Michelin star restaurants revealed in Half Moon Bay

In San Mateo County, The Village Pub in Woodside, Selby’s in Atherton and Wakuriya in San Mateo all retained one-star Michelin ratings, defined as “high quality cooking, worth a stop” by the guide’s famously anonymous inspectors.

Seven new California restaurants received one Michelin star for the first time and three new eateries are now in possession of two, including San Francisco Nordic-style restaurant Sons & Daughters. Peninsula restaurants didn’t receive any new stars and took two losses — Redwood City’s Sushi Shin and San Mateo’s Sushi Yoshizumi both lost their Michelin stars in the 2024 rankings.

Being selected to host the ceremony itself was an opportunity to showcase both the food and tourism potential of the Peninsula, John Hutar, president and CEO of The San Francisco Peninsula, said.

“From the moment we got the call that our destination was selected, it has been an incredible ride,” he said. “We have heard so many lovely stories about folks who came in for the weekend, came in earlier today, to experience Half Moon Bay and other cities here in San Mateo County. It’s a lot of pride.”

Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaquin Jimenez, who attended the event, reiterated that it was an opportunity to showcase the small coastal town.

“For many years, Half Moon Bay has been kept a secret. [It was] fortunate and unfortunate for the pandemic to open us up to the world,” he said “Next to the Chamber of Commerce, I get to see, hear and meet people that come from around the world to visit Half Moon Bay, asking ‘Where’s the beach?’ ‘We want to go to a local restaurant.’ So it’s a really good feeling.”

While local sentiment in Half Moon Bay has at times been hesitant to encourage outsiders and tourism, Jimenez said it was time for the town to embrace tourism in an intentional way that preserves character.

“Tourism is part of our economy. You have to recognize that. Just like farming, fishing, ranching,” he said. “We want to be able to offer that to the rest of the world, but at the same time, maintain the heritage.”

Food is an essential element of travel and experiencing new cultures, consistently bringing people together, said Lynn Carpenter, vice president of marketing for Visit California — the organization who selects the ceremony location.

“What it really comes down to is connection to people,” Carpenter said.

Other nearby restaurants to receive Michelin stars include Chez TJ in Mountain View, Protégé in Palo Alto and Plumed Horse in Saratoga.

San Francisco also boasts a wealth of Michelin-starred restaurants