San Antonio Chef With Six James Beard Nominations Opening First Austin Restaurant in Downtown Hotel

Six-time James Beard Award finalist Steve McHugh, of lauded San Antonio restaurant Cured, is opening his first Austin restaurant in a new hotel downtown. The restaurant, Luminaire, along with a rooftop bar Las Bis, will be found at 721 Congress Avenue within the Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin. Both will open on Wednesday, February 1.

Luminaire will cater to McHugh’s strengths by featuring “seasonal local Texas fare and charcuterie,” according to a press release. It will also have a full bar and a new world-focused wine list. Luminaire will be on the ground floor of the hotel with indoor and outdoor seating.

Las Bis, the rooftop bar, will be on the eighth floor of the hotel with an outdoor terrace and skyline views. It will offer cocktails, biodynamic wines, and conservas (jarred or canned snacks). McHugh will also oversee the hotel’s banquet and room service menus.

McHugh attracted national attention when he opened the charcuterie-focused Cured in the Pearl development in San Antonio in 2012. He has been a four-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest, and he was a finalist in 2020 and 2022 for the Best Chef: Texas category. He also opened Landrace, which also focuses on Texas fare, inside the Thompson Hotel in downtown San Antonio this past February.

Update, November 18, 12:02 p.m.: This article, originally published on May 18, has been updated to include opening date details.