Californios Becomes the First Mexican Restaurant in the World With Three Michelin Stars

SAN FRANCISCO. Californios, the Mexican tasting-menu restaurant in SoMa, received three Michelin stars at the Michelin Guide’s California ceremony on June 24, 2026. The guide calls it the first Mexican restaurant in the world to reach three stars.

Chef Val Cantu leads the kitchen at Californios, which moved to a larger space at 355 11th Street and reopened there in 2021. The restaurant had held two Michelin stars in recent years before this year’s move to three. Three stars is the guide’s top rating.

What Californios serves

Californios runs a seasonal tasting menu rooted in Mexican cooking and California ingredients. Corn is central: the restaurant uses heirloom varieties grown for its kitchen. Past dishes have included a blue corn tetela with sea urchin, abalone with smoked tortilla, and lamb barbacoa cooked underground in agave leaves. Wine and mezcal pairings are available. The tasting menu runs around $325 per person.

How to visit

Address: 355 11th Street, in SoMa.

Reservations: Required. The restaurant books several weeks ahead through Tock.

Hours: Dinner Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.

Getting there: The dining room is on 11th Street near Folsom in SoMa. Civic Center BART is the nearest station, and several Muni lines serve the surrounding blocks.

Sources: Michelin Guide, The San Francisco Standard, Robb Report, and Hoodline.