Thomas Keller's French Laundry and the Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley in northern California have remained the only restaurants to hold three stars in the Michelin guide to San Francisco, the Bay Area and Wine Country.
The 2012 edition of the famous guide has awarded two establishments in San Francisco their second stars - Asian restaurant Benu and the American eatery Saison - as well as modern French restaurant Baumé in South Bay. The Californian guide now features six two-star restaurants, including David Kinch's Manresa in Los Gatos in the Santa Cruz mountains, Daniel Patterson's Coi in San Francisco, and Cyrus in Sonoma.
Meanwhile, 20 restaurants celebrated their first Michelin star, bringing the total of one-star establishments in the guide to 39.
Now in its sixth edition, the Michelin guide to San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country, which was released yesterday (25 October), identified 77 restaurants as Bib Gourmands (19 new) - offering two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for less than $40 (£25).
The Michelin guide to San Francisco, the Bay Area and Wine Country is one of three US guides, including New York, which recently awarded two new three- and two new two-stars, as well as Chicago, which will be released next month.
Earlier this month, San Francisco began discussing implementing a mandatory 25% service charge.
San Francisco restaurants consider mandatory 25% service charge >>
Michelin awards two new three-stars and two new two-stars in New York >>
By Kerstin Kühn
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