Michelin adds 11 L.A. restaurants

Michelin added 11 Los Angeles-area restaurants to its California Guide on May 20, expanding the list of Southern California contenders ahead of the guide’s full 2026 California reveal on June 24. The additions do not automatically mean a star is coming, but they place those restaurants inside Michelin’s official selection and in the running for further distinctions. Michelin said new restaurants are added to the selection twice a year and marked with a “New” symbol on its website and app. ### Which Los Angeles restaurants were added this time? Michelin’s May 2026 California additions for Los Angeles included ALTO in Studio City, Casa Leo, Electric Bleu in Mar Vista, Kojima in Sawtelle, Lielle, Lynx, Miura in Beverly Hills and Sonoratown, according to Michelin’s California additions page and local coverage. Eater Los Angeles reported the May 20 class totaled 11 L.A.-area restaurants, with the rest of the Southern California additions spread across San Diego, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs. (latimes.com) Sonoratown was among the most recognizable names in the group because it was already a well-known downtown Los Angeles taco destination and already appears on Michelin’s site as a listed restaurant. Michelin’s own restaurant page shows Sonoratown in Los Angeles in its guide database, while the Los Angeles Times said it was among the newly highlighted L.A.-area additions announced May 20. (guide.michelin.com) ### Does this mean any of them have won a Michelin star? Michelin said no distinctions were awarded on May 20. The guide’s California additions page says Stars and Bib Gourmands will be revealed at the annual ceremony on June 24, while new establishments are added to the selection beforehand. Michelin also says those additions can go on to receive Stars, Bib Gourmands or Green Stars when the full guide is unveiled. (guide.michelin.com) The practical effect is that Michelin inspectors have already decided these restaurants merit inclusion in the guide before any higher designation is announced. Michelin describes the additions as restaurants that “won over” its inspectors, language the company uses on its California update page. ### What kind of restaurants did Michelin single out? Michelin’s May list pointed heavily toward omakase counters and tasting-menu formats, alongside a few more casual standouts. (guide.michelin.com) The guide described Miura in Beverly Hills as an omakase restaurant led by chef Derek Wilcox, called Kojima an eight-seat counter in Sawtelle with a changing menu, and said Lielle drew demand for a tasting menu built around California products. Michelin also described ALTO as a live-fire restaurant and Lynx as a pizza-focused spot from Joshua Skenes. That mix matches the broader pattern in the May additions, which paired chef-driven, limited-seat restaurants with more accessible names such as Sonoratown. Local coverage from Eater and the Los Angeles Times both highlighted that spread in the L.A. group. ### Why did Michelin announce them now instead of waiting until June? Michelin said on its California additions page that inspectors spend the year on the road and that new restaurants are added to the selection twice a year, rather than held back for the annual ceremony. (guide.michelin.com) The company said those restaurants are then flagged as “New” on its website and mobile app until the full set of distinctions is announced. (latimes.com) That staggered approach gives diners an early look at restaurants Michelin inspectors are tracking without disclosing whether any will receive stars or Bib Gourmands. Michelin has used the same format in California before, including a March 2026 batch of additions. ### What happens on June 24? Michelin said the annual California ceremony on June 24 will reveal the guide’s Stars and Bib Gourmands for 2026. (guide.michelin.com) Restaurants added on May 20 remain eligible for those distinctions, along with possible Green Star recognition for sustainability. The next concrete milestone is June 24, when Michelin will publish the full California selection and disclose which of the newly added Los Angeles-area restaurants, if any, move beyond “New” status. (guide.michelin.com)