The 13 Most Exciting Restaurant Openings in the U.S. in 2026

Joe Frillman and co. are returning to a familiar spot for their second restaurant; the Radicle will open its doors in the same location where Daisies Chicago first stepped onto the scene. (The beloved eatery has since moved down the street, to a larger space). Frillman is also sticking to his roots with the Radicle’s menu, focusing on Midwest culinary traditions with a splash of Italian drinking culture mixed in. Expect seafood-focused bites like prawns with Campari aioli, crispy lake perch with whitefish tomato, and smoked mackerel with pretzels and mustard zabaglione paired with cocktails such as a Sunday Negroni, with gin, pomegranate, Campari, myrrh and sweet vermouth.

This year, Johnny Curiel is leaping into the tasting-menu stratosphere with Maize, a 16-seat space that’s an ode to his Mexican heritage. Over the 18 courses, diners will move from a welcome drink to a cold counter, for raw delicacies, to the hot counter, which will serve up dishes like tamal de mar, which includes Hokkaido uni, salsa verde de quelites, hoja santa chlorophyll, and jocoque. A variety of moles will be highlighted, too, each showing off a different region of Mexico and its culinary identity.

With their latest endeavor, Junsoo and Hyunyoung Bae are giving you a glimpse of their life at home, serving up dishes with classic Korean flavors that are inspired by what they eat on the weekends. The pair behind the Michelin-starred Ssal’s new spot has an à la carte menu paired with wines from Napa Valley, calling back to Junsoo’s time at Meadowood and Hyunyoung’s time at the French Laundry. Even the name Monami, meaning “friend” in French, continues to evoke that feeling of warmth and comfort.

Gabriel Kreuther is taking his Michelin two-star talents to Saverne this year. Located in the Spiral, a new office building in Hudson Yards, the modern brasserie was designed by the team at Modellus Novus and created in partnership with Tishman Speyer. Details about what’s on the menu at the 130-spot are scarce but will continue to show off Kreuther’s dalliance with live fire.

Kwame Onwuachi is taking his bold Caribbean cuisine to Sin City this year. The chef behind the acclaimed Tatiana in New York City is opening Maroon, offering up a new take on the classic Las Vegas steakhouse. The 125-seat spot will be designed by Modellus Novus, the visionaries behind Cote New York and Crown Shy.

Andrew Black’s new restaurant is all about bringing his Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean heritage to the plate. The James Beard Award-winning chef’s 70-seat Dougla is also an ode to his grandmother, who helped him discover the world of spices and honor ingredients. The restaurant will offer up dishes like whole roasted jerk chicken for two with tamarind chutney, coconut chutney, and mint chutney, river prawns with coconut rundown and cocoa bread, and Guinness Stout–braised oxtail steamed dumplings.

Francesco Martucci’s pizza temple in Italy took home the crown for the best pizzeria in the world in 2025 (though his I Masanielli had to share its piece of the pie with Una Pizza Napoletana in N.Y.C.). Now, the star chef is bringing that prowess stateside for the first time, with a pizza tasting-menu restaurant that blends fine dining with his fan-favorite pies. There will be an à la carte offering, too, but it’s the multi-course deep dive that is the most enticing, giving diners the chance to explore a wide range of doughs for a truly immersive pizza experience with toppings and Italian produce galore.

Los Gatos’s new spot is named for the fact that almost 90 percent of the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced from farms, fisheries, and foragers close by—in the vicinity, as some may say. The locale is also especially near and dear to Julian Silvera’s heart, with each dish bringing one of chef’s memories or experiences to life on the plate. He’s serving up a 15-course tasting menu at Vicinity once it opens its doors, focused on contemporary dishes and that uber-local feel

Set to open this month, Cassis is the second Milwaukee concept from Kyle and Meghan Knall, who cut their teeth working for Union Square Hospitality Group and their Birch contemporary bistro. The new 179-seat spot brings the South of France to Brew City, with warm, inviting dishes inspired by French country culinary tastes. That includes offerings such as grand aïoli with crunchy farm vegetables and poached steelhead trout and ravioli dauphine with Pleasant Ridge Reserve Cheese and chive. And that French influence extends to the cocktails, too, with the spot serving fun twists on the French 75, the Sazerac, and more.

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Lielle is where Nordic culinary techniques and SoCal produce come together, with chef Marcus Jernmark at the helm. Formerly the executive toque at Stockholm’s Frantzén—one of the best restaurants in the world—Jernmark is offering up a four-course menu with no official wine pairings, for a much more relaxed environment that evokes California cool. The menu will change monthly, too, and diners will be seated among cork-lined barrel ceilings and wine-toned leather banquettes.

Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz are back at it again, opening another restaurant in the City by the Bay to join their acclaimed Dalida. This time around, the cuisine will focus on Laura’s roots, offering up dishes that show off Mexico’s culinary inclinations. The 56-seat spot will combine techniques from the country’s Pacific coast with California’s style, offering up plenty of seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers for diners to enjoy.

A pasta-forward eatery is never a bad idea, and duo Greg Vernick and Meredith “Meri” Medoway are sharing a slew of homemade dishes with diners at their new Philly spot, Emilia. Inspired by the pair’s various travels through Italy, the rotating pastas will include dishes such as tortellini in brodo and chicken ragù bianco, alongside other offerings like crudo, wood-fire grilled entrees, and more.

The latest addition to the Catch Hospitality Group (the name behind swanky New York hot spots the Corner Store and the Eighty Six) will be Or’esh, a modern Mediterranean locale that will be led by Michelin-starred chef Nadav Greenberg (and located just down the street from the Corner Store). At its core, the restaurant will focus on fire, with a coal-fired kitchen and a custom charcoal grill at the center of its kitchen. The dishes will be prepared simply to let the ingredients’ flavors take center stage; expect whole lamb, homemade pastas, and more.