Tastebuds have spoken: Six California restaurants have been named among the best in the United States by the New York Times as part of its annual 50 Best Places in America list.
Fourteen reporters and editors took 76 flights to eat more than 200 meals in 33 states to compile the ranking, according to the New York Times. Everything from a Chicago barbecue joint and Miami steakhouse to a French Vietnamese bistro in New York City and Italian tasting menu found ways to stand out among the competition.
Here’s a look at current and past winners.
Six California eateries make it on New York Times Best Restaurants list 2025
The California restaurants that made it onto this year’s list are:
Mori Nozomi, RVR, Sun Moon Studio and Verjus all opened in 2024, while Baby Bistro and Lilo opened their doors this spring.
California restaurants that made New York Times lists in the past
California restaurants have appeared on the Times list since 2021, when the list was first introduced:
2024 restaurants
2023 restaurants
2022 restaurants
2021 restaurants
Palm Springs restaurant named on USA TODAY’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year
Rooster and the Pig, the nearly decade-old Palm Springs restaurant known for its Vietnamese fare, low-key strip mall setting and hip urban ambiance, was named one of USA TODAY’s Restaurants of the Year.
The restaurant came out of a desire to build a restaurant around the food owner and chef Tai Spendley’s mother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam, made for him during his childhood on the East Coast. Some must-try items at the Palm Springs locale include springs rolls, panko-crusted chicken stuffed curry ball, a variety of noodle dishes and flavorful cocktails.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California has six of the best restaurants in the U.S ‘right now,’ New York Times says. See where
Reporting by Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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