2026 Robb Report’s Top 10 New Restaurants in America

Zaranda is strongest as a Houston special-occasion pick: downtown, recognition-backed, better suited to a planned dinner than a casual walk-in meal. Choose it when the priority is experience quality and wine-program credibility; cross-shop Xochi for a clearer Oaxacan brief or Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Houston Downtown for steakhouse reliability.

Wolfsbane is the Bleases' follow-up to Lord Stanley; this time a focused tasting menu aimed at San Francisco's top fine dining tier. Named a Best New Bay Area Restaurant by the SF Chronicle in 2025, it's the right booking if you want to see what a Michelin-pedigreed kitchen does with fewer constraints. Book early; the recognition is catching up fast.

Maison Bar à Vins is a French wine bar and small-plates restaurant in Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C., recognised on Resy's Best of the Hit List for 2025. The extensive French-leaning wine list is the main draw, with refined bistro dishes built to accompany it. Booking is easy, the room is conversation-friendly, it is a strong choice for wine-led dining without a tasting-menu commitment.

Named one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Best New Bay Area Restaurants for 2025, The Happy Crane brings serious technique to modern Chinese cooking in Hayes Valley. Chef James Yeun Leong Parry's background at Michelin-starred restaurants across four cities gives the dim sum-focused menu real credibility. Booking is currently easy; that may not last.

Yamada works for a planned dinner when outside recognition matters more than casual value. Its 2026 placements from Robb Report and The New York Times make it a stronger special-occasion bet than nearby casual Chinatown options, though it is not the pick for a quick group meal or dessert stop.

Junior is worth booking for an evening-first Nashville dinner when the priority is a current, occasion-ready room without a punishing reservation process. The draw is recent national recognition, including Esquire's Best Martinis in America in 2025 and Robb Report's 2026 new-restaurant list, rather than a clearly defined cuisine lane.

Lielle is a dinner-first Los Angeles pick for diners who want a chef-led Westside meal with national attention behind it. Book it for a composed evening or small occasion; choose a more casual LA option if the plan needs lunch, counter dining, or maximum flexibility.

Kabawa is worth prioritizing for a New York City celebration when the table wants a Caribbean tasting menu with a clear point of view. The counter-forward room suits solo diners, dates, small groups better than large parties, the strongest reason to choose it over nearby alternatives is the more structured, occasion-ready experience.

Creepies is a French-leaning neighborhood bistro on Randolph Street from the team behind Elske, offering technically focused cooking; Parisian gnocchi, steamed halibut, precise desserts; in a warm, checkered-tile room. It landed on Esquire's Best Martinis in America list for 2025. Easy to book by West Loop standards and considerably less expensive than the tasting-menu spots on the same block.

Lilo earned a Michelin star in its opening year; a 24-seat chef's counter in Carlsbad serving a 12-course tasting menu rooted in California's coastline with global references. At $$$$ and with bookings genuinely hard to secure, it is worth the effort if a progressive tasting menu format is what you are after. Book as far ahead as possible.