LA JOLLA, CA — A tasting-menu restaurant that opened last summer has became the first San Diego County eatery this year to earn a Michelin Guide recommendation.
La Jolla-based Lucien was among 21 new restaurants Michelin added to its California Guide this month.
New restaurants are added to the Michelin Guide twice a year. That's different from Michelin's Stars and Gourmand awards, which will be revealed at a ceremony next month.
"Michelin Guide Inspectors spend the entire year on the road seeking out the best restaurants to recommend — and what they've found is too good to keep a secret," the company said in a statement.
Lucien, which opened last July in La Jolla Village, offers a chef's tasting menu, with more than a dozen courses. The 30-seat restaurant, is owned and helmed by Northern California native Chef Elijah Arizmendi, along with partners Brian Hung and Melissa Lang.
"Chef Elijah Arizmendi cut his teeth in New York kitchens before returning home to open this sophisticated tasting menu concept on the third story of La Plaza La Jolla," Michelin inspectors wrote in the guide's recommendation. "Whether it's California-raised Iberico pork or locally caught fish, the region's bounty is celebrated on a menu that reflects French and Japanese influences."
Earlier this year, Lucien ranked No. 9 on Robb Report's list of the most beautiful new restaurants in the U.S. for 2025.
"Lucien is deeply personal to me, and the space was designed as an extension of my philosophy — one centered on intention, hospitality and the joy of sharing something meaningful to others," Arizmendi told Patch at the time.
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