The 14 Finest Michelin-Starred Eating places That Have Reopened In San Francisco

The new Michelin Guide for California is out in a few days, but if all of these SF restaurants can keep their stars, you might be happy to know they’re reopening – in some cases, they’ve quietly reopened this summer for dining at Inside completely dark after more than a year.

It would be kind of mean to strip the stars from a restaurant that deserved it in 2019 if, for example, Michelin inspectors couldn’t arrive on time after their reopening in July or August. It would also be kind of mean to rob a restaurant of its star, considering what restaurants have already experienced in the past year. But who knows?

Here is the full list from the 2019 Michelin Guide, and you’ll find that there have been quite a few closings over the past two years, like Commonwealth, Lord Stanley (who is currently doing rotating pop-ups), Michael Mina and Nico.

Now pretty much all of the remaining restaurants that Michelin previously recognized have made their way back amid a season of staff shortages, changing public health orders, and a stubborn spike in COVID cases across the city. And some of them have done so with little fuss over the past few weeks, after months of either takeaway or outdoor driving, or staying in complete darkness.

Below are SFist’s picks for the best SF restaurants to try right now or whenever you have a special occasion.

ALs place

ALs place
Chef Aaron London’s ode to Californian veggies with meat “on the side” reopened in the spring with plenty of outdoor seating, and they are still going strong with the dining room now open and consequently twice as much seating as before . The Family Prix Fixe ($ 83 per person) is still the way to go for a wide variety of the entire menu. 1499 Valencia street on 26.

Atelier Crenn
For the past two years, Chef Dominique Crenn has stated that her Michelin three-star restaurant would be completely meatless, then opened a vegan supply chain with an initial location in LA, and then announced in August that she plans to stop serving cell-based meat – and become the first US chef to serve UPSIDE Foods’ lab-grown chicken. Atelier Crenn remains the most expensive dinner in town with add-ons at $ 395 per person prepaid (and it now has a very cinematic website landing page, too). But for special occasions for foodinistas, it’s a lyrical and imaginative must-see. 3127 Fillmore Street

Fountain
Chef Corey Lee opened his Michelin three-star spot in SoMa over a decade ago, and his accolades have continued to grow over the years – with former Chronicle critic Michael Bauer taking his four Chronicle stars in 2018 re-affirmed, noting that it now feels like “an Asian restaurant benefiting from some of the best preparations and products in the world.” Lee is now at work trying to open his first Korean restaurant, San Ho Won, but Benu has also quietly reopened this summer, serving his $ 350 multi-course meal, and reservations for 30 days will disappear as soon as possible they are available. 22 Hawthorne Street

Courts in Californios. Photo: Rachel Z./Yelp

California
Californios completed its move from Mission to 11th Street in SoMa (the former Bar Agricole area) earlier this year and quietly opened for al fresco dining in late March. Chef Val Cantu continues to delight his guests with his refined and subtle interpretations of Mexican-Californian cuisine – which earned him two Michelin stars in 2019 Gut. (Tablehopper has the latest rating for the place as of April.) 355 11th Street

June
The intimate Omakase spot in the NoPa neighborhood, which opened five years ago with instant awards, soon gained the respect of Michelin inspectors. This year, the seamless indoor experience was translated into an outdoor sushi counter on Fulton Street – and now there’s an indoor option too. And Chronicle critic Soleil Ho says, “Chef Geoffrey Lee’s menu is pared down and precise, with little ornament to get between you and the melted pieces of seafood.” The fixed price is $ 147 for 12, pretty quick courses, and everyone is raving about the sweet miso soup final course. 1335 Fulton Street in Divisadero

A multi-style dish of Japanese A5 Wagyu beef with tomatoes (including one seared stuffed with braised oxtail) at Lazy Bear. Photo: Instagram

Lazy bear
The pandemic has boosted Lazy Bear’s signature shared dinner party format, but Chef David Barzelay has been open for months, with parklets and individual tables indoors, doing what he says “the most luxurious experience we’ve ever offered Prepaid reservations for groups of 2 to 6 people start at $ 265 per person, with dinner served Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm to 11pm. This is an actual sample menu for your reference. 3416 19th Street

