CA Michelin Guide 2023: New Restaurants

CALIFORNIA — The greatly anticipated announcement of new Michelin starred restaurants in California came this week with six new one-Star establishments and four new Green Star eateries.

The 2023 class is sprinkled around the Golden State with one-Star restaurants in San Francisco, Calistoga, Carmel-By-the-Sea, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oceanside. The new Green Star restaurants are in San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach and Los Angeles. "These are truly world-class establishments serving outstanding cuisine," said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides.

With the new designations, California now has 15 of the 17 Green-Starred restaurants in North America. "Our inspectors found four restaurant teams worthy of the MICHELIN Green Star," said Poullennec. "In California, gourmets and travelers can find sustainable and inspiring cuisine by land or by sea, showcasing the best of what lands and seasons can offer. These establishments — and the Golden State as a whole — are truly role models of environmentally conscious gastronomy."

Here are the new one-Star restaurants, including inspector notes from each.

Newly Awarded One MICHELIN Star

Complete List Of 2023 Michelin Starred Restaurants In California

Aphotic (San Francisco; Seafood) Aptly named after the ocean's sunless depths, this vast, tenebrous space is leagues away from the mundane, offering a rarefied pescatarian tasting menu that abounds with personality. Chef Peter Hemsley takes full advantage of California's coastal bounty, sourcing exceptional seafood from small sustainable purveyors and utilizing techniques like dry aging and fermentation to maximum effect.

Auro (Calistoga; Contemporary cuisine) Soak up the bucolic splendor of Napa's northern reaches at the Four Seasons resort, the ideal setting for this au courant embodiment of classic Wine Country fine dining. Thanks to skills honed in some of the Bay Area's most notable kitchens, Chef Rogelio Garcia displays a distinctly Californian perspective, using precise technique in order to highlight exceptional ingredients — most of which are sourced locally, including from on-site gardens.

Chez Noir (Carmel-By-The-Sea; Contemporary cuisine)If Chef Jonny and his wife, Monique Black (who oversees the service team), make you feel as if you're being invited into their own home, well, that's because the second floor of this Craftsman-style residence is their home. The two have an abundance of fine dining bona fides, but here they aim for a more approachable feel. The cooking draws upon French bistro fare and showcases the bounty of the California coast, with seafood, like spot-on sea bass and swoon-worthy abalone, making a big impression.

Heritage (Long Beach; Californian cuisine) Set in a converted Craftsman in the historic Rose Park neighborhood, this inviting locale is removed from the hustle and bustle of Long Beach. Brother-and-sister duo Philip and Lauren Pretty run the kitchen and front of house, respectively, curating an experience that's relaxed, but gets the details just right. On offer is a single multicourse tasting (priced quite reasonably) that highlights top-notch ingredients, including produce sourced from their nearby farm.

Nari (San Francisco; Thai cuisine)This sleek retreat located within Hotel Kabuki delivers a one-two punch with a dramatic setting and accomplished cooking. Chef Pim Techamuanvivit's personality and laser-focused palate come through in dishes that utilize fantastic Californian ingredients through a distinct, contemporary Thai lens. Dishes are family style, albeit with a touch of refinement. Intensely aromatic curries achieve a marvelous complexity, as in a brick red bumbai curry with crispy fried eggplant, served with an ethereally flaky roti bread.

Valle (Oceanside; Mexican cuisine)Celebrated chef Roberto Alcocer brings his refined, modern expression of Mexican cuisine stateside at this elegant space in the Mission Pacific Hotel, overlooking the scenic Oceanside Pier. Diners can enjoy a special chef's table experience or leave things entirely in the kitchen's hands for an eight-course tasting. Dishes strike a winning balance between tradition and creativity, as in a tetela made with heirloom corn masa and hoja santa, filled with juicy chanterelle mushrooms and creamy goat cheese, and paired with a complex salsa of morita chiles — at once earthy and bright.

Newly Awarded MICHELIN Green Star

Complete List Of 2023 Green Star Michelin Restaurants In California

Aphotic (San Francisco; Seafood) Chef's vision: Our core objective is to know and source directly from fishermen and aquaculture partners. We personally drive the fish in from satellite ports all around the Bay Area and fly fresh seafood in from trusted partners in San Diego.

Heritage (Long Beach; Californian cuisine) Chefs' vision: We grow our own produce at our farm; as well as source from local farmers markets; we work with local partners including a bakery and a seamstress for staff aprons. Our meat and seafood are all sustainably sourced from California.

Pomet (Oakland; Californian cuisine) Chef's vision: The team here unites the owner of a family-owned farm K & J Orchards and Chef Alan Hsu; we work with regenerative ranchers for our beef, lamb, pork, chicken; wood pruned from the farms or retired trees are used in our wood fire oven.

Providence (Los Angeles; Seafood)Chef's vision: Providence showcases a true and unwavering commitment to all aspects of sustainability in every shape and way possible. Pushing the boundaries of sustainable seafood practices by committing to only use wild-caught, sustainable products, growing an on-site rooftop garden, and a zero-waste bean-to-dessert chocolate program.

Earlier this month, Michelin announced its 2023 California Bib Gourmand list of 143 restaurants that offer diners "Good food at a moderate price."

See: Complete List Of 2023 Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurants In California