Michelin Star San Diego Guide: The Addison, Quixote, William Bradley & Top Restaurants in San Diego

Michelin Recommended Restaurants Are In Abundance in San Diego

While you may expect that the U.S. state with the most Michelin-star restaurants has to be New York simply because of New York City’s worldwide culinary prowess, the truth of the matter is that California, the most populous state has 87 dining spots that have received this prestigious award and is tops in the country. New York does come in second with a competitive 70 Michelin-star establishments, followed by Florida with 31, Washington, D.C./Virginia with 26, and Illinois with 19.

Being awarded a Michelin star at any level is an honor to always be treasured. One star, according to the Michelin editors, is indicative of a “very good” restaurant, “excellent cooking worth a detour” describes dining rooms that earn two stars, and the “highest honor” of three stars is reserved for the best-of-the-best restaurants.

For a complete description with menus of San Diego area Michelin-star award winners, click on the link for each restaurant listed below. Expect any Michelin-star winning dining spot to be on the spendy side, but serious foodies are rarely swayed by this potential drawback. In fact, just being able to tell others that you ate at one of these incredible restaurants is enough to make some food connoisseurs feel as if they belong to an elite group of foodies.

With the notoriety of a Michelin star hanging in a dining establishment, this also means that reservations will be an absolute necessity, and they should be made as far in advance of your visit to San Diego as possible. It sometimes takes weeks or even months to get a reservation, but you never know when there may be a cancellation so it’s always worth trying.

ADDISON:

Three stars (since 2022), 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, San Diego (20 miles north of downtown.)

Making its home at the elegant five-star rated Fairmont Grand Del Mar resort, Addison by William Bradley specializes in unmatched California cuisine. One of only seven Michelin three-star restaurants in the state and the only one in Southern California, Addison has become a world-class dining destination for travelers seeking elite culinary experiences. A ten-course tasting menu that changes with the seasons and availability of local produce is the highlight of your evening, with an extensive wine list which pairs to the current menu items.

JEUNE ET JOLIE:

One star (since 2021),2659 State St., Carlsbad (35 miles north of downtown.)

This North County standout features stylish surroundings and equally elegant contemporary French dining. Translated as “young and beautiful”, Jeune et Joliepresents a nicely polished approach to French cuisine, rather than a rustic or traditional cooking style. The prix fixe (set price) four course dinner is aptly dubbed “Un, Deux, Trois, Quatre”. Examples of the amazing dishes offered include lamb tartare, Sonoma County duck, trout with artichoke and mussels, and a delectable bittersweet chocolate dessert with honey and hazelnut.

SOICHI:

One star (since 2021), 2121 Adams Ave., San Diego (four miles from downtown in the University Heights neighborhood.)

This chef-driven sushi dining spot delivers an omakase experience that is widely revered. Guests quickly notice the amazing skill that is required for everything served, but it is still simple and very approachable. Menu items are the freshest available and vary not only day-to-day, but sometimes from diner-to-diner. In addition to Chef Soichi’s creations, the restaurant offers a chirashi bowl with a base of sushi rice and then topped with an assortment of sashimi toro, ahi, salmon, scallops, and other seafood.

VALLE:

One star (since 2023), 222 N. Pacific St., Oceanside (39 miles north of downtown San Diego.)

While this restaurant which specializes in Modern Mexican cuisine is a long drive from San Diego proper, if you are staying in Del Mar, La Jolla, or Carlsbad, Valle is a dining spot that is within easier reach. Located near the Oceanside Pier in the luxurious four-star rated Mission Pacific Beach Resort, the fixe prix menu is like no other you may have previously experienced. The refined tasting menu is matched-up beautifully with Mexican Baja California wines and may include tamal de huitlacoche with black truffle, scallop crudo with hibiscus agrodolce, or mole negro glazed short ribs. Keep in mind, however, that the menu is constantly changing based on availability of the highest quality meats and seafood, and the freshest vegetables found locally. Courses are served at a relaxed pace for maximum enjoyment.

LILO:

One star (since 2025), 2571 Roosevelt St., Carlsbad (34 miles north of downtown San Diego.)

According to the Michelin raters, “Good things often come in small packages…”, and this is absolutely true about Lilo, with a petite 22-seat dining room that dazzles diners with a feast that begins on the heated patio with small bites served outdoors. Guests then move to the indoors dining room where they are seated around the chef’s counter. Dishes may include 40-day dry-aged ribeye that has been preserved with seaweed, mushrooms, and bordelaise, to the absolutely freshest seafood imaginable. The chef’s curated dishes are clearly connected to the California coast and inland farms, starting out savory and progressing to sweeter items as the multi-course tasting menu evolves. You won’t want to miss the sweet cream gelato dessert topped with hoja Santa and finger lime.

Michelin’s Bib Gourmand Recognized Restaurants in the San Diego Area

Known for excellent food at more affordable prices than the fine dining establishments described above, Bib Gourmand restaurants attract a more down-to-earth crowd that appreciates great food and a lively atmosphere, rather than a fixed menu experience.

CAMPFIRE:

(since 2019), 2725 State St., Carlsbad (35 miles north of downtown San Diego.)

Dine here and feel as if you are gathered around an outdoor campfire. The New American menu features dishes where grilling and cooking with a live fire is paramount. You’ll feel right at home with the smoky flavors of the Japanese brisket plate with furikake, as well as the grilled pork, chicken, and fresh seafood. The menu is creatively divided into sections named Trailhead, Kindling, The Fire, and Trail’s End for dessert.

CUCINA urbana:

(since 2019), 505 Laurel St., San Diego (In the Bankers Hill neighborhood of downtown San Diego, adjacent to Balboa Park.)

With a warm California laid-back environment, the classic Italian dishes served-up at CUCINA urbana hit the spot perfectly. The quality of the ingredients come shining through in their ribeye carpaccio and grilled octopus antipasti, and the nice assortment of creative pizza. For pasta, check out the incredible mussel linguine or butternut squash ravioli. Hearty eaters are taken care of here too, with branzino, lamb osso bucco, a great burger, and roasted chicken options. Wine drinkers rejoice! The highly regarded wine list is offered at retail liquor shop prices, encouraging you to find one to drink now, and the opportunity to buy another to take home.

JUNIPER & IVY:

(since 2019), 2228 Kettner Blvd., San Diego (1.5 miles from city center, adjacent to the airport.)

Featuring a chef-driven New American menu that relies on fresh seasonal ingredients, Juniper & Ivy has turned a 90-year-old converted warehouse into an upscale dining experience that San Diegan’s continue to rave about. With colorful modern artwork, large, curved booths, an open kitchen that’s great for viewing, and libations that draw a lively crowd, this is one of the places worth reserving before coming to town. Calling its menu “Left Coast Cookery”, dishes rotate regularly based on ingredient availability. From the jerk spiced sirloin and Hokkaido scallops to the albacore tuna tostada with shark sauce, you will find creativity and incredible flavors throughout the unique menu items found here. Come here for some apps, tapas, or a large plate meal. You won’t be disappointed.

LOLA 55:

(since 2019), 1290 F St., San Diego (In downtown San Diego’s East Village.)

For very affordable and absolutely delicious Mexican cuisine look no further than Lola 55’s taco-focused menu that features a slew of options for less than $10. Using local ingredients, the chef cooks up amazing Baja-style fish, mesquite chicken, pork belly al pastor, and many more delectable dishes. Add-ons are also value-priced or choose a platter for less than $20 with a couple of exceptions. For further enjoyment LOLA 55 offers a fully-stocked bar with tequilas, agua frescas, plenty of cervezas, and don’t forget the mezcals.

