderate price.” It additionally awarded inexperienced stars, denoting sustainability practices.
Windfall house owners Michael Cimarusti and Donato Poto appeared surprised as they headed to the stage to simply accept their award, hugging the puffy white mascot Michelin Man. Somni chef Aitor Zabala eliminated his go well with jacket onstage, instantly turning into chef’s whites. He promptly hugged each three-star chef standing on stage, then posed for a photograph revealing his shirt: “Immigrants feed America.”
In keeping with the Michelin web site, eating places are rated by “quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavors, and consistency between visits.”
Windfall chef and co-owner Michael Cimarusti photographed within the restaurant’s eating room in 2022.
(Christina Home / Los Angeles Instances)
Windfall, in Hollywood, has an extended historical past within the Michelin Information. The restaurant — a vacation spot for sustainable seafood by the use of an clever tasting menu — turned 20 this month. In its third yr in operation, it earned one Michelin star. The next yr, it gained a second. Michelin Information would depart L.A. for a decade, however when it returned in 2019, Windfall once more earned two stars.
However Michelin Information’s 2020 pause in scores because of the pandemic and wildfires, Windfall held two stars yearly because the information’s return to L.A. In 2023 the restaurant additionally earned the inexperienced star, commending its sustainability practices.
Cimarusti “is very passionate, serious and focused as he has been doing wonderful work over the years, recently reaching an inflection point which was made evident in our meals this year,” they continued. “When you get to the three stars level, it’s about a distinct personality and level of technical expertise that makes it one of the best restaurants in the world.”
Somni additionally beforehand held Michelin stars; however the unique restaurant — a collaboration between cooks José Andrés and Aitor Zabala — closed in 2020 after two years contained in the SLS Resort in Beverly Grove. It earned two stars in 2019.
Then, in late November, Zabala — with Andrés’ blessing however not his enterprise partnership — reopened Somni in a brand new West Hollywood residence. The brand new tasting menu consists of new dishes, 14 seats overlooking a cooks counter, and a progressive, multi-structure expertise that entails a patio reception.
Somni chef-owner Aitor Zabala, proper, plates a dessert course at Somni in West Hollywood in November 2024.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Instances)
“We’ve had plenty of experience at Somni in its first iteration and were sad to see that it closed,” the nameless chief inspector of North America instructed The Instances. “We’re very excited that it has re-emerged in such an impressive state. Chef Zabala has a singular vision and has guided his team to produce a culinary experience that is hands down stunning. The new restaurant iteration is an even more impactful representation of the original.”
There are actually eight three-star eating places within the state of California: Windfall, Somni, San Diego’s Addison, and Northern California’s Atelier Crenn, the French Laundry, Benu, Quince and Single Thread.
Two eating places freshly earned two stars within the 2025 information — San Francisco’s Kiln and Sonoma’s Enclos — whereas 5 eating places newly earned one-star scores, together with two in Los Angeles.
Ki Kim’s trendy Korean tasting menu in Little Tokyo, Ki, now holds a star, as does Nozomi Mori’s Sawtelle sushi omakase, Mori Nozomi, which is helmed by an all-female employees. Different new one-star awardees are Carlsbad’s Lilo, Santa Barbara’s Silvers Omakase and Oakland’s Solar Moon Studio.
Different new L.A.-area accolades embrace many of the yr’s new bib gourmand additions: Komal in Historic South-Central, Rasarumah in Historic Filipinotown, Vin People in Hermosa Seashore and West Adams’ quickly closed Bee Taqueria, residence to a number of the greatest tacos within the metropolis.
“This is huge for us,” Komal chef and co-founder Fátima Juárez instructed The Instances final month when she realized her restaurant can be included within the California information in some method, although she was unsure what its recognition can be.
“I’m grateful,” she mentioned in June. “I never say, ‘Oh, I’m cooking for [awards] or I’m cooking for this.’ You know, I’m cooking because I love cooking, and I love my kitchen.”
Hayato, Mélisse and Vespertine maintained their two-star scores from 2024.
L.A.-area one-star awardees who retained their 2024 score embrace 715, Camphor, Citrin, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Gwen, Heritage, Holbox, Kali, Kato, Meteora, Morihiro, n/naka, Nozawa Bar, Orsa & Winston, Osteria Mozza, Pasta Bar, Insurgent Omakase, Shibumi, Shin Sushi, Sushi I-naba, Sushi Kaneyoshi and Uka.
Close to Los Angeles, so did Bell’s in Los Alamos, Caruso’s in Montecito, Valle in Oceanside, Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa, Jeune et Jolie in Carlsbad and Soichi in San Diego. Hanare Sushi in Costa Mesa didn’t retain its star.
Michelin’s full listing of 2025 California Information awardees will be discovered right here.
