Californios

Mexican tasting-menu restaurant in SoMa led by chef-owner Val M. Cantú, with interiors by his partner Carolyn Cantú. Opened January 2015 in the Mission, closed during the pandemic, and reopened in 2021 at 355 11th Street. Michelin awarded one star in 2015, two in 2018, and three on 24 June 2026 in San Diego, making Californios the first Mexican restaurant in the world to hold the guide’s top mark. Inspectors have singled out masa work, tortillas, and a blue-masa tostada with Dungeness crab; the kitchen uses Mexican chiles and corn alongside California seafood and produce. The room seats on the order of three dozen. A single tasting menu is the format; published prices in summer 2026 sat in the mid-three-hundreds, so confirm the current figure, wine or mezcal pairings, and the deposit on Tock before you travel. The house phone is +1 415-757-0994. Dinner is the booking; typical service has run Tuesday through Saturday, but confirm closed days on californiossf.com. Dress for a long tasting rather than a casual taco night, send dietary notes when you reserve, and treat the post-24 June waitlist as real. Ask the reservations team how long a sitting runs with pairings so the rest of the evening stays honest. SoMa ride-hail is simpler than hunting 11th Street parking after wine.