Pizza Extravaganza February 13, 2020

A guide to every one-, two- and three-Michelin-starred spot in the region

By Cesar Hernandez, MacKenzie Chung Fegan and Caleb Pershan | Updated Aug. 11, 2024 4:00 a.m.- San Francisco Chronicle

Since 2007, the Michelin Guide has been awarding Bay Area restaurants with stars like a kindergarten teacher rewarding eager pupils. Considered to be one of the highest honors in the restaurant industry, the stars were shining once again this year, with local newcomers including Hilda & Jessie, Kiln and 7 Adams added to the guide.

The first Michelin Guide was published in France by the famous tire company as a way to encourage drivers to wear out their tires, but in the many years since, the red book has taken on a life of its own. The star-rating system begins at one star for “high quality cooking, worth a stop,” then goes up to two stars for “excellent cuisine, worth a detour,” and three for “exceptional cuisine” that’s “worth a special journey.”

While the Bay Area’s Michelin stars may have peaked in 2019, according to a Chronicle analysis of the data, the year the guide expanded to cover all of California, the region is still a major Michelin hub, with a particularly dense concentration of three-star restaurants. We’ve gathered all the Michelin-starred spots in the Bay Area here in one map.

All the Michelin-starred restaurants in the Bay Area

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