California’s 5 most exciting restaurant openings this year (including one celebrity chef announcement)

From celebrity-driven steakhouses to seaside Mediterranean escapes, California’s dining scene is innovating again in 2025.

The Golden State continues to set national food trends — and this year’s newest restaurants show why.

Here’s a look at perhaps the five most talked-about openings (you can see closings here), each redefining what dining out in California means right now.

1. Arquet – San Francisco (Ferry Building)

Opening Date: October 17, 2025

With Michelin-starred chef Alex Hong (of Sorrel fame) and restaurateur Joel Wilkerson taking over the legendary Ferry Building space once home to The Slanted Door, expectations are sky-high. The duo’s new concept, Arquet, offers a California-modern menu cooked over a wood-fired hearth, with a dining room featuring views of the Bay Bridge.

Why it’s so exciting:
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is hallowed ground for Bay Area dining — and Arquet marks the first time in years it’s had a truly destination-worthy newcomer. With its focus on seasonal, hearth-fired dishes and minimalist elegance, Arquet feels tailor-made for the next era of California cuisine: global, intentional, and casually luxurious.

2. Bourbon Steak & The Eighth Rule – San Francisco (Union Square)

Opening Date: October 10, 2025

NBA legend Steph Curry has entered the bar game, partnering with acclaimed chef Michael Mina to open The Eighth Rule, the companion cocktail lounge to Mina’s Bourbon Steak inside the Westin St. Francis. The steakhouse blends Mina’s mastery of premium cuts and seafood with California freshness and sleek downtown glamor. Across the lobby, the speakeasy-style Eighth Rule serves rare bourbons, inventive cocktails, and intimate live music.

Why it’s so exciting:
Steph Curry’s first bar venture in his home state adds a touch of celebrity sparkle to the city’s revitalizing downtown. Combined with Mina’s proven culinary pedigree, this dual-concept opening has the potential to re-energize Union Square as a nightlife and dining destination — a comeback story San Francisco’s been waiting for.

3. Studio Mediterranean – Laguna Beach (Montage Laguna Beach Resort)

Opening Date: June 26 for hotel Montage resort guests, October 10 for the public.

The name comes from the restaurant before it (Studio) before the beautiful ocean-overlooking space lay vacant for multiple years. Studio Mediterranean under chef Dennis Efthymiou leans into Efthymiou’s Greek roots – think wood-grilled sea bass, lemon potatoes, mezze spreads, and creative desserts – all served against a breathtaking Pacific backdrop at the Montage resort.

Why it’s so exciting:
This restaurant space’s return is a triumph for California coastal fine dining. With its refined Mediterranean focus and open-air elegance, it’s the rare restaurant that feels both restorative and aspirational – a sun-drenched revival of one of Southern California’s most scenic dining experiences.

4. Lilo – Carlsbad

Opening Date: April 2025

In North County San Diego, Lilo has emerged as a quiet revolution in modern fine dining. The intimate tasting-menu restaurant focuses on precision cooking and storytelling through food. Menus rotate frequently, with dishes inspired by surf, sea, and local farms.

Why it’s so exciting:
With just 22 seats, the tasting menu at Lilo is a must-try. The team behind it (restauranteur John Resnick and chef Eric Bost) have earned Michelin star together at Jeune et Jolie (also in Carlsbad). Lilo proves that Michelin-level dining doesn’t have to be confined to major cities. It’s helping establish Carlsbad as a serious culinary destination, bringing a new kind of ambition and artistry to coastal San Diego’s laid-back food scene.

We’ll end with one that’s coming in the future, possibly later than 2025 because it was just announced a few days ago…

5. The Carnaby – Anaheim (Downtown Disney)

Opening Date: Upcoming

Gordon Ramsay has gone full Britpop with The Carnaby, a 1960s-London-themed gastropub bringing Mod flair to Downtown Disney. Expect signatures like beef Wellington and sticky toffee pudding alongside pub classics, live music, and colorful vintage décor inspired by London’s Carnaby Street.

Why it’s so exciting:
It’s rare to see Ramsay step into pure nostalgia — and even rarer for Downtown Disney to get such an art-driven concept.

Have we missed any of your favorites? Give us your thoughts on the California dining scene in the comments.

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