California's Best High-End Gourmet Restaurants/Chefs
Michelin Guide starred restaurants have been marked with *** ** * RS Bib according to their rating.
THE MICHELIN GUIDE STAR & RATING SYSTEM - three stars (***) mean: "Exceptional cuisine and worth the journey"; two stars (**): "Excellent cooking and worth a detour"; one star (*): "A very good restaurant in its category"; the Bib label: "A Bib Gourmand rating means the restaurant is an inspector's favorite for good value. For $40 or less, you can enjoy two courses and a glass of wine or dessert (not including tax and gratuity)." Restaurants awarded the Rising Star (RS) means that they may be in line for a MICHELIN star, or an upgrade from one to two, or from two to three stars.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna and produced annually by Restaurant magazine have been marked with SP; the restaurants marked with sp have been voted as the world's 51-100 best restaurants based on the votes of the 837 "chefs, restaurateurs, critics and fun-loving gourmands" selected by Restaurant magazine.
The restaurants marked with NW have been chosen by 53 top chefs for Newsweek magazine's August 13, 2012 issue 101 Best Places to Eat in the World.
The 75 restaurants representing 13 countries worldwide and 16 U.S. states awarded Wine Spectator magazine's Grand Award 2012 honoring outstanding restaurants with extraordinary wine programs have been marked WS.
5-star International Star Diamond Award Recipients selected by The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences have been marked with SDA.
The members of Les Grandes Tables du Monde association's 149 members in 22 countries on 4 continents representing the last word in gastronomy worldwide have been marked with GTM.
Established in France in 1954, Relais & Châteaux's mission is "to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character." Prospective and current members are evaluated by the group's traditional "five C" motto: Character, Courtesy, Calm, Charm and Cuisine. The members of Relais & Châteaux exclusive collection of 500 of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in 60 countries on 5 continents have been marked with R&C.
GOURMET RESTAURANTS BY REGION (105 countries):
ALSO ALL 47 THREE (2), TWO (6) & ONE (39) MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANTS IN SAN FRANCISCO (+ BAY AREA) 2012:
Beverly Hills
- AQUALOUNGE
- Armstrong - Schroeder's - 7956 Wilshire Blvd. "Beverly Hill's Oldest Restaurant." Closed in the mid-1960s. Was frequented by the Hollywood in-crowd for breakfast.
- BENIHANA
- BOUCHON
 - CAFFÉ ROMA - landmark Beverly Hills eatery home to both young and old in search of the perfect pizza and a laid back, casual atmosphere. 350 North Canon Drive.
- CIPRIANI BEVERLY HILLS
- CIRCA 55
- CRUSTACEAN
- IL FORNAIO
- KATE MENTILINI
- LA SCALA
- MAPLE DRIVE
- MASTRO'S STEAKHOUSE
 - MATSUHISA - 129 N La Cienega Blvd. Chef: Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. Sushi bar.
- MR CHOW
- MULBERRY STREET PIZZA
- NATE 'N' AL'S
- NIC'S RESTAURANT & MARTINI LOUNGE
- On Canon Caffe & Trattoria - opened in April of 1995, brought to us by the people who gave us Il Forno. A private, hidden elevator takes you up to the exclusive high-end private members cigar club the Grand Havana Room.
- PORTA VIA
 - ROMANOFF'S - (1941-1962). Beverly Hills (Rodeo Drive) restaurant popular with Hollywood stars in the 1940s and 1950s.
 - SPAGO BEVERLY HILLS ** WS. "Wolfgang Puck Seasonal American Restaurant." Executive Chef: Lee Hefter. The flagship restaurant of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group.
- TERRONI
- THE BAZAAR BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS - four-star review by LA Times: Los Angeles has never seen anything remotely like this exciting restaurant from Spanish chef José Andrés. In a city that's full of Philippe Starck restaurants, this is his best design.
- The Bistro - catered for decades to high-powered crowd thick with denizens of the film industry and high society. The Bistro was a favorite of Billy Wilder and Elizabeth Taylor.
- THE CONTINENTAL
- THE IVY - one of L.A.'s leading celebrity hangouts, attracting a virtual Who's Who of Hollywood stars and moguls.
