Will Quarter Acre improve from recommended in the Michelin Guide?
Alison McLean
There’s no doubt that the Michelin Guide has had a big impact on the Dallas dining scene. Having outsiders’ perspectives on local restaurants compared to restaurants around the world provides a unique view, whether we agree with it or not.
Even before Michelin’s inaugural Texas guide came out last year, anonymous inspectors were dining at restaurants and rating the scene. Inspectors travel the world visiting restaurants; they’re not from Texas, nor do they only visit restaurants in Texas. The idea is that they eat around the world — a global comparison — not just to other restaurants in a city, state or country. However, local cuisines and cultures are taken into consideration.
Since Michelin arrived in Dallas just last year, restaurants have leaned toward tasting menus, while many continue to offer the same old menus.
Jump to the bottom to see the real-time updates, or read below to learn about the three distinctions and how Dallas fared last year.
A Refresher on the 3 Tiers
Last year was the first year that Michelin released a guide for Texas cities, including Dallas. Michelin Guide breaks down restaurants into three distinctions:
STARS
Michelin awards restaurants one, two, or three stars based on food quality, using five criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavors, and consistency between visits. Restaurant inspectors do not look at decor, table settings, or service quality for stars.
BIB GOURMANDS
The second tier, if you will, is named after Bibendum, the big puffy Michelin Man mascot (who knew?), recognizing “friendly establishments that serve food at moderate prices,” per the Michelin site. But we’ll have to agree to disagree on what moderate is. Cattleack and Lucia were on this list last year, and you’re not leaving either full for $40 per plate, which is their gauge.
RECOMMENDED
Restaurants in the guide without a star or Bib Gourmand are recommended. They are simply chefs using quality ingredients that are cooked well, which makes for a good meal.
A Review of 2024
We covered what we expect to see in this year’s guide. But, here’s a look at the distinctions in the 2024 Dallas Michelin Guide:
Stars: Tatsu (one star)
Bib Gourmand: Gemma, Lucia, Ngon, Mot Hai Ba, Nonna, Cattleack Barbeque
Recommended: Monarch, Crown Block, Tei-An, Fearing’s, Mercat Bistro, Stillwell’s, El Carlos Elegante, Stock and Barrel, Written by the Seasons, Barsotti’s, Quarter Acre, Sachet, Georgie, Mister Charles, Knox Bistro
Real-Time Updates
Exceptional Cocktail Award
Chas Martin at Mister Charles. This award celebrates outstanding achievements in cocktail creation and service.
New Michelin Star Restaurants
Two Dallas restaurants received one star in the 2025 Dallas Michelin Guide:
Tatsu
Tatsu retained its one-star distinction. This small omakase on the edge of Deep Ellum is the work of chef Tatsuya “Tatsu” Sekiguchi and wife, Hiroko. There are just 10 seats at the sushi counter inside the historic Continental Gin Building. The typical dinner is 14 pieces of Edomae sushi, a style Sekiguchi learned at his family’s almost 100-year-old restaurant in Hasuda City, Japan. In our review, Tatsu and the Art of Omakase, we relished the experience as a master class in sushi. There are two seatings a night, so 20 guests total. Reservations are $185 upfront per person, but more after tax, tip and fees, and that doesn’t include drinks. For a couple, expect to spend near $500.
Mamani has earned one star in the 2025 Dallas Michelin Guide. Mamani just opened in the Quad this September, which is a stunning turnaround for such a distinction. From our opening announcement last month, Lauren Durie wrote:
“Executive Chef-partner Christophe De Lellis has the pedigree (he ran JoÁ«l Robuchon’s three-Michelin-starred Las Vegas institution for nearly a decade) but insists he just wants to cook food he wants to eat. That translates into “simple dishes that dazzle.” Think Dover sole with brown butter, a culotte steak draped in sauce meurette and a whole duck presented “the Mamani way,” named for the owners’ grandmother. Translation: don’t ask questions, just order it. They even slipped her signature penne arrabbiata on the menu, because every family has that one dish that feels like home (ironically, the name of their hospitality group).”
Bib Gourmand Restaurants
No new restaurants in Dallas earned a Bib Gourmand distinction.
Below are the restaurants that retained a Bib Gourmand status in 2025.
Cattleack
The restaurant is one of 24 barbecue joints to make Texas’ Michelin Guide. The only problem we have with this exceptional spot is that it’s open just four days a week. 1628 Gamma Road, Farmers Branch
Gemma
Gemma is the work of chef Stephen Rogers and Allison Yoder, a couple who met at one-star Press in Napa Valley. At this American Bistro in Dallas, the extensive (and wonderful) wine list complements French and Italian comfort foods. The complimentary snack bowl of fried olives and pecans is a local treasure. 2323 N. Henderson Ave.
Lucia
Long one of the toughest reservations to snag in Dallas, this Italian restaurant in the middle of the Bishop Arts District “crafts a menu rooted in Italian classics that shifts with the availability of terrific Texan produce,” per Michelin. We love that this spot is like stepping into the home of the owners, David and Jennifer Uygur. The menu rotates often so there’s always something new to check out. Reservations are a near must, but occasionally they’ll have a spot at the bar for walk-ins. But don’t bank on it. 287 N. Bishop Ave.
Mot Hai Ba
This small East Dallas jewel is helmed by a Serbian chef with a menu described by Michelin as “contemporary cuisine with Vietnamese and French influences and decidedly Texan touches.” Insider tip: the chocolate cake may be the best in Dallas. 6047 Lewis St.
Ngon
Ngon on Lower Greenville, named after owner Carol Nguyen’s mother, serves some of the freshest and most authentic Vietnamese dishes in Dallas. The menu, based on the street food in Hanoi, where Nguyen grew up, offers a dozen different rolls as well as bowls of rice, noodles, curries and pho. As Michelin writes, this restaurant is “personal.” 1907 Greenville Ave.
Nonna
Nonna, now officially (per their website) Nonna-Tabu with a connecting space that offers Iive music, is a classic Italian restaurant serving a seasonal menu propped up by handmade pasta and a wood-burning oven. Nonna is casual elegance at its best. 4115 Loma Alto Dr.
Michelin Recommended
These restaurants are recommended in the 2025 Dallas Michelin Guide.