The Best Places in River North District & around
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Rank 1. Nicōsi
Creative Dessert
A dessert-only tasting menu tucked inside Pullman Market, where phones stay pocketed all night by house rule. The multicourse format chases four flavor arcs, acid through sweet, and the kitchen rarely repeats itself season to season. Cotton candy spun tableside and caviar on cheese crackers give you a sense of the register. The chefs narrate as they go, which helps. A Michelin star, and a James Beard nominee for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Tavel Bristol-Joseph
- Eater Eater: The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Tavel Bristol-Joseph
- Eater The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
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Rank 2. Cullum's Attaboy
French
A chalkboard outside suggests a Champagne breakfast, and inside this little bungalow on the St. Mary's strip, that feels like the most sensible advice you'll get all week. Cullum's Attaboy is a walk-in, counter-service brunch spot doing affordable French luxury, think proper omelets, hollandaise, and caviar appearing with suspicious regularity. The Michelin Guide gave it a Bib Gourmand, and a James Beard nomination followed.
The awards
- Food & Wine Food & Wine: Ham & Cheese · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2024 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Christopher Cullum
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Food & Wine Ham & Cheese · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Christopher Cullum
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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Rank 2. Isidore
Steakhouse
A live-fire hearth anchors the open kitchen at this midcentury modern restaurant in San Antonio's Pearl District, where the menu is organized around Texas ingredients and built for sharing, with a dedicated steak section and a Texas-focused wine list. The name nods to the patron saint of farmers, and the sourcing follows through. It holds a Michelin star and landed on the New York Times Restaurant List in 2025.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Esquire Esquire: Miracle of the Well · The Best Martinis in America
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Rank 4. Ladino
Mediterranean
A wood-burning oven churns out sourdough pita at this Mediterranean grill house in San Antonio's Pearl District, where the menu roams from North Africa to the Levant without losing the thread. The terrace overlooks a courtyard, the cocktails lean into the same bold spicing as the food, and the Michelin Guide gave it a Bib Gourmand. Dress is casual, the vibe is lively, and the food punches well above the price point.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly Texas Monthly: Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In San Antonio
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Antonio
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Rank 4. Mezquite
Sonoran
Paper-thin flour tortillas arrive with a spread of grilled onion, toreado chili, and black garlic before any protein lands on the table, which tells you where this place is coming from. Mezquite is a Sonoran Mexican restaurant inside Pullman Market, sun-bleached decor and all, serving the hyper-regional cooking of the Sonoran desert rather than anything resembling Tex-Mex. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly Texas Monthly: #10 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 6. Best Quality Daughter
Chinese
The Chinoiserie wallpaper alone could anchor a design magazine spread, but this is a Chinese American restaurant where the food keeps pace with the room. The chef started with pop-ups exploring identity and landed somewhere more interesting than a thesis: Korean corn cheese egg rolls, dan dan noodles with wagyu guisada. A James Beard semifinalist, and the Victorian veranda fills up fast on sunny afternoons.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In San Antonio
- Eater Eater: The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- AAA Three Diamonds
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Antonio
- Eater The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
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Rank 7. Restaurant Claudine
French
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Texas Monthly Texas Monthly: #4 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #9 · Top 10 New Orleans Restaurants in San Antonio
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Texas Monthly #4 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- San Antonio Express-News #9 · Top 10 New Orleans Restaurants in San Antonio
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The working brewery behind the bar is the first thing you notice, copper tanks visible through the glass while the dining room fills up around you. This is a Texas American restaurant and brewpub set inside the old Pearl brewhouse, where the kitchen leans hard into Gulf seafood and Southern comfort food. The house beers are brewed on site, and the Michelin Bib Gourmand acknowledges the whole relaxed, unpretentious operation.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #14 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Antonio Express-News #14 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #4 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- Eater Eater: The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Grey Hwang
- San Antonio Express-News #4 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- Eater The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Grey Hwang
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Rank 10. Chika
Sushi
The awards
- Eater Eater: The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #41 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · John Ramos and Jonathan Reyes
- Eater The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #41 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · John Ramos and Jonathan Reyes
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The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Steven McHugh
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #15 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- AAA Three Diamonds
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Steven McHugh
- San Antonio Express-News #15 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
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Rank 10. Supper
American
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #21 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
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Rank 13. Curry Boys BBQ
Thai Barbecue
The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #25 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- Eater Eater: The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Andrew Ho, Andrew Samia, and Sean Wen
- San Antonio Express-News #25 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- Eater The Best Restaurants in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Andrew Ho, Andrew Samia, and Sean Wen
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The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #1 · Top 10 Nachos in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #5 · Top 10 Outdoor Dining Restaurants
- AAA Three Diamonds
- San Antonio Express-News #1 · Top 10 Nachos in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #5 · Top 10 Outdoor Dining Restaurants
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The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #10 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
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Rank 16. Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden
Texas American Steakhouse
The awards
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #1 · Top 10 New Orleans Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #8 · Top 10 Brunch Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #35 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #1 · Top 10 New Orleans Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #8 · Top 10 Brunch Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #35 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
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The awards
- AAA AAA: Approved
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Rank 18. La Gloria
Mexican
The awards
- AAA AAA: Approved
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The awards
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Rank 21. Akhanay Coffee Roasters
Southeast Asian Coffee Shop
A bright blue truck parked outside a rock climbing gym is perhaps the least likely setting for a serious coffee program, and yet here we are. Akhanay is a specialty coffee truck drawing on Thai and Southeast Asian tradition, pouring drinks like a coconut cold brew and a mango sticky rice matcha. Orders go in online, and you collect them curbside, ideally before someone asks if you're there to climb.
The awards
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #10 · Top 10 Fish Tacos in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #9 · Top 10 Nachos in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #10 · Top 10 Fish Tacos in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #9 · Top 10 Nachos in San Antonio
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The awards
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The awards
- San Antonio Current San Antonio Current: The 50 best bars in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #9 · Top 10 Outdoor Dining Restaurants
- San Antonio Current The 50 best bars in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #9 · Top 10 Outdoor Dining Restaurants
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #7 · Top 10 Steakhouses in San Antonio
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The awards
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #5 · Top 10 Coffee Shops in San Antonio
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #6 · Top 10 Coffee Shops in San Antonio
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The awards
- San Antonio Current San Antonio Current: The 50 best bars in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- San Antonio Current The 50 best bars in San Antonio
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #44 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #45 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #5 · Top 10 Italian Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #4 · Top 10 San Antonio River Walk Restaurants
- San Antonio Express-News #45 · Top 50 Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #5 · Top 10 Italian Restaurants in San Antonio
- San Antonio Express-News #4 · Top 10 San Antonio River Walk Restaurants
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #7 · Top 10 Chinese Restaurants in San Antonio
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The awards
- San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Express-News: #9 · Top 10 Italian Restaurants in San Antonio