Pasta Bar Austin is the second act by the husband-and-wife team Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee. They first made waves with their Michelin-starred location in southern California. After relocating to Texas, the couple brought their imaginative take on pasta dishes to East Austin, where they've created a 10-course tasting menu.
I was recently invited to experience the restaurant firsthand, and while the dinner was hosted, my honest take on the evening follows. It was a memorable night of thoughtful cooking, from welcome cocktails and canapés in the bar to a front-row seat in the open kitchen and a surprise dessert.
Table of Contents
The Dinner Experience
Pasta Bar is hidden in plain sight on the 6th Street side of the Corazon apartment building in East Austin, where I lived when they opened in 2022. Look for the white curtains behind floor-to-ceiling windows, and the number 1017 above the door.
The dining experience at Pasta Bar is similar to Sushi by Scratch, the couple's omakase restaurant in downtown Austin. There are three dinner reservations per night (5 p.m., 7:15 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.), with space for 10 guests per seating.
Diners are asked to arrive 30 minutes early for a complimentary drink and canapés. I made a 5 p.m. dinner reservation for a friend and me on a Friday, so we arrived at 4:30 p.m. There's no dress code; guests can wear what feels comfortable.
Intro: Welcome Drink and Canapés
I'd only caught glimpses of the interior when walking past Pasta Bar, so it was a grand reveal when I swung the door open to a chic bar. Given the street-facing wall of windows, there's a lot of natural light to illuminate the space.
We were immediately greeted by Mark, the sommelier and general manager. He showed us to one of the two-top tables around the bar. A couple celebrating their anniversary came in after us, followed by a group of friends on a ladies' night out.
Our welcome drink was a crimson cranberry Aperol Prosecco cocktail. The first two canapés quickly followed: a pimento cheese-filled pastry topped with ham, and a chicken liver tartlet with pickled onions and edible flowers (Meghan Markle would approve).
The second pair was a spicy taco with grilled pork, pineapple, and fried shallots, and a hibiscus granita with avocado cream. The granita was my least favorite of the four, as I found the flavors confusing.
Open Kitchen
Once we'd consumed our canapés, Mark led us into the open kitchen behind the bar for the main event. A Tribe Called Quest played over the sound system as we were seated at the black-and-white Italian marble counter.
A half-dozen staff members, led by Chef Dan Kennedy, were quietly preparing dinner. The small kitchen was clean and organized.
Each place setting had a boule of Margarita's sourdough with butter, a welcome card with our name, and a message from the Lees. The tasting menu costs $235, and a caviar supplement is available for $60.
A standard wine pairing costs $145, and a reserve wine pairing is $225. Flipping the card over revealed seven wines by the glass.
I ordered a 2022 Pax Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast, which the winery describes as "salty and satisfying" with notes of "chalk, white peach, white pear, nectarine, and sea air."
It felt like we were dining in someone's home (albeit in their gourmet kitchen). I was reminded of Michelin-starred restaurants with open kitchens where I've eaten, such as Florilège in Tokyo and Geranium in Copenhagen.
Tasting Menu
Early Courses
The first course was a seasonal fusilli salad with brassicas (cruciferous vegetables including cauliflower and kale) and smoked trout roe. A crudo with rhubarb, almond, and cucumber followed.
The third course was the first to WOW me. Rigatoni was served in a rich bouillabaisse-inspired broth with mushrooms, fried okra, and eggplant.
Next, the world's smallest slice of lasagna, sauced with schug (a Middle Eastern hot sauce typically made with fresh chili peppers, cilantro, parsley, garlic, and spices).
I enjoyed the lasagna but didn't care for the schug. Granted, it was my first experience with this spicy green sauce, but I'd have preferred a milder tomato or cream-based one.
Proteins
As we reached the middle of the tasting menu at Pasta Bar in Austin, the pacing of dishes was fast and even, and didn't feel rushed.
Course number five was green spaghetti with tender prawns, broccoli, and an herbaceous broth. It was described as the chefs' take on Vietnamese pho, and they nailed the flavors. My friend, who has lived in Vietnam, concurred.
The pho-inspired dish was followed by snapper with a cabbage dumpling dyed black with squid ink, another of my favorites.
I was enamored with the bespoke dishware at Pasta Bar, produced by ceramics artist Erin Hupp out of Oakland, California. Each bowl and plate was unique in shape and color, and retained heat incredibly well.
Our seventh course featured camembert and burrata tortellini, served with Muscovy duck in a peach jus.
The eighth and final meat course was ravioli with Wagyu, mushroom, and onion. The well-marbled slices reminded me of the first time I tried high-end Japanese beef at Born & Raised in San Diego.
Desserts
I became a fan of Chef Margarita Kallas-Lee's pastries through Wolf and Wheat, her Austin bakery, which was only briefly open to the public. Therefore, I was excited to see what she had in store for us at Pasta Bar.
The dessert portion of the tasting menu began with a blackberry and black currant sorbet with marigold oil, marquis, and merengue. Inspired by pavlova, it was served in a chilled teacup with a floral design. I liked the various colors and textures.
The tenth and final course provided a little more showmanship. One of the chefs brought over a wooden tray with a black bowl filled with rocks. Several glass bowls held soba cha ice cream scoops on Okinawa brown sugar caramel with puffed brown rice. A tonka marshmallow topped each sundae.
The chef used red-hot binchotan (Japanese charcoal) to toast the marshmallow lightly. It was a dramatic and delicious end to our dinner at Pasta Bar in Austin, or so we thought.
Outro: Lounging
A little after 6:30 p.m., Mark led us from the kitchen counter to the adjacent lounge. A cover of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" by Lake Street Dive was playing.
The comfortable, low-lit space was the equivalent of a spa lounge, where you could relax after your massage (before returning to the real world).
A black metal lunch box with Misfits and AFI stickers was placed at our little table, and we were then joined by the same chef who served our ice cream sundaes. She flipped open the lid to reveal two watermelon-guava-yuzu popsicles, powdered tahini, and a pair of violet-colored drink pouches (think Capri-Sun).
Having grown up on a steady diet of punk rock from my teens through my twenties, I was into it. When I asked the chef about "The Lunch Box" dessert, she told me Chef Margarita used to carry lunchboxes covered in similar stickers and that she met her husband while he was in a band.
We were served mignardises, including passion fruit chocolates and Thai tea caramels. And my friend and I each left with a copy of the tasting menu signed by the staff and a horchata cookie to say "thank you."
Final Thoughts
Dining at Pasta Bar Austin feels like stepping into a curated experience where each detail from the music and dishware to the flavors on the plate tells part of a larger story. The Lees and their team have created an intimate restaurant experience that's elevated, unpretentious, and welcoming.
Moving through the bar, kitchen, and lounge gives the evening a natural rhythm, like acts in a play. Whether you come for the pasta or stay for the punk rock surprises, Pasta Bar offers a fresh take on modern fine dining in Austin.
This is a luxury dining experience, but the cost is justified given the high-quality seasonal ingredients, skillful chefs, and hospitality. I have my fingers crossed that Pasta Bar will join the list of Austin restaurants with a Michelin star, just like the California location.
Visit Pasta Bar Austin
Address: 1017 E 6th St, Austin, TX (Corazon apartment building)
Website: instagram.com/pastabaraustin
Reservations: Required; book via Tock.
Note: Guests are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes before their reservation time for welcome bites and drinks.
Dress code: None; you're encouraged to wear what's comfortable.
Parking: Limited street parking; nearby paid lots available.
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My meal at Pasta Bar Austin was hosted. As always, all opinions are my own. Photos were provided courtesy of the restaurant and used with their permission.
