A Landmark for Mexican Cuisine in America
Californios is a rare distinction in American dining. This is the only Mexican restaurant in the United States to earn two Michelin stars. Chef Val M. Cantu and his team bring a modern lens to traditional recipes, crafting a 16-course tasting menu that is both inventive and deeply rooted in heritage.
Dishes range from chicharrones layered with shaved truffles to grilled bananas paired with savory dulce de leche and crowned with caviar. Each plate reflects a balance of innovation and respect for tradition, creating an experience that feels both elevated and timeless.
The SoMa setting mirrors the sophistication of the menu. Colorful artwork, layered textures, and a low-key key mood animate a dark, refined interior. The expansive outdoor patio nearly doubles the seating capacity and serves as an intentional architectural extension of the dining room.
Beyond the cuisine, Californios highlights the contributions of every staff member—each name is listed on the menu, underscoring the collaborative spirit behind its success. It is a place where fine dining and community converge, and where the future of Mexican cuisine is being shaped in San Francisco.
Californios first opened in 2015 as a small pop-up before establishing its permanent home in SoMa. In 2017, it earned two Michelin stars from the Michelin Guide, making history as the first Mexican restaurant in the United States to receive that distinction. Today, it remains the only Mexican restaurant in the country to hold two Michelin stars, a milestone that elevated not only the restaurant, but the perception of Mexican cuisine within the highest tier of American fine dining.
Chef Val M. Cantu was born in Texas and raised between the U.S. and Mexico. Though largely self-taught, he refined his technique working in respected kitchens including Benu and Pujol, experiences that informed his tasting-menu format and precision-driven approach. His vision for Californios was clear: to present Mexican cuisine with the same rigor, technique, and narrative depth long afforded to French and Japanese fine dining.
The decision to print every team member’s name on the tasting menu is intentional. From line cooks to dishwashers to front-of-house staff, Californios publicly credits the full crew behind each service. In an industry often centered on a single chef’s identity, this gesture reinforces that excellence is collaborative. It reflects a culture of shared authorship — one that mirrors the communal roots of Mexican cooking itself.
For San Francisco, Californios represent something larger. The city has long been a global dining capital, yet Mexican cuisine, despite its deep presence in California, rarely received Michelin’s highest recognition. Californios’ two stars signaled a shift: that Mexican culinary traditions, when expressed through contemporary technique and tasting-menu structure, belong at the forefront of global gastronomy.
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