Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in San Antonio

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in San Antonio? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Savor The Culinary Institute of America

4.9

4.9 (1439)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located on the campus of The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio, and nestled in the Pearl, Savor highlights the talents of our CIA students under the supervision of the college’s world class faculty. Experience a meal inspired by ingredients and techniques from around the world. Our dining room and patio are open and reservations are strongly encouraged. Curbside takeout is also available.

All guests are required to wear a mask while indoors—regardless of their vaccination status—except when seated in a dining environment. Thank you for helping to keep our CIA campus community safe!

Top review

PattiVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Wonderful experience - I appreciate this is part of the Culinary Institute of America - it is a very good value - the food is very good and the teaching chefs ensure the quality and the level of service - everyone is welcoming and constantly ensuring you are happy

Clementine

4.9

4.9 (563)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

North Central

About the restaurant

At Clementine, we’re serving seasonal, innovative eats in a modern & lively atmosphere. Our team, led by John (2023 James Beard nominee for Best Chef: Texas) and Elise Russ, draws inspiration from diverse global flavors. Our ever-evolving menu guarantees fresh and exciting options, while our dishes like the White Mushroom Salad, Ricotta Cavatelli and Clementine Crunch Bar remain cherished favorites.
Our beverage menu is small but mighty, carefully curated to include only the most delicious wines & beers from our absolute favorite producers expertly selected to elevate your dining experience. Want your own bottle? Our corkage fee is $35 per 750ml.
Our Dining Room provides comfortable indoor seating, while the Kitchen Bar boasts an exciting vantage point overlooking our open kitchen, allowing you to witness the creation of each dish. For a change of scenery, our covered patio, is perfect for al fresco dining, complete with heaters and blankets to keep you cozy on those cool nights.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 3 days ago

Great dining experience with the feed me menu! Just able to enjoy the wonderful courses and try new things.

Best Quality Daughter

4.9

4.9 (593)

$30 and under

Unspecified

Downtown

About the restaurant

Best Quality Daughter houses a vibrant, chic décor and new, unique Asian-American menu. In 2018, chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, wanting to address the sparsity of Asian-American female chefs in South Texas, developed a new concept through a series of pop-up dinners called Best Quality Daughter with fellow chef Anne Ng and artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk. Today Best Quality Daughter is located in the historic Mueller House at the Pearl Brewery. Curated by chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, Best Quality Daughter's menu takes inspiration from her travels and the comfort food of her youth as a second-generation Chinese-American.

Top review

NicoleBVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Outdoor seating not as nice as indoor but the food and cocktails were heavenly- highly recommend, tom yum noodles especially!

Paladar Fusion Mexico Cuba

4.9

4.9 (45)

$30 and under

Mexican

Alamo Heights

About the restaurant

Discover a unique dining experience that marries the bold and spicy flavors of Mexican cuisine with the soulful and vibrant tastes of Cuba. Located in Alamo Heights, we offer a menu that celebrates this exciting culinary fusion. Our cozy restaurant, adorned with an elegant tropical decor, provides the perfect setting for enjoying our innovative dishes.

Every dish on our menu is a harmonious blend of two rich culinary traditions. We pride ourselves on using fresh, high-quality ingredients to deliver a memorable dining experience that transports your taste buds to a world where Mexico and Cuba come together.

Top review

RenataVIP

Dined 5 days ago

This was our second visit to Paladar Fusion Mexico Cuba. This restaurant never disappoints. Service is always friendly and professional. The menu is imaginative and dishes are incredibly tasty. This was another great evening in great company of friends in friendly restaurant serving great food.

Nicosi

4.9

4.9 (88)

$50 and over

Dessert

Downtown

About the restaurant

Submerse yourself in a dessert bar that will challenge your expectations by embracing acid, sweet, bitter, and savory all while extracting the nuances that truly makes them unique. Located at The Pearl, Nicosi only has only 20 seats that hug the kitchen, fostering one on one dialogue with the chefs.
To best accomodate your experience, reservations are required. We are offer 2 seating times per night: 5:30 and 8:00. Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph and Chef de Cuisine Karla Espinosa will guide an intimate journey through every dish, its ingredients, what makes it special and why it has been chosen for the evening. We offer wine and cocktail pairings or non-alcoholic beverage pairings for each course. Because Nicosi is about delighting in the present, we have a no phone/photography policy and the menu will be revealed as you dine. We are able to accommodate most dietary aversions and special requests with 24 hour notice. Please allow 90 minutes for your visit. Guests 16 and up, please.

