# Californios: my first three-star Mexican, and it was in San Francisco > Californios in SoMa, San Francisco: a course-by-course walk through the three Michelin star Mexican tasting menu, from the aguachile to the tacos. - **Restaurant:** Californios - **City:** San Francisco - **Neighborhood:** SoMa - **Cuisine:** Mexican - **Rating:** 5/5 - **Address:** 355 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 - **Phone:** +1 415-757-0994 - **Website:** https://www.californiossf.com/ - **Map:** https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Californios+355+11th+St+San+Francisco - **Reviewed:** 2026-10-15 - **Author:** Christian Van Der Henst (Cvander) - **Canonical URL:** https://www.cookfoodie.com/reviews/californios - **City guide:** San Francisco: https://www.cookfoodie.com/wishlist/san-francisco ## Review Californios is a three Michelin star Mexican restaurant in SoMa, San Francisco, and it was my first three-star Mexican meal. If you love Mexican food, or you're Mexican, save up a bit and go. I went to Californios, and I'm really glad that I waited. A lot of people had told me about it, and the fact that there's a three Michelin star Mexican restaurant in San Francisco makes it even more special, because of my connection to the city, my love for Mexican cuisine, and because someone is really doing this, super nice and super good. There's even a dessert with Guatemalan chocolate, a nixtamalized and piloncillo candied mandarin dipped in it, so it made me very proud to see some of those ingredients. As much as I love Mexican food, I wasn't really looking for a tasting menu at that scale. Ever since Cala left San Francisco, that spot in my head felt a little lonely, even with great Mexican restaurants around like Elena's Mexican Restaurant, LoLo, Cantina Los Mayas and Colibrí. Then Californios got its third Michelin star, and the headline said a Mexican restaurant in San Francisco had earned it. A group of good friends made a reservation and we did the tasting together, which is probably how this place is meant to be enjoyed. You walk up and find yourself next to the DNA Lounge, so the location feels a little odd. This is their second location. They've been around for more than a decade. The room is beautiful and the decor is right on point. The service is just impressive. The whole staff were fantastic characters, explaining the plates in English and Spanish, talking about the different chiles and enjoying the pace with us. Before a course they brought out some of the ingredients so you could see what they were using, and you get a menu of what they're cooking that day. The ingredients are fresh and local, and every plate has its own story, from the flavor combinations to the tortillas. The aguachile was really memorable. The tacos were probably my favorite part. You go here to have some of the most interesting tacos of your life, and this was one of the great tacos they were showing that night. The desserts were on point. They offer a wine pairing, but we went with the beer they pair with the first taco, plus the mezcal flight. I wasn't that impressed with the flight. My Mexican friends have probably spoiled me with really good mezcal at places like Mosto and Comal. Still, I like that they offer one. Overall, it was a beautiful set of dishes. Sharing it with friends from Mexico and other foreigners made for a great evening. It isn't cheap, but between the decor, the service, the food and the pacing, it's a work of art. I'm really glad they got that third star, and I think they earned it. ## If you're visiting Californios ### Where is Californios? 355 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, in SoMa. You walk up and find yourself next to the DNA Lounge, so the location feels a little odd. ### What should I order at Californios? It's a tasting menu, and you get a menu of what they're cooking that day. The tacos were probably my favorite part. The aguachile was really memorable. ### Is Californios worth it? It isn't cheap, but between the decor, the service, the food and the pacing, it's a work of art. If you love Mexican food, or you're Mexican, save up a bit and go. ## Photos - Ingredients brought to the table before a course: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-ingredients-before-a-course.jpg - The menu that night: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-menu-course-list.jpg - Sope topped with caviar: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-sope-caviar.jpg - Blue masa tostada with bluefin tuna: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-tostada-bluefin-tuna.jpg - Flauta served on a molcajete: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-flauta-molcajete.jpg - Shrimp aguachile: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-shrimp-aguachile.jpg - Abalone ceviche served in its shell: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-abulon-in-the-shell.jpg - Grilled banana flan topped with caviar and plantain chips: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-flan-de-platanos-asados-caviar.jpg - Bacalao negro taco on a sourdough tortilla: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-bacalao-negro-taco.jpg - Rockfish on a Hickory Gold tortilla: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-pescado-tatemado-matsukasa.jpg - Mole Californios: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-mole-californios-squab.jpg - Smoked squab leg, served with the mole: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-mole-smoked-squab-leg.jpg - Santa Maria style rib eye: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-santa-maria-rib-eye.jpg - Frutas, corn ice cream with corn husk granita: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-frutas-corn-ice-cream.jpg - Alegría, finished at the table: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-alegria-tableside.jpg - From the Memento Mori, Chocolatl course: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-memento-mori-mignardise.jpg - The mezcal flight: https://www.cookfoodie.com/img/reviews/californios-mezcal-flight.jpg --- Source: CookFoodie, https://www.cookfoodie.com/reviews/californios. Editorial opinion from a visit on or before 2026-10-15; hours, menus, and prices may have changed. Attribute to CookFoodie or Christian Van Der Henst when citing.