Hestia’s New Bar in Austin Is a Mecca for Martini and Seafood Lovers

Austinites who want to forgo the whole rigamarole of a seated meal and simply post up at the bar have a new spot to turn to when that inkling hits.

The team behind Hestia opened a new watering hole in the city on Thursday, Eater Austin reported. Located in the former home of Kalimotxo, which is moving to the Arrive Austin hotel, the aptly named Hestia Bar will be focused on cocktails, raw seafood, and bar bites.

“Our goal for Hestia Bar is to be the perfect complement to Hestia’s menu centered around the hearth, while also serving as a great standalone bar with cocktails,” Kevin Fink, the restaurant’s executive chef, said in a statement.

The house Martini leads the way, featuring Tanqueray gin, Dolin dry vermouth, house-made beef aminos, and smoked bleu-cheese-stuffed Castelvetrano olives. If that savory option isn’t quite your vibe, there are also slightly sweeter cocktails like the Wascally Wabbit (Ketel One vodka, Barbadillo, Licor 43, carrot caramel, lemon, and egg white) and the Folie à Deux (Tanqueray, vermouth blend, crème de menthe, gentian, and white chocolate). All of the drinks have been thoughtfully crafted by Kate Houser, Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group’s bar director.

As far as the menu is concerned, the raw-bar section is by far the most abundant. There are oysters with hot sauce, crab Louie tartlets, diver scallop crudo, and potato pancakes that can be topped with Kaluga caviar. If fish isn’t quite your thing, small plates range from the meaty (dry-aged beef tartare; roasted bone marrow) to the veggie-forward (embered turnips; grilled broccoli).

You can also get a full meal at the bar, with large entrees like a Wagyu beef burger or a more intense dry-aged Wagyu sirloin. Halibut with smoked brown butter or roasted pork coppa with grilled sunchokes are a couple of the lighter options. And for dessert, you can choose between a classic crème brûlée and a baked Alaska.

While Hestia Bar is likely a welcome newcomer on the scene, fans of the old Kalimotxo need not worry. The Spanish tapas bar will reopen this summer, with a larger space that will allow the team to expand the bar program and serve a full dinner menu, Fink said.

Click here to see all the images of Hestia Bar.

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