These Are the 87 Best Restaurants in California Right Now
The number of top dining places is quietly creeping down, according to Michelin.
Chez Noir in Carmel, one of only six new Michelin one stars.
Photographer: Joseph Weaver
California is a little less starry, yet a bit more green, than it was a year ago — at least, in terms of restaurants.
There are now 87 Michelin-starred restaurants around the state; last year there were 89. This year’s list added four Green-star restaurants, which designate places with a notable sustainability focus. The Michelin Guide announced the selections at a ceremony Tuesday at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, where the “who’s who” of the California dining scene nibbled on wagyu mousse with crispy seafood and ricotta gnudi with black truffle, a sampling of the 60 varieties of cuisine represented on California’s list.
“Californian cuisine is becoming more prominent. Its style and personality are the fruit of California’s creative spirit. Care for the environment and use of seasonal, local ingredients is part of that,” the Michelin Guides' anonymous chief inspector for North America said in a statement. “The cuisine has a Mediterranean feel, and the flavors are inspired by the diversity of the population.”