18 Best Restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

One of the city's best restaurants, Biga on the Banks's menu is big and eclectic, and the dining atmosphere manages to be both larger than life and romantic. To take advantage of the freshest ingredients available, award-winning chef Bruce Auden and his chefs update their New American fine-dining menus daily and post them on the website at 5 pm. Dishes can range from seared American red snapper to 11-spiced Axis venison and Lockhart quail. Don't skip dessert, which may be the best in town: the sticky toffee pudding is a must. Table 31 is just off the main dining room, a great spot for relaxed entertaining for 5 to 8 people.  This is a prime spot for a leisurely dinner on the River Walk, if you can get a reservation. Let's repeat that: reservations are essential.

Ever since owners Chef Mark Bliss and his wife Lisa opened this spot in a former filling station in 2012, it continues to exceed all expectations. The cuisine is contemporary American, and that can mean custom charcuterie as well as delectable entrées (perhaps seared sea scallops, Lockhart quail, pan-seared beef tenderloin) ending with house-made sorbet, butter cake, or lavender goat cheese cheesecake. With a changing menu, loyal followers dine regularly to see what's new, just one reason that reservations are highly recommended. The intimate space suits the menu perfectly—warmly elegant and inviting. The outdoor dining has the same uncluttered feel, surrounded by greenery.

An Alamo Heights casual but upscale staple since 1977, Cappy's features exceptional menus of innovative dishes against a warm, two-level modern backdrop of brick architecture, tall windows, and pleasant outdoor seating. Well-prepared and presented dinner entrées include Faroe Island salmon, rib eye with smoked tomato confit, and seafood paella with saffron risotto. They have an extensive wine list and craft cocktail menu, and abundant varieties of scotch and bourbon. Weekend brunch is a treat, with classic Benedict and lobster grilled cheese. A rotating gallery of art showcases local artists.

South Texas meets the South of France doesn't sound like it should work, but it does, and beautifully—blending French and Texan cuisines in seasonally sublime ways. Everything here is fresh, fresh, fresh, right down to the on-site garden of herbs and vegetables. The menu changes regularly based on seasons and availability. Look for standouts on the Sunday brunch menu like wild mushroom and goat cheese omelet, and smoked salmon and avocado sandwich. Reservations highly recommended.

Known for luxury takes on Texan fare—think bison meatballs, Texas charcuterie, and chili-coffee-crusted elk carpaccio—this elegant restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa also has lighter options like vegan garden ravioli. The centerpiece of the dining room is a huge chandelier with more than 500 sets of naturally shed antlers. The dress code is resort-casual, and reservations are required.

A chic brasserie in the heart of Alamo Heights, Bistr09 serves French favorites that include lobster risotto, poulet roti, and seared tuna Nicoise. Family-style takeout offerings are paella and roasted chicken, and don't miss the chocolate mousse for dessert. Outdoor seating is available, and reservations are recommended.

At this elegant chef-driven restaurant, executive chef and owner Mark Bohanan dishes up prime-grade center-cut meat with exclusive selections of ultra-marbled, extraordinarily tender Japanese Akaushi beef (that means no growth hormones, ever). They also offer a tempting variety of fresh seafood, including wild Alaskan salmon, fresh Gulf red snapper, and Hawaiian big-eye sashimi tuna. Add a selection of single-malt scotches, handcrafted cocktails, and an expansive wine list, and it's no wonder the place attracts a power crowd. Reservations are recommended.

Built within the 130-year-old renovated boiler house of the original Pearl Brewery, the Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden is every bit as Texas-sized in flavor as it is in its expansive two-level space. Sophisticated yet casual, it enjoys a loyal following, many of whom settle in at the long bar for signature and seasonal craft cocktails. Menu items include everything from chicken to pork to seafood, accompanied by a myriad of local ingredients sourced from nearby farmers' markets. But the specialty is steak, with local beef sourced from family ranches in Texas. Prime-grade steaks are grilled to perfection and served with chipotle compound butter.

This River Walk landmark serves a great variety of steaks and seafood. A little bit Gulf Coast, a little bit Mexican, and a whole lotta Texan, their something-for-everybody menu caters to almost every palette exceptionally well. Fresh fish is the star of the menu with chile-fried gulf oysters, coconut shrimp, and blackened gulf fish fillet. Steak lovers have their pick of blackened prime rib, filet of beef tenderloin, and black Angus cuts. Tableside guacamole service mixes fresh avocado, roasted tomato, serrano pepper, cilantro, and fresh orange and lime juices. Choose from creme brulee, lime cheese pie, Louisiana bread pudding, or coconut flan for dessert. The main dining room provides several nooks for conversation and romance, but the patio on the river is where you want to be when the weather's nice.

