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Photo courtesy of Arlo Grey

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11 of Austin’s Best Women-Led Restaurants

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Today and everyday, we’re celebrating the many great women-powered restaurants of Austin, because these restaurants remain beacons in a male-dominated industry in which women remain underrepresented in leadership positions. And here at Resy, we still believe that behind every great restaurant is a woman. The following trailblazing restaurants are testaments to that mantra.

11 venues

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The Women of Food in Austin

LENOIR

LENOIR

4.7 · American · $$$

South First
Buenos Aires Café

Buenos Aires Café

4.4 · Argentinean · $$

East Austin
Fresa's - South First

Fresa’s – South First

4.6 · Mexican · $

Travis Heights
Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum

Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum

4.8 · Asian · $$

Clarksville
Picnik- Burnet

Picnik- Burnet

4.7 · American · $

Rosedale
The Diner Bar

The Diner Bar

4.5 · Southern · $$

Downtown Austin
Picnik- South First

Picnik- South First

4.6 · American · $

Bouldin Creek
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The Diner Bar

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Austin

Diner Bar, by James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey, recently opened downtown, on the ground level of the brand-new Thompson and Tommie Hotels. Here, Bailey and co. are serving up the style of Port-City Southern food embraced by sister restaurant, The Grey in Savannah: pristine oysters, delectable bar snacks, a full dinner menu, and expertly made cocktails.

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Buenos Aires Café

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East Austin

It’s all about the meat at chef-owner Reina Morris’ boisterous Argentinian café, also run by her daughter Paola Guerrero-Smith — so stick to char-grilled short ribs, roasted chicken, and other South American specialties (empanadas and skewers!) for maximum satisfaction.

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Arlo Grey by Kristen Kish

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Downtown Austin

When “Top Chef” winner Kristen Kish first announced the opening of her restaurant in the lobby of the downtown Line Hotel, it was immediately clear that this would become one of the city’s most coveted reservations to get — and the restaurant has lived up to the hype. The prime location and the lakeside patio probably helped, but it’s Kish’s seasonal menus — with French, Italian, and Central Texas influences — and Arlo Grey’s sophisticated-yet-casual vibes that keep diners coming back night after night.

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Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum

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Clarksville

There’s magic in chef Ling Qi Wu’s dim sum: Her inventive creations (think a jumbo seafood soup dumpling and a basil and chicken variety) could rival dim sum parlors on either coast.

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Ling Wu Asian Restaurant

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Southwest Austin

The latest entry from Ling Qi Wu (of Lin Asian Bar) is this luminous Chinese establishment in southwest Austin. Look for showpiece dishes like Peking duck with foie gras paste and salt and pepper whole red snapper — and definitely put the extravagant dim sum brunch on your calendar.

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Fresa’s – South First

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Travis Heights

Fresa’s, an Austin original founded by Margaret Vera and Tracy Overath, offers a modern take on the classic Mexican chicken al carbon. Opened in 2012, Fresa’s now includes two locations that are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a menu featuring everything from tacos to wood-grilled meals to salads.

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LENOIR

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South First

At Lenoir, Jessica Maher and Todd Duplechan work side-by-side to create a style suitable to Austin summers — acidic, citrusy, brothy, spicy, and light on butter, cream, and gluten — and it’s exceptionally tasty.

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Vixen’s Wedding

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East Austin

With Vixen’s Wedding, the team behind Lenoir dives into the cuisines of Goa and Portugal, for a true East-meets-West marriage of incredible flavors.

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Launderette

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East Austin

Laura Sawicki, Margaret Vera, and Rene Ortiz converted a laundromat into a James Beard-nominated restaurant … with a dessert program that takes the cake.

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Picnik- Burnet

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Rosedale

Whether you’re paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, gluten-free, or simply want to eat well, Picnik has you covered. What started as a food trailer in 2013 on South Lamar by Naomi Seifter is now one of the city’s premier spots for healthful cooking, great drinks, and butter coffee.

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Qi Austin

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Downtown

Lin Asian Bar chef Ling Qi Wu takes her exceptional mastery of Chinese dim sum and puts it on full display at her newest restaurant, where on weekends you can do a full dim sum brunch with luxe ingredients like caviar and uni. Throughout the week, don’t miss out on a chance to try some of Wu’s signature dishes, like Szechuan-peppercorn alligator and truffle egg fried rice. She sources many of her ingredients from the nearby Wu Lanfang farm.

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