With dining rooms shuttered across the region, restaurants pivoted during the pandemic — even those ritziest, most highly regarded restaurants: the ones with Michelin stars. There were a dazzling 62 restaurants awarded stars in Northern California in 2019, which turned out to be the last time that would happen for quite a while. Once the pandemic hit, the Michelin guide first paused the awards, then decided to cancel them altogether, which means they didn’t give out any stars in 2020, and it remains to be seen when they might resume in 2021.
But for fans of fine dining, many of these starred restaurants remained open, first attempting takeout and delivery, offering a rare chance to see top chefs putting out a humbler, more accessible style of food, and finally now reopening for sit-down dining, bringing back the luxurious tasting menus. Here are 45 Michelin-starred restaurants that are still shining in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Please note, the following list only includes the restaurants that are open at the time of publication — check back as others reopen in coming months.)
The latest CDC guidance for vaccinated diners during the COVID-19 outbreak is here; dining out still carries risks for unvaccinated diners and workers. Please be aware of changing local rules, and check individual restaurant websites for any additional restrictions such as mask requirements. Find a local vaccination site here.
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