San Antonio’s restaurant scene might have been stricken by tons of closures in 2025, but it keeps finding new ways to shift gears. This year’s standouts are pushing Alamo City dining forward with intimate bistros, destination ramen shops, inventive cocktail bars, and instant-classic neighborhood joints. Taken together, they tell the story of a city cooking with more confidence, and creativity, than ever.

GiGi’s Deli

It may be stretching the definition to call Gigi’s a “restaurant.” Chef Matt Garcia does his work behind a counter at St. Paul Square’s El Tigre, which otherwise chugs along as a coffee shop. Banging sandwiches, however, deserve to be in the pantheon regardless of how much square footage it takes to make them. The menu changes often, but diners can always expect East Coast st

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