The Mezza Platter at Amaya is a greatest-hits spread lined with warm, fluffy naan, crisp crudité, olives, pickles and seasonal veggies.
Ana Gutierrez / Austin American-Statesman
Rainey Street has long been Austin’s most polarizing nightlife district — part bungalow bar crawl, part tech-conference afterparty, part terminal where bachelor parties, startup kids and sunburned tourists cross paths like extras in a movie no one wrote a script for. It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s changing by the month, flanked now by glassy hotels with names that sound like meditation apps.
So it feels almost subversive that Amaya, perched above the fray on a dim aerie overlooking the street’s glowing chaos, is… calm. Not hushed, exactly. More like a dinner party hosted by someone who actually knows what to do with spices and lighting.
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The space: Low-lit haven overlooking Rainey
The room is moody — charcoal shadows, a warm amber glow flicking off tabletops. Through the windows you catch the whole Rainey panorama: the revelers below moving in clusters, the neon bars flexing their LEDs, the hotels gleaming like monoliths. Inside, Amaya folds you into a booth and doesn’t rush you.
The vibe: Chill but not sleepy, elevated
The octopus at Amaya comes fried to the edge of crisp, lounging on muhammara and potatoes.
Ana Gutierrez / Austin American-Statesman
This is a place meant for sharing — not just the plates but the opinions. The staff is warm without overperforming. The soundtrack murmurs rather than shouts. And the room has that rare feel: the sense that everyone came here for food first and Instagram second.
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During a recent media preview hosted by the restaurant, we sat in a long banquette between a family of five and a couple whispering across their wine glasses like they were in on a secret. At a high-top in the middle of the room, a large group shared plates and laughed over something that may or may not have involved tequila. A few solo diners nursed cocktails at the bar.
The menu: Modern Mediterranean
The Shawarma-Marinated Beef Skewers come charred and paired with blistered shishito peppers.
Ana Gutierrez / Austin American-Statesman
Amaya’s menu reads long, but there’s no need to overthink it — the standouts make themselves known quickly. Start with the Mezza Platter, a greatest-hits spread lined with warm, fluffy naan, crisp crudité, olives and pickles. The Tahini Caesar is not shy — the anchovy taste is present and unapologetic. Toasted chickpeas add texture where lesser Caesars rely on croutons.
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From the hot mezze, the Shawarma-Marinated Beef Skewers steal the show: charred, deeply seasoned and paired with blistered shishito peppers. For dessert, don’t skip the Loukoumades — warm, sugar-dusted fried “donuts” filled with banana cream that somehow doesn’t overpower the pastry. They arrive steaming and soft, like something dreamed up during a stakeout by a cop with a sweet tooth and too much time to think.
Price: $$-$$$
Amaya offers Loukoumades filled with banana cream. The tahini cookies are another dessert standout.
Ana Gutierrez / Austin American-Statesman
Amaya won’t shock anyone familiar with Rainey Street’s modern economics — starters mostly land between $12 and $16, mains from the mid-20s to high-30s. A shared meal for two runs $100–$150 before drinks. Not cheap, but neither is the rent on a rooftop patio overlooking Rainey. The restaurant is comfortable with both the street’s booming nightlife and its own desire to serve thoughtful food. It’s a soft landing in a loud neighborhood.
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Go early, stay late. Order the beef skewers. And for the love of all that is good, save room for the donuts.
Dining and Cooking