The culinary world’s top honors for California were handed out Wednesday night at Eve in downtown San Diego. While a handful of Golden State restaurants basked in starry acclaim, Orange County saw one of its two Michelin lights dimmed.
Costa Mesa’s Knife Pleat, the modern French restaurant tucked inside South Coast Plaza, lost its single star after five consecutive years of holding the honor.
“While we appreciate the recognition that Michelin has given Knife Pleat for the past five years, our purpose and what we do has never been defined by a single accolade,” said Yassmin Sarmadi and chef Tony Esnault, owners of Knife Pleat, in a joint statement. “Our commitment remains unchanged; to provide an exceptional dining experience rooted in thoughtful hospitality, culinary excellence and continuous improvement.”
The duo went on to add, “We’re blessed to have access to the farmers and vendors with whom we interact daily who provide us with the highest quality, seasonal ingredients. Together, this is the supportive web of our community who create and define our purpose.”
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Meanwhile, Rebel Omakase in Laguna Beach retained its one-star status, making it the sole Orange County eatery with a Michelin sparkler.
No other Orange County restaurants were awarded stars this year.
At its peak, Orange County laid claim to three one-star Michelin restaurants operating at the same time. Kaiseki-style spot Hana re in Costa Mesa lost its one-star status in 2025, an honor it had retained since 2019. Taco María, another Costa Mesa spot, helmed by chef Carlos Salgado, earned a Michelin star for four consecutive years before closing in 2023.
Elsewhere in the state, Kato in Los Angeles was promoted to two stars (up from one), while nine Golden State restaurants earned new one-star acclaim this year, including Corridor 109, Kojima and Lielle in Los Angeles; Lucien in La Jolla; Miura in Beverly Hills; Naides and Wolfsbane in San Francisco; Seline in Santa Monica; and Troubadour in Healdsburg.
ALSO READ: Costa Mesa sushi restaurant Hana re loses its Michelin star
Two new three-star spots were added to this list — Californios, a Mexican cuisine spot in San Francisco, and Enclos, a contemporary cuisine joint in Sonoma — bringing California’s total of three-star restaurants to 10.
The annual ceremony remains one of the most-anticipated nights in California’s lofty dining scene, with restaurants across the state waiting to learn whether they landed, kept or lost one of the sought-after honors.
California has more Michelin stars than any other state in the nation, with more than 100 sparklers awarded to Golden State restaurants, as well as the most three-star spots.
The Michelin Guide’s celestial system is ranked on a three-tier scale: one star means “high-quality cooking, worth a stop,” according to the guide; two stars denotes “excellent cooking, worth a detour”; and three stars means “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
In recent years, Michelin’s expansion into new U.S. markets has raised questions about the cost of getting a city or region on the guide’s coveted radar. Legacy food cities like New York City and San Francisco do not pay to be included. But some newer Michelin markets have arrived with financial support from tourism boards, city agencies or state travel offices.
“Cities like Boston and Atlanta have reportedly paid $1 million or more to bring in Michelin for a three-year term,” according to a 2026 Food & Wine article. “State and city travel offices paid a combined $2.7 million for three years of Texas Michelin editions that cover Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Visit Orlando reportedly paid more than $1 million to be included in the Florida editions between 2022 to 2026.”
That money does not buy stars for any particular restaurant. Rather, as Food & Wine reported, it helps bring Michelin’s anonymous inspectors and the guide itself into a given market. From there, restaurants that make the cut can earn stars, a Bib Gourmand, the guide’s designation for “exceptional food at a great value,” or a recommended nod for high-quality eateries that do not quite land in star or Bib Gourmand territory.
Michelin Guide says its anonymous inspectors are “experts in food, dining and hotel sectors with many years of experience working in the hospitality industry.” They are not freelance critics parachuting in for a hot take. They are Michelin Group employees who pay for their own meals — meaning no freebies, no comped menus and no chef glad-handing upon arrival — and have no outside affiliation.
Michelin also notes that its inspectors judge restaurants using five criteria: quality of products, command of flavor and cooking techniques, the chef’s personality as expressed through the dining experience, harmony of flavors and consistency between visits.
The Michelin Guide dates back to 1900, when brothers André and Edouard Michelin published it as a free booklet meant to encourage motorists to get out on the road and, not incidentally, buy more tires. The guide started awarding stars in 1926.
Here is the complete updated 2026 list of all Michelin-starred restaurants in California (* denotes new entry):
THREE STARS
Addison
Atelier Crenn
Benu
Californios
Enclos
Providence
Quince
SingleThread
Somni
The French Laundry
TWO STARS
Acquerello
Aubergine
Birdsong
Commis
Harbor House Inn
Hayato
Kato
Kiln
Lazy Bear
Mélisse
Saison
Sons & Daughters
Vespertine
ONE STAR
7 Adams
Angler SF
Auberge du Soleil
Auro
Bell’s
Caruso’s
Chez Noir
Citrin
Corridor 109
Cyrus
Heritage
Hilda and Jesse
Holbox
Jeune et Jolie
Kali
Kin Khao
KOUMA
Lielle
Lilo
Localis
Lucien
Madcap
Meteora
Mister Jiu’s
Miura
Mori Nozomi
n/naka
Naides
Nari
Niku Steakhouse
Nisei
Nozawa Bar
Orsa & Winston
Osteria Mozza
Pasta|Bar
Plumed Horse
Press
Protégé
R|O-Rebel Omakase
Restaurant Ki
San Ho Won
Selby’s
Seline
Shin Sushi
Silvers Omakase
Six Test Kitchen
Soichi
Sorrel
Ssal
State Bird Provisions
Sun Moon Studio
Sushi Inaba
Sushi Kaneyoshi
The Kitchen
The Progress
The Restaurant at JUSTIN
The Village Pub
Troubadour
Wakuriya
Wolfsbane
Dining and Cooking