After a year’s break, Michelin, the French tire company famous for its dining guides, is once again doling out stars to superb California restaurants—and a bunch of SoCal spots earned their very first stars.
A number of old favorites retained their stars, while Hayato at the ROW DTLA was upgraded from one star to two and Mélisse returned to two stars after closing for remodeling at the end of 2018. Most excitingly, seven L.A. restaurants have been honored for their excellence for the first time. The full statewide list is here.
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
The swank spot atop the Beverly Hills Gucci boutique serves the tortellini with Parmigiana Reggiano sauce that Bottura is famous for, along with more California-centric fare, such as a carbonara with Santa Barbara Uni.
Knife Pleat
Chef Tony Esnault and restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi’s Costa Mesa restaurant is known for its elegant French fare.
Morihiro
Morihiro Onodera brought serious sushi to Atwater Village when he quietly opened this spot at the end of 2020.
Pasjoli
At his lovely Santa Monica restaurant, Dave Beran serves impeccable French cuisine, including an elaborate pressed duck dish and a brioche stuffed with chicken liver mousse that tastes just like foie gras.
Pasta Bar
Phillip Franklin Lee’s latest Encino restaurant (and recent Best of L.A. winner) serves a tasting menu of pasta, because why not?
Phenakite
Chef Minh Phan of porridge + puffs serves a truly unique tasting menu on the grounds of the Second Home coworking space in Hollywood.
Sushi I-Naba
This tiny Manhattan sushi spot offers up a truly omakase experience.
And, ICMI, local spots that made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list were announced last week. These are places where you can get a great meal (appetizer, entrée, dessert, or glass of wine) for $40 or below, before tax and tip. They are: Bee Taqueria (West Adams), Chifa (Eagle Rock), Colapasta (Santa Monica), Kazan (Beverly Hills), Konbi (Echo Park), La Azteca (DTLA), Lucious Dumplings (Monrovia), Tumbi (Santa Monica), and WoodSpoon (DTLA).
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