Somni Just Became Los Angeles's First Three-Michelin-Star Restaurant
Just six months after Aitor Zabala resurrected his ambitious Spanish tasting menu restaurant, Somni, in West Hollywood, it has become Los Angeles's first three-Michelin-starred restaurant. The previous iteration of the restaurant inside the SLS Beverly Hills, which earned two Michelin stars, closed in August 2020 amid the pandemic. This is the first time a restaurant in Los Angeles has been awarded three stars since the guide arrived to the city in 2008.
Somni's three-star designation was revealed in a video posted to the Michelin Guide's YouTube channel in advance of the 2025 ceremony on June 25 in Sacramento. The video quickly circulated on Reddit, but is now marked as unlisted. A Michelin Guide representative confirmed the Somni three-star designation to Eater.
Zabala's impressive resume includes restaurants like Alkimia, Abac, El Bullí, Akelarre, and numerous José Andrés restaurants. He opened the first version of Somni, which means 'dream' in Catalan, in 2018 as a 25-course tasting menu with 10 seats at a blonde wood curved counter. (The first version of the restaurant was opened with Andres as a partner, though he is no longer involved.) 'Somni is our American dream — our opportunity to add to the legacy and culture of Los Angeles,' he told Eater in 2018. But just two years later, the restaurant closed when its contract, along with the Bazaar's, was terminated with the SLS Beverly Hills.
After years of anticipation, Zabala debuted the current iteration of Somni in West Hollywood in November 2024. The restaurant is a fully realized version of the dream he had in 2018, encompassing multiple spaces that include a tree-lined courtyard and an auditorium-like dining room. Somni seats 14 diners across two curved counters, set in a high-ceilinged dining room. Zabala and chef de cuisine Ismael Parra, along with a team of cooks, assemble intricate dishes as guests look on, like a Parmesan feather and a dashi meringue crowned with caviar. An evening here is as much of a meal as it is an exhibition of Zabala's work as an artist and chef, weaving Spanish influences and California sensibilities.
Somni's recognition as the first three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Los Angeles is a significant milestone for the city. Before the 2025 ceremony, Los Angeles restaurants had only ever been awarded two stars. Undoubtedly, Zabala has ushered in a new era of Michelin-caliber dining in Los Angeles — and in California.
In a complete rebirth, former two-Michelin-star restaurant Somni has opened in a new West Hollywood location under chef Aitor Zabala. Somni occupies a cloistered set of buildings just north of Santa Monica Boulevard serving precise Spanish-inflected modernist tasting menus to a rounded duet of countertops. The high-ceiling space acts as a theater of sorts to Zabala's kitchen crew, assembling dashi meringue fish topped with Astrea caviar or escabeche mussels dressed with borage flowers. Expect every flavorful turn to be delightful, especially for the sky-high $495 price that will inevitably feel justified after experiencing perhaps the most innovative meal in Los Angeles. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest See More:
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The full list can be found Special Awards In addition to the Bib Gourmands and Stars, the Guide announced four Special Awards: The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony is presented with the support of Capital One. Hotels The restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in California and throughout the world. Each hotel in the selection has been chosen by MICHELIN Guide experts for its extraordinary style, service and personality — with options for all budgets — and each can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for California features the state's most spectacular hotels, including Canyon Ranch Woodside (three MICHELIN Keys) nestled among giant redwoods on the San Francisco Peninsula, the Bernadus Lodge & Spa (two MICHELIN Keys) located in Carmel Valley and home to its own vineyard, or the Georgian (one MICHELIN Key), a rare piece of Old Hollywood glamour in modern Santa Monica. The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it's setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel. The 2025 MICHELIN Guide California selection: The MICHELIN Guide in North America Michelin announced its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Florida (Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022, adding Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater in 2025, statewide in 2026); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023), Mexico (2024), Texas (2024), Québec (2024), the American South (2025), Boston (2025) and Philadelphia (2025). About the MICHELIN Guide Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants. The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that's rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef. The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value – often known as personal favorites among the Inspectors when dining on their own time. The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin's Inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the Inspectors in the very beginning. The restaurant selections join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an amazing hotel. Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 50 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining. All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin's anonymous Inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin Inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin Inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated. To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the Inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world. About Michelin North America, Inc. Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high- quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare. The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America, Inc. has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 36 production facilities in the United States ( and Canada ( About Capital One At Capital One we're on a mission for our customers – bringing them best-in-class products, rewards, service, and experiences. Capital One is a diversified bank that offers products and services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients. We use technology, innovation, and interaction to provide consumers with products and services to meet their needs. Through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment, we provide our rewards cardholders with access to unforgettable experiences in the areas they're passionate about, including dining, music and sports. Learn more at and For more information, contact: Carly GrieffMichelin North America CONTACT: Name: Carly Grieff Email: Job Title: Public Relations ManagerError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
