Dallas Ranks in Top 10 as a Millionaires Getaway, Likely With Reservations at Monarch

Dined in Uptown lately? It’s always been a scene, but with a few new upscale restaurants, like Nuri and Avra, it’s now high-stakes theater. The valet stands are car shows. (An all white 2025 electric Porsche Taycan is the “Careless Whisper” of cars, and I don’t know what that means, but I mean it.) From the $20 million buildout at the steakhouse Nuri to $68 for one ounce of A5 Kobe beef at CATCH, Dallas knows how to fancy up dinner. And get there in style.

And the word is spreading, apparently

First, Reservations

Earlier this year, we reported that the site Love Food looked for the most expensive restaurants in every state and found two in Dallas: Tatsu and Monarch.

Now, a new report from Wander, a luxury concierge travel platform, reveals the ultra-wealthy are looking for hyper-exclusive travel in 2026, and Dallas ranks No. 7 on the list of destinations. And it’s in large part because of the dining scene. The report highlights North Texas’ 23 Michelin-recognized restaurants, including the one-starred Tatsu. Access to private airports and heliports, 14 in all, also pushes Dallas up high on the list.

Wander used a report from Henley and Partners on centi-millionaires as the seed list, then analyzed U.S. hotspots, factoring in amenities that define luxury travel. Think private aviation access, members-only Platinum Clubs of America, the afore-mentioned Michelin-recognized dining and five-star spa hotels.

Naturally, New York City is atop the luxury travel list. Los Angeles is second, followed by Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, DC then Dallas. Interestingly, Las Vegas is not on the list, perhaps because the city doesn’t have a Michelin Guide. Houston and Austin are eleventh and twelfth on the list, respectively.

High-Profile Openings

“From our index, Dallas seems to be an up-and-coming location for luxury foodies, with already 23 Michelin-recommended restaurants despite only receiving the Michelin Guide last year. The city currently offers the most expensive meal on average, at $91 per person,” says Matt Kowalewski, chief of staff at Wander.

Since the pandemic, Dallas has become a middle-coast beacon for high-profile restaurants: Carbone from New York City opened in the Design District; Michelin-starred Danny Grant concepts from Chicago (Monarch); Komodo, the Miami hotspot that expanded to Dallas; Delilah, a high-profile restaurant with locations in Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, will soon open in Dallas; and Catch also recently opened in Uptown.

The report found that American cuisine is the most common restaurant genre in the city, followed by Italian and French restaurants. 

“Among these standout restaurants is Monarch, offering stunning views from the 49th floor of The National,” Kowalewski says. “Mercat Bistro on Henderson Street, renowned for its luxurious setting, offers a more relaxed yet equally refined experience, serving classic French bistro fare like escargots, French onion soup, and moules frites. And, for sushi lovers, Tatsuya Sekiguchi’s omakase in the renovated Continental Gin Building offers a 10-seat counter dining experience, where you’ll be served expertly crafted Edomae-style sushi.”

We’re looking forward to the updated Michelin Guide next week. Will Tatsu maintain a star? Will other Dallas restaurants earn one? Either way, we have a feeling the Dallas dining scene will continue to gain weight.