These two L.A. restaurants are the city's first-ever to receive three Michelin stars
Wednesday night's Michelin Guide announcement was a historic one for Los Angeles: For the first time in the guide's history, the global dining compendium awarded three stars — the highest rating possible — to an L.A. restaurant. In fact, it awarded three stars to two L.A. restaurants.
Michelin's California Guide is published each year, highlighting the state's best restaurants according to the company's team of anonymous inspectors. Michelin stars, awarded on a scale from one to three, are widely regarded as one of the highest accolades a restaurant can garner.
One star signifies 'high-quality cooking, worth a stop,' two stars recognize 'excellent cuisine, worth a detour,' and three stars translate to 'exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.'
Multiple restaurants in Los Angeles have been awarded two stars, but this year previous star holders Providence and Somni crossed the threshold into three-star status — the only two restaurants in California to newly earn the accolade in 2025.
Los Angeles chef Ki Kim of Little Tokyo's Restaurant Ki won the Michelin Young Chef Award, in addition to his restaurant earning a single star. Kim battled mental health difficulties during the closure of his first restaurant, Kinn, but returned with a new modern Korean tasting menu last year. At the ceremony, held in Sacramento at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, Kim was praised for his 'exhibited leadership and dedication to the craft.'
The 2025 statewide guide also recognized 123 restaurants with its 'bib gourmand' awards, indicating 'good food at a moderate price.' It also awarded green stars, denoting sustainability practices.
Providence owners Michael Cimarusti and Donato Poto appeared stunned as they headed to the stage to accept their award, hugging the puffy white mascot Michelin Man. Somni chef Aitor Zabala removed his suit jacket onstage, immediately changing into chef's whites. He promptly hugged every three-star chef standing on stage, then posed for a photo revealing his shirt: 'Immigrants feed America.'
According to the Michelin website, restaurants 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.'
Providence, in Hollywood, has a long history in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant — a destination for sustainable seafood by way of an artful tasting menu — turned 20 this month. In its third year in operation, it earned one Michelin star. The following year, it gained a second. Michelin Guide would leave L.A. for a decade, but when it returned in 2019, Providence again earned two stars.
Notwithstanding Michelin Guide's 2020 pause in ratings due to the pandemic and wildfires, Providence held two stars every year since the guide's return to L.A. In 2023 the restaurant also earned the green star, commending its sustainability practices.
'Providence is a wonderful example of consistency and evolution,' Michelin Guide's anonymous chief inspector of North America told The Times via email.
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 also previously held Michelin stars; but the original restaurant — a collaboration between chefs José Andrés and Aitor Zabala — closed in 2020 after two years inside the SLS Hotel in Beverly Grove. It earned two stars in 2019.
Then, in late November, Zabala — with Andrés' blessing but not his business partnership — reopened Somni in a new West Hollywood home. The new tasting menu includes new dishes, 14 seats overlooking a chefs counter, and a progressive, multi-structure experience that involves a patio reception.
'We've had plenty of experience at Somni in its first iteration and were sad to see that it closed,' the anonymous chief inspector of North America told The Times. '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 now eight three-star restaurants in the state of California: Providence, Somni, San Diego's Addison, and Northern California's Atelier Crenn, the French Laundry, Benu, Quince and Single Thread.
Two restaurants freshly earned two stars in the 2025 guide — San Francisco's Kiln and Sonoma's Enclos — while five restaurants newly earned one-star ratings, including two in Los Angeles.
Ki Kim's modern 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 staff. Other new one-star awardees are Carlsbad's Lilo, Santa Barbara's Silvers Omakase and Oakland's Sun Moon Studio.
Other new L.A.-area accolades include most of the year's new bib gourmand additions: Komal in Historic South-Central, Rasarumah in Historic Filipinotown, Vin Folk in Hermosa Beach and West Adams' temporarily closed Bee Taqueria, home to some of the best tacos in the city.
'This is huge for us,' Komal chef and co-founder Fátima Juárez told The Times last month when she learned her restaurant would be included in the California guide in some manner, though she was not sure what its recognition would be.
'I'm grateful,' she said 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 al maintained their two-star ratings from 2024.
L.A.-area one-star awardees who retained their 2024 rating include 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, Rebel Omakase, Shibumi, Shin Sushi, Sushi I-naba, Sushi Kaneyoshi and Uka.
Near 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.
Sushi Ginza Onodera in West Hollywood did not retain its star, nor did Hana re Sushi in Costa Mesa.
