No New Stars: San Diego's Sushi Tadokoro Loses Michelin Star As Other Local Establishments Retain

August 5, 2024

Michelin Guide California unveiled their awards for 2024, and while the majority of San Diego's previously recognized restaurants maintained their stars, Old Town's Sushi Tadokoro was not among them.

At the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, the Michelin Guide California revealed its 2024 awards, highlighting the state's top culinary establishments. Since the California Michelin Guide's inception in 2019, only a handful of San Diego eateries have earned the prestigious star status.

Addison garnered its first star in 2019 as San Diego's only inclusion, advancing to two stars in 2021. That same year, Jeune et Jolie, Soichi Sushi, and Sushi Tadokoro each earned one star. In 2022, Addison achieved the coveted three-star rating, while Valle in Oceanside received its first star in 2023.

For Michelin stars, one star indicates a very good restaurant in its category, while two stars means the restaurant has excellent cooking worth a detour. Top honors of three stars are given only to restaurants with exceptional cuisine "worth a special journey" and are known globally as one of the highest honors a restaurant can receive in the culinary world.

Throughout the year, Michelin identifies "new discoveries" that may qualify for Bib Gourmand or Michelin stars. Since the 2023 guide's release, Bird Rock's Paradisea and La Jolla's Ambrogio by Acquarello have been highlighted as noteworthy culinary finds.

For 2024, San Diego saw Addison, Jeune et Jolie, Soichi Sushi, and Valle retain their Michelin stars, providing good news for the local dining scene. However, Sushi Tadokoro lost its star, marking a significant disappointment. Additionally, no new San Diego restaurants earned stars this year, despite seven new establishments in California receiving one star and three others achieving two stars. Furthermore, no San Diego restaurants were added to the Bib Gourmand list, a category that highlights value-oriented restaurants that serve high-quality meals.

San Diego restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand include Callie in the East Village, Cesarina in Point Loma, Ciccia Osteria in Barrio Logan, Dija Mara in Oceanside, Morning Glory in Little Italy, Campfire in Carlsbad, Cucina Sorella in Kensington (since closed), Cucina Urbana in Bankers Hill, El Jardin in Liberty Staton (since closed), Juniper & Ivy in Little Italy, Kettner Exchange in Little Italy, Lola 55 in San Diego's East Village, Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station, and Mabel's Gone Fishing in North Park. Solare Ristorante did not maintain Bib Gourmand status for 2024. 

Established in 1900 by the French tire company, the Michelin guide was started to inspire travel in order to increase the demand for cars and, thus, car tires. It has become a touted resource for upscale diners with restaurants around the globe vying for a coveted star rating, which usually results in drastically increased business and reputation. Michelin publishes more than 30 guides annually in more than 24 countries, including four cities featured in the United States - San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C. The San Francisco edition has been incorporated into the new California-exclusive guide, which launched in 2019 following an unprecedented payment by California's tourism authority.

For more information on the Michelin Guide, including a full list of star recipients from all around California, visit guide.michelin.com.