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3 Dallas eateries make Texas Monthly's 2026 best new restaurants list
Dallas' Sushi Kozy made Texas Monthly's list of best new restaurants for 2026.
Three Dallas restaurants have earned slots on Texas Monthly's highly anticipated list of 10 best new restaurants for 2026.
The restaurants on the unranked list are:
Rainbowcat, where James Beard finalist Misti Norris is riffing on comfort fare such as chicken tenders, a McMuffin made with porchetta and braised greens, and a dessert inspired by Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Mamani, the Michelin-starred restaurant that earns its spot for expertly-crafted French and Italian fare and a lengthy wine list.
Sushi Kozy, led by Uchi Dallas alum Paul Ko with chef RJ Yoakum in the kitchen, restored the Texas Monthly author's faith in omakase dining, she says.
Texas Monthly knows what's up. All three restaurants or chefs are nominees for 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Poor Fort Worth, however, was excluded from the list entirely.
Published Monday, March 2, the Texas Monthly list is open to restaurants that opened between December 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025.
Notably, it’s the first edition of the list written by Paula Forbes, who succeeded veteran writer Pat Sharpe last year. She writes that that 2025 was “a lackluster one for Texas restaurants. . . Restaurant experiences that feel truly worth it, that have the power to wow, are hard to come by. But they’re out there,” she continues.
Forbes found those “worth it” experiences at restaurants in Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Paris, a small town in far northeast Texas near the Oklahoma border. Once again, Houston led the way with four spots. They are:
- Agnes and Sherman, an Asian American diner in the Heights
- Zaranda, a California-inspired Mexican restaurant in downtown
- Di An Pho, a Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown
- Latuli, chef Bryan Caswell’s eclectic neighborhood restaurant in Memorial
Austin’s sole representative is Fish Shop, which serves West Coast-inspired seafood such as a Dungeness crab cocktail and halibut crudo alongside Gulf Coast-style fare such as well-sourced oysters.
San Antonio’s Petit Coquin is Forbes’ “favorite” of the three French restaurants on the list thanks to its “streamlined prix fixe menu and laissez-faire atmosphere,” she writes. Diners are encouraged to try dishes such as country pâté, steak au poivre, and rice pudding.
BonFire), a French restaurant in Paris, Texas, has Houston ties. Chef Patten Sommers spent the early part of his career in the Bayou City, working at restaurants such as Triniti, Ciao Bello, and Brenner’s on the Bayou.
The full list is as follows:
- Agnes and Sherman, an Asian American diner in Houston
- BonFire, a French restaurant in Paris
- Zaranda, a Mexican restaurant in Houston
- Fish Shop, a seafood restaurant in Austin
- Rainbowcat, a comfort food restaurant in Dallas
- Mamani, a French and Italian fine dining restaurant in Dallas
- Di An Pho, a Vietnamese restaurant in Houston
- Petit Coquin, a French restaurant in San Antonio
- Latuli, a modern American restaurant in Houston
- Sushi Kozy, a Japanese restaurant in Dallas
Return of the Mack pizza.Photo courtesy of D.L. Mack's
Happy hour is a daily occurrence at the bar.Photo courtesy of D.L. Mack's