Michelin adds 11 Los Angeles restaurants

Michelin added 11 Los Angeles-area restaurants to its California Guide on May 20, expanding the pool of Southern California restaurants eligible for recognition when the full 2026 guide is unveiled next month. The guide said its inspectors add new restaurants to the California selection twice a year, while Stars and Bib Gourmands are held for the annual ceremony on June 24. (guide.michelin.com) Local outlets including LAist and MyNewsLA reported that the Los Angeles additions mixed long-running casual spots with newer tasting-menu and chef-driven restaurants. (laist.com) ### Which Los Angeles restaurants were added this time? (guide.michelin.com) LAist listed 10 Los Angeles restaurants and one nearby Southern California restaurant in Palm Springs, after correcting an earlier count, while MyNewsLA described the announcement as 11 Los Angeles-area additions. LAist named ALTO in Studio City, Casa Leo in Los Feliz, Electric Bleu in Mar Vista, Kojima in Sawtelle, Lielle in Pico-Robertson, Lynx in the Arts District, Miura in Beverly Hills, The Mulberry in Sawtelle, Sonoratown with multiple locations, SORA Craft Kitchen in downtown Los Angeles, and Good Alley in Rosemead. Michelin’s own California additions page separately identified Los Angeles-area entries including Miura, ALTO, Casa Leo, Electric Bleu, Kojima, Lielle and Lynx, and said the new restaurants are marked with a “New” symbol on its website and mobile app. (guide.michelin.com) ### Why is Sonoratown drawing attention in this list? Sonoratown, the long-running taqueria known for flour tortillas and northern Mexico-style dishes, stood out because Michelin’s additions were not limited to tasting-menu restaurants. MyNewsLA said the new selections included Sonoratown alongside several high-end tasting-menu destinations. LAist also grouped Sonoratown with newer chef-led openings, underscoring the range of formats Michelin included in this round. (laist.com) The Michelin Guide does not assign a star simply by adding a restaurant to the selection. Time Out Los Angeles said these additions are entry-level designations, meaning inspectors have visited and decided the restaurants are worth listing before any later decision on Stars or Bib Gourmands. (guide.michelin.com) ### How new are some of these restaurants? LAist reported that some of the restaurants Michelin added are only months old. Its list paired established names such as Sonoratown with recent openings including Kojima, Lynx and other newer chef-driven projects. (mynewsla.com) Michelin’s descriptions also emphasized how recent some addresses are. The guide called Miura “a fresh start” for a Beverly Hills sushi address, described Kojima as an eight-seat counter in Sawtelle, and said reservations at Marcus Jernmark’s Lielle were already difficult to secure. (timeout.com) ### Does this mean any of them already have Michelin stars? Michelin said no stars or Bib Gourmands were awarded in the May 20 additions announcement. The guide stated that those distinctions will be revealed at the annual California ceremony on June 24. (laist.com) LAist said some of the newly added restaurants could receive a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand at that ceremony. That leaves the May announcement as an early signal that inspectors have the restaurants on their radar, without disclosing which ones may receive higher honors. (guide.michelin.com) ### What happens on June 24? Michelin said the full 2026 California Guide will be revealed on June 24, with the state’s Stars and Bib Gourmands announced at the annual ceremony. The Los Angeles additions are part of a broader statewide update that also included new restaurants in other Southern California markets and the Bay Area. (guide.michelin.com) The next public milestone is June 24, when Michelin will publish the full California results and identify which newly added restaurants, if any, move from the general selection to Bib Gourmand or star status. (guide.michelin.com) (laist.com)