Austin’s New & Notable Restaurant Openings
Discover the latest bars, restaurants, cocktail lounges, and cafes making their debut in Austin this season
Austin’s dining scene continues to evolve, offering a dynamic mix of flavors and concepts. There’s always something new to explore around town, from cozy cafes to upscale cocktail lounges. As a fresh batch of openings makes waves across the city—here are a few of Austin’s new restaurants that stand out as spots you won’t want to miss.
OKO
1100 E. 6th St.
OKO, a new Filipino restaurant in East Austin, is led by Philippines-born, Bronx-raised chef Harold Villarosa and co-founded by FAM Hospitality’s James Beard Award-winning team. The menu features traditional Filipino cuisine, including a Kinilaw bar with Filipino-style ceviche, Texas oysters with pinakurat, and various street food skewers. Classic dishes such as adobo are also available, alongside a “catch of the day” and a curated wine selection.
Brass Poppy
605 Davis St.
Hotel Van Zandt unveiled its newly renovated lobby in September, featuring Brass Poppy, an elevated cocktail lounge inspired by the hotel’s eclectic style and Rainey Street’s original bungalow houses. Led by mixologist Curtis Janto, Brass Poppy revives overlooked cocktails such as The Grasshopper and Pink Lady, alongside Executive Chef Sergio Ledesma’s globally inspired small bites served in the “pintxos” style. Offering a sophisticated retreat from the bustle of Rainey Street, the lounge combines vibrant decor with a creative menu to provide guests with a unique cocktail experience.
Serenade
200 Lavaca St.
Serenade, a French-inspired brasserie with a Texan twist, is set to open Sunday, Oct. 27, as part of the Block 21 renovation in Austin’s 2nd Street District. Led by Chef Johnny Ray Stinebaugh, formerly of Contigo Catering and Geraldine’s, the restaurant features locally sourced meats and produce with dishes such as duck confit, dry-aged tomahawk ribeye, and blue crab Benedict, along with a curated cocktail and wine menu.
RELATED: Inside Two New Downtown Hot Spots – Serenade and Blue Room at W Austin
The Kitchen
400 W. 6th Street
The Kitchen, a farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Austin, offers seasonal American dishes with global influences led by Chef Michael Bertozzi. The menu blends local Texas ingredients with flavors from Peru, Morocco, and Japan, featuring shared plates, signature dishes, and craft cocktails, alongside a wide selection of wines. Designed by award-winning firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, blends an industrial chic aesthetic with Texas flair, featuring beautiful chandeliers from lighting artist Jen Lewin. The two-story restaurant aims to be a community gathering space and includes intimate dining options, an open kitchen, and a private event space.
Tancho Sushi and Sake
7415 Southwest Pkwy., Bldg. 4, Ste. 300
Tancho Sushi and Sake at Lantana Place offers an omakase-style dining experience that emphasizes high-quality ingredients and traditional preparation methods. The menu features four preset options: Omakase, Grand Omakase, Light Omakase, and Roll Omakase, catering to a range of preferences. With house-made sauces and a curated selection of sake, beer and wine, Tancho provides a refined yet approachable experience. The light omakase is priced at $29 per person, while the grand omakase costs $59, offering an accessible option for elevated dining. While the omakase menus showcase the restaurant’s culinary range, guests can also order appetizers, nigiri, and rolls. The restaurant operates on a walk-in basis and does not take reservations.
Swedish Hill Westlake
3663 Bee Caves Road
An Austin favorite deli and bakery, Swedish Hill, has opened a new location in Westlake Hills, offering its signature baked goods, breakfast favorites, deli classics and artisan sandwiches. Guests can enjoy coffee, wine or fresh juices in a charming setting with indoor, patio and communal seating. The new location also features grab-and-go options, online ordering soon and catering in the future.
Con Vista Al Mar
1209 E 7th St.
Con Vista Al Mar, a coastal Mexican restaurant with roots in Mexico City, opened in the Central East Austin area in September. The menu features a variety of seafood dishes, including beer-battered fish, octopus, and fresh shucked oysters, as well as tacos and grilled items like seared tuna and U-8 shrimp. Alongside creative cocktails like margaritas and Micheladas, the restaurant offers a curated selection of tequilas, mezcals, and Baja California wines, with both indoor and outdoor seating available for diners.
