Addison at the Grand Del Mar was awarded its third Michelin star on Monday, entering the ranks of the highest rated restaurants worldwide.
The respected French guide to gastronomy describes a three-star restaurant as offering “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
Only seven restaurants in California have three stars, including The French Laundry in Napa County, where Gov. Gavin Newsom notoriously dined during the pandemic.
Michelin said Addison’s contemporary cuisine is a combination of “global inspiration and Californian sentimentality.”
“Chef William Bradley’s standard-setting dining room is exceedingly ambitious and his team is cooking world-class ingredients with exceptional skill, leaving you hungry for more,” Michelin said.
“The tasting menu is marked by glorious presentations and enhanced by the harmonious application of global flavors,” according to the guide.
The restaurant opened in 2006 in the luxury hotel developed by “Papa” Doug Manchester. Bradley, 47, grew up in Chula Vista and lives near the restaurant in Carmel Valley.
“When we first opened the restaurant, we wanted to make it unique and something the area hadn’t seen before,” Bradley told Michelin.
“The cuisine here always had an amazing sense of place, and I wanted to help see it grow,” he said.