Michelin-Starred Restaurants in America: A Complete Bucket List

Michelin-starred dining across America, by tier and city.

This checklist covers 22 Michelin-starred restaurants — also called Michelin star restaurants or starred restaurants, grouped into 5 sections below, with location and details for every entry. Only a small handful of U.S. restaurants hold three Michelin stars at any given time, concentrated in New York, California, and Chicago. The exact roster changes each guide year.

For serious food lovers, working through America's Michelin-starred restaurants is the ultimate dining bucket list — tasting menus, chef's tables, and once-in-a-lifetime meals. This is a curated checklist of standout starred restaurants across the country, grouped by tier and city, with the chef behind each.

New York City

Restaurant	Chef	City
Eleven Madison Park	Daniel Humm	Manhattan, NY
Le Bernardin	Eric Ripert	Manhattan, NY
Per Se	Thomas Keller	Manhattan, NY
Jungsik	Jungsik Yim	Manhattan, NY
Masa	Masa Takayama	Manhattan, NY
Aquavit	Emma Bengtsson	Manhattan, NY
Daniel	Daniel Boulud	Manhattan, NY

San Francisco & Wine Country

Restaurant	Chef	City
The French Laundry	Thomas Keller	Yountville, CA
SingleThread	Kyle Connaughton	Healdsburg, CA
Quince	Michael Tusk	San Francisco, CA
Atelier Crenn	Dominique Crenn	San Francisco, CA
Saison	Richard Lee	San Francisco, CA
Acquerello	Suzette Gresham	San Francisco, CA

Southern California

Restaurant	Chef	City
Providence	Michael Cimarusti	Los Angeles, CA
Somni	Aitor Zabala	West Hollywood, CA
Addison	William Bradley	San Diego, CA

Chicago

Restaurant	Chef	City
Smyth	John & Karen Shields	Chicago, IL
Alinea	Grant Achatz	Chicago, IL
Ever	Curtis Duffy	Chicago, IL

Beyond the Big Three

Restaurant	Chef	City
The Inn at Little Washington	Patrick O'Connell	Washington, VA
Emeril's	E.J. Lagasse	New Orleans, LA
Frasca Food and Wine	Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson	Boulder, CO

Planning Tips

Book the moment reservations open — the top three-star rooms fill within minutes. Budget generously; three-star tasting menus with pairings often run several hundred dollars per person. Cluster by city — New York, the Bay Area, and Chicago hold most of the three-star rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many three-star Michelin restaurants are in the United States?

Only a small handful of U.S. restaurants hold three Michelin stars at any given time, concentrated in New York, California, and Chicago. The exact roster changes each guide year.

What are the hardest restaurant reservations to get?

Three-star rooms like the French Laundry, Per Se, and Le Bernardin are among the hardest, often booking out the moment reservations open weeks in advance.

How much does a Michelin three-star dinner cost?

Three-star tasting menus commonly run several hundred dollars per person before wine pairings, which can add as much again.

Do Michelin stars change every year?

Yes — Michelin re-evaluates and republishes its guide annually, so restaurants can gain or lose stars from year to year.

How do I track the starred restaurants I've dined at?

A printable fine-dining passport — a city-by-city checklist, reservation strategy, tasting-menu tracking, and achievement badges.