Tatsu and Mamani defend their stars on October 8, as Michelin reveals its third Texas selection online – and Dallas waits to learn whether its moment has finally arrived
Last October, the team behind Mamani raised a champagne toast at Houston’s Wortham Theater Center. Their restaurant had been open for less than two months, and it had just earned a Michelin star. This year there will be no theater and no toast on stage. On Thursday, October 8, the Michelin Guide Texas 2026 arrives by press release, and Dallas will discover in a single morning whether its two stars hold, and whether any new ones join them.
For a city that measures itself against Houston and Austin, the stakes are unusually personal. Dallas has the chefs, the dining rooms and the appetite. What it does not yet have is the count.
Dallas Michelin Star Restaurants: Tatsu and Mamani
Dallas entered the guide in 2024 with a single star, awarded to Tatsu Dallas, the Deep Ellum Japanese restaurant of chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi. Its format explains its reputation. Tatsu offers two seatings a night, Tuesday through Saturday, and remains one of the hardest reservations in the city.
In 2025, Tatsu kept its star and Dallas doubled its tally. Mamani, the French contemporary restaurant of chef Christophe De Lellis and owners Henry and Brandon Cohanim, became the fastest story of the night. De Lellis spent nearly a decade leading the kitchen of Joël Robuchon’s restaurant in Las Vegas, and inspectors found that pedigree on the plate: Dover sole with brown butter, a veal «Cordon Bleu,» Robuchon’s celebrated pommes purée and a Paris-Brest with praline cream.
Dallas in the Michelin Guide
- Tatsu Dallas: One Michelin Star since 2024; Japanese cuisine in Deep Ellum.
- Mamani: One Michelin Star in 2025, earned less than two months after opening.
- Bib Gourmand: Cattleack Barbeque, Gemma, Lucia, Mot Hai Ba, Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen and Nonna.
- Exceptional Cocktails Award (2025): Chas Martin of Mister Charles.
- New in 2025: Sushi Kozy joined the Recommended list.
Beyond the Stars: Dallas Bib Gourmands and Rising Names
The Bib Gourmand – Michelin’s recognition for excellent cooking at a fair price – belongs to six Dallas restaurants: Cattleack Barbeque, Gemma, Lucia, Mot Hai Ba, Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen and Nonna. All six kept the distinction in 2025, but the city added no new names to the list.
The more telling movement happened on the Recommended list. Sushi Kozy was added, while Quarter Acre kept its place without the promotion some local critics had hoped for. Behind the bar, Chas Martin of Mister Charles brought Dallas one of the guide’s special awards for exceptional cocktails.
These are the names to watch on October 8. In Dallas, the question is not whether the talent exists. It is whether the inspectors have found it.
«In Dallas, the question is not whether the talent exists. It is whether the inspectors have found it.»
Dallas vs. Houston and Austin: Counting the Stars
The statewide tally makes the gap plain. Texas holds 18 Michelin-starred restaurants. Austin claims seven, the Houston area six, San Antonio three and Dallas two. No restaurant in the state has yet earned a second star, which means a single promotion anywhere in Texas would make history.
For Dallas, a third star would change the conversation more than any ranking could. It would signal that Mamani was not an exception, but the beginning of a pattern.
Michelin Guide Texas 2026: A Reveal Without a Ceremony
The first two Texas selections were celebrated in Houston: in November 2024 at 713 Music Hall and on October 28, 2025, at the Wortham Theater Center. The 2026 results will instead appear through Michelin’s press release and digital channels. With the guide now present in more than 60 destinations, Michelin says it alternates between live ceremonies and online announcements from market to market.
Readers who want to explore the full selection will also need a free account, as the Michelin Guide website now sits behind a registration wall.
How Dallas Restaurants Win – and Keep – a Michelin Star
Inspectors visit anonymously. Every restaurant is judged on the same five criteria worldwide: quality of ingredients, command of technique, harmony of flavors, the chef’s personality on the plate and consistency across the menu and over time.
No distinction is permanent. Stars, Bib Gourmands and recommendations are reconsidered every year, so Tatsu and Mamani face October 8 with the same uncertainty as the restaurants hoping to join them.
What Is at Stake for Dallas on October 8
The 2026 selection is also the last of Michelin’s original three-year commitment to Texas. That commitment was supported in part by $900,000 a year from Travel Texas and the tourism organizations of Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, with Visit Dallas contributing $90,000 annually. When Michelin set the 2026 reveal date in August, no renewal had been announced, although Michelin has said that its intention, once a guide arrives in a destination, is to stay.
A year ago, Dallas celebrated with champagne in someone else’s city. This time, the news will reach the city’s kitchens at home, on an ordinary Thursday morning. If a new star lands in Dallas, the toast will be poured in its own dining room. LUXCIOR will update this guide with the full 2026 selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the 2026 Michelin Guide Texas be announced?
Michelin will reveal its 2026 Texas selection on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The stars, Bib Gourmands and recommendations will be released by press release and through Michelin’s digital channels, with no in-person ceremony this year.
Which Dallas restaurants have a Michelin star?
Two Dallas restaurants hold one Michelin star: Tatsu Dallas, a Japanese restaurant in Deep Ellum starred since 2024, and Mamani, the French contemporary restaurant of chef Christophe De Lellis, which earned its star in 2025 less than two months after opening.
What are the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants in Dallas?
Six Dallas restaurants hold the Bib Gourmand: Cattleack Barbeque, Gemma, Lucia, Mot Hai Ba, Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen and Nonna. The Bib Gourmand recognizes excellent cooking at a good value, and no new Dallas restaurants received it in 2025.
Which Dallas restaurants are Michelin Recommended?
Dallas’ Recommended list includes Crown Block, Fearing’s, Georgie, Monarch, Quarter Acre and Tei-An, along with Sushi Kozy, which joined in 2025. Recommended restaurants are recognized for good cooking and sit below the Bib Gourmand and star levels.
Does any restaurant in Texas have two Michelin stars?
No. All 18 Michelin-starred restaurants in Texas currently hold one star. A first two-star restaurant, in Dallas or anywhere in the state, would be the biggest headline of the 2026 selection.
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