17 Independent Austin Restaurants Worth Visiting
This is our edit of the small, stylish, chef-driven places that make Austin’s food scene considerably more interesting. — from tiny seafood rooms and neighborhood wine bars to chef-owned kitchens worth crossing town for.
DOWNTOWN
Fish Shop
A tiny, bright seafood restaurant doing crudo, seafood towers, spot prawns, chowder, and martinis. 1401 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Justine’s Brasserie
A candlelit French brasserie with a garden and late-night atmosphere that still feels genuinely transporting. 4710 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78702
EAST AUSTIN
Nixta Taqueria
A chef-driven taqueria built around heirloom corn, nixtamalization, vegetables, and modern Mexican cooking.
https://www.nixtataqueria.com/
Comadre Panadería
A small Mexican-American bakery and food project with a very personal, independent point of view.
https://www.comadrepanaderia.com/
Ezov
A contemporary Eastern Mediterranean restaurant with a warm, design-forward room and bold, shareable food.
Suerte
A modern Mexican restaurant centered around masa, handmade tortillas, and chef-driven cooking.
Birdie’s
An understated neighborhood wine bar and restaurant with counter service, excellent wine, and serious food.
https://www.birdiesaustin.com/
Intero
A romantic Italian restaurant in a converted East Austin bungalow, with handmade pasta and in-house chocolate.
https://www.interorestaurant.com/
Canje
A Caribbean restaurant with Guyanese influence, a lush dining room, and one of the more distinctive atmospheres in Austin.
CHERRYWOOD
Este
A polished but independent Mexican seafood restaurant with ceviche, oysters, fish, tortillas, and a beautiful patio.
Dai Due
A butcher shop and restaurant focused on Texas ingredients, whole-animal cooking, local produce, and a strong sense of place.
BOULDIN CREEK
Lenoir
A tiny, romantic neighborhood restaurant with a seasonal Texas menu and a particularly lovely wine garden.
https://www.lenoirrestaurant.com/
Le Calamar
A newer French restaurant with the feel of a neighborhood discovery rather than a major opening.
https://www.lecalamar.com/
SOUTH LAMAR
Odd Duck
One of the defining restaurants of Austin’s chef-driven independent scene, with seasonal Texas ingredients and constantly changing small plates.
https://www.oddduckaustin.com/
MUELLER
L’Oca d’Oro
A warm neighborhood Italian restaurant known for handmade pasta, local sourcing, and a strong community-driven philosophy.
https://www.locadoroaustin.com/
NORTH LOOP
Foreign & Domestic
A tiny neighborhood restaurant with an open kitchen, seasonal menu, and the feeling of a genuinely local find.
BURNET ROAD
Barley Swine
An intimate chef-owned tasting-menu restaurant built around inventive cooking and seasonal Texas ingredients.
Beautiful neighborhood restaurants, old-school dining rooms, and quietly excellent places that somehow escaped Austin’s latest hype cycle.