CALLIE:

(since 2021), 1195 Island Ave., San Diego (In downtown San Diego’s East Village)

With the restaurant’s name coming from the Greek word “Kallos” which translates as “the most beautiful”, diners can expect flavor-driven Mediterranean dishes that are highly shareable around the table. Utilizing top-of-the-line fresh Southern California ingredients, the flavors of Greece, Spain, Morocco, Italy, and the Middle East come together in a uniquely diverse menu. Start with the smokey eggplant babaghanoush followed by steak tartare or one of their amazing salads or veggies appetizers. The crunchy Egyptian carrots are always superb. Callie offers a selection of fresh pastas, grilled lamb, line-caught fish, and the Aleppo chicken is a dish you won’t find anywhere else.

CESARINA:

(since 2021), 4161 Voltaire St., San Diego (Seven miles northwest of downtown in the Point Loma neighborhood.)

Top quality Italian cooking and reasonably priced, Cesarina is a cheerful neighborhood trattoria that would be overlooked by visitors had it not been for its Bib Gourmand recognition five years ago. According to the Michelin raters, “those on a quest for indulgence should look no further than the truffled gnocchi with a cream sauce, served in its own copper pot.” If that doesn’t pique your palette, how about starting out with the antipasti Impepata di Cozzi (fresh mussels in a white wine and garlic broth), before moving on to the “Pastifico”, where you get to choose one of ten pasta shapes, the sauce to go with it, and a meat, seafood, or cheese topping. This is the perfect spot for vegetarians, vegans, landlubbers, and seafood lovers. Of course, the house-made lasagna, gnocchi, cioppino, chicken, and fish dishes are extraordinary, as is the extensive wine list. If you still have space in your tummy, a delightful selection of decadent desserts are a fantastic way to complete your lunch or dinner.

CICCIA OSTERIA:

(since 2021), 2233 Logan Ave., San Diego (Two miles south of downtown in the Barrio Logan neighborhood.)

This cozy trattoria makes guests feel like they are dining in a friend’s home. Located in a converted house, which makes a lot of sense as the relaxed atmosphere really is a family operation. With a husband and wife team running the kitchen, the anticipation of your meal being served is part of the experience. The modern Italian dishes include crab gnocchi, Frutti di mare, pasta white stew, squid black ink pasta, risotto with lobster and shrimp, and four homemade raviolis with four unique Ciccia Osteria fillings. Vegetarian and vegan diners will find plenty to their liking here, but steak, chicken, fish, and veal chop lovers are also in luck with the creative menu. An approachable list of wines and beer are also available.

DIJA MARA:

(since 2021), 232 S. Coast Hwy., Oceanside (38 miles north of downtown San Diego.)

Here’s another North County restaurant that should be “on the menu” for visitors staying in suburban San Diego. Not only is Balinese-inspired cuisine not something you come across every day, but the combination of SoCal mastery with Southeast Asian flavors is spectacular and memorable at the same time. According to Michelin’s reviewers “you’ll find some serious Indonesian cooking here.” Indeed, you will. The crispy fried shallot and charred eggplants with smoke tomato sambal are just two dishes that caught the rater’s attention. Other recommendations from the eclectic menu include chicken thigh skewers in a peanut-cucumber-green onion sauce, Mia Goreng (spicy wok-fried noodles) with bean sprouts and a daily protein, and sea bream ceviche in a lime-coconut cream sauce. Each of the dozen or so dishes are colorfully presented, and perhaps best of all, prices are quite moderate.

MORNING GLORY:

(since 2021), 550 W. Dale St., San Diego (Less than a mile from the heart of San Diego.)

Even if you’re reading this while looking for a special dinner spot, this place is so much fun that you have to at least look at the off-the-wall menu (click the link above). Serving just breakfast and brunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. weekends, what can be bad about starting your day with a standout meal in Little Italy, of all places? And if Michelin has recognized Morning Glory, it must be something special. From their difficult to decipher website that proclaims, “We don’t make websites. We make breakfast.”, to their out-of-this-world pancakes (classic and vegan are available), and avocado toast, if you come here towards the start of your vacation, in all probability you will return. Other unique dishes include Morning Glory ginger fried rice, a lobster omelet, salmon carpaccio, with the caffeinated beverage and start your day liquor drinks options being every bit as creative.

