8 Best Restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

One of the best restaurants in the city, the menu at Biga on the Banks is big and eclectic, and the dining atmosphere manages to be both larger than life and romantic. The choices change daily to take advantage of the freshest ingredients available, with dishes ranging from seared red-grouper grits to 11-spiced Axis venison chops. The three-course prix-fixe is perfect for pretheater or presymphony outings. Don't skip out on 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 5–8 people. Impress your guests with the tasting menus (five or eight courses) and suggestions for wine pairings. 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. 

This sophisticated, yet casual follow up to Chef Andrew Weissman's popular Le Rêve is just the kind of regular neighborhood spot San Antonians were looking for. Excellent, well-executed Italian food matched by flawless service in a cozy, unpretentious bistro-style environment. Though reservations are now accepted, families and couples alike still line up for breakfast, lunch and dinner at this urban-chic space at The Pearl. Antipasti are a focus, with a corner area table brimming with plates and platters of options from white bean purée to marinated wild mushrooms and fennel with cream sauce. Pastas are house-made and excellent, as are wood-fired pizzas, but heartier mains like decadent sugo or fall-off-the-bone osso bucco are earth-stopping. There are also delicious desserts and top notch wine list.

Enjoy authentic Italian cuisine at this upscale restaurant. The warm and inviting space features a wide menu of appetizers, entrée salads, pasta, seafood, poultry, beef, and chops; try the salmon Pavarotti, the quaglia all griglia (quail), or the brasato (braised boneless prime short ribs). Fresh, well-prepared dishes are paired with attentive service. A small patio allows you to dine alfresco.

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

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—much of it caught from the Texas Gulf—with favorites like blackened gulf-fish fillet, coconut shrimp, and blue-crab tostada. Steak lovers have their pick of grilled prime rib, center-cut strip sirloin, black Angus cuts, and Texas filet of sirloin. Table-side guacamole service mixes fresh avocado, roasted tomato, onions, serrano pepper, cilantro, and fresh orange and lime juices. The main dining room is almost cavelike and provides several nooks for conversation and romance, but the patio on the river is where you want to be when the weather's nice. Dinner on a river barge is a special treat. 

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 potato-crusted halibut, Wild Isles salmon with lobster mashed potatoes, and beef tenderloin with roasted fingerlings. They have an extensive wine list and craft cocktail menu, plus dozens of varieties of scotch and bourbon. Weekend brunch is a treat, with starters like jumbo lump blue crab cake and New Orleans gumbo. An ever-changing gallery of art showcases local artists. 

River Walk dining at its most elegant and romantic, this three-level restaurant is known for its sophistication and romance and has one of the most relaxing and beautiful outdoor dining areas on the River Walk, with graceful palm trees and soothing views. The menu is a celebration of refined American cuisine that combines locally sourced ingredients in chef-inspired dishes. Creative, flavorful dishes of note use products from local farmers and artisans, such as Lockhart quail and veal tenderloin. The finest handmade margaritas on the River Walk can be found here. 

A unique restaurant concept owned and operated by the San Antonio satellite location of the Culinary Institute of America, NAO features a rotation of resident chefs under Executive Chef Geronimo Lopez covering a whole perspective of Latin-American flavors. You'll find a fusion of Latin-inspired dishes with flavors from Peruvian causa potato purée, to Argentine roasted cheese with tomato and oregano, and Corbullon, a Caribbean-style cioppino. The beautiful South American-inspired architecture of the spacious dining room couple with excellent service make this a top destination at The Pearl.