San Diego to host first California Michelin Guide awards ceremony

The Michelin Guide has announced it will hold its 2026 California restaurant awards ceremony in San Diego on June 24.

Since San Diego County restaurants became eligible to earn Michelin stars, Bib Gourmand and Selection honors in 2019, all of the annual award ceremonies since then have taken place in cities to the north, including Dana Point, Los Angeles and Sacramento.

The choice of San Diego as the awards location isn’t necessarily an indication that special accolades will be awarded to local restaurants this year. But it will allow this city to share in the national press attention that popular food cities like San Francisco and L.A. have garnered from the ceremonies in past years.

William Bradley, who became San Diego’s first Michelin star honoree in 2019, was over the moon with excitement Thursday about San Diego’s selection as a host city. Bradley is the chef/director of Addison by William Bradley, which is now one of just 14 Michelin three star restaurants in the United States.

“This is a dream come true,” Bradley said, in a phone interview from Las Vegas where he’s attending the Ment’Or BKB Foundation’s Young Chef & Commis Competition in prepration for the global Bocuse d’Or competition.

“To sit back and look at how far this city has come and how much great talent is beginning to blossom in San Diego makes me so excited. I’m so proud to be a native San Diegan and proud for the future, and it will only continue to get better,” Bradley said.

“This is a great opportunity for San Diego to be recognized. Michelin finds these little hidden gems and gives them an opportunity to be very successful. I’m very, very, very happy for the city and I’m looking forward to showcasing the city of San Diego and all my fellow chefs,” he said.

The invitation-only ceremony will take place at EVE, a new San Diego Bay-facing event space across Harbor Drive from the USS Midway Museum. The top-floor, 7,800-square-foot event space, run by San Diego’s Finest Collective, can accommodate up to 1,000 people.

Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, praised California’s leadership in the food world.

"As one of our legacy Guide destinations in the U.S., California has long stood out as a leading gastronomy destination on the global culinary stage," Poullennec said in a statement. "With a combination of new emerging talent and tenured culinary leaders, we look forward to commemorating another exiting year for the Michelin Guide throughout the state of California."

Here are all 42 of the current Michelin Guide honorees in San Diego County:

Michelin Starred: 5

Stars honor outstanding cooking, based on the five criteria of ingredient quality, harmony of flavors, the mastery of culinary techniques, how the chef's personality shines through their cuisine and consistency across the entire menu and over time. Restaurants can earn up to three stars. There are just 14 Michelin three-star restaurants in the U.S.

• Addison by William Bradley, Carmel Valley – 3 stars (temporarily closed for renovations, will reopen in mid-May)
• Jeune et Jolie, Carlsbad – 1 star
• Lilo, Carlsbad – 1 star
• Soichi, North Park – 1 star
• Valle, Oceanside – 1 star

Bib Gourmand: 9

A Bib Gourmand honors great cooking at great value - simple, skillful dishes that don't compromise on quality.

• Atelier Manna, Leucadia
• Callie, East Village
• Cesarina, Point Loma
• Ciccia Osteria, Barrio Logan
• Cucina Urbana, Bankers Hill
• Dija Mara, Oceanside
• Lola 55, East Village
• Mabel's Gone Fishing, North Park
• Morning Glory, Little Italy

Selections: 28

This represents high-quality food.

• Artifact at Mingei, Balboa Park
• A.R. Valentien, La Jolla
• Born & Raised, Little Italy
• Catania, La Jolla
• Campfire, Carlsbad
• Coasterra, Harbor Island
• Cloak & Petal, Little Italy
• Craft & Commerce, Little Italy
• The Fishery, Pacific Beach
• Fort Oak, Mission Hills
• Great Maple, Hillcrest
• Herb & Wood, Little Italy
• Hidden Fish, Convoy District
• Himitsu, La Jolla
• Juniper & Ivy, Little Italy
• Kingfisher, Golden Hill
• Market Restaurant + Bar, Del Mar
• Menya Ultra, Convoy District
• Nine-Ten, La Jolla
• Paradisaea, Bird Rock, La Jolla
• Siamo Napoli, North Park
• Seréa Coastal Cuisine, Coronado
• Solare, Liberty Station
• Sushi Tadakoro, Old Town
• Tanner's Prime Burgers, Oceanside
• Trust, Hillcrest
• 24 Suns, Oceanside
• Sovereign, East Village

For the complete list of all California Michelin Guide honorees, visit guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/restaurants.

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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 10:40 AM.