You know it, we all know it: Houston’s culinary scene is worth all the accolades. While the city has got its spotlight before in numerous ways, be it Top Chef filming its 19th season in Houston, the local industry’s numerous James Beard Award-winning chefs, or Houston’s bars and restaurants repeated highlights on national best-of lists.
After long last, Michelin has expanded into Texas, and, just recently, announced its first series of Michelin Star restaurants in Houston. Worthy to note, our readers predicted numerous Houston restaurants to make the Michelin Guide.
At the ceremony hosted in Houston, Michelin distinguished 117 restaurants in Texas with awards. In total, the guide awarded 15 One Stars across the state, also awarding its newly-debuted Green Stars to two restaurants in Austin. The capital came away with the most awards; in addition to its two Green Stars, seven Austin restaurants earned Michelin One Star ratings.
Houston earned the second-most Michelin restaurant awards in Texas, with six Houston restaurants earning One Star ratings. Dallas and San Antonio each have one restaurant in the city that earned a Michelin Star.
Continue our article to discover the Houston Michelin Star restaurants.
BCN Taste & Tradition
Accurately predicted on our reader’s poll of Houston restaurants that deserve Michelin Stars, BCN Taste & Tradition is a Spanish restaurant housed inside a 1920’s bungalow on Richmond Avenue in Montrose.
Michelin highlights the restaurant’s seafood selection, commending Chef Luis Roger’s Spanish Octopus served with Potato Purée, Olive Oil, and Smoked Paprika as well as the Sautéed Sea Cucumber with Lobster Rice.
The Michelin Guide also commended the Suckling Ibérico Pig “A La Segoviana”, Shoestring Fries, and Cherry in Textures dish, as well as the restaurant’s all-Spanish wine collection, and private art collection of owner, Ignacio Torras.
📍4210 Roseland St, Houston, TX
CorkScrew BBQ
CorkScrew BBQ is a beloved local mom and pop in Old Town Spring run by Will and Nicole Buckman. Beginning as a food truck in 2010, the couple opened a brick-and-mortar in 2015, and quickly attracted long queues of eager eaters seeking to sink their teeth into perfectly smoked brisket and beef ribs.
Michelin echoed our advice in Houston’s best barbecue list which is that if you want Corkscrew BBQ, you better arrive earlier, or better yet, place your order days in advance to skip the lines.
Michelin highlighted the smoky flavor of the restaurant’s beef, pork, and turkey, as well as its tacos with green-chile ranch, loaded baked potatoes, and fruit cobblers – though stated that first-timers are better off going with barbecue.
📍26608 Keith St, Spring, TX 77373
Le Jardinier
Having been created by Michelin-starred chef, Alain Verzeroli in Manhattan, and with its aesthetically immaculate residence in the Kinder Building at Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Le Jardinier in Houston was all but primed for Michelin recognition.
Michelin commended the restaurant’s multi-leveled artistry, highlighting the company’s dishes “both beautiful and satisfying”. Featured dishes according to Michelin include the Maine Scallops carrot fondant, broccolini, carrot & orange reduction and The Butterfly, Yuzu delicate mousse, raspberry compote, pistachio sablé.
📍5500 Main St Suite 122, Houston, TX 77004
March
Divinely decorated and stylishly sophisticated, March in Montrose gives patrons a passport across the Mediterranean by way of multi-course tasting menus. In its write-up for March, Michelin expresses admiration for the restaurant’s wonderfully curated regional cuisine and beverage program.
Furthermore, Michelin hailed the dining experience at March as “both engaging and luxe” in which it invites patrons to “sit back and enjoy the show”.
📍1624 Westheimer Rd.
Musaafer
Another one of Houston’s most romantic restaurants to make the Michelin Guide, Musaafer is a palace-like Indian restaurant located at Galleria Houston.
More than its breathtaking atmosphere, Musaafer places great attention and philosophy to its culinary approach, wherein dishes are inspired by Chef Mayank Istwal’s journey across the 29 states of India.
Michelin commends the restaurant’s attention to detail, lauding 24-spiced onion xuixo, 72-hour cooked Dal, and prawns.
📍5115 Westheimer Rd Suite C-3500, Houston, TX 77056
Tatémo
Having garnered multiple accolades in the run-up to its Houston Michelin-starred restaurant status – including the top spot on Houston Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants 2024 – Tatémo is a somewhat unassuming Mexican restaurant located at a strip mall in the company of a donut shop and employment agency.
Began as a tortilleria, Tatémo is a restaurant from James Beard Award-nominated chef, Emmanuel Chavez. In its write-up of Tatémo, Michelin commends the ceviche, gorditas, and quesadillas highlighting its “vibrant salsas and other creative sauce work”. Michelin also spotlights the mole negro. Tatémo is BYOB.
📍4740 Dacoma St. Ste F
See also: 14 Sensational New Restaurants In Houston