- THE LODGE STEAKHOUSE
 - The Palm - since 1926. 267 N. Canon Drive. "Located along Canon Drive's Restaurant Row. This location has quickly become a favorite of the movers, shakers and celebrities of Beverly Hills. Local attractions including Rodeo Drive, the famous Beverly Hills sign, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, the Beverly Hills Music Hall and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."
 - The Polo Lounge - at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The Polo Lounge is seen as the premier power dining spot in all of Los Angeles. There are three dining areas complete with the signature pink and green motif. The photograph behind the bar depicts Will Rogers and Darryl F. Zanuck, two lounge regulars, playing polo. The menu "still offers a classic Neil McCarthy salad, named after the polo-playing millionaire."
- TRADER VIC'S - since 1934. "Home of the Original Mai-Tai."
 - URASAWA ** (Chef: Hiroyuki Urasawa). Japanese cuisine. 218 N Rodeo Dr.
- VIA ALLORO
- VIVA LA CRÊPE!
- WOLFGANG'S STEAKHOUSE
- WOO LAE OAK - "Nouveau Korean."
- XI'AN
Burlingame
- SAKAE Bib. Sushi & Grill.
Calistoga
 - SOLBAR * (Executive chef: Brandon Sharp).
Glensdale
- KATSUYA - stunning environment created by über-designer Philippe Starck, a beautiful clientele and inventive modern Japanese cuisine.
Hollywood
 - BESO - owned by actress Eva Longoria Parker.
 - Brown Derby - opened on Valentine's Day 1929 at 1628 North Vine Street in Hollywood, was the branch that played the greater part in Hollywood history. Due to its proximity to movie studios, it became the place to do deals and be seen. Cark Gable is said to have proposed to Carole Lombard there.
Rival gossip columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper are recorded as regular patrons. After the Hollywood Brown Derby was largely destroyed by fire in 1987, the restaurant was closed.
- CafÉ Montmartre - (now Montmartre Lounge) was a restaurant & nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard at Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Opened in 1923, it became a "worldwide center for celebrity and nightlife" during the 1920s and a place where tourists would visit to try to break into Hollywood.
- CAFE WAS
- DAN TANA'S HOYLLYWOOD RESTAURANT
- DELPHINE EATERY & BAR
- Kabuki - 1545 N. Vine St. Japanese cuisine.
 - KATSUYA - stunning environment created by über-designer Philippe Starck, a beautiful clientele and inventive modern Japanese cuisine.
- LES DEUX CAFE
- LUCY'S EL ADOBE CAFE
 - MUSSO & FRANK GRILL opened in 1919. The oldest continuing operating restaurant in Hollywood. Originally frequented by the likes of Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbank, Mary Pickford, John Barrymore, and Cecil B. DeMille. In the 1930s it was a favorite
place for writers and playwrights such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lillian Hellman, Dashiell Hammett, Aldous Husley, Dorothy Parker, Dalton Trumbo, and Ernest Hemingway.
- PATINA
- Perino's - was a restaurant located on Wilshire Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The original location at 3927 Wilshire Boulevard was opened in 1932 by Italian-American restaurateur Alexander Perino, immediately becoming popular with Hollywood's elite. In 1950 it moved to a larger location at 4101 Wilshire, where it remained until it closed in 1986. The restaurant was a Los Angeles landmark which, like the Brown Derby, Chasen's, and Romanoff's, was famed for its celebrity clientele during the Hollywood Golden Age. Despite its closure, the restaurant enjoyed an afterlife as a filming location for film and television until the building was sold and demolished in 2005.
- PETROSSIAN
- PINK'S
- SCHWAB'S RESTAURANT - "Hollywood's Living Room." Originally one of the classic old Hollywood diners.
- Trois Mec - since 2013. 716 N Highland Ave.
Los Gatos
 - DIO DEKA * (Executive chef: Marty Cattaneo). Hellenic cuisine.
 - MANRESA ** SP (Chef: David Kinch).
Menlo Park
 - MADERA * (Executive chef: Peter Rudolph).
Montara
 - LA COSTANERA * (Chef: Carlos Altamirano). Comtemporary Peruvian cuisine.
Mountain View
 - CHEZ T J * (Executive chef: Joey Elenterio).
