Thompson Hotel’s Newest Restaurant Is a Plant-Filled Poolside Oasis in Downtown Austin

The Thompson Hotel in downtown Austin announced that the expected restaurant from Chicago group Land and Sea Dept. will be a poolside bar and restaurant called Wax Myrtle’s. Wax Myrtle’s will open on the fourth floor of the hotel at 506 San Jacinto Boulevard in November.

Wax Myrtle’s will serve contemporary American dishes from executive chef Nick Erven, previously of Perla’s and Aba. The West Texas-inspired cocktail menu from Ben Carrington — named one of Denver’s most talented bartenders by Eater Denver in 2014 — will focus on savory ingredients and Mexican and American spirits, though there will be spirit-free options as well.

Wax Myrtle’s will have indoor and outdoor seating and hundreds of plants, with plans for trellises and a green wall. (The name refers to a shrub that is native to the Americas.) The bar is next to the pool deck, which has poolside cocktails available for hotel guests and private parties.

Land and Sea Dept., which is well-known in Chicago for tropical bar spot Lost Lake and many others, announced its involvement at the Thompson in April this year. Wax Myrtle’s is joining two restaurants from much-lauded chef Mashama Bailey, which are based her restaurants in Savannah the Grey (which was Eater’s Restaurant of the Year in 2017) and the Grey Market. The Thompson also has a slightly smaller hotel, Tommie, which will feature an all-day lobby coffee shop and bar with on-site and takeout services. Both hotels have Hyatt as a parent company.

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