Surprisingly, the concept of a French restaurant with Southern hospitality actually works here. That was the dream of the three Frenchmen founders from different regions in France (Strasbourg, Chartres, and Lyon) who met up in San Antonio; some of the dishes are a tribute to their respective grandmothers and meals shared around family tables. They have an all-day menu and a Sunday brunch menu, both featuring French comfort food (think Cheeseburger Mon Chou Chou, with Gruyère cheese and shallot sauce), salads, and sandwiches. Entrées include delectable creations of duck, Icelandic cod, milk-fed veal, and prime center-cut filet mignon. Luscious desserts include a berry-topped crème brûlée, mocha pot de crème, and more. The cocktail menu features Mon Chou Chou creations like espresso martini and banane Alexandre, plus a good selection of wines by the glass and bottle.

This steak house reigns over the San Antonio skyline, perched at the top of the Tower of the Americas and rotating slowly and smoothly. Its predecessor was primarily popular as a destination for drinks, but Chart House serves up great steaks and seafood to keep you occupied for an entire night out while enjoying the view from the top. It's a short stroll from the River Walk and other downtown attractions, and then a high-speed elevator ride to the top of The Tower.

Chef Steve McHugh brings his love of regional ingredients and organic methods to charcuterie-focused New American cuisine in a historic setting. Dishes change seasonally, but the primary theme is always meat (non-red-meat options available). The restaurant's intriguing concept of retail groceries strikes just the right note: you can take home jars of bread-and-butter pickles, pickled okra, basil and mint mustard, smoked tomato jam, and more. The restaurant is in the Pearl's 1904 Administration building, one of the district's most recognizable structures. The interior is equally distinctive, complete with a glass case chock-full of house-cured meats, from which you can build your own charcuterie plate (with expert help if needed).

Chef-owner Frederick Costa marries French and Asian cuisine to create fantastic fusion dishes in this relaxing, romantic hidden gem. Seafood is a standout at both lunch and dinner, with options that include Scottish salmon with miso glaze or wild-caught fish of the day. Entrees from the land include a grass-fed veal strip loin, aged Black Angus beef tenderloin, and a baby back rack of New Zealand lamb. The ample dessert menu features ginger crème brûlée, rum(cake) euphoria, and chocolate pecan mousse cake. There is also an extensive wine list with reserve bottles and Frederick's preferred Bordeaux and proprietary blends. Dinner reservations are recommended.

At this restaurant focused on Texas heritage and place—primarily sourcing its ingredients locally and regionally—an evolving menu, naturally, changes with the seasons. As sleek, comfortable, and contemporary as the Thompson Hotel it's housed in, the restaurant has River Walk access where guests can stroll up directly from the river level without having to go through the hotel. When making reservations, ask for seating at the K-Bar for a close-up look at the Grillworks wood-fired grill and a chance to watch the chef at work.

Located in the thick of things right on the San Antonio River, this upscale national seafood chain is a pleasurable oasis from the area's hustle-and-bustle. A variety of fresh fish prepared in a number of ways include Chilean sea bass and almond-crusted mahimahi; top steak cuts appease those who prefer turf to surf. Or you can have both with Reef & Beef, a lobster tail with ribeye. The atmosphere is classy yet relaxed. There's a large wine list, a capable bar, and a prompt and knowledgeable waitstaff.

Near the Alamo, the River Walk, and the Menger Hotel, this branch of the Morton's steak-house chain is appropriately elegant and contemporary. Fabulous steaks range from prime rib eye to prime New York strip, and are matched with exquisite wines and service. Other options include cold-water lobster tail. Signature sides are lobster mac 'n' cheese, smoked Gouda and bacon au gratin potatoes, and truffled ream corn.

Its name means oyster in Spanish, and you will find them plenty fresh here, chilled on the half shell and served with mignonette or chipotle cocktail sauce. The oyster bar also serves up crabs, shrimp, and ceviche. Other premium offerings are blackened redfish, grilled ahi tuna, and filet and lobster tail. The nonseafood menu is limited, so ask the server for suggestions. It's open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner at a lovely spot on the River Walk, housed in the luxury Mokara Hotel & Spa;  Dinner reservations are highly recommended, especially on weekends.

The famed Palm chain was acquired by Landry's Inc. in 2020, but thankfully it is honoring the Palm's long tradition of sophistication and impeccable service. Dinner faves include lobster gnocchi, Sicilian salmon, prime porterhouse, Wagyu filet, and more. Distinguished but not stuffy, the first thing you notice is the walls covered with hand-drawn caricatures of local and international celebrities, sports figures, politicians, and others who have dined at the Palm over the years. The dark, quiet bar area is a great place for conversation and cocktails.