With a High-Profile Chef and Lush European-Inspired Interiors, Mamani is Uptown Dallas’ Most Anticipated New Restaurant

In 2019, it was announced that the Quadrangle, Dallas’ first mixed-used development when it opened in Uptown in 1966, would be undergoing a major renovation by new owners Stream Realty Partners. Five years later, “The QUAD” is finally complete. Featuring a new 12-story, 345,425 square-foot office tower, a quarter-acre pocket park, and seven restaurants, The QUAD has completely reimagined the four-acre property to be a more pedestrian-friendly destination in the heart of Uptown. Later this year, six new dining concepts will open at the development to join the recently reopened Crushcraft Thai Eats. One of them is Mamani, the highly-anticipated new modern European restaurant from brothers Brandon and Henry Cohanim, owners of the Bar Colette and popular Dallas sushi spot Namo.

Designed by architectural firm Omniplan, all of the restaurants at The QUAD are housed in unique, standalone bungalows ranging in square footage, but Mamani will be the largest concept of all, coming in at almost 4,000 square feet. The Cohanim brothers were drawn to the growth potential of The QUAD, and what it could mean for Dallas’ Uptown neighborhood.  “Uptown is like the new downtown for business,” Brandon says. “We also like that [The QUAD] is close to upscale hotels like The Ritz-Carlton, The Mansion, and the upcoming Four Seasons hotel on Turtle Creek.”

An Eye for Talent

Brandon and Henry Cohanim have a track record of bringing great talent to Dallas, including Michelin-recognized bartender Ruben Rolon (currently the bar director at Bar Collette) and Namo’s executive chef Kazuhito Mabuchi, who had previously served as sous chef at LA’s Michelin-starred Sushi Ginza Onodera. But their latest hire may be the most impressive to date.

For Mamani’s culinary director, the Cohanim brothers lured French-born chef Christophe de Lellis, who left a high-profile role at the three Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon restaurant in Las Vegas to come to Dallas. After more than a decade on The Strip, de Lellis was ready to strike out on his own. The Cohanim brothers, with their eye for ambitious talent, were happy to let the accomplished chef take the reigns in Dallas.

“It’s the perfect time to go right now,” de Lellis told Eater Las Vegas earlier this year. “There’s a lot of interest in the Dallas market with big restaurants and hotels opening in the next couple years.”

Adds Henry, “He specifically comes up with ideas that he thinks Dallas diners will enjoy.”

What to Expect at Mamani in Uptown Dallas

A blend of French and Italian influences, Mamani will be a modern European fine dining experience named in honor of the brothers’ grandmother. “She was born in Paris and passionate about cooking French food,” Henry explains.

When it comes to chef de Lellis’ food, nostalgia is important to the brothers. “We want to create restaurants that are upscale, but comfortable and approachable,” Brandon says. “It’s important to us to make food that’s familiar to people.” And though the menu has not yet been announced, the brothers concede that Joël Robuchon’s most famous dish, pomme pureé, might be featured.

The interiors are being helmed by London-based Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, best known for designing the restaurant in London’s famous Claridges Hotel. Mamani will also feature a 1,496-square-foot terrace outside Routh Street for al fresco dining. The Cohanim brothers also plan to open a new bakery in the bungalow next door to Mamami.

Originally from Los Angeles, Brandon and Henry each attended Southern Methodist University for college and now call Dallas home. Brandon opened his first restaurant, Pōk The Raw Bar (now the Bar Colette space), over 7 years ago at just 20 years old. For the brothers, the goal is to create Dallas restaurants that last, and a culture that inspires their team members to stay on. Mamani is just the next step.