Brasserie Mon Chou Chou is a French brasserie at the Pearl from three French-born partners, serving escargot and steak frites on a patio over the plaza.
Tip: The escargot and the steak frites are the brasserie standards to order. The patio overlooks the Pearl plaza.
Address: 312 Pearl Pkwy Ste 2104, San Antonio, TX 78215
Ostra is the riverside seafood room at the Mokara Hotel downtown, an upscale dining room built around a raw bar, whole fish and a terrace over the River Walk.
Tip: Request a riverside table at dusk. The raw bar and the whole fish are the dishes to anchor the meal.
Las Canarias is the fine-dining room at La Mansion del Rio on the River Walk, a longtime special-occasion address known for its riverside Sunday brunch.
Tip: The riverside terrace is the seat to want. Sunday brunch here is a downtown institution in its own right.
18 Oaks is the steakhouse inside the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort north of the city, serving prime cuts and Gulf seafood with views over the golf course.
Tip: It is a long drive north, so make a night of the resort. Prime cuts and the wine list are the reasons to go.
Supper inside Hotel Emma is the Pearl's farm-to-table flagship, an American kitchen leaning on the adjacent farmers market and on-site garden for seasonal.
Tip: The bar and brunch at the Emma are as worth it as dinner. Specials change with what the market has that week.
Ladino is chef Berty Richter's Eastern Mediterranean room at the Pearl, built for family-style sharing across mezze, hummus and a wood-fired grill section.
Tip: Go family-style across the mezze with the grill section as the anchor. The hummus and the lamb are reliable openers.
Best Quality Daughter is chef Jennifer Dobbertin's New Asian American restaurant in a funky converted Mueller House at the Pearl, with cheeky cocktails.
Tip: The funky Mueller House interior and the patio are both worth requesting. Ask for the seasonal cocktail special.
