The Early Word on East Austin’s Electric Goan Restaurant Vixen’s Wedding

Arrive East Austin Hotel’s Goan-Portuguese restaurant Vixen’s Wedding, which opened last month, has been an eagerly anticipated entry to the city’s restaurant scene. With a powerhouse team helmed by the chefs of essential Austin restaurant Lenoir, Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher, the restaurant brings a unique style of food to a city that is often criticized for a lack of diversity. But did it live up to the hype? Read on for the early word on the east Austin hotel’s main restaurant.

The space — Let’s start with the good news: The restaurant, designed by McCray & Co., is pretty much undeniably gorgeous. It’s why the spot scored that somewhat controversial (and since edited) photo-heavy feature in Texas Monthly. Echoing so many other Instagrammers and bloggers, So Much Life called the restaurant “absolutely stunning” and The Honest Shruth praised the varied textiles and abundant natural light.

The food and drinks — Here, things get a bit more mixed. The Honest Shruth liked most of her dishes, particularly the idli pork buns and almaco ceviche, but found the coconut saag far too sour. CultureMap food editor Brandon Watson also favored the ceviche and the piri piri chicken, saying that it “exhilarates in a town that too often relies on salt and fat.” Over on Yelp, Samuel C. already named the restaurant as one of the top ten in Austin, particularly praising the chutney, while Srikanth S. found the interpretation of Goan food inadequate, saying “the menu signals at an understanding of the cuisine that the kitchen flatly does not have.”

The service — A few people on Yelp complained that the service was not yet up to par. Sarah C. had called the restaurant her new favorite in Austin, but knocked the service in her second review. However, others like Ranjan S. found service “very attentive.”

The overall experience — In Watson’s review, he stressed that “yes, Vixen’s Wedding is electric, and yes, you should visit,” though he had a sense of “unease” and wondered what it would be like if the kitchen was helmed by a South Asian chef. The restaurant currently holds a solid four stars on Yelp.

• What to Know About the Buzzy New Restaurant That Just Arrived in East Austin [CultureMap Austin]
• Date Night at Vixen’s Wedding in Austin, TX [The Honest Shruth]
• 5 Restaurants You Need to Try in Austin (8/9/19) [So Much Life]
• All Coverage of Vixen’s Wedding [EATX]