A First Taste of Mamani — One of Dallas’ Most Highly Anticipated Restaurants of the Year Was Worth the Wait

Mamani is finally open, and it was entirely worth the wait. After nearly a year-long delay, the highly anticipated Dallas restaurant from brothers Brandon and Henry Cohanim, co-founders of Feels Like Home (which owns West Village’s Namo and Bar Colette) has arrived at The QUAD in Uptown.

If you haven’t heard about the reinvention of Dallas’ first mixed-use development yet, here’s a little background. Formerly known as the Quadrangle, the revamped development features a 12-story, 345,425-square-foot office tower, a quarter-acre pocket park, and seven restaurants. Designed by architectural firm Omniplan, each restaurant space is housed within a stand-alone bungalow. Mamani resides in the largest bungalow, which spans 5,200 square feet.

Inside the New Contemporary French Restaurant at The QUAD

The interiors were helmed by London-based Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, best known for designing the restaurant in London’s famous Claridges Hotel. The Mamani space includes two dining rooms with “pastel, ombré-effect plaster walls, marble architraves, and custom end-grain flooring.” There’s also a private dining room, a bar “clad in rich burl paneling and fitted with an onyx niche for bottles and glassware behind,” as well as stained glass details throughout. A chic air-conditioned garden terrace looks over Routh Street for al fresco dining. In person, it’s absolutely stunning.

When we first spoke with the brothers in May 2024 about their new concept, the restaurant was still very much in the works. They had just hired 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. Brandon and Henry told us that when it comes to Chef de Lellis’ food, nostalgia is important.

“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.” De Lellis later reiterated this sentiment in a statement saying, “I just want to cook food that I want to eat. Simple dishes that dazzle.” The menu is influenced by French and Italian cuisine. De Lellis is actually of Italian descent, but was born in Paris.

Family is also important to the Cohanim brothers, as Mamani is named after their grandmother, who split her time between Paris (where she was born) and the South of France. They added Penne Arrabbiata to the menu just because it’s something they always ordered at restaurants growing up (even if it wasn’t on the menu).

What to Order at Mamani

Now for our recommendations. This one is tough, as we wanted to try every single thing on the menu, but we got some great insight from our server and were truly impressed with each dish we tasted.

First off, you cannot dine at Mamani without ordering the Bread We Bake. It’s served with a giant scoop of Rodolphe Le Meunier Butter, which I ended up taking the leftovers home, it’s that good. Our server told us that next door, The Bread Club, is coming soon, where it will basically be a “Bread Laboratory.” We’re on board.

The menu also offers a few other small bites and starters to begin your meal. We loved the crispy croquettes filled with Benton’s Country Ham and manchego. Who doesn’t like something fried, filled with gooey cheese? We also enjoyed the artichoke served with Za’atar yogurt, confit tomato, and mint. Presented as a little salad, it’s fresh and flavorful. Lastly, the Vitello Tonnato is a must-order appetizer. It was my first time trying this classic Italian dish with cold, sliced veal, creamy tuna sauce, mustard seed, and capers, and I loved it.

There are four pasta dishes available, but currently, the agnolotti is a favorite. Filled with sweet corn and topped with chanterelle mushrooms, it’s a delightful dish and my second favorite of the evening. Though the Veal “Cordon Bleu” was the ultimate stunner of the night. It hit the “elevated comfort food” nail on the head. Chef de Lellis comes out to serve it tableside, dividing the portions of meat, drizzling a veal jus (that takes two entire days to make and reduce) on top of it, and then mixing some of that sauce into the pomme purée — an iconic Joël Robuchon recipe. This is also the only way to order the classic French potato dish at Mamani.

To end the meal, we chose two of four dessert options. The chocolate mousse is a crowd-pleaser made with a smooth Manjari single-origin dark chocolate. But if you’re looking for something different, the Paris-Brest is a beloved French dessert. It’s an almond-studded pâte à choux filled with praline crème mousseline. Mamani’s version also includes hazelnut, and it’s decadent.

Mamani’s menu will change seasonally, but some staples will remain. The cocktail list also features some great concoctions from James Beard Award finalist Bar Colette’s Ruben Rolon. A highlight is that there are three kinds of Negronis, ranging from a Sbagliato to the Jungle Bird with tequila and mezcal.

It’s impressive that only two weeks after opening, there’s already a great balance of upscale, but approachable vibes, and cuisine that’s comforting but exciting. The co-owners’ and Chef de Lellis’ visions obviously align. Mamani does feel like a place you can dine with a significant other on a weeknight or gather friends for a celebratory dinner. We saw both on a packed Tuesday night.

Before opening Mamani, the brothers told us that their goal is to create Dallas restaurants that last — timeless concepts that don’t go anywhere. I hope it sticks around a long time; Dallas needs more places that feel like home.