Triumphant Trio: Inside San Antonio’s three Michelin-starred restaurants

San Antonio restaurants shone brightly at 2025’s Texas Michelin Guide awards, earning more new stars than any other city in the state.

In only the second year the French company has produced a Texas guidebook, Alamo City dining spots Isidore, Mixtli and Nicosi have all won coveted stars. Notably, it was the second win for Mixtli, the sole SA star-winning restaurant in the state’s debut guide.

To earn that designation restaurants must deliver on world-class food and hospitality, but how they achieve their special success differs. Let’s take look inside each of these three notable San Antonio establishments.

Isidore creates warmth with an open kitchen, rustic wood shelving lined with understated Texas-inspired curios, and a sunlit dining room. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Robert Lerma

Isidore

221 Newell Avenue, (210) 756-7359, isidoresatx.com.

True to its namesake, the Catholic patron saint of farmers, the flagship steakhouse at the Pearl’s Pullman market trades fine-dining fuss for clean plates and quality Texas beef, trusting the meat’s deep, elemental flavor to carry the story.

But Isidore chef de cuisine Ian Lanphear takes that devotion to Texas bounty well beyond the steaks. While the cuts remain the headliners, Lanphear’s foraging instincts fuel a rotation of seasonal starters and small plates that spotlight the state’s often-overlooked vegetable scene: embered beets with pecan butter, smoked turnips enriched with Texas green tea and dashi butter, and a popcorn chicken dish that leaves guests wanting more.

In its own way, Isidore isn’t just rethinking what a Texas steakhouse can be — it’s making vegetables every bit as irresistible as dessert.

Set inside a restored section of the old Samuels Glass Factory — the industrial footprint that Emmer & Rye Hospitality transformed into the Pullman Market — Isidore feels more like dinner at a friend’s home than the precursor to a Michelin-star pedigree. Its open kitchen, rustic wood shelving lined with understated Texas-inspired curios, and sunlit dining room create easy warmth that disarms guests the moment they walk in.

The hospitality seals it, however. Wine director Ali Schmidt and sommelier Sarah Bacinich guide pairings with finesse, while bartender Campbell Dobbs turns out thoughtful, quietly brilliant cocktails behind the elegant bar.

The building’s history is still on display through wide glass windows, but the Isidore team keeps diners rooted firmly in the present with attentive service, a sharp wine program and some of the best steaks in San Antonio. Occasionally, Emmer & Rye Hospitality co-founder and chef Kevin Fink lends a hand in the kitchen, but like his colleague and fellow Michelin-star recipient Tavel Bristol-Joseph, he steps back, allowing the Isidore team to take their well-deserved spotlight.

Mixtli strives to create a sense of shared storytelling with each of its dishes. Credit: Ron Bechtol

Mixtli

812 S. Alamo St., Suite 103, (210) 338-0746, restaurantmixtli.com.

Widely regarded as San Antonio’s premier upscale Mexican dining experience, Mixtli — or “cloud” in the Aztec language of Nahuatl — has remained steadfast in its vision since opening in a 12-seat boxcar in 2013.

Though the restaurant has since relocated to a larger yet still intimate space in Southtown, its commitment to charting the culinary pathways of Mexican history remains unchanged. Each seasonal menu continues to serve as a thoughtful exploration of regional traditions, ingredients and stories — a mission that has defined Mixtli from the very beginning.

Chef-founders Diego Galicia and Rico Torres emphasize that Mixtli is and always will be a true team effort. That ethos is on full display in the restaurant’s dining room, where the open kitchen invites guests to watch the chefs, particularly incredible chef de cuisine Alexana Cabrera, at work. Each course is presented by a member of the Mixtli team, creating a sense of shared storytelling, while Mexican wines selected by Michelin-starred sommelier Hailey Pruitt elevate the experience even further.

And before the meal even begins, it’s mandatory to enjoy a drink at the Bar at Mixtli, where Michelin-starred bar manager Lauren Beckman, who, along with Pruitt, earned the first-ever Texas Michelin Guide star for service in 2024, crafts cocktails that feel like pure artistry and a little bit of magic. These aren’t your standard syrupy, boozy drinks, they’re thoughtful, transportive creations that set the tone for the night.

Actor John Leguizamo, who visited Mixtli for an episode of his series Leguizamo Does America, referred to Mexican food as the center of cuisine itself. If there’s one place that embodies that idea, it’s Mixtli — San Antonio’s first Michelin-starred restaurant.

Nicosi is all about changing how diners think about dessert. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Robert Lerma for Nicosi copy

Nicosi

221 Newell Ave., (210) 759-0088, nicosisatx.com.

Nicosi may share a roof with Isidore and the same Emmer & Rye Hospitality pedigree, but the experience is worlds apart from its steakhouse counterpart. Named for founding pastry chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph’s middle name, Nicosi delivers an eight-course, dessert-only fine-dining journey inside an intimate 20-seat space that feels almost like a black box theater. Every course is a small act of surprise and precision.

With the stage set, Nicosi asks guests to put their phones away and fully immerse themselves in the experience. The culinary team guides diners through a journey of four key “acts” — savory, sweet, bitter and acid — inviting them to leave both their reservations and preconceived notions about dessert at the door. Here, each course is a performance, and every bite challenges what you thought a dessert could be.

The experience is further elevated with optional alcoholic or nonalcoholic drink pairings. With phones tucked away, it’s easier to connect with fellow diners, all while staying rapt as the Nicosi team explains the thought and technique behind each dish. Adding to the intrigue, each seasonal menu is kept completely under wraps — there’s no menu online, only a sense of mystery and anticipation.

Questions are answered only when diners step through the humble door to the right of Isidore, ready to be part of this singular culinary performance. Bristol-Joseph himself embodies the spirit of Nicosi, sophisticated, precise, yet always ready to surprise with a playful twist. Like his fellow Emmer & Rye Hospitality co-founder Fink, Bristol-Joseph often takes a step back during each Nicosi experience, letting his skilled team take the spotlight.

More Michelin winners

San Antonio’s three Michelin Star winners weren’t the city’s only restaurants highlighted in the latest guidebook. A dozen others also received “Recommended” or “Bib Gourmand” designations, highlighting standout dining experiences that are affordable and accessible just below the star level.

Michelin Recommended List:

Leche de Tigre

318 E. Cevallos St., (210) 265-5933, lechedetigretx.com.

2M Smokehouse

2731 S. WW White Road, (210) 885-9352, 2msmokehouse.com.

Signature Restaurant

16401 La Cantera Parkway, (210) 879-3515, signaturerestaurant.com.

Reese Bros BBQ

906 Hoefgen Ave., (512) 925-9205, reesebrosbbq.com.

Little Em’s Oyster Bar

1024 S. Alamo St., (210) 257-0100, littleemsoysterbar.com.

Barbecue Station

1610 NE Interstate 410 Loop, (210) 824-9191, barbecuestation.com.

Garcia’s Mexican Food

842 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 735-5686, garcias-mexican-food.res-menu.com.

Bib Gourmand List:

The Jerk Shack

10234 TX-151 Suite 103, (210) 776-7780, thejerkshacksatx.com.

Ladino

200 E. Grayson St. #100, (210) 325-6007, ladinosatx.com.

Mezquite

221 Newell Ave., (210) 756-7378, mezquitesatx.com.

Cullum’s Attaboy

111 Kings Ct., (726) 229-7301, cullumsattaboy.com.

Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery

136 E Grayson St., Suite 120, (210) 455-5701, southerleighatpearl.com.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Triumphant Trio: Inside San Antonio’s three Michelin-starred restaurants

Tags: