Chef Val Cantu’s Californios received three Michelin stars at the Michelin Guide California ceremony that took place in San Diego on June 24. With this, Californios became the first Mexican restaurant in the world to earn the accolade. The prestigious recognition not only cements the restaurant’s place among the world’s finest dining destinations but also marks a defining moment for Mexican gastronomy.
For Californios, the road to three Michelin stars was not easy. Chef Val Cantu, who is a Texas native, worked in various popular kitchens, including Uchi in Austin, Texas, and Sons & Daughters in San Francisco, among others. But there came a time when he noticed the lack of Mexican fine dining options and decided to change that.
Cantu spent time at Pujol in Mexico City and returned to San Francisco to host pop-ups in 2013. Later in 2015, the brick-and-mortar Californios was born in the city by the bay, and in its first year, the newly opened Mexican fine dining restaurant managed to earn one Michelin star. A few years later, Californios became the first Mexican restaurant in America to earn a second Michelin star.
Later in 2020, chef Cantu moved his restaurant to a larger space in San Francisco and reopened the next year to serve his renowned 10-course menu, offering meticulously crafted dishes made with top-quality ingredients and distinct flavours. According to the Michelin Guide, “This is cooking that is refined and inspired, and Chef Cantú’s unique expression of Mexican flavours made with Californian flair is an art form. Familiar items, even a humble tortilla, are elevated here.”
Among other significant wins of the night, Sonoma’s Enclos under Chef Brian Limoges also received three Michelin stars. Built inside an old Victorian home at Stone Edge Farm Vineyards and Winery, the restaurant serves contemporary Californian cuisine inspired by ingredients from Stone Edge Farm and seafood from the Pacific Ocean.
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Another big winner of the night was Kato, Jon Yao’s Taiwanese tasting menu in downtown Los Angeles, which was promoted to two stars. Nine other restaurants, including Corridor 109, Kojima, Lielle, Lucien, Miura, Naides, Seline, Troubadour, and Wolfsbane, earned their first Michelin star, as per Forbes.
The night also witnessed some restaurants losing their Michelin stars. 715, Camphor, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, which was closed last fall, Gwen, Kenzo, Knife Pleat, and Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn, among others, fell out of the rankings. Although these restaurants lost their stars, no restaurants in the three or two-star ranks were demoted in 2026.
