Downtown Austin Spanish Tapas Bar Reopens in East Sixth Hotel

After downtown Austin restaurant Kalimotxo closed in March, the Spanish tapas bar is reopening in a new location this fall. The revamped Kalimotxo is opening inside East Austin hotel Arrive at 1812A East Sixth Street starting on Friday, October 11.

The new Kalimotxo will still lean into Spanish food and drinks, taking its cues from San Sebastián pintxo bars and Madrid restaurants, per the press release. There will be Basque pintxos (single items) such as toasted topped with smoked tomato-chorizo-manchego cheese or mushrooms-soft-boiled quail eggs; and Andalusian tapas (larger snacks) like pan con tomate (tomato bread), Spanish tortillas, fried bacalao (salt cod), and ham croquettes. The bar also serves raciones (larger servings than tapas), with dishes full of half places of Iberico ham and tuna tataki aguachile verdes; and full-on entrees such as whole-grilled Gulf daurade fish and wagyu rib-eye with sherry-candied piquillo peppers.

For drinks, Kalimotxo will serve cocktails from its original menu — such as its namesake one, the Spanish beverage made of red wine and cola — and new ones. The latter includes the Kaixo! made with vodka, cappelletti (an aperitivo), and blood orange vermouth; and the PCT with blanco tequila, manzanilla sherry, tomato jam, olive oil, lime, and salt. The wine list centers on Spanish and Basque bottles, plus there are sherry flights and porrones of Basque sparkling wine Txakoli.

Behind Kalimotxo is the parent company Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group. Leading the kitchen is corporate chef Keith Rzepecki with bar director Kate Houser developing the drinks.

The Emmer & Rye restaurant company first opened Kalimotxothe bar in the fall of 2019 as part of its downtown fine-dining restaurant Hestia. The team closed the downtown location earlier this March and turned the space into a different cocktail bar, Hestia Bar.

This iteration of Kalimotxo took over Vixen’s Wedding, the Arrive Austin hotel’s Portuguese Goan restaurant run by Lenoir owners Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher. They opened the restaurant in the summer of 2019, but it closed in the fall of 2023 after Duplechan and Maher left the hotel project altogether. The hotel’s other restaurant Lefty’s (which Duplechan and Maher opened too) is still open.

Kalimotxo’s new East Sixth space includes a centerpiece bar featuring its tapas and pintxos. The redesign was led by Emmer & Rye group co-partner Rand Egbert, architecture firm Burton Baldridge Architects (which worked on the hotel itself), and general contractor Havens Construction.

The Emmer & Rye group’s most recent project is the giant San Antonio grocer and food hall Pullman Market, with several restaurants, including dessert tasting-menu Nicosi, a dessert-tasting menu.

Kalimotxo’s hours will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and then from 5 to 11 p.m.; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.