More of a reopening than opening, Bryce Gilmore took a leap with the relocation of his first restaurant. Barley Swine moved from South Lamar to Brentwood, and made some changes, which included adding an a la carte menu in addition to its tasting menu and served a lot more customers, all while maintaining and expanding on its already-great dishes with the same powerful team.

Among La Corsha Hospitality Group’s many projects, Boiler Nine Bar + Grill is its most ambitious. Three floors of the former power plant building are dedicated to wood-fired food with a basement cocktail den and breezy rooftop dining. At the helm of the entire ship is chef Jason Stude, with skillfully-prepared cocktails courtesy of Jason Stevens.

The year’s first major switcheroo came via of the team behind Contigo. While minimalist Scandinavian-inspired Gardner was critically loved (see Statesman, Chronicle, Bon Appetit), Ben Edgerton and chef Andrew Wiseheart decided to wipe the slate clean and restart with a brand new restaurant. That transformation lead to the restaurant’s warmer makeover with neighborhood-friendly Chicon with heartier entrees and solid happy hour.

Austin’s most stunning restaurant of the year, by far, goes to Eberly. Co-owners John Scott and Eddy Patterson (formerly of Stubb's) transformed a former printing office into a marvelous restaurant and cocktail destination in South Lamar. Explore the many rooms, from the detailed dining room, glass-ceilinged study room, secret private room behind a two-way mirror, and bar and lounge Cedar Tavern (with a piece of New York cocktail history in the form of the bar). Executive chef Jim Tripi and pastry chef Natalie Gazaui cook up contemporary American fare paired with classic, strong cocktails from Kelon Bryant.

In a year of second restaurants, Adam Jacoby and the rest of his team decided to open an upscale Mexican eatery just a stone’s throw away from his ranch-inspired restaurant Jacoby’s along East Cesar Chavez. The bright and pretty space serves up interior and coastal Mexican cuisine with a touch of Tex-Mex.

Eater Austin’s chef of the year Fiore Tedesco turned what could have been yet another Italian restaurant into a more-than-exciting regionally-inspired dining establishment with carefully-crafted pasta and meaty dishes. It even ventures into celebrations centered around holidays, like the Feast of the Seven Fishes and Feast of San Gennaro.

East Austin was hungry for Chinese food, and Old Thousand answered that demand. Co-chefs James Dumapit and David Baek unleashed their brand of Austin-Chinese cuisine, which means a creamy take on dan dan noodles, mapo eggplant and five spice churros, along with much welcomed late night hours and cocktails.

It’s a treat to watch chef Yoshi Okai work his sushi magic as he deftly breaks down whole fish right before 12 lucky guests within one of the city’s biggest restaurant openings of the year found in its smallest, Otoko, tucked away on South Congress. Duck in next door for to sort-of-secret bar Watertrade for masterful drinks from Robert Bjorn Taylor. Austin also received its second omakase restaurant this year with sushi trailer-turned-brick and mortar Kyoten Sushiko from Otto Phan in Mueller.