Beef Wellington at The Kimberly.
PROVIDED BY RONNY GALDÁMEZ
December brought another round of turnover to Austin’s restaurant scene, with new openings landing across South Austin, East Austin and downtown, and several familiar names closing their doors.
The latest arrivals skew toward all-day operations and destination dining, while the departures reflect ownership changes, long timelines finally running out and neighborhoods continuing to shift. Below is a look at what opened — and what bowed out — before year’s end.
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Openings
The octopus at Amaya comes fried to the edge of crisp lounging on muhammara and potatoes.
Ana Gutierrez / Austin American-Statesman
Perched above Rainey Street’s busiest stretch, Amaya opened as a calmer counterpoint to the district’s nightlife-heavy reputation. The dining room is dim and subdued, with booth seating and wide windows overlooking the street below. The menu focuses on Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern-influenced small plates designed for sharing, including mezze spreads and shawarma-marinated beef skewers. Entrées fall mostly in the mid-$20s to high-$30s range.
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80 Rainey St. 661-808-8220, amayaatx.com.
Black Rock Coffee Bar
Black Rock Coffee Bar opened a new Pflugerville location in late December. The café specializes in espresso drinks, teas, smoothies and its proprietary Fuel energy drinks, alongside light food items. The vibe is fast-paced, catering to commuters and students, with a menu built around sweet, customizable drinks.
19140 Colorado Sand Dr., Pflugerville. 833-843-5776, br.coffee.
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Henry’s
Henry’s inside The Inn at Green Pastures serves coffee and breakfast items in the morning, shifting into lunch, dinner and cocktails later in the day.
Provided by The Inn at Green Pastures
Henry’s opened alongside The Inn at Green Pastures, a new 63-room hotel just south of downtown. The all-day bar and restaurant serves coffee and breakfast items in the morning, shifting to lunch, dinner and cocktails later in the day. The menu mixes familiar comfort fare — burgers, hot dogs and smoked salmon bagels — with seafood and shareable plates. Drinks range from breakfast cocktails and frozen spritzes to draft espresso martinis.
811 W. Live Oak St. 512-640-2000, theinnatgreenpastures.com.
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High Road DelicaTexan
High Road DelicaTexan centers on house-made sausages, cured meats and sandwiches.
Taylor Hannan/Provided by High Road DelicaTexan
High Road DelicaTexan debuted in mid-December as an all-day café, deli, bar and retail market in South Austin. The space blends counter service by day with a bar-forward atmosphere at night. Food centers on house-made sausages, cured meats and sandwiches, alongside breakfast items like kolaches and boudin waffles. Coffee is served during the day, while evenings feature cocktails.
915 W. Mary St., highroaddeli.com.
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The sashimi course at Kappo Kappo comes with dry-aged kanpachi, umenori sauce and a seasonal oyster.
Ana Gutierrez / Austin American-Statesman
Kappo Kappo opened inside the Austin Proper Hotel as a 25-seat, reservation-only tasting room led by Japanese twin chefs Haru and Gohei Kishi. The restaurant offers an 11-course, kappo-style tasting menu, meaning dishes are prepared and plated directly in front of guests. The experience runs about two hours and costs $195 per person, with no substitutions or dietary accommodations.
600 W. Second St. 512-628-1441, kappokappo.com.
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Parley
Parley offers cocktails and casual pub-style food.
Wen Fitzgerald/Provided by Parley
Parley opened in East Austin as a neighborhood bar operating in the evenings as a cocktail-focused bar with globally influenced drinks and casual pub-style food. The space emphasizes community events and affordability compared to higher-end cocktail lounges.
1628 E. Cesar Chavez St. parleyatx.com.
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Taco n Maíz
Taco n Maíz opened downtown as a family-owned taqueria serving traditional Mexican street food. The menu includes tacos and quesadillas made from long-standing family recipes, with late-night hours that extend well beyond most downtown kitchens.
603 Sabine St. instagram.com/taconmaiz.atx.
Closings
Dumpling King
Dumpling King posted a notice on its North Lamar storefront earlier this month stating the restaurant is temporarily closed. No reopening date or additional details were provided.
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El Mercado has been serving Tex-Mex cuisine in South Austin since 1985.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN FILE/AME
El Mercado closed its South First Street location on Dec. 17, ending a 40-year run for the family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant. Owner Tony Villegas, whose family opened the restaurant in 1985, said he is stepping away from the business. The space will be transformed into a second location of De Nada Taco. El Mercado’s Burnet Road location will remain open.
Rebel Cheese
Rebel Cheese is a vegan cheese and charcuterie shop in the Mueller development that also sells sandwiches, soups and a selection of vegan groceries.
Addie Broyles/American-Statesman
Rebel Cheese closed its Aldrich Street storefront but announced the space will remain vegan-focused. A new, unnamed plant-based restaurant is set to take over the location, keeping the existing staff and carrying Rebel Cheese products in its deli case. An announcement about the new concept is expected soon.
Dining and Cooking