Este
Seafood restaurant · Blackland ·
Coastal Mexican seafood with charcoal cooking and masa touches
.jpg "Este by Casey Dunn/Este")
.jpg "Este by Dimitri Staszewski/Este")
Coastal Mexican seafood with charcoal cooking and masa touches
"Home base for sommelier Celia Pellegrini, who won Michelin’s Sommelier Award, this restaurant shares in the spotlight for its beverage leadership." - H. Drew Blackburn
"At Este, the seafood-focused sister restaurant, I saw a broader, coastal-minded wine list that pulls from coastal regions around the world and organizes selections by weight and flavor—labels like "herbaceous and aromatic" for whites and "ripe and juicy" for reds—so guests feel comfortable and the program stays fun, approachable, and forgiving of perceived mistakes." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Known for bold coastal Mexican cooking and honored with a 2023 Eater Award, this East Austin restaurant pushes further with an in-house whole bluefin tuna breakdown ritual. When I stopped by in early August, I watched chef Fermín Núñez, in his gray apron with freshly sharpened knives, and chef de cuisine Alejandra Kuri lead the team as a tightly wrapped 211-pound fish — ethically raised and harvested off Baja California — arrived, the crew cueing up “Baby Shark” before getting to work. Equal parts instructional and playful, they teach everyone the process from mallet-assisted head removal and slicing along the spine to saving nakaochi rib meat and prized belly, rushing loins straight to the walk-in, a ritual now happening two to three times a month based on demand. The broader menu matches that energy, with rich camarones “el ricas,” crispy masa-battered swordfish tacos, and a bright, tangy tuna tiradito." - Cat Cardenas
"Three words: smoked salmon ravioli. But don’t let that stop you from tasting the rest of their outstanding menu. Nearly everything is made from scratch and sourced from the neighboring urban garden. This cozy, long-standing gem in an old cottage house is the perfect respite from the bustling east side" - lookthinkmake
"I am a big fan of everything that chef Fermin Nunez does. The restaurant’s offerings have elevated Austin in general with its approach to Mexican seafood. I went really early on, and have seen it grow, including Bar Toti in the back. [This restaurant] is a place we go when we want a fancier experience or to impress people from out of town. Most people seem to know Nunez’s other restaurant, Suerte, better. We take them to experience the fine dining Mexican seafood dishes. One time, Nunez had this hash brown type of thing on the menu, and I asked what the inspiration was. He said McDonald’s hash browns [laughs]. As well-recognized and elevated as it is, he isn’t pretentious at all." - Courtney E. Smith