Downtown
25 rooms on the Austin list
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Here, for
Known for, here
Regional Mexican2 here
- ATX Cocina — A heavy focus on masa makes the whole kitchen gluten free, and Nicolai McCrary scored it 8.4 for The Infatuation.
- Taqueria De Diez (D/10) (West Lynn) — A trompo turns in the window shaving al pastor while the grill finishes carne asada, and The Infatuation scored it 7.6.
Restaurants18
Hestia★
Destination · Modern American · Downtown · $$$$
book ahead
Kevin Fink cooks almost the whole menu off a twenty-foot live-fire hearth, and what you taste of it is ash-aged chevre and hearth-roasted beets.
Texas Chili Parlor
Solid · Chili · Downtown · $
walk-in
The Mad Dog Margarita is two parts Monte Alban mezcal to one Triple Sec and one fresh lime, and it exists because the writers drinking here in the seventies could not afford anything better.
ComedorMichelin
Solid · Modern Mexican · Downtown · $$$
book ahead
The bone marrow tacos come out as giant slabs of roasted marrow bone under pecan gremolata, over a bed of greens, with warm corn tortillas to build them yourself.
Two Goose?
Solid · BBQ · Downtown
walk-in
Texas Monthly's barbecue editor calls the $4.50 sausage, egg and cheese one of the finest breakfast sandwiches he can remember.
Péché
Solid · French · Downtown · $$$
book ahead
An Ibérico pork chop comes under morel demi glace, and it is Nicolai McCrary's pick of the whole menu.
ATX Cocina
Solid · Modern Mexican · Downtown · $$$$
book ahead
Build the kitchen on masa and the whole restaurant comes out gluten free, which is what happened here and nobody makes a speech about it.
Bill's Oyster
Solid · Seafood · Downtown · $$$
walk-in
The raw bar runs about half a dozen East Coast oyster varieties a day, and the Clams Michelada pours the michelada mix into freshly shucked littlenecks.
Uchibā
Solid · Japanese · Downtown · $$$$
book ahead
The yakitori grill is the thing this room has that Uchi and Uchiko do not, and the kinoko skewers come as portobello doused in brown butter and broccolini pesto.
Kappo Kappojust added
Solid · French-Japanese tasting menu · Downtown · $$$$
booking essential
Twin brothers born in Paris to Japanese parents run one counter menu where the dishes stay and the fish and produce swap with the season.
In Plain Sight
Solid · Cocktails · Downtown
walk-in
Campari held sous-vide with strawberry, then poured under a fluffy orange foam, across eight stools.
Here Nor There
Solid · Cocktails · Downtown · $$$$
booking essential
The bar clarifies its punches, chills olives with liquid nitrogen, and stamps its ice by hand.
Sana Sananew?
Listed · Tacos · Downtown · $
walk-in
The bistec taco estilo Matamoros is always on, whatever else Joseph Gomez is cooking that day, and the corn under it is nixtamalized in this kitchen.
Rogue Radish?
Listed · Bowls · Downtown · $$
walk-in
"Some of the most perfectly cooked salmon you'll find outside of a dedicated seafood joint," in The Infatuation's scored review, at 18.50 in a poke bowl counter inside Swift's Attic.
Skipjack Oyster?
Listed · Oysters and seafood · Downtown · $$$$
book ahead
Martinis arrive on a silver platter with the refill chilling in a glass tube and a tray of olives, onions and citrus to garnish it yourself.
Taqueria De Diez (D/10) (West Lynn)
Listed · Tijuana-style tacos · Downtown · $
walk-in
A trompo turns in the window shaving al pastor while the grill finishes slabs of carne asada, at the back of a bar, down an alley.
Garage
Listed · Cocktails · Downtown · $$$
walk-in
The Queen Anne's Lace is G'Vine Floraison gin with sarsaparilla bitters, carrot, maple, lime and peach, and the list it sits on is split into Custom, Vintage and Refurbished.
Red Headed Stepchild
Listed · Cocktails · Downtown · $$$
walk-in
The cocktails run to milk punch served with a side of Trix cereal.
NAYAnew?
Listed · Mediterranean and Asian small plates · Downtown · $$
book ahead
Shiitake mapo tofu under red Sichuan peppercorn, on a menu that also runs lamb kibbeh meatballs and whipped feta.
Provisions1
Hokkaisan Japanese Deli Sushi?
Listed · Japanese · Downtown · $
walk-in
Sushi and bento anchor the counter, from California rolls and tuna nigiri to chicken teriyaki bowls and gyudon over rice.
Whisky1
Seven Grand
Listed · Whiskey · Downtown
walk-in
The back bar opened with more than 400 whiskeys on it, running from Maker's Mark and Japanese Nikka Coffey Grain to Tomatin Scotch and Waco-made Balcones Baby Blue.
Cocktails3
Small Victory
Solid · Cocktails · Downtown · $$
walk-in
The martini menu is a flow chart, and it lists vodka next to gin without flinching.
Kinfolk Lounge & Library?
Listed · Whiskey and rare spirits · Downtown
book ahead
The shelf is stocked on five stated grounds: traditional production, responsible producers, storied lineage, rare finds, and bottlings tied to a specific time and place.
Eden Cocktail Room?
Listed · Cocktail bar · Downtown · $$
walk-in
The list runs to the theme: Fruit of the Forbidden, Naked and Shameless, Lilith's Affair, poured in a room about the size of a large walk-in closet.
Coffee1
Intelligentsia Coffee Shoal Creek Coffeebar
Listed · Coffee · Downtown · $
walk-in
The Roadrunner is cold coffee cut with freshly pressed grapefruit juice and soda, and the opening report says this is the only Intelligentsia that makes it.
Bakes & sweet1
The Baked Bear
Listed · Ice cream sandwiches · Downtown · $
walk-in
The top and the bottom do not have to match, and whatever you build goes into a hot press before it reaches you.
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