Michelin plan
Michelin Guide sets date for reveal of 2026 Texas restaurants

Restaurant rating organization the Michelin Guide will reveal the third edition of its Texas selections on October 8, the organization announced.
The 2026 list of restaurants will come via press release this year, and not in an elaborate ceremony that draw chefs and restaurateurs from across the state - a big change from the fanfare that accompanied the 2024 and 2025 selections.
Michelin employs anonymous inspectors to evaluate restaurants on five criteria: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. Based on that, they may recognize restaurants with one of three designations:
- Michelin stars, rated at one, two, or three for restaurants that offer exceptional experiences
- Bib Gourmand, described as “restaurants that offer great quality food at good prices”
- Recommended for good restaurants that don’t quite meet the level of either a star or Bib Gourmand
The guide also gives out professional awards, such as service awards and sommelier awards.
Last year, Michelin added three starred restaurants statewide (including Dallas' Mamani), bringing Texas’ total to 18, along with eight new Bib Gourmands and 16 Recommended restaurants. (But Fort Worth was shut out.) Overall, 140 restaurants are included in the Guide.
Initially, Michelin made a three-year commitment to Texas, which was paid for in part by a $900,000 partnership with the statewide tourism organization Travel Texas and local tourism organizations in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. No announcement has been made about whether those partnership will continue, but a Michelin representative provided CultureMap with the following statement about the company’s future in Texas:
“Michelin cannot discuss the terms of its relationships for competitive reasons, although Michelin respects that partners might have disclosure agreements. It’s worth mentioning that once the Guide arrives in a destination the intent is for it to remain there. Supported by partnerships, the inspectors will continue to evaluate restaurants in the current coverage areas while keeping an eye on other locales as possible culinary hotspots for inclusion.”



