One of Austin’s most dynamic, successful and longest-running hospitality teams has had a busy 2025.
Guy and Larry Restaurants, founded by longtime Austin restaurateurs Guy Villavaso and Larry Foles, opened Restaurant François downtown in late November.
The swanky French-American restaurant at 401 W. Third St. enters the downtown scene just months after Guy and Larry Restaurants opened modern steakhouse The Kimberly on Seventh Street with chef-partner John Carver.
Restaurant François — created and helmed by chef Harold Marmulstein, who previously collaborated with the restaurateurs to open Salty Sow — joins a downtown portfolio from Guy and Larry that also includes Statesman Top 15 restaurant ATX Cocina, Red Ash and J. Carver’s.
The restaurant serves dinner nightly with a menu that includes stuffed lamb saddle en croûte, Maine lobster thermidor, boneless Wagyu short rib bourguignon, along with a selection of fresh seafood and dry-aged prime steaks served with sauces prepared and poured tableside.
“Our goal was to create a space where French technique and modern American flavors come together,” Marmulstein said in a release. “We’re using familiar ingredients but approaching them with the precision and care of French cooking.”
The large dining room, which features an open kitchen, was designed by Janet Henrich, and is colored with wood finishes and custom leather banquettes.
Bar Rouge, a classic cocktail bar serving martinis, Manhattans and a French-forward wine list, is located next to the restaurant’s dining room.
Dining and Cooking