Michelin adds 11 Los Angeles restaurants

Michelin expanded its California guide on May 20 by adding 21 restaurants statewide, including 11 in the Los Angeles area and seven in the Bay Area, ahead of the 2026 California ceremony in San Diego on June 24. The additions put a new group of restaurants into Michelin’s “Selected” pool before any Stars or Bib Gourmands are announced. (la.eater.com) Michelin said its inspectors add restaurants to the selection twice a year, with distinctions held until the annual ceremony. Local outlets including the Los Angeles Times, LAist and Eater reported that several of the Southern California additions are recent openings. (yahoo.com) ### Which Los Angeles restaurants were added this time? (guide.michelin.com) LAist and Eater identified the 11 Los Angeles-area additions as 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, SORA Craft Kitchen in downtown Los Angeles, and Good Alley in Rosemead. LAist said one other Southern California addition, Alice B., is in Palm Springs rather than Los Angeles County. Eater reported the broader Southern California additions also included restaurants in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs, underscoring that Michelin’s May release was not limited to Los Angeles. (la.eater.com) The statewide total was 21 restaurants. ### Does this mean these places have Michelin stars now? Michelin said no stars or Bib Gourmands are awarded at this stage. The guide’s official California additions page says inspectors add new establishments to the selection during the year, while Stars and Bib Gourmands are revealed only at the annual ceremony. That makes the May announcement an early signal of restaurants Michelin is actively highlighting, not a final award list. (laist.com) LAist said some of the newly added Los Angeles restaurants could go on to receive a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand at the June 24 ceremony. (la.eater.com) ### What does Michelin say it is judging? Michelin said inspectors evaluate restaurants using five criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, the personality of the cuisine, and consistency both over time and across the menu. The company repeated that framework in its California additions material. The March California additions page from Michelin used the same structure, describing inspectors as traveling year-round and adding restaurants that had “won over” them before the annual awards are handed out. (guide.michelin.com) ### How new are some of these Los Angeles picks? (laist.com) LAist reported that some of the Los Angeles additions are only months old, while others are established names. That mix includes longtime taqueria Sonoratown and newer arrivals such as Electric Bleu and Kojima. Michelin’s own Los Angeles listings also show a number of restaurants marked “New,” including some that were already added in the guide’s March 2026 California update, such as Corridor 109, Firstborn, Lapaba, Little Fish Melrose Hill, Lugya’h and Zira Uzbek Kitchen. (guide.michelin.com) Those were separate from the May 20 batch. ### What happens next, and where will the awards be announced? (guide.michelin.com) June 24 is the next date on Michelin’s California calendar. The Los Angeles Times and other reports said the full 2026 California Guide will be revealed at a ceremony in San Diego, where Michelin is expected to announce Stars and Bib Gourmands for restaurants across the state. (laist.com) Until then, Michelin said the newly added restaurants will appear on its website and mobile app with a “New” marker, alongside the rest of the California selection. (yahoo.com) (guide.michelin.com)