The Ultimate List of Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Los Angeles

If you’re even slightly in the know about the international dining scene, then you’re well aware that Michelin stars are high praise—the highest, actually. Hallmarks of culinary excellence, these stars are not easy to obtain, with only the best of the best receiving what many call the “Oscars of the food scene”. 

Unsurprisingly, the Golden State’s restaurants have been eyed by Michelin’s inspectors for quite a while now. While approximately 600 restaurants have received notable accolades (the Michelin green star, the bib gourmand, etc.), only 80 can pride themselves on collecting a number of stars in Michelin’s constellation.

Second only to the Bay Area, Michelin-starred restaurants in Los Angeles are a feast for the stomach. Ranging from all-American favorites to Japanese eateries with prized omakase menus, these restaurants will make you fall in love at first bite. So without further ado, here’s a guide to L.A. foodie heaven, bon appetit!

The Complete List of Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Los Angeles

One Star Michelin Restaurants in Los Angeles 

Kato

Location: 11925 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles

This eatery—a tiny 27-seater on the West Side—is tucked in a corner of a strip mall. But once you walk through the door, the divine energy flowing in from Jon Yao’s Michelin-starred L.A. kitchen is palpable. Kato’s menu weaves together ideas and flavors coming both from Taiwan and Los Angeles. The main specialty is seafood; most dishes lean on Yao’s Asian American nostalgia. While menus are constantly changing and elevating, you can always find a Taiwanese steamed fish inspired by Yao’s mother’s recipe.

Q Sushi

Location: 521 West 7th Street, Los Angeles

Downtown L.A.’s frenzied energy stops as soon as you enter the intimate Q Sushi. Inside this Michelin-rated restaurant in Los Angeles, time stands still. Classical violin plays as you approach your seat at the sushi bar, adorned elegantly with Edo period artifacts. As you would have guessed, seafood is Q’s specialty. Pieces are sliced delicately and placed on rice with expert finesse. There are typically more than 15 courses, and each one is an alluring experience. Even if you don’t live in L.A., this eatery is worth the drive.

Mori Sushi

Location: 11500 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles

Mori Sushi is not your average cookie-cutter sushi bar. The inside of this Michelin-rated restaurant in Los Angeles looks like a modern art gallery, with stained plywood flooring, white walls, and oversized paper lanterns hanging atop. As for the main event, it’s omakase all the way. There is nothing more Mori Sushi than Hokkaido scallops for two. Alternatively, you can opt for varying grades of mackerels and tunas—there’s really no wrong choice.

Shibumi

Location: 815 South Hill Street, Los Angeles

The City of Angels has seen its share of unique, high-end Japanese restaurants over the years, but none have ever come close to Shibumi. Located in a quiet section of Hill Street, this iconic ethnic eatery can be found only by its large lotus-shaped window. The menu at Shibumi is filled with surprises, like the custard-like silky egg tofu or the strip of local Holstein beef served with grilled fresh wasabi and nara-zuke pickles. Add that to a mesmerizing, minimalist setting, and you’ve got yourself a Michelin-starred sushi place in Los Angeles.

Hayato

Location: 1320 East 7th Street 126, Los Angeles

If you’re strolling through L.A.’s Arts District, try to locate a place with Noren curtains flapping in the wind. The six-seat Hayato opens a portal into a whole other culinary world. The Michelin-starred Los Angeles restaurant offers a menu you’re unlikely to forget. Enjoy a $200 multicourse meal steeped in the nuances of washoku or traditional Japanese cooking, presented beautifully and intricately attuned to the seasons.

Le Comptoir

Location: 3606 West 6th Street, Los Angeles,

Nestled in the heart of Koreatown, Le Comptoir is a tiny prix-fixe vegetarian and vegan restaurant made up of one long wooden counter and eight chairs. There’s a chance you’ve walked past its big windows on a night out in K-Town but assumed the space was an exclusive pop-up for the artsier ones. However, Le Comptoir is a Michelin-starred gem in Los Angeles, with a laid-back setting and unforgettable food. The yam veloute is one of the best things you’ll try at this place. The creamy yam soup with sheep’s milk yogurt will have you asking the chef for seconds—even thirds.

Rustic Canyon

Location: 1119 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica

While chef Jeremy Fox made his name with seasonal veggies at Ubuntu in Napa, this Santa Monica wine bar doesn’t fall far behind. His melty raclette toast with chicken-skin cracklings and onion jam is unreal, especially when dunked in chicken consomme. And as for seafood, don’t skip on Rustic Canyon’s signature green pozole with poblano, hominy, and mussels.

Orsa and Winston

Location: 22 West 4th Street, Los Angeles

While a Japanese Italian mash-up sounds straight out of Chopped Challenge, Orsa and Winston executes this menu very well. For lunch, you can order both a fairly straight-up Japanese chicken katsu sandwich or a smoked fish plate with a shoyu egg on top of a tuna tonnato—both will equally amaze you. Dinners at this Michelin-approved restaurant in Los Angeles are even better with six-course, constantly-changing tasting menus.

Osteria Mozza

Location: 6602 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles

Powerhouse chef duo Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton set the bar high with their Michelin-starred eatery in Los Angeles. This restaurant offers not only a phenomenal gastronomical experience, but it also practices sustainability while satisfying cravings. Osteria Mozza’s pasta is to-die-for—there’s a mozzarella bar rich in burrata. You can dress your pasta in anything your heart desires, but a celeb and local fave is definitely the bacon with caramelized shallots.

Two Star Michelin Restaurants in L.A. 

n/naka

Location: 3455 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles 

L.A. dining is generally a spontaneous affair, but an evening spent at n/naka usually requires a little bit of forethought. Reservations at this two-star Michelin restaurant are booked up to three months in advance—securing a place at this 26-seater isn’t easy. Cher Niki Nakayama’s modern interpretation of kaiseki was even featured in the Netflix docu-series Chef’s Table. For her, the restaurant is like a dinner theater in which the writer and producers orchestrate the meal’s progression to the sound designer. The latter, in turn, selects the music to set the mood. Order the Modern Kaiseki or the 13-course Vegetarian Tasting and get transported into a world of exquisite flavors.