How Los Angeles Fared in the 2026 Michelin Guide California

The Michelin Guide revealed its 2026 California selection at a ceremony in downtown San Diego on June 24, and Los Angeles walked away with the night's biggest promotion. Kato, the Taiwanese American tasting menu destination in the Arts District, rose to two Michelin stars, the state's only new two star this year, according to Michelin's official announcement.

Photo courtesy of Kato

The headlines from the 2026 selection:

• Kato (Arts District) promoted to two Michelin stars: katorestaurant.com

• Californios (San Francisco) and Enclos (Sonoma) promoted to three stars

• Little Fish Melrose Hill wins the Most Promising Young Chef Award: littlefishla.com

• 83 starred restaurants within a 521 restaurant selection statewide

Statewide, the 2026 Guide now counts 83 starred restaurants within a total selection of 521 eateries spanning 54 cuisine types. Michelin's inspectors reported two new three stars, one new two star, and eight new one stars this cycle. The three star promotions went north: Californios in San Francisco, now the world's first Mexican restaurant to hold three Michelin stars, and Enclos in Sonoma.

There was still more LA shine on the awards side. The chefs of Little Fish Melrose Hill took home the 2026 Most Promising Young Chef Award for their seafood driven cooking, a win we cover in more depth this week.

For Angelenos, the takeaway is simple: the city's top tier keeps climbing, and the Guide's LA footprint keeps growing. You can browse every spot FJM has covered that holds a place in the Guide on our Best Food in Los Angeles page.

I hope you're hungry. - Matthew Tropp | FJM.