Mr. Jius
Chef Brandon Jew celebrated San Francisco’s Chinese cuisine in Chinatown, earning its status as the city’s only Chinese restaurant with a Michelin star. The restaurant’s reopening took its time as pandemic restrictions shifted, but it was worth the wait – and the swanky Moon Gate Lounge upstairs has reopened as well. Check out the latest autumn menu here and reserve well in advance at the Resy (currently you can only get tables at 5 and 9 p.m. in a few weeks). 28 Waverly Place

Mourad
One of the grandest and most elegant restaurants in town, Mourad, has been reopening in the downtown ghost town for a few months – and even upstairs office tenant Yelp is moving out. Fans are still looking for it, and the place is fully booked on weekends – and Chef Mourad Lahlou’s distinctive and refined variations on Moroccan flavors are second to none. 140 New Montgomery Street

Octopus salad at Octavia. Photo courtesy Octavia

Octavia
Chef Melissa Perello’s restaurant in Pacific Heights, which has been awarded a Michelin star, was reopened at the end of June with new chef Nico Pena (Rich Table, Tartine Manufaktur) at the helm. Pena’s has brought some excellent new pastas to the menu, including an excellent corn lasagna. And fans of Perello’s skillful handling of seasonal vegetables can go from eating here to their weekend pop-up dinners at Frances’ starting this month until Frances fully reopens it. 1701 Octavia Street

Rich table
If you haven’t been to Rich Table in a few years, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Chefs Sara and Evan Rich and their team continue to offer bold and imaginative flavors, including a rigatoni with duck and tomato sauce and a schnitzel-style fried pork chop currently served with German potato salad and cranberries. Let them do the Chef’s Prix Fixe for $ 125 and you won’t be disappointed and you’ll be treated to a range of snack classes – which can be the secret stars of the show anyway. 199 Gough Street

season
Season still does a fine job in the veggie and fire California kitchen. They now have some sleek patio seating in addition to their industrial-chic SoMa dining room, and the current summer menu comes with a price tag of $ 288 per person with optional add-ons. Chef Paul Chung is currently at the helm of the kitchen alongside Chef Richard Lee, but some chef sales in recent years have resulted in a Michelin downgrade from three to two stars – and we’ll see if the Michelin inspectors see them kindly and leave it at two this year. 178 Townsend Street

Photo via Instagram

SPQR
As one of the best Italian restaurants on the bay, the SPQR still operates Thursday through Saturday and still offers a range of take-away options – in addition to hot seared Calabrian chicken take away and delivery on Sundays. and fried donuts on Saturdays to order. Chef Matt Accarrino’s current $ 85 5-course Prix Fixe is one of the better gourmet options in town – with a selection of antipasti, pasta, starters and desserts, as well as a seasonal salad and extras along the way the way. The indoor and outdoor seating, with the exception of the earliest seats, is pretty much sold out in the coming weeks, so book in advance. 1911 Fillmore Street

State bird regulations
It is a testament to the talent of Chef Stuart Brioza and his staff – including Food & Wine Best New Chef Gaby Maeda, Head Chef at State Bird – that the dining experience at State Bird Provisions, now a decade old, has never been felt stale or cheesy on Fillmore Street. The carts and trays that used to be circulating with dim sum-style snacks were believed to have been put away by the end of the pandemic, which means the entire menu is now “commandables” – meaning you can now just order anything at the Standard style, as before, you could only work with a section of elements. And creativity is still in abundance, with Asian-inspired Californian cuisine and the dish of the same name, fried quail with the “supplies” of lemon and onion compote. (Also note that the equally Michelin-starred and imaginative sister spot The Progress reopens next door in October.) 1529 Fillmore Street

quince
Quince is the second-priced Michelin three-star restaurant in town after Atelier Crenn and currently offers a fixed price of 360 USD (8-10 courses) with 320 USD for optional wine pairings – even without pairings, after service fee and taxes. With just a modest bottle of wine, you can easily count on $ 500 per person, so be prepared or opt for the four-course option for $ 195. Like State Bird, they seem to have exposed some of the old-fashioned table cart things they did out of pandemic concerns, like the mignardise cart and cocktail cart – but Yelper notes that they still use the champagne cart to to market some more expensive bottles. Chef Michael Tusk specializes in pasta, so this is the only ultra-high-end restaurant in town where you mix pasta with your courses. 470 Pacific Avenue

Related: Michelin Unveils New Bib Gourmand List For Bay Area Ahead Of The Complete Guide