New Amis

New café and bakery brings authentic French eats to South Austin

Alice Poulain Café is designed for lingering lunches.

Photo courtesy of Alice Poulain Café

A new café in Austin is aiming for French authenticity above all. Alice Poulain Café is now open at 2214 South 1st St., serving sweet and savory baked goods, imported cheese, wine, and more.

Co-founder Julian Buscicchio, a former member of the French infantry, trained in pastry before and after his time in service, a press release recounts. When returning to Paris to continue his training, he found his grandmother Alice's recipe book and was inspired to chart his own path.

Alice Poulain Café — which also honors Buscicchio's grandfather with the name "Poulain" — is a shared venture between Buscicchio and Sebastian Menard, who plan to be at the café daily. All bakes are handmade with classical techniques applied to Alice's recipes.

“We like to say that Alice Poulain is a wedding between France and Texas,” said Buscicchio in the release. “In France, the café is where your day begins and where it slows down. We wanted to bring that experience to Austin, and what surprised us is how naturally it belongs. Austin now feels like home to us and we can’t wait to welcome the community into our space.”

The all-day café will serve breakfast until 11 am or 1 pm on the weekends; pastries, lunch, and other meals throughout the day; and wine from the afternoon on. It closes at 7 pm each day.

Notable menu items include a breakfast sandwich with local, organic scrambled eggs, a Parisian breakfast with a croissant and eggs, a ham and Gruyere omelette with mushrooms, salade niçoise, and charcuterie. On the pastry menu, guests can expect butter croissants, pain au chocolat, cinnamon brioche, madeleines in various rotating flavors, and a changing selection of cake slices. Whenever possible, ingredients are local or sourced from France.

That includes organic coffee that's roasted locally. There will also be fresh juices, French sodas, and mineral waters, plus a wine list offering French and American vintages by the glass (starting at $9) or bottle ($35-95).

The release emphasizes that Alice Poulain is designed to be a third space where people can enjoy their visit slowly, including a front terrace where "people-watching and lingering" are encouraged. Dogs are welcome, as are remote workers.

Alice Poulain Café is open daily: Mondays through Fridays from 7 am to 7 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 7 pm.

Old Idea, New Materials

Austin's Driskill Hotel reopens 1930 dining room as elegant steakhouse

Photo by Justin Cook

The space is tied to tradition thanks to The Driskill's long history.

The Driskill Hotel may look like one of Austin's most unchanging institutions, but an interior redesign proves otherwise. While some changes are hidden behind guest room doors, Austinites can easily see the redesigned Driskill Grill and Bar, which has now officially reopened.

MML Hospitality, an Austin group that also includes Clark's Oyster Bar, Swedish Hill, Sammie's, and more Austin restaurants, took control of this steakhouse makeover. Although the dining room and general concept already existed, MML is positioning this as a "new flagship restaurant for both MML and the city of Austin."

Driskill Grill and Bar interior Booths make the dining room feel both classy and cozy.Photo by Justin Cook

The Driskill Grill opened in 1930 — about 44 years after the hotel opened — and was one of the first fine dining restaurants in the city, according to a press release. Visitors will still see original architecture amplified with new additions that speak to the past: unlacquered brass, walnut burl paneling, and a pewter bar. The project spanned 6,000 square feet (enough to accommodate 243 guests) and was led by Lambert Maguire Design, with floral, art, and other design elements by Marjorie Harris.

On the culinary side, this will be the first time April Bloomfield, MML's executive chef as of 2025, heads a restaurant in the South. She moved to Austin for the gig, joining the restaurant's executive chef, Nick Erven, executive pastry chef Harry Flager, and general manager Dylan Falkenburg.

Driskill Grill and Bar dishes A peek at what's on the menu.Photo by Justin Cook

The new Driskill Grill keeps things classic with in-house dry-aged steaks at the center of the menu, alongside other selections that utilize whole-animal butchery. Pair that with a chilled martini, which is all we know about the cocktail menu so far. For dessert, guests can expect more classics including a New York cheesecake, a 10-layer chocolate cake, and a key lime pie.

The release also promises "old world service" to live up to the grandiose setting.

Driskill Grill and Bar interior This wraparound bar is the perfect place to pensively sip a cocktail.Photo by Justin Cook

The Driskill Hotel is located at 604 Brazos St.

hotels openings renovation history downtown steakhouse