Have you heard of Pasta|Bar? This highly successful Los Angeles restaurant recently achieved their FIFTH year with a Michelin star rating. What you really need to know is that Scratch Restaurants brought this concept to Downtown Austin! The team here has reimagined this incredible Italian menu, infusing it with tastes and traditions of Texas and beyond. Eating here is not your average fine dining experience. Prepare for a meal that takes you on a journey. You’ll travel not only through your senses but through fond memories (and three different areas of the restaurant).   

Veiled behind an unassuming exterior is the lovely lobby and bar. Here you’ll sit for the first stage of this tour, a teaser for your taste buds. As we noticed other guests being guided through the back door we began questioning what might await us. The mystique this all created around the main course had us locked in, excited, and hungry. We were delivered a bright berry colored beverage, a “tipple” that tasted of spiced hibiscus and a stunning start to the evening.

One theme that flourished throughout the meal was revival. Dishes and drinks that call on favorite elements of our collective childhood, now presented in reimagined forms and flavors. From first to final moments, this motif molded the experience into something more enlightening than expected. My eyes legitimately lit up with joy after a bite of the inaugural hors d'oeuvre, a cheesy croquette topped with Iberico that tasted for all the world like elevated Goldfish Crackers (in the best way). Next, a tiny taco best described as a miniature work of art and robustly packed with an entire Mexican meal in one mouthwatering morsel. Each of these small but mighty amuse-bouches made a lasting impression, especially the hibiscus hued tomato granita. Once those were devoured we were directed through the blue door to the next destination.

Enter a softly lit dining room and find your name card on an exclusive ten seat marble counter surrounding a warm and welcoming kitchen. With the crew and their entire operation on display it felt almost like seeing theatre-in-the-round or an interactive museum exhibit. This skillful squad moves like clockwork, seamlessly guiding each guest on a promenade through pasta. Their teamwork and precision is remarkable, creating an experience well above standard. Here you can sit back and enjoy the ride as the talented chefs and sommelier escort you along the menu. Paired with these courses is a hearty roll of sourdough baked from Owner and Chef Margarita’s famous FORTY YEAR starter. Each dish is an amalgam of tradition and innovation, texture, color, taste, and even time.

Chef Dan and this tight team harmoniously hustled through the process, presenting each following course right on cue after the last. All members of the team are deeply in sync and each one an expert on the menu down to every ingredient. Their artfully plated dishes are extremely unique and prove to be mastered versions of their base concepts. Every bite here holds an entire palate of flavor and feeling. Don’t let these serving sizes fool you. This is a 10 course dinner plus perks that will keep you on your toes and satiate your stomach.

First up was a fusilli dish with crispy cauliflower and buttery roe, a fascinating start. Next round was a brightly colored crudo with caviar, resembling a bird nest, that they doused with an electric neon pink sauce. This seemingly novel dish had my partner suddenly recalling his family back home and the cooking he grew up with. We enjoyed takes on traditional plates like the multilayered lasagna or their spaghetti that comes in a brilliant bowl of pho. Although the menu lists courses by the basics, each is much much more. They have transformed the familiar into the extraordinary, every plate elaborating on classic cuisine elements. The Tortellini has a tremendous trio of pink peach, green mint, and delightful tender duck. Their Ravioli sits like a crown above a slab of wagyu smothered in a gorgeous gravy. We understood after this why they recommend slowly savoring the sourdough -you’ll want to save some for the wagyu gravy.

Deserving of mention is the Pasta|Bar sommelier Marc. Not only does he pair meals with the perfect wine but also expertly recounts their compelling histories. He spoke of the families behind each bottle and their stories of survival, legends of adventure, and ancient grape vines that all eventually led to the glasses poured before us. I can say with certainty that Marc made the wine taste better.

Whether you love vino or lean more towards spirits, they will assuredly steer you right. Trust in their recommendations and try something new. Their Bitter Bloom tastes like banana bread in a glass and Shot in the Dark a chocolatey espresso martini-esc old fashioned, both bold and decadent drinks. For a bright and balanced mezcal based choice, the Flor de Fuego calls back to the rich hibiscus red seen throughout the menu. A big stand out here was the Sage Advice made with succulently smooth wagyu fat-washed scotch. These complex wines and creative cocktails accompany the food in a dynamic dance that mirrors the movement in the kitchen.

Dessert here at Pasta|Bar comes fourfold. After the savory supper we had two final sweet courses. Delicately served in a twee teacup came a marvelous meringue flower over sorbet, a luscious take on berries and cream with tiers of texture. Chef Dan then makes a fiery finish with the help of a glowing red hot coal. We watched as he reverse-roasted a dollop of marshmallow fluff atop gelato with puffed rice and caramel, transforming this toasty treat and transporting us to that fireside s’mores happy place. But wait, there’s more! Guests are led to digest and decompress in a third and final area. Here you’ll get to know more about Chef Margarita and the inspirations behind her craft. She offers a strikingly personal touch to this closing. Here enters one last mystery, an old school metal lunchbox covered with cool stickers. This opens to reveal paletas with a chili powder shaker and (adult) juice pouches, universally beloved summer sweets. More than a lunchbox, this is a window into Chef Margarita’s past and passion. Pasta|Bar sends you off with handmade chocolates, caramels, cookies, and contentment.

We enjoyed this journey alongside a gracious group of regulars. Chamise and her friends shared their adoration for this concept and even referred to their first meal here as a “Food Baptism”! Not only have they been coming back, they even brought a friend down from Dallas JUST to try Pasta|Bar. Every season of this menu brings something beautiful and bountiful to the table. Don’t miss your chance to be saved!

Huge THANK YOU to Cara, Dan, Marc, Ross, Seraht, Aaron, Isaac, Chamise, and the entire Pasta|Bar team for this extremely personalized and special evening.