Top review

DavidG1225

Dined 2 days ago

Great experience for me and my wife’s anniversary the staff was amazing and the food was a great unique experience!

Pharm Table

4.7

4.7 (148)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Downtown

About the restaurant

Our verdant succulent gardens welcome you as you enter the restaurant, with the iconic Tower of the America's in the distance. The cozy dining room and twenty six foot bar are framed by a floating botanical spice illuminated with soft lights. The Danish wishbone chairs, steel accents and warm wood tones are juxtaposed against minimalist art, custom concrete tiles, natural pigments, and uniquely sourced ceramics from Latin America and Asia. Led by acclaimed chef, Elizabeth Johnson, who helped the City of San Antonio receive a UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation. Pharm Table is an mecca for healthful farm to table cuisine. Removing inflammatory ingredients like wheat, dairy, refined sugar and processed foods, the restaurant focuses instead on fresh farm produce and meats carefully sourced from regenerative farmers. The "party favor" is how you feel once you enjoyed the restaurant's apothecary approach to food and beverage. Provecho!

Top review

StefanieHVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Absolutely delicious food that leaves you feeling great!

P.F. Chang's - La Cantera

4.6

4.6 (162)

$30 and under

Chinese

La Cantera

About the restaurant

We are an Asian & Chinese restaurant offering dine-in, takeout, to-go, delivery, and catering. Make a reservation online to dine in. Order Asian and Chinese food delivery, takeout, and catering online or through the P.F. Chang's mobile app. Let us cater the perfect feast for you - corporate office catering menus are also available. P.F. Chang's offers a variety of signature Asian, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, and Chinese food dishes including Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Chicken Pad Thai, Signature Lo Mein, Fried Rice, Mongolian Beef, Chang's Spicy Chicken, and Pork and Shrimp Dumplings. Order online for sushi delivery and takeout. Many gluten-free and vegetarian menu items are available. Try our seasonal cocktails and seasonal menu items.

Top review

TracieVIP

Dined on Mar 5, 2025

Great lunch options. Server was awesome . Thank you.

Tokyo Cowboy

4.6

4.6 (279)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Downtown

About the restaurant

Asian-inspired diner with creative cocktails and a great selection of whisky!

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 4 days ago

Everything was awesome today. Best part was they have whiskey on draft! Definitely worth it!

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4.5

4.5 (150)

$50 and over

Farm-to-table

Downtown

About the restaurant

Join us for dinner, as we showcase the bounty of Texas. This ever-changing menu will highlight the best of the season and work closely to reflect the treasures within the market. Isidore will have a robust wine list and intimate décor, making it the perfect space to celebrate.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 3 days ago

Outstanding service. Amazing food. Great experience.

1 Watson

4.4

4.4 (496)

$30 and under

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Escape the ordinary at 1 Watson, a rooftop oasis 15 floors above San Antonio. Enjoy stunning views of the River Walk, Main Plaza, and San Fernando Cathedral while indulging in modern Southwestern cuisine and expertly crafted cocktails. Savor Texas-inspired dishes like smoked brisket tacos, fajita shrimp and grits, and tempting tostadas, each reflecting the region's culinary heritage with a contemporary twist. Quench your thirst with a curated selection of craft cocktails. Enjoy refreshing margaritas, the smoky notes of Texas-made bourbon, or vibrant handcrafted gin and tonics. Each drink is designed to enhance the breathtaking views and delicious food. Step into a sophisticated ambiance with industrial-chic design and modern Texas touches. Relax in plush seating and bask in the warm glow of the fire, making 1 Watson the perfect destination for an unforgettable dining experience.

Top review

Keller

Dined 1 day ago

An absolute must in San Antonio! Went with my wife for a dinner date and cannot recommend the cilantro lime chicken and banana foster cheesecake enough. We will absolutely be returning next time we are in town!

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