Sushi by Scratch Restaurants
603 Brazos St.
Sushi by Scratch Restaurants returns to Austin with an elevated downtown location and a reimagined omakase-inspired tasting menu. Chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee offer an immersive 22-course experience, starting with plated canapés and an edible cocktail in the lounge, followed by 18 courses at the counter. Featuring dishes inspired by their global travels and Phillip’s time in Japan, the menu includes highlights like Japanese jellyfish, wagyu and aged toro carved tableside. Guests can make reservations or add themselves to the waitlist here.
The Tradition and Heydey Social Club
721 Congress Avenue
Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin welcomed two new dining spots, The Tradition and Heydey Social Club, on Sept. 27. The Tradition, located on the ground floor, offers globally influenced American cuisine with playful takes on classic breakfast dishes like the Brisket Omelet and dinner options such as Steak Frites and Lonestar Braised Short Ribs. Meanwhile, Heydey Social Club, on the 8th floor, features a European-inspired cocktail bar with craft cocktails, light bites, and seasonal aperitifs, all served in a bright indoor-outdoor space overlooking downtown Austin.
The Betty
510 Rio Grande St.
The Betty, an upscale cocktail lounge located in the West 6th Street District, offers a luxurious setting with an extensive crafted cocktail menu, as well as a selection of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic options. Owned by Texas native Kyle Kinsel, the venue features a main room, private speakeasy, and patio, accommodating everything from business meetings to date nights. Guests can enjoy specials like half-off bottles and live music on Wednesdays, “Steak Night Thursdays,” and happy hour all day Tuesday and from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
Mercado Sin Nombre
408 N Pleasant Valley Road
A new cafe in East Austin’s Holly neighborhood is spotlighting Mexican heirloom corn and specialty coffee. Mercado Sin Nombre offers unique dishes like atole cortado (espresso served with a candied orange slice and a side of atole), masa-based Twinkies, and blue masa biscuit sandwiches. After starting with pop-ups and farmers markets, the cafe has now found a permanent home in East Austin. Owner Julian Maltby emphasizes sustainability and community, partnering with producers in Mexico and Texas to bring these locally sourced creations to life.
The Royale Room and Fifth Street Diner
506 San Jacinto Blvd.
Two new dining venues have opened in downtown Austin at the Thompson Austin and tommie Austin hotels. The Royale Room, located on the first floor of Thompson Austin, is an upscale cocktail lounge offering martinis, fresh oysters, and burgers. On the first floor of tommie Austin, Fifth Street Diner serves all-day breakfast and lunch in a retro-inspired setting. These new spots aim to provide an inviting mix of sophistication and nostalgia, ideal for everything from romantic evenings to casual lunches.
Top Roe
120 W. 5th St.
Chef Paul Qui, James Beard Award winner and Top Chef Season 9 victor, has opened Top Roe, Austin’s first handroll bar, on October 23. The restaurant offers eight handroll sets, including the signature Top Roe Caviar Set and the Hon Maguro Set with dry-aged Gulf bluefin tuna and caviar, along with customizable temaki options like scallop with tobiko and plant-based choices such as crunchy mapo tofu. The restaurant also offers an intimate 12-seat cocktail lounge, Foxtail, with Japanese-inspired drinks such as the Cloud 9, a Ramos fizz made with Mizu green tea shochu, Haku vodka, lemongrass, cinnamon, and cherry blossom, and the Honey Do, a Manhattan-style drink featuring white miso, sesame, honey, sherry, and a tableside cedarwood smoke presentation.
Teddy’s Restaurant & Bar
1601 W 38th St. Ste. 1
Set to open this November in Austin’s Tarrytown neighborhood, Teddy’s is the latest venture from the team behind Bill’s Oyster. Led by Executive Chef Rene Garza, known for his work at Uptown Sports Club and Suerte, the restaurant will offer Southwestern cuisine with Mexican influences. The menu will feature dishes like Texas red chili, filet mignon with chile relleno, and blue crab tostada, complemented by craft cocktails, martinis, frozen drinks, and a curated wine list. The space includes dark wood accents, a copper bar, and a temperature-controlled, 40-seat outdoor patio, creating a welcoming atmosphere for happy hour or special occasions.
Kalimotxo at ARRIVE Austin
1813 A E 6th St.
The popular Spanish Bar & Restaurant concept from the acclaimed Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group has found a new new spot at ARRIVE Austin. Inspired by the small-plates culture of Spain, Kalimotxo offers pintxos and tapas as well as raciones and platos. Kalimotxo was formerly attached to Emmer & Rye’s Hestia restaurant and is now its own standalone concept located on East 6th Street with an expanded menu, new cocktail menu, curated wine list focused on Basque and Spanish wines, including sherry flights and porrones of Txakoli. The sleek 113-seat restaurant also features an outdoor patio.