The big reveal of the new 2025 Michelin Guide for California happened in Sacramento Wednesday night, and the big local winners include a tiny restaurant in West Oakland that already won over the Chronicle's critic.
The major Bay Area Michelin news is the fact that Enclos, just off the town square in Sonoma, joins the guide for the first time at the two-star level — a feat not often accomplished for a new restaurant, but a feat that was matched by Sonoma County's SingleThread just after it opened in 2017. (And it was quickly elevated to three stars.)
Kiln, in Hayes Valley, from former Sons & Daughters chef John Wesley, has been quickly elevated to two stars, joining Sons & Daughters in that revered tier. And Oakland's tiny and already exclusive — thanks to a glowing Chronicle review in December — Sun Moon Studio in Oakland joins the guide for the first time with one star.
Otherwise, there are no big shakeups. The recently closed Osito and Aphotic, which each earned stars in last year's guide, are the only ones to drop off the list this year.
But that also means no hard-earned stars for some SFist favorites that have been deserving of acclaim and have been sadly snubbed multiple times, including Nightbird in Hayes Valley, Ernest in Potrero, and Anomaly in Lower Pac Heights.
The ceremony for the latest Michelin Guide happened for the first time in Sacramento on Wednesday, several years after the higher-ups at Michelin decided to expand the guide to include all of California — after over a decade in which the Bay Area was the only part of the state with a restaurant guide of its own.
Sacramento still only boasts a lone restaurant with one Michelin star, Localis. But the Michelin Guide has tried to spread the attention around and has hosted the ceremony for the California guide in multiple spots around the state in the last few years, so Sac was the spot Wednesday night. Last year's ceremony was held at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, 2023's ceremony was held at Oakland's Chabot Space & Science Center, and the 2022 ceremony was held in Los Angeles, coinciding with SoCal's first three-star restaurant elevation, Addison at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego.
Los Angeles still had not seen a three-star distinction for one of its restaurants until this year — with both Michael Cimarusti's Providence, which held two stars in the short-lived Los Angeles Michelin Guide almost two decades ago, and West Hollywood's Somni, from Chef Aitor Zabala, joining the three-star ranks.
The full list of Northern California starsfor 2025 is below.
Three stars
Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Benu, San Francisco
The French Laundry, Yountville
Quince, San Francisco
SingleThread, Healdsburg
Two stars
Acquerello, San Francisco
Aubergine, Carmel
Birdsong, San Francisco
Californios, San Francisco
Commis, Oakland
Enclos, Sonoma (new)
Harbor House, Elk (Mendocino County)
Kiln, San Francisco
Lazy Bear, San Francisco
Saison, San Francisco
Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
One star
7 Adams, San Francisco
Angler, San Francisco
Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford
Auro, Calistoga
Chez Noir, Carmel
Cyrus, Geyserville
Hilda and Jesse, San Francisco
Kenzo, Napa
Kin Khao, San Francisco
The Kitchen, Sacramento
Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn, San Francisco
Localis, Sacramento
Madcap, San Anselmo
Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
Nari, San Francisco
Niku Steakhouse, San Francisco
Nisei, San Francisco
O’ by Claude Le Tohic, San Francisco
Plumed Horse, Saratoga
Press, Saint Helena
The Progress, San Francisco
Protégé, Palo Alto
San Ho Won, San Francisco
Selby’s, Redwood City
The Shota, San Francisco
Sorrel, San Francisco
Ssal, San Francisco
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Sun Moon Studio, Oakland (new)
The Village Pub, Woodside
Wakuriya, San Mateo
Top image: Photo by Adahlia Cole / Enclos
