Lilo, Carlsbad's new fine dining restaurant, earns a Michelin star
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The chef's counter at Lilo. Photo: Kimberly Motos
Lilo just became San Diego County's newest Michelin-starred restaurant.
Why it matters: The new high-end, coastal culinary experience is elevating the dining scene in Carlsbad and San Diego's reputation in the food world.
Driving the news: Lilo earned one star at the Michelin Guide's California 2025 recognition ceremony in Sacramento Wednesday night, just two months after opening.
- Atelier Manna, a breakfast and brunch cafe in Encinitas, was awarded Michelin's Bib Gourmand for "exceptionally good food at moderate prices."
- Both restaurants were added to California's Michelin guide in April, along with Tanner's Prime Burgers and 24 Suns in Oceanside.
Zoom in: With just 22 seats, Lilo offers a memorable fine-dining experience meant for life's big celebrations, not everyday dinners.
- The 2.5-hour meal starts with a welcome drink and appetizers in the courtyard garden, takes guests through about 10 courses of small bites at the chef's counter or a few tables inside, and can be capped off by the outdoor firepit.
- Restauranteur John Resnick and chef Eric Bost are behind Lilo and its sister restaurant Jeune et Jolie, another Michelin-starred restaurant about a block away.
What they're saying: "It's affirmation," that the flavors, attention to detail and connection between guests and cooks stand out at their intimate restaurant, Chef Eric Bost told Axios.
- Winning this star so soon after opening is "insane," he said, adding that the team's reputation with Jeune et Jolie probably helped boost awareness.
Between the lines: Restaurants can earn one to three Michelin stars based on five food-focused criteria — quality of ingredients, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavors, and consistency between visits.
Best bites: The Michelin Guide highlights dishes including dry-aged Japanese kinmedai (golden eye snapper) paired with a ragout of geoduck (clam) and bone marrow, and caviar-topped ice cream.
The big picture: San Diego now has five Michelin-starred restaurants, mostly in North County, which is quickly gaining recognition as a food destination.
- Addison by William Bradley in Carmel Valley has three stars. Valle, a contemporary Mexican eatery in Oceanside, and Soichi Sushi in North Park both have one.
State of play: The latest recognitions mark a resurgence from last year, when no new local spots were honored and two others were downgraded.
- Yes, but: Kettner Exchange in Little Italy, Animae in downtown San Diego and Little Frenchie in Coronado fell off the list this year.
Zoom out: Nine other California restaurants earned stars at Wednesday's ceremony.
