New Hotel on Ladybird Lake Teases a Menu of Foie Gras-Stuffed Chicken Wings and Oysters

Forthcoming luxury lakeside hotel the Loren on Ladybird Lake shared details about its rooftop restaurant, Nido, ahead of its scheduled opening this summer. Nido will be located in the hotel on 211 South Lamar Boulevard in the Zilker neighborhood.

Nido’s menu will focus on coastal European cuisine, and the restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sample items include chicken wings stuffed with foie gras and maple; a lamb belly flatbread with anchovy butter; and grilled oysters with Calabrian chiles, garlic, and pecorino. The restaurant will have a full bar and a terrace area for cocktails.

The chef of Nido is Mississippi-born Brad McDonald. He most recently operated the doughnut pop-up 1235 Donuts in Austin with his wife Molly, which was a continuation of a pop-up they started in London. The McDonalds were also behind London spots the Lockhart, which served South American food, and Shotgun BBQ. He also led French brasserie Couvant at the Eliza Jane Hotel in New Orleans. In 2018, Eater New Orleans named the restaurant the most gorgeous restaurant of the year and nominated McDonald for chef the year nominee.

The Loren was announced in 2019 with a different chef and developer Jesse Herman, neither of whom is involved with the restaurant now.