Toast of the Town
Celebrate Austin's culinary stars at 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards
The Tastemaker Awards return April 9, 2026.
If you love food and drink, this one's for you. The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards return this spring to celebrate Austin's top restaurant and bar talent — and you can get first dibs on discounted tickets right now.
Join us April 9 at Distribution Hall for our annual tasting event and awards ceremony. You'll indulge in delicious bites from top chefs, sip signature drinks, and be there for the big reveal of our 2026 Austin winners.
This year in Austin, we'll present awards for Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bar of the Year, Rising Star Chef of the Year, Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year, Dessert Program of the Year, Coffee Shop of the Year, Best New Restaurant, and our wildcard category, Best Sandwich.
Our panel of judges — including past Tastemaker winners and local industry experts — selects all nominees and winners, except for the Best New Restaurant winner, which will be determined by our savvy readers in a heated online tournament.
Stay tuned for the unveiling of the 2026 Austin Tastemaker Awards nominees, then get to know them all in our special editorial series leading up to the event.
The annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards program is as big as Texas. Mark your calendars for our full event series taking place this spring:
- Austin — April 9 at Distribution Hall
- Houston — April 16 at Silver Street Studios
- Fort Worth — April 30 at Social Space
- Dallas — May 7 at Astoria Event Venue
- San Antonio — May 14 at the Briscoe Museum
Ready to toast the Tastemakers? A limited number of First Dibs tickets are on sale now at discounted rates of $50 for general admission and $99 for VIP (includes early access to the event, dedicated bar, and more perks).
More delicious details are coming soon, but don't delay. Grab your First Dibs tickets for Austin — and all of our 2026 events — before they're gone.
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The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Austin by Garrison at Fairmont Austin, Nxt Lvl Events, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Central Texas Food Bank.
