Carlsbad’s new Lilo named to NYT’s ’50 Best’ American restaurants list

The accolades keep coming for Lilo, the immersive 22-seat fine-dining restaurant that opened in April in Carlsbad.

On Wednesday, the 5-month-old restaurant was named to the New York Times’ list of America’s Best Restaurants 2025. This honor arrives just three months after the fledgling restaurant earned a Michelin star in the California Michelin Guide.

In her review of Lilo (its name is pronounced “LIE-low”), New York Times dining critic Eleonore Park wrote: “The chef Eric Bost and John Resnick, the co-owners of Lilo, are doing their part to transform Carlsbad, a beach town preserved in amber, into a dining destination.

“Served out of the original Morey Boogie Board factory from the 1970s, the 12-course tasting menu sticks every landing, starting with sips and bites in the garden, including a glass of delicate clarified tomato water that immediately piques the senses. Lush lumps of rock crab arrived in a flying saucer made of ice and covered with kohlrabi shaved thin as a layer of frost. It’s just one stop on a tour of global coastlines — wild-caught turbot blanketed in a sabayon of Pineau des Charentes takes you to Brittany, while later on pops of yuzu and roses conjure Japan. Don’t let the minimalist room fool you, the food here goes all out.”

Review: At newly opened Lilo, fun is just as important as the food

Chef Bost, who also oversees the culinary program at Carlsbad sister restaurants Campfire, Wildland and Michelin-starred Jeune et Jolie, wrote on his Instagram page Tuesday night: “Pretty surreal to see @restaurantlilo land on the New York Times list of the 50 best restaurants in America alongside so many incredible tables across the country. So much love for this team and our community. Proud. Grateful. Wild!!”

Lilo was one of six California restaurants to make the Times’ 50 Best list. The others are in Los Angeles (Baby Bistro, Mori Nozomi and RVRV), Oakland (Sun Moon Studio) and San Francisco (Verjus).