A guide to the Bay Area's many Michelin star restaurants

Bay Area restaurants awarded Michelin stars

THREE STARS: Benu, San Francisco

22 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco

Referred to as "an oasis in the heart of the city" by the Michelin Guide, this minimalist spot in the SoMa neighborhood, run by chef Corey Lee, presents Korean small delicacies and notable wines in a sleek, posh atmosphere. less Bay Area restaurants awarded Michelin stars

THREE STARS: Benu, San Francisco

22 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco

Referred to as "an oasis in the heart of the city" by the Michelin Guide, this minimalist spot ... more THREE STARS: Benu, San Francisco Photo: John Storey Photo: John Storey Image 1 of / 140 Caption Close A guide to the Bay Area's many Michelin star restaurants 1 / 140 Back to Gallery

This year, San Francisco's foodie scene took over the coveted Michelin crown.

With two more restaurants reaching the highly sought-after three-star status – chic, modernist Atelier Crenn and Japanese-influenced SingleThread – the City by the Bay has more three-star dining spots than any other city in the world.

"The dining scene in San Francisco is booming at the moment," said Gwendal Poullenac, international director of the Michelin Guide, in a press release. "Our inspectors were especially impressed with the choice of cuisine styles, the levels of consistency and the overall high quality of the food they found in the city."

San Francisco is home to eight three-star restaurants in total. Notably, Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn made history as the first female head chef to run a three-starred restaurant in the 13 years since Michelin came to the United States. SingleThread impressively obtained the achievement in Nov. 2018, after opening its doors just two years before. Mainstays include the French Laundry, Quince and Manresa, which kept their three-star status.

In its century-old rating system, three stars signify "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey!"

In March, California made headlines when the French tire-company-turned-cuisine-connoisseur announced it would expand its guidebook coverage of the states' dining scene to include regions beyond San Francisco and Wine Country.

If you're anything like this writer, digging through a box of Cheez-Its while fantasizing about restaurants with white tablecloths and six-course meals by candlelight, don't fret. The Bay Area is actually where you can find some of the most affordable places for a special night out.

AL's Place in the Mission District, for example, ranked 9th on Traveloka's designation of the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants last year. Recognized not only for its conspicuous blue-painted doorway but also for its farm-to-table, vegetable-heavy fare, a family-style meal runs at $73 per person. Regular "warm/hot" or "cold/cool" entrees range from $15-20 each.

Likewise, you can try the famed Bombay sliders – spiced potato fritters sandwiched between soft bread – at Burlingame's Rasa for just $11. Larger dishes at the bustling Indian restaurant run at $24-36.

If the sight of Yelp's $$$$ symbol doesn't cause you to experience deep pangs of sadness, Lazy Bear is a unique place to start. At this modern American dinner party in the Mission, strangers sit side-by-side at communal tables. Diners chat with chefs as their meals are being prepared. You can even unleash your inner Gordon Ramsay and jot down all of your critiques about what's being served in a notepad provided by the restaurant.

To go, you'll need to purchase a ticket for the tasting menu, which costs between $189 - $211 per person. Beverage pairings are an additional $95. The restaurant announces ticket sales via Twitter, usually on a Wednesday in the middle of the previous month. All of the tickets are sold at once, so you'll need to keep your eyes peeled before they sell out.

In the meantime, there's always In-N-Out. Right?

Click through the slideshow for a full list of Bay Area restaurants awarded Michelin stars in 2019.

Amanda Bartlett is an SFGate editorial assistant. Email her at amanda.bartlett@sfchronicle.com