For the fourth straight year, the San Francisco edition of the renowned Michelin Guide has awarded its highest rating, three stars, to Thomas Keller’s internationally acclaimed Yountville restaurant, The French Laundry.

Chef Keller’s celebrated wine country dining room is, in fact, the only restaurant given a three-star rating in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide, which went on sale last week. This rating, according to Michelin, “means exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”

Four Bay Area restaurants received two stars, including The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, its third such award. Singled out as well for culinary excellence “worth a detour” were San Francisco’s Coi, Cyrus in Healdsburg and Manresa in Los Altos.

The City of Napa joined Upvalley counterparts in the Michelin star lineup this year with the awarding of one star to the vegetarian restaurant, Ubuntu, and to the relocated (from Oakville) La Toque, chef Ken Frank’s acclaimed dining room in the Westin Verasa Hotel.

“This achievement reflects the dedication of our entire team, put to plate each and every day, to proving that vegetables can stand alone,” said Ubuntu executive chef Jeremy Fox. “It is an honor to be recognized for our seed-to-stalk philosophy, and be among such esteemed colleagues and friends.”

Holding onto previously awarded one-star ratings were four more acclaimed Napa Valley restaurants — Auberge du Soleil, Bouchon, Redd and Terra.

Known as “inspectors’ favorites” for providing a recession-proof dining solution, the Bib Gourmand category has been embraced by Michelin Guide readers for featuring restaurants serving a meal (two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert) for $40 or less.

Five Napa Valley restaurants have been singled out for this category — Angèle, BarBersQ, The Border, Cook St. Helena and Market. The complete Bib Gourmand selection can be accessed at www.famouslyanonymous.com.

The fourth edition of the San Francisco Michelin Guide also singles out 89 restaurants offering a meal under $25 to reflect the current economic climate and resulting dining habits.

For the first time, the new guide includes an entirely new classification of restaurants — Small Plates. This category includes a selection of establishments with a unique style of menu, ambiance and service not previously included in any Michelin Guide. This category was added to reflect the increasing popularity and quality of establishments with this style.

“The Michelin Guide has long been respected and the stars are what people love to talk about in the culinary world,” noted Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guides. “But the Guide is so much more. It’s filled with a year’s worth of notes from the team of inspectors who set out to ensure the Michelin Guide provides an excellent mix of what readers truly want — a wonderful dining recommendation from trusted experts.”

The selections are made by anonymous, professional inspectors who are Michelin employees, and are based on the same working methods in all countries. To find out more about the Michelin Guide inspectors and the history of the Guide, log onto www.famouslyanonymous.com.