MABEL’S GONE FISHING:

(since 2023), 3772 30th St., San Diego (Four miles NE of downtown in the North Park neighborhood.)

Seafood extraordinaire says it all in French, but Mabel’s (named for a well-loved dog) describes itself as a “ginoteria” that that serves up incredible Iberian-style seafood, though we’re not sure where the swordfish schnitzel dish comes from. Michelin’s reviewers stress the “…excellent local seafood with a simple-yet-satisfying approach that blends Californian and Iberian cuisine…the results are undeniably delicious.” Be aware the menu frequently changes due to availability of fresh fish, but you are bound to find grilled options such as swordfish, sea bass, and snapper, in addition to prawn toast, and grilled octopus skewers. There are daily oysters and raw fish apps available, too, along with stuffed dates and a la carte queso. The massive list of beverages ranges from non-alcoholic to a variety of gin and tonics, gimlets, martinis, draft beers, and a wide selection of mostly Spanish wines.

ATELIER MANA:

(since 2025), 1076 N. Coast Hwy. 101, Encinitas (27 miles north of downtown.)

One of a kind definitely describes Atelier Manna, located in the Leucadia beachside neighborhood of Encinitas. Chef Andrew Bachelier is nationally known from many of his past positions including at Jeune et Jolie, Addison, and Cucina Enoteca. Considered a “modern-day atelier”, or sanctuary, the menu focuses on daytime dishes (breakfast and mid-day) with a strong focus on whole, unprocessed foods that can “heal and foster well-being”. The menu changes regularly based on the availability of fresh local ingredients and usually consists of eight to ten eclectic dishes. Recent options include Torrija – Spanish style French toast, cilbar Turkish eggs with yogurt, ancient grains porridge, and grilled port roulade. What the restaurant calls “Vitality Tonics” and “Wellness Shots” are highlighted on the menu, in addition to hot and cold brew coffee, and several types of teas. Michelin further advises that this beautiful, soothing dining spot presents “…plates that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate,”

Michelin’s San Diego “New Discoveries” For 2025

Just because a restaurant hasn’t been awarded a Michelin star or a Bib Gourmand designation doesn’t mean that isn’t someplace you may want to consider for a wonderful meal. As they do each year, Michelin’s reviewers also name other excellent restaurants as a “New Discovery”, indicating huge upside potential in the years to come.

In 2025, the two San Diego dining establishments noted in Michelin’s California guide were TANNER’S PRIME BURGERS and 24 SUNS, both located on the North Coast in Oceanside.

Tanner’s features American cuisine that is all about supreme quality beef that must be single-source USDA prime. Add cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, or other toppings, pop it on a brioche bun, and you’re in business!

At 24 Suns you’ll discover contemporary Chinese dishes that are constantly evolving, driven totally by the seasonality of fresh ingredient availability. It isn’t often that a former dive bar is converted into a wonderfully comfortable dining spot that includes booth, tables, or if you prefer, bar seating. Snacks, dumplings, and shareable plates are the order of each day, and are nicely complemented by wines by the glass and bottle, as well as saki.

Here’s How to Find the Best Hotels Close to Some of Dallas and Fort Worth’s Most Popular Restaurants

With hundreds of hotels to consider in San Diego, we’ve come to rely on the hotel booking website Travelated, for the widest selection of properties at the best prices no matter where our travels take us.

Whether you choose to stay in or close to downtown San Diego, within minutes of SAN Airport, or in North County towns including La Jolla and Carlsbad/Oceanside, a wide variety of incredible dining possibilities await you.

San Diego’s Dining Scene Is Incredibly Diverse

While there may be more Michelin star award winning restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles, that clearly doesn’t mean that visitors to San Diego won’t find amazing dining places to experience while visiting. Mexican, Italian, French, Asian, Spanish, sushi, California-style and yes, even good old American food, is widely represented here.

No matter what kind of food you’re looking for, the San Diego area has it for you in great abundance.