See the Los Angeles finalists for the 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards

Finalists were announced this week for the 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, and several top-notch Los Angeles contenders made the cut.

Here are the local nominees who could win an “Oscar of the culinary world” at the 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards on June 15 in Chicago.

Best Chef: California

Dave Beran of SELINE | This fine dining Santa Monica restaurant helmed by Beran offers a 14 to 17-course tasting menu featuring a variety of meats, seafood, and veggies inspired by the flavors of SoCal. The 2.5-hour experience is priced at $295 per guest. Fun fact: Beran also owns Pasjoli in Santa Monica, the restaurant where “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White trained for his leading role in the series.

Kwang Uh of Baroo | This modern Korean restaurant in downtown LA’s Arts District specializes in classic dishes with a twist. It’s run by Uh and his wife, Mina Park.

California Live’s Jessica Vilchis steps into the Santa Monica kitchen where Jeremy Allen White worked for a month, in preparation for his leading role in the hit-series ‘The Bear.’ Chef Dave Beran, owner & head chef of Pasjoli, shares what it was like training the award-winning actor.

Outstanding Chef

Gilberto Centina of Holbox | Centina makes magic at this award-winning Mexican seafood stand located at Mercado La Paloma in South LA. Known for specialties inspired by the coastal regions of Mexico, counter seating is available for $130 per guest twice a week for Holbox’s 8-course tasting menu, or you can order from the daily menu at the counter. This spot earned a Michelin star in 2024. Centina was nominated for a James Beard Best Chef: California award in 2023.

Niki Nakayama of n/naka | This Michelin-starred LA restaurant is known for its 13-course, seafood-focused, Japanese kaiseki menu prepared by Nakayama who draws inspiration from both Japan and California. The tasting menu is priced at $395 per person.

2026 Los Angeles James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Nominees

Emerging Chef

Fátima Juárez of Komal | Juárez runs this stall specializing in nixtamalized Mexican heirloom corn, also located in Mercado La Paloma in South Los Angeles. The menu is inspired by the flavors of Mexico City’s street food, including tacos, quesadillas, mole, and tlacoyos.

Best New Restaurant

Ki in Los Angeles | This Little Tokyo restaurant is making its mark on the local culinary scene with its Korean-influenced tasting menu with global influences.

Outstanding Hospitality

Providence in Los Angeles | This fine dining restaurant on Melrose is known as much for its innovative seafood as it is for its atmosphere.

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

Kato in Los Angeles | This Taiwanese restaurant in downtown LA may be known for its Omakase-style tasting menu, but its drinks are also not to be missed. Kato offers a Bar Tasting Menu, Traditional Wine Flight, Vintage Wine Flight, and Alcohol-Free Flight to go with its tasting menu.

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

Jack Benchakul of Endorffeine | Benchakul keeps things running smoothly at Endorffeine, a sleek espresso bar in Chinatown. Benchakul offers a coursed desserts and drinks experience dubbed “9,” influenced by his Thai heritage.

More major honors for Angelenos

In addition to the Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, the James Beard Foundation also announced its honorees for the 2026 Impact Award, Humanitarian of the Year Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award, and all three had LA connections.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) earned the Impact Award.

Not Us Without You LA, a food relief organization founded by Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz, earned the 2026 Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Chef, baker, restaurateur, author, La Brea Bakery founder, and Mozza Restaurant Group co-owner Nancy Silverton earned the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for her more than four decades in the culinary industry.

Silverton won the first-ever James Beard Award for Pastry Chef of the Year in 1991 and the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2014. The James Beard Foundation credits her for helping “spark the modern bread movement” and, through her cookbooks, shaping “public understanding of food, craft, and tradition, reinforcing the cultural and emotional significance of food in American life.”