Michelin's full list of 2025 California Guide awardees can be found here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Elle
26 minutes ago
- Elle
When Does 'Squid Game' Season 3 Come Out On Netflix? Release Time In The UK, US, Australia And More
Squid Game's third — and final — series is almost upon us. The highly-anticipated series, which will be released on June 27, will feature six episodes all of which will be available to stream tomorrow (meaning we have a weekend full of bingeing ahead of us). As for what we can expect from the third season of Squid Game: 'Picking up where the second season left off, season three explores the choices Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae) will make amidst overwhelming despair,' the official logline of the third season reads. 'As the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) plots his next move, the surviving players find their decisions leading to increasingly dire consequences with each round of the deadly games. This season promises to push the limits of suspense and drama, keeping viewers glued to the action.' It might be Squid Game's final season, but the Korean drama will leave a lasting legacy given its runaway success. Squid Game season two became Netflix's third most-watched series ever, garnering 68 million views upon its debut — breaking the record for the most views in a premiere week — and ranking number one in the top non-English TV series list across 92 countries. So, when will the new episodes drop? This is everything you need to know. Squid Game season three will premiere on Netflix on June 27 at 8am GMT. But if you're not based in the UK, Here's all the times the series lands on Netflix where you are on 27th June: There are six episodes in the third instalment, and all six episodes will be available to stream on Friday. 'The ending is something you really cannot expect,' Lee Jung-Jae, who plays Gi-Hun, told Variety. 'I am looking forward to what kind of interpretations viewers have.' When Hwang first announced Squid Game's renewal for a third season, he promised to deliver another 'thrill ride' and teased, 'The fierce clash between [Gi-Hun and the Front Man's] two worlds will continue into the series finale.' Squid Game season 3 starts on Netflix on June 27 at 8am GMT. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘The Bear' review: Stellar performances carry Season 4, but story has missing ingredients
This review contains light spoilers regarding the fourth season of 'The Bear.' At one point in the wheel-spinning yet reliably well-acted fourth season of ' The Bear,' brilliant/tortured chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) stops changing his restaurant's menu every night. For the sake of consistency and his customer base, he sticks with proven hits. Meanwhile, creator and executive producer Christopher Storer employs his show's most crowd-pleasing element only sparingly, as if it is the last ounce of truffle on a busy Saturday night. This show's sweet spot has always been its depiction of a busy restaurant kitchen, first at fictional Chicago sandwich spot The Beef, then its fine-dining successor The Bear. Although kitchen scenes can be stressful to watch, moments when the crew works harmoniously and produces perfect dishes often thrill in their precision. Yet the bulk of the new 10-episode season — now streaming on Hulu — is maddeningly imprecise. Season 4 starts with The Bear's team still absorbing a mixed review from the Chicago Tribune. The review's gist is that the restaurant is capable of excellence but messy in execution. (Any resemblance to the critical reception to this show's third season is surely coincidental.) Since they consider the Tribune review too ambivalent to drive new business, Carmy and crew turn their focus back to earning a Michelin star. This premise is easy to get behind, first because it presents a metropolitan newspaper as still make-or-break influential in 2025, and second, in stating a goal that seems to require nail-biter kitchen scenes to achieve. But apart from an extended, beautifully choreographed sequence in Episode 3, most of this season takes place outside business hours — and involves dry, limp word salads rather than delicious food. Meandering and inarticulate, the season's too-frequent extended conversations usually occur between the famously unforthcoming Carmy and one other character. Carmy does use his words, but most are meaningless and must be interpreted by companions who too often join him in obtuseness. Scenes with Claire (Molly Gordon), the longtime love Carmy too often pushes away, can be agonizing. They often are shot in close-up, further emphasizing the degree to which these two talk in circles. Granted, the Carmy-Claire storyline has always seemed forced, but Claire, who is a doctor, once spoke in sentences. These scenes and many others feel too obviously improvised — you can see what appears to be actors 'yes, and'-ing each other in real time. When we tune in to 'The Bear' to see the sausage being made, this is not what we mean. Scripted or otherwise, White (soon to be seen on the big screen as Bruce Springsteen) and fellow Emmy winners Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach — who play chef de cuisine Syd and front-of-house manager Richie, respectively — once again deliver stellar performances. Although White can seem overly morose, he lends emotional depth to scenes that tap Carmy's inherent empathy. Edebiri brings more confidence to Syd this season while remaining unaffected and relatable, making a case for being named overall 'Bear' MVP. Having directed last season's excellent 'Napkins' episode, Edebiri co-wrote this season's fourth — and most cohesive — episode, which explores Syd's family ties beyond her widowed, loyal dad (an always solid Robert Townsend). Although still prone to dramatic self-flagellation, Richie finally seems like a full-fledged adult. Moss-Bachrach continues to keep Richie's pain and self-doubt right at the surface but adds a layer of wisdom. Although Syd, Richie and even Carmy progress this season, the story does not, as conflicts that should have been resolved in Episode 1 stretch unnecessarily into the finale. Maybe it's time to acknowledge 'The Bear' not for what it promised to be — a TV classic — but for what it is: a small, pandemic-era miracle not built for longevity. Although this realization disappoints, the transitory realities of the show's restaurant setting help it go down easier.
