The list marks the next step toward June’s national culinary awards ceremony.
Recognition for the nation’s top chefs and restaurants is moving into its next phase as the James Beard Foundation releases its list of semifinalists for 2026. It includes chefs, restaurants, and other restaurant professionals from Palms, Santa Monica, Venice, and West Hollywood.
The James Beard Awards, established in 1990, are widely regarded as the highest honors in American food and beverage culture. The Restaurant and Chef Awards spotlight individuals and establishments that have shaped dining in the United States, elevating chefs, restaurateurs, and bar professionals whose work reflects creativity, leadership, and craft.
This year’s semifinalists join a long list of past honorees who represent the diversity and evolution of American cuisine, from fine dining and regional cooking to innovative beverage programs and hospitality leadership.
Final nominees for the Restaurant and Chef Awards will be announced Tuesday, March 31, with winners to be revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The list of local James Beard nominees, and a few stellar places outside of LA proper that you should know about, is below:
Outstanding Restaurateur
- Holly Fox and Adam Weisblatt, Last Word Hospitality (Found Oyster, Rasarumah, and The Copper Room), Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Chef
- Gilberto Cetina, Holbox, Los Angeles, CA
- Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Restaurant
- Antico Nuovo, Los Angeles, CA
Emerging Chef
- Fátima Juárez, Komal, Los Angeles, CA
- José Olmedo Carles Rojas, Si! Mon, Venice, CA
Best New Restaurant
- Ki, Los Angeles, CA
- RVR, Venice, CA
Outstanding Bakery
- Gusto Bread, Long Beach, CA
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
- Hannah Ziskin, Quarter Sheets, Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Hospitality
- Providence, Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Kato, Los Angeles, CA
Best New Bar
- Daisy, Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
- Jack Benchakul, Endorffeine, Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
- Jason Lee, Darling, Los Angeles, CA
Best Chef: California
- Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA
- Brian Dunsmoor, Dunsmoor, Los Angeles, CA
- Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer, Kismet, Los Angeles, CA
- Andrew Muñoz and Michelle Muñoz, Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Los Angeles, CA
- Charles Namba, Camélia, Los Angeles, CA
- Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles, CA
