Michelin heads to San Diego
For the first time the California Michelin Guide awards ceremony will be held in San Diego, shifting the state's dining spotlight south for 2026. (The San Diego Union‑Tribune reported the 2026 California Michelin ceremony is moving to San Diego) (sandiegouniontribune.com).
San Diego will host the California Michelin Guide awards ceremony on June 24, the first time the state event has been held there. (sandiegouniontribune.com) The Michelin Guide will reveal its 2026 California stars and other honors at Eve, a waterfront event venue on San Diego Bay, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune and local reports. Michelin’s California ceremonies have recently rotated through cities including Sacramento, which hosted the 2025 event on June 25 at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center. (sandiegouniontribune.com) (guide.michelin.com) The ceremony is where Michelin publicly announces which California restaurants earned, kept, lost, or gained distinctions such as one, two, or three stars, plus Bib Gourmand and Green Star awards. Michelin says stars are revealed at the annual ceremony, while new restaurants can be added to the broader California selection during the year. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) San Diego enters the 2026 ceremony with two starred restaurants listed by Michelin: Addison in Del Mar and Soichi in San Diego. Michelin’s official San Diego listings also show a wider bench of Bib Gourmand and selected restaurants across the county. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) The move puts the state’s top dining event in a county that has spent the past several years building Michelin visibility but still trails Los Angeles and the Bay Area in star count. Michelin’s 2025 California guide added two new three-star restaurants statewide, two new two-star restaurants, and five new one-star restaurants. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) California’s Michelin guide has become a yearly showcase not just for luxury tasting menus but also for lower-priced Bib Gourmand picks and sustainability-focused Green Stars. In 2024, Michelin announced 10 new Bib Gourmands in California before that year’s star ceremony. (guide.michelin.com) (guide.michelin.com) For San Diego restaurants, hosting does not guarantee new stars, because Michelin says its inspectors make selections independently and visit anonymously. It does guarantee that on June 24, the state’s restaurant industry will be looking south when the new California rankings are announced. (guide.michelin.com) (sandiegouniontribune.com)
