OAKLAND, Calif., July 18, 2023 — The 2023 edition of the MICHELIN Guide California touts six new one-MICHELIN-Star establishments and four new Green Star restaurants.
Aphotic and Heritage each were awarded one MICHELIN Star, plus a Green Star. Providence returns as a two-MICHELIN-Star restaurant in 2023, but now with the Green Star added to its accolades. Pomet received a MICHELIN Green Star as a Recommended restaurant. California now has 15 of the 17 Green-Starred restaurants in North America.
“California is spectacular year-round, but we are thrilled to announce the 2023 edition in the summertime,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “This year we welcome six newcomers to the family of MICHELIN-Starred restaurants. These are truly world-class establishments serving outstanding cuisine.
“In addition, our inspectors found four restaurant teams worthy of the MICHELIN Green Star. 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-MICHELIN-Star restaurants, with inspector notes from each (inspectors’ comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app):
One MICHELIN Star
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 make selections from a four-course prix fixe, or leave things entirely in the kitchen’s hands for an eight-course tasting. Dishes strike a winning balance between tradition with 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.
MICHELIN Green Star
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.
Bib Gourmand
The MICHELIN Guide inspectors added 10 restaurants to the Bib Gourmand list, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value: Bansang, Bombera, Carnes Asadas Pancho Lopez, Cobi’s, Eat Joy Food, Mabel’s Gone Fishing, Maligne, Petiscos, Snail Bar and Villa’s Tacos.
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. Transportation provided by Lucid Motors.
Hotels
The California restaurant selection joins the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in California and around the world.
Every hotel in the Guide is chosen for its extraordinary style, service, and personality — with options for all budgets — and each hotel can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for California features the state’s most spectacular hotels, including sustainability pioneers like Napa’s Carneros Resort and the Ranch at Laguna Beach, standouts from our “Plus” collection like the Madrona in Healdsburg and the Aster in Los Angeles, beachfront bohemia like Surfrider Malibu and Cambria Beach Lodge, desert oases like Holiday House Palm Springs, and even The Charlie, a collection of English-style bungalows in L.A. that was once owned by Charlie Chaplin.
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 2023 MICHELIN Guide California selection:
California’s 2023 MICHELIN-Starred restaurants
California’s 2023 MICHELIN-Green-Starred restaurants
California’s 2023 Bib Gourmand restaurants
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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 capitalone.com/dining and capitalone.com/entertainment.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Festa
Michelin North America
andrew.festa@michelin.com
Devon Gunn
Capital One
devon.gunn@capitalone.com
Phone: 571-308-4762