Eater
6 hours ago
- Eater
Here Are the 2025 Michelin Star Winners in Los Angeles
Chefs and restaurateurs from across California gathered at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center in Sacramento on June 25 for the 2025 presentation of the Michelin Guide California. At the annual ceremony, the Michelin Guide awards restaurants Michelin stars, as well as green stars, which recognize sustainability practices. Coming into this year's ceremony, Los Angeles and Orange County did not have any three-star restaurants. In 2024, Vespertine was the only restaurant to be given two Michelin stars. Last year's ceremony also saw chef Gilberto Cetina's Holbox, a Mexican seafood counter in Mercado La Paloma, gain its first Michelin star. Rebel Omakase in Laguna Beach, Uka at Japan House in Hollywood, and chef Jordan Kahn's Meteora were also awarded their first star. Although the ceremony focuses on awarding stars, it also provides updates on which restaurants have lost stars. Last year, Beverly Hills omakase restaurant Sushi Ginza Onodera and Palms kaiseki restaurant N/Naka each lost one of their two stars. This year's ceremony kicked off with some excitement even before the first award was officially announced. The Michelin Guide (accidentally) posted a video in advance of the ceremony announcing that Aitor Zabala's acclaimed tasting menu restaurant Somni had received three Michelin stars, making it LA's first three-Michelin-starred restaurant. The video was unlisted and subsequently removed. The rest of the evening held more excitement for Los Angeles, with chef Ki Kim of Restaurant Ki receiving the Michelin Young Chef Award, and the restaurant becoming LA's first Michelin-starred Korean restaurant. Mori Nozomi and Silver Omakase also received one star. Later in the evening, Michael Cimarusti's seafood tasting menu restaurant, Providence, received three stars, bringing Los Angeles up to a total of two three-starred restaurants. Sushi Ginza Onodera and Hana re Sushi did not retain their stars. Michelin published its first Los Angeles guides in 2008 and 2009, before exiting the city for a decade. (San Francisco has had its own guide since 2006.) In 2019, the California Tourism Board wooed Michelin back with $600,000 to cover the costs of expanding the guide to the entire state, including a return to Los Angeles. Michelin did not award stars in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned with a ceremony in 2022. Although Michelin stars are highly coveted, the Michelin Guide has been criticized for its focus on fine dining experiences, which often feature elaborate omakase-style menus or chef-driven dinners. Alongside the stars, the Michelin Guide also awards Bib Gourmands to restaurants that offer 'good quality, good value cooking.' The Bib Gourmand designation tends to highlight more affordable restaurants — at these restaurants, diners can expect two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for about $50 USD before tax and tip. Still, the Michelin Guide struggles to cover the breadth and diversity of dining scenes in cities like Los Angeles. And while recent years have seen a positive shift toward highlighting restaurants that fall outside the fine dining rubric, many local favorites and outstanding street vendors still go largely unrecognized by the guide. Here are all of Los Angeles's Michelin stars. New entrants, or changes to stars, are marked with an asterisk. 715 Bell's Camphor Caruso's Citrin Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Gwen Heritage Holbox Kali Kato Knife Pleat Meteora Morihiro Mori Nozomi * N/Naka Nozawa Bar Orsa & Winston Osteria Mozza Pasta Bar Rebel Omakase The Restaurant at Justin Restaurant Ki * Shibumi Shin Sushi Silver Omakase * Six Test Kitchen Sushi Inaba Restaurant Sushi Kaneyoshi Uka at Japan House Additional reporting by Eater Southern California/Southwest lead editor Matthew Kang. See More:
