Austin’s Most Anticipated Restaurant and Bar Openings

Although the end of the year is fast approaching, there’s still plenty cooking in Austin. From beloved favorites like Veracruz All Natural to buzzy newcomers like The Yacht Club, the city’s dining scene has plenty to look forward to. Here’s a look at the restaurants set to make their mark on Austin as the year wraps up and the new year begins.

Sacred Souls & Higher Spirits

400 Comal St.

Expected opening: Fall 2026

Two new spots are opening this fall inside East Austin’s new 20-room boutique hotel, bohème: Sacred Souls, a sultry cocktail lounge, and Higher Spirits, a rooftop retreat with skyline views and a 1,000-square-foot lawn for community events and artist gatherings. At Sacred Souls, seasonal ingredients and regional spirits shine in cocktails like the Cowgirl Spell, a floral blend of vodka, elderflower, prosecco, lemon and cucumber. The wine list is worth a look, too, with Oliver Savary among the whites and Thistledown’s Thorny Devil among the reds. 

The Yacht Club

311 E 5th St.

Expected opening: November 2026

The new Hotel Trinity, an Autograph Collection will be home to Yacht Club, a seafood restaurant specializing in oysters and globally inspired cuisine. The menu includes Peruvian leche de tigre, Japanese hamachi crudo, skate wing poached in Thai shellfish broth and Mediterranean octopus à la plancha with harissa oil.

The Butcher’s Daughter

1600 S. Congress Ave.

Expected opening: Mid-November 2026

Plant-based diners will soon have a new reason to celebrate in Austin as The Butcher’s Daughter arrives with a fully vegetarian, all-day cafe offering vegan and gluten-free dishes. The menu includes avocado toast, breakfast burritos, grain bowls and pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven, alongside coffee, juices, cocktails and wine. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus weekend brunch, the Austin outpost is the brand’s first Texas location and its largest yet, joining locations in Los Angeles and New York City. It’s also the first to feature an in-restaurant hi-fi music system, with custom 9-foot-tall speakers next to a vinyl wall housing a growing record collection. The menu shifts with the seasons, offering returning fans something new to discover with each visit.

Shola

105 Tillery St.

Expected opening: November 2026

Chef Laila Bazahm is bringing her third concept to the city with Shola, an Indian smokehouse combining regional Indian flavors with Texas barbecue. Meaning “living flame” in Urdu and Hindi, Shola will serve Indian-inspired barbecue, including brisket nihari and goat shoulder, alongside tandoor-fired naan and kebabs. Meats will be smoked over post oak for 8 to 12 hours. The menu also puts an Indian spin on Texas classics with dishes like masala queso, made with smoked paneer, Oaxacan cheese and green chile chutney, and house-smoked lamb sausage seasoned with kebab spices and Amul cheese. Rounding out the menu are coastal curries, biryani, housemade breads and vegetarian favorites, all served in a casual, social atmosphere inspired by Indian dhabas, pubs and night markets.

ChowChow

2002 Manor Road

Expected opening: Fall 2026

After helping shape the acclaimed Southern cuisine at Olamaie and competing on “Top Chef,” Chef Amanda Turner is bringing her own spin on comfort food to ChowChow, a new residency in the recently closed Hoover’s Cooking space on Manor Road. Co-owned with chef Jonathan Sánchez, the counter-service spot reimagines the classic meat-and-three with scratch-made Southern staples and unexpected culinary influences. Sánchez, a former Olamaie sous chef, will lead the pastry program, with nostalgic sweets and inventive twists on Southern favorites rounding out the menu.

Chistā:

44 East Ave., Unit 100

Expected opening: TBD

Rooted in family recipes and generations of Persian cooking traditions, Chistā is bringing the diverse flavors of Iran to downtown Austin this fall. Led by Executive Chef Mojdeh Eghbal of Noush, the restaurant will introduce diners to regional specialties like ghalieh mahi, a southern Iranian fish stew, alongside jeweled rice, grilled peach labneh, crispy falafel and charcoal-grilled kabobs. Eghbal is joined by consulting chef and partner Paul Qui, a Top Chef winner and James Beard Award recipient, to help develop the menu, while Austin bartender Bill Norris leads a beverage program of handcrafted cocktails, zero-proof creations and wines from the Middle East and Texas. Overlooking Lady Bird Lake, the two-story space will feature a lively downstairs dining room, an intimate upstairs setting and a dog-friendly patio.

Veracruz All Natural (North Lamar)

626 North Lamar Blvd.

Expected opening: November 2026

Since launching Veracruz All Natural from a tiny food trailer in 2008, sisters Reyna and Maritza Vázquez have grown the taco brand into a local staple. Their newest brick-and-mortar will take over the former Garbo’s space, bringing their signature tacos and fresh juices indoors with a walk-up window for to-go orders, indoor counter seating and outdoor picnic tables. The location will also introduce a full coffee and pastry program and a taco available only at this location.

Café Fleurs de Nuit

200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Expected opening: Fall 2026

Café Fleurs de Nuit brings a Parisian café sensibility to the Blanton Museum of Art through a partnership with the team behind Justine’s Brasserie. Envisioned as a daytime counterpart to the East Austin favorite, the concept will offer French-inspired classics made with local ingredients, from coffee and pastries to brunch, lunch and dinner, with Saturday service continuing into the evening. The menu will include staples such as escargot and crème brûlée, along with a bakery counter for grab-and-go offerings and a curated wine and cocktail list. Designed by Joel Mozersky, the space blends warm lighting, rich textures and signature red accents with an indoor-outdoor layout, including a patio overlooking the museum grounds and nearby artwork.

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