5 Best Restaurants in Downtown and the River Walk, San Antonio

One of the city's best restaurants, Biga on the Banks's menu is big and eclectic, and the dining atmosphere manages to be both larger than life and romantic. To take advantage of the freshest ingredients available, award-winning chef Bruce Auden and his chefs update their New American fine-dining menus daily and post them on the website at 5 pm. Dishes can range from seared American red snapper to 11-spiced Axis venison and Lockhart quail. Don't skip dessert, which may be the best in town: the sticky toffee pudding is a must. Table 31 is just off the main dining room, a great spot for relaxed entertaining for 5 to 8 people.  This is a prime spot for a leisurely dinner on the River Walk, if you can get a reservation. Let's repeat that: reservations are essential.

This River Walk landmark serves a great variety of steaks and seafood. A little bit Gulf Coast, a little bit Mexican, and a whole lotta Texan, their something-for-everybody menu caters to almost every palette exceptionally well. Fresh fish is the star of the menu with chile-fried gulf oysters, coconut shrimp, and blackened gulf fish fillet. Steak lovers have their pick of blackened prime rib, filet of beef tenderloin, and black Angus cuts. Tableside guacamole service mixes fresh avocado, roasted tomato, serrano pepper, cilantro, and fresh orange and lime juices. Choose from creme brulee, lime cheese pie, Louisiana bread pudding, or coconut flan for dessert. The main dining room provides several nooks for conversation and romance, but the patio on the river is where you want to be when the weather's nice.

Pronounced kape'h—the Mayan word for coffee—this charming gem of a coffee shop/art gallery/boutique is housed in a cozy homestyle building across from Madison Square Park. Owner/artist Laura Lopez and owner/chef Rudy Lopez created a simple but diverse lineup of flavorful dishes like tomato and feta scramble, salmon toast, and delectable sandwiches on house-made bread. Perfect for a relaxing breakfast or lunch, Kapej has indoor and outdoor dining.

At this restaurant focused on Texas heritage and place—primarily sourcing its ingredients locally and regionally—an evolving menu, naturally, changes with the seasons. As sleek, comfortable, and contemporary as the Thompson Hotel it's housed in, the restaurant has River Walk access where guests can stroll up directly from the river level without having to go through the hotel. When making reservations, ask for seating at the K-Bar for a close-up look at the Grillworks wood-fired grill and a chance to watch the chef at work.

River Walk dining at its most elegant and romantic, this three-level restaurant is known for its sophistication and romance and has one of the most relaxing and beautiful outdoor dining areas on the River Walk, with graceful palm trees and soothing views. The menu is a celebration of refined American cuisine that combines locally sourced ingredients in chef-inspired dishes. Creative, flavorful dishes of note use products from local farmers and artisans, such as Lockhart quail and veal tenderloin. The finest handmade margaritas on the River Walk can be found here.