7 SLO County restaurants featured in Michelin Guide in 2025. Which ones got stars?
Two of San Luis Obispo County’s most exclusive restaurants kept their coveted Michelin stars in 2025, marking their status as elite fine dining establishments.
Six Test Kitchen and The Restaurant at Justin in Paso Robles were each awarded one Michelin star.
Michelin Guide California included five other SLO County restaurants among its top-rated eateries in 2025.
Known as one of the highest honors in the culinary arts community, Michelin stars are presented to restaurants “offering outstanding cooking” and exquisite dining experiences, according to the guide.
“We take into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time,” the Michelin Guide said in a news release.
Michelin added 13 new California restaurants to its guide in May 2025 — including three Sacramento eateries — while nine eateries across the Golden State received new stars.
Here’s what to know about the San Luis Obispo County restaurants in this year’s Michelin Guide:
What’s on menu at Paso Robles restaurant with Michelin star?
Six Test Kitchen, 3075 Blue Rock Road in Paso Robles, has kept its one Michelin star rating since it initially earned a place in the guide back in 2021.
At the time, Six Test Kitchen was the first eatery in Paso Robles to receive a star from the prestigious guide.
Featuring a “meticulously crafted” 12-course tasting menu, the Tin City restaurant offers a high-end dining experience driven by seasonal produce from local farms and a “highly selective wine list,” according to Tin City’s website.
Michelin Guide California praised Six Test Kitchen’s ambiance, describing the eatery as a “fitting stage for food that eats as beautifully as it looks.”
“Chef Ricky Odbert has, for many years now, quietly and confidently cooked like few others in the region,” the guide wrote. “Dry-aged fish and meats, seasonal produce, and delicious sauces come together in a breezy space with soaring ceilings, charcoal-tinted walls, metal edges and a stunning wood counter that wraps around the kitchen.”
Odbert said he was honored Six Test Kitchen was included in the guide for the fifth year in a row.
“The accolade is not the goal, it is the pursuit of being better, looking inward and scrutinizing every dish, every serving piece, every dinner service; that is what keeps us in the Michelin book,” he told The Tribune in a statement.
“When guests dine with us at Six Test Kitchen, we want them to experience a feeling of comfort and relaxation, a sense of familiarity,” Odbert said. “It is our great pleasure to highlight our local farmers and fisheries and to bring those ingredients to our guests in a way that is carefully conceptualized, elevated but also, humble.”
The reservation-only restaurant serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday at $245 a person.
Reservations must be made ahead of time at sixtestkitchen.com.
Why did Justin Winery restaurant get Michelin star status?
At 11680 Chimney Rock Road in Paso Robles, you can dine at The Restaurant at Justin, recipient of one Michelin star.
The restaurant on the grounds of Justin Vineyards & Winery is one of only a handful of restaurants in California honored with a Michelin Green star, which showcases eateries with ethical and environmentally sustainable practices.
The Michelin Guide first rolled out its Green Star award in 2020. The Restaurant at Justin has received the award for four consecutive years.
Executive chef Rachel Haggstrom told Michelin Guide California that the exclusive eatery sources 95% of its rotating menu from Justin Vineyards & Winery and Central Coast farmers. Many of its ingredients are grown in the property’s 150-tree orchard, flower fields and vegetable and herb gardens.
The guide also lauded the winery restaurant for its enchanting views overlooking lush vineyards and rolling hills.
“Haggstrom and her team flex their creativity across a single tasting menu,” the Michelin Guide said. “There’s no leaving hungry, and recent highlights include apple and sunchoke velouté, warm gougères filled with mornay sauce, and Santa Barbara spiny lobster with salsify.”
Haggstrom said she was honored to receive recognition from Michelin Guide California once again, adding that the accolades are emblematic of the restaurant’s care, craft and high standards.
“This award reflects the passion, creativity, and dedication of our entire culinary team,” Haggstrom told The Tribune via email. “Their commitment to excellence and love for what they do is at the heart of every dish we serve, and it’s a privilege to see that celebrated.”
The Restaurant at Justin is open for dinner Thursday through Sunday with seatings available from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The eatery’s Estate Tasting Menu costs $225 a person, while a wine pairing can be added for $110.
Reservations are required.
Which SLO County restaurants are in 2025 Michelin Guide?
In addition to Six Test Kitchen and The Restaurant at Justin, five local restaurants were featured in 2025’s Michelin Guide California.
The guide called Ox + Anchor, 877 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo, a modern steakhouse with a menu full of comfort fare created by chef Ryan Fancher.
“Start with such comfort fare as savory goat cheese croquettes with sweet lavender honey before embarking on the main event—charred steaks and sides of creamed spinach topped with onion rings,” Michelin Guide California said.
Italian-American eatery Nate’s on Marsh, 450 Marsh St. in San Luis Obispo, landed on the guide due to its welcoming charm set in a former residence.
The menu is “loaded with classics and riffs on favorites that will have you coming back for more,” the guide said.
Michelin Guide California also showcased Ember, 1200 East Grand Ave. in Arroyo Grande, due to a comforting contemporary menu that manages to remain heartfelt and down-to-earth.
“Ember was at the forefront of open fire cooking in the Central Coast when they opened, and this Arroyo Grande charmer hasn’t lost any of its spark,” Michelin Guide California said.
Les Petites Canailles, 1215 Spring St. in Paso Robles, also found a spot on the guide based on its welcoming ambiance, hearty appetizers and spot-on steaks, the guide said on its website.
The Hatch, 835 13th St. in Paso Robles, was the final SLO County restaurant to land on the guide, earning praise for its home-style cooking.
Michelin Guide California called its briny, smoky rotisserie chicken a “must order.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
