Michelin adds 11 Los Angeles restaurants

Michelin added 11 Los Angeles-area restaurants to its California selection on May 20, expanding the list of places its inspectors say diners should know before the state’s annual awards ceremony. The additions do not automatically mean stars or Bib Gourmands, but they place the restaurants inside Michelin’s California guide and on its watch list ahead of the next round of distinctions. Michelin said new restaurants are added to the selection twice a year, with stars and Bib Gourmands to be announced on June 24 in San Diego. ### Which Los Angeles restaurants were added this time? Time Out reported that the 11 Los Angeles-area additions were ALTO in Studio City, Casa Leo in Los Feliz, Electric Bleu in Mar Vista, Good Alley, Kojima in Sawtelle, Lielle, Lynx, Miura in Beverly Hills, The Mulberry in Sawtelle, Sonoratown in Downtown Los Angeles, and SORA Craft Kitchen. Michelin’s California update page also lists Los Angeles additions including ALTO, Casa Leo, Electric Bleu, Kojima, Lielle and Lynx. (guide.michelin.com) Palisades News said six of the Southern California additions were on the Westside, highlighting Sawtelle, Mar Vista and Pico-Robertson, along with Downtown Los Angeles taco destination Sonoratown. That local breakdown helps explain why the list drew attention beyond the formal Michelin announcement. (timeout.com) ### Does this mean any of them won Michelin stars? Michelin said no stars or Bib Gourmands were awarded in this update. The guide said these restaurants were added to the broader California selection and marked with a “New” symbol on its website and mobile app, while the annual distinctions will be revealed later. Time Out described the additions as “entry-level designations,” meaning Michelin’s anonymous inspectors visited and decided the restaurants were worth including in the guide. (palisadesnews.com) The outlet said the new entries are now on the list of places that could receive further recognition at the June 24 California ceremony. (guide.michelin.com) ### What kinds of restaurants made the list? Michelin’s descriptions show a wide spread of formats and cuisines. ALTO in Studio City is a live-fire restaurant focused on Argentine and Uruguayan flavors, while Electric Bleu in Mar Vista is described as a French bistro with a California accent. Kojima is an eight-seat Sawtelle counter run by chef Hayato Kojima, and Lielle is a tasting-menu restaurant from chef Marcus Jernmark. (timeout.com) Lynx, Michelin said, is focused on pizza. Palisades News said Miura in Beverly Hills is an omakase restaurant led by chef Derek Wilcox, and described Electric Bleu as a contemporary neighborhood bistro from chef-owner Craig Hopson. It said Kojima operates as a hyper-seasonal Japanese counter with room for eight diners. ### Why are people focusing on the Westside? (guide.michelin.com) Sawtelle appears twice on the list, with Kojima and The Mulberry, and Mar Vista appears with Electric Bleu, according to Time Out. Palisades News said the additions also include a Pico-Robertson tasting-menu restaurant and framed the Westside concentration as a notable feature of this round. (palisadesnews.com) Downtown Los Angeles also drew attention because Sonoratown made the cut. Time Out called it “taco and tortilla heaven,” while Palisades News described it as a critically acclaimed counter-service taco destination. ### What happens next in California’s Michelin cycle? June 24 is the next key date. (timeout.com) Michelin said the California ceremony will be held in San Diego, where it will announce the state’s Stars and Bib Gourmands for 2026. Until then, the newly added Los Angeles restaurants will appear in Michelin’s California selection online and in the Michelin Guide app with the “New” marker. (guide.michelin.com)