I never thought I’d say this, but if you want to check out a really cool new restaurant, you should hit up The Radisson at Congress and Cesar Chavez.
No kidding.
The Radisson is now the home of the simply hip and delicious new restaurant, Chavez, owned by Parkside’s (and Backspace’s) own Shawn Cirkiel.
It’s a southwestern style restaurant (AND you can get oysters!) – a little different from the expected tex-mex, and delicious. High-end, high-concept (read: don’t go there if you are not looking to spend a bit of $$) and way superior to the TGIFridays that was there for years and years before.
Our friends at FÖDA Studio did the branding, and their branding is the kind that sticks. Michael Hsu’s firm did the architecture, which also is very good. The vibe in there is where it’s at. The tranquil view from the bar area (it’s the Radisson pool and at night it’s lit pretty nice) juxtaposes nicely with the hopping energy in the bar interior, and you can see Lady Bird Lake at the back end of the restaurant.
If you don’t use this as a girls night out spot, I would recommend stopping in after work for a cocktail, or perhaps taking a date (and if things go REALLY well, there’s a hotel right next door!) to dinner.
For the foodies out there, check out Eater Austin’s detailed coverage….
Chavez
111 E Cesar Chavez, 78701
-A