Napa
- BARBERSQ Bib
- C CASA Bib
 - LA TOQUE * (Chef: Ken Frank). At The Westin Verasa Napa Hotel.
 - UBUNTU * (Executive chef: Aaron London). Vegetarian cuisine.
Palo Alto
 - EVVIA (Chef: Jim Wimborough). "Hellenic Cuisine in the Silicon Valley."
- BAUMÉ ** (Chef: Bruno Chemel).
- Il Fornaio - Italian cuisine.
San Mateo
 - WAKURIYA * (Executive chef: Katsuhiro Yamasaki). Japanese cuisine.
Santa Barbara
- Andersen's Danish Bakery & Restaurant
- Norton's Deli - "Santa Barbara's local deli favorites featuring Hot Ham and Swiss, Philly Cheese Steak, Corned Beef Ruben and the Grilled Chicken Sub since 2004." The best ingredients make the best food. Not to mention we cook on the griddle right in front of you, so your order is hot and fresh when it arrives on your table. 18 W Figueroa St.
 - Santa Barbara Shellfish Company
Venice
- 72 Market Street - closed in November 2000, about 14 months before the death of its founder, actor Dudley Moore.
- Gjelina - 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Chef: Travis Lett.
West Hollywood
 - AGO - Italian cuisine. Chef: Agostino Sciandri. Includes among it owner-investors: actors Robert De Niro & Christopher Walken, producers Harvey & Bob Weinstein and director Ridley Scott.
- BLOWFISH - "Sushi to die for."
- BOA STEAKHOUSE
 - CECCONI'S (Chef: Andrea Cavaliere).
 - CHASEN'S - (1936-1995). Was a hangout for entertainment luminaries. Located at 9039 Beverly Boulevard near Beverly Hills, it was the site of the Academy Awards party for many years and was also known for its chili. Many of its regular customers had booths named in their honor.
 - Craig's - "An American Restaurant." Something for every appetite. Chef Kursten Kizer creates classic American fare, from upscale comfort food to vegan specialties. 8826 Melrose Avenue.
- CRAVINGS RESTAURANT
- CRISTONI PIZZERIA
- DAN TANA'S - old-fashioned, checkered-tablecloth Italian restaurant. Something of a local landmark, dating back to 1964. A favorite hangout for the Hollywood set.
- DOLCE - stylish Italian restaurant owned by a collection of celebrity investors.
- FORMOSA - "Where the stars dine."
- FOXTAIL
- HUGO'S
- IL SOLE
- KOI
- LA RUE - 8633 Sunset Blvd. NOW CLOSED.
 - Le Dome - (1977-2007). 8720 W Sunset Blvd. Le Dome was co-founded by Elton John in 1977. The "chic French" restaurant was usually packed with Hollywood agents, producers and music-industry names like David Geffen, Danny Elfman and Berry Gordy. The restaurant was completely made over in 2003 but closed for good in 2007.
- Le Pain Quotidien - 8607 Melrose Avenue. Bakery & Communal Table.
 - Lucques - 8474 Melrose Ave. Home of James Beard award winning chef Suzanne Goin and award winning sommelier Caroline Styne. Cuisine: mediterranean. "Since opening in 1998 Lucques has garnered extraordinary accolades and is now recognized as one of the country's best restaurants."
 - Ma Maison - (1973-1985). 8368 Melrose Avenue. "The clubhouse to the stars." It is credited with getting Wolfgang Puck's career off the ground and being a hot spot for celebrities. Their phone number (655-1991) was unlisted, supposedly because "If you don't have the number, we don't want you."
- MADEO
- Rainbow Bar & Grill founded in early 1972 by Elmer Valentine, Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and others, opening on April 16, 1972 with a party for Elton John. At the time, the word "rainbow" signified peace and freedom. It quickly became known as a hangout for celebrities of all types. John Belushi ate his last meal (lentil soup) at table #16. Before becoming the Rainbow, the restaurant was the Villa Nova restaurant, which was originally owned by film director Vincente Minnelli, at the time married to Judy Garland. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe met at the restaurant on a blind date in 1952.
- SILVER SPOON
- THE HOUSE OF BLUES
 - The Nice Guy - 401 North La Cienega Blvd. Supper club & cabaret lounge.
- THE VIPER ROOM
- XIV
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