Two Baja California restaurants have been awarded the coveted Michelin star, joining five newly starred Mexico City eateries as the Michelin Guide Mexico 2025 announced its latest honors.
The newest awardees join 16 other Mexican restaurants — from the Baja California Peninsula to the Yucatán Peninsula — that received stars last year, marking an unprecedented wave of recognition of Mexico’s renowned culinary excellence by the world’s premier restaurant rating organization
Olivea Farm to Table, located in Valle de Guadalupe, near Ensenada in Baja California, was one of the new recipients of a Michelin star this year. Chef Eduardo Zaragoza’s cuisine is recognized for its approach of using organic and seasonal ingredients from local producers. Dishes that stand out include the catch of the day with celeriac puree or grilled octopus on white mole.
Featuring an a la carte menu plus a vegetarian and a seafood menu, the restaurant also received the Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
Lunario, in El Porvenir, also near Ensenada, was also recognized with its first Michelin star. Led by chef Sheyla Alvarado, it’s known for its seasonal menu that incorporates fresh ingredients from the restaurant’s own garden, farm and beehives.
Open from Thursday to Sunday, Lunario features two multi-course tasting menus with a seasonal, contemporary and plant-based approach. The Baja oyster duo, mixing sweetness and spiciness, or the blue corn sope served with carrot puree, smoked shrimp and bougainvillea, are menu favorites.
Besides Baja California, several Mexico City restaurants received their first star, along with two existing starred restaurants that received a second one. Pujol by Chef Enrique Olvera and Quintonil by the husband-and-wife team Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, both in Mexico City, received a second star.
Meanwhile, the new restaurants that received a star included Expendio de Maíz, Masala y Maíz and Máximo.
Similar to the unpretentious El Califa de León (which kept its first star), Expendio de Maíz is a low-key restaurant with no sign, no menu and only four communal tables under an improvised roof on the sidewalk. Yet, the Michelin Guide praised its maíz-based creations, including tortillas, huaraches, sopes and more.
Meanwhile, Masala y Maíz, under the leadership of Chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, blends Mexican cuisine with flavors from Africa and India. Dishes that stand out include shrimp from Veracruz or the samosa (savory pastry) filled with suadero (thin-cut fatty beef).
Combining Mexican cuisine with French and international influences, Máximo, by self-taught cook Eduardo García and his wife Gabriela López, uses an innovative technique in blending different cuisines and flavors. Dishes include the abalone toast with pepita sauce and the octopus ceviche with tiger’s milk.
The Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico that retained their distinction from the year before are:
Animalón (Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California)
Damiana (Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California)
Le Chique (Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo)
Cocina de Autor RM (Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo)
Ha’ (Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo)
Cocina de Autor Los Cabos (Baja California Sur)
KOLI Cocina de Origen (Monterrey, Nuevo León)
Pangea (Monterrey, Nuevo León)
Levadura de Olla (Oaxaca)
Los Danzantes (Oaxaca)
Rosetta (Mexico City)
Sud 777 (Mexico City)
EM (Mexico City)
Esquina Común (Mexico City)
Taquería El Califa de León (Mexico City)
Conchas de Piedra (Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California)
Mexico News Daily
