As exciting as new restaurants are for foodies, they're a huge risk for chefs. Finding success in the first year — while getting staff onboarded, reading first reviews, and waiting for word of mouth to kick in — is a triumph reserved for few.

Far be it from us to judge a restaurant on a few months of work, so we're going off public sentiment. Readers will pick the new Austin restaurant they're most excited about for the Best New Restaurant category in the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

Our judges, including last year's winners, looked at every new Austin-area restaurant since we last voted in February of 2023, and chose the 16 strongest contenders. Those new restaurants will now go head-to-head in a bracket-style tournament.

Voting is open now at this link. People may vote once per round, through four rounds of competition. Round one ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, March 22.

Which restaurant will win? Find out April 11 at the 2024 Tastemaker Awards party at Distribution Hall. We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony.

You can keep up with all the Tastemaker Award nominees in a special editorial series, then be sure to buy your tickets to see who triumphs.

Here are the 16 nominees (in eight matchups) for Best New Restaurant:

Bill's Oyster vs. Bureau de Poste
"Highly anticipated" doesn't quite cut it for these buzzy openings. Casual environments and fancy eats beckon.

• Bill's Oyster: As the name suggests, this New Orleans-inspired raw bar excels in shellfish. Austinites love the food and the lack of pretension almost equally.
• Bureau de Poste: Enjoy steak frites on your grocery run. Attached to the cultishly popular Tiny Grocer, Bureau de Poste whips up classic French food in a renovated post office.

Bacalar vs. Ezov
These restaurants have taken hyper-specific inspiration from one town or city outside of the United States.

• Bacalar: This fancy downtown restaurant is inspired by Bacalar, Mexico. It draws a parallel between the Lake of Seven Colors and Austin's Town Lake, right outside.
• Ezov: Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group's Ezov is inspired by the markets of Tel Aviv and the bounty of Texas, drawing parallels between agriculture in both regions.

Gràcia Mediterranean vs. El Raval
These Mediterranean restaurants both take special inspiration from Spain; one branches out, while the other zeroes in.

• Gràcia Mediterranean: From hummus to halloumi, this calamari-serving restaurant with a Catalan name is all over the region. An extensive beverage list further blurs borders.
• El Raval: It replaced South Lamar's beloved Barlata, but it's still holding the Spanish torch. The extensive menu includes five paellas, including a daily special.

Elementary vs. Fabrik
Just about every chef wants to be creative, but these two restaurants take it to the next level in accessible fine dining.

• Elementary: Referencing primary school and elevating comfort foods, Elementary is getting creative with food and hopefully teaching a lesson in the process.
• Fabrik: This entirely plant-based restaurant is doing something new for Austin. It's walking away from bowls and burritos in favor of adventurous, coursed meals.

Alma By Stephan Pyles vs. Uchibā
One of these restaurants is known for sexy nights out; the other is just as luxe in a surprising locale.

• Alma By Stephan Pyles: Located in a luxury assisted living community, this fine dining restaurant by pioneering chef Stephan Pyles impresses diners across generational divides.
• Uchibā: This Uchi spinoff focuses on bar offerings like raw fish, yakitori, and cocktails. As casual as that may sound, the dining is still incredibly sleek.

RedFarm vs. Zoé Tong
These two upscale Chinese restaurants with critically acclaimed New York roots opened on the same day in November.

• RedFarm: RedFarm, the first outpost of a popular New York restaurant, immediately impressed Austinites with its sometimes whimsical "modern Chinese" cuisine.
• Zoé Tong: This Chinese restaurant by a pair of former New York chefs focuses on fusion of pan-Chinese styles and Austin values. (See: sticky barbecue ribs.)

Ramen Del Barrio vs. Soupleaf Hot Pot
Soup is a cultural constant. Although they're very different, these two Asian soup spots keep things casual and delicious.

• Ramen Del Barrio: Austinites are understandably excited about this rare Japanese-Mexican fusion. Fans of an underdog will appreciate that it's located in a grocery store.
• Soupleaf Hot Pot: Even hot pot-lovers express surprise at the superior quality of this all-you-can-eat spot. Guests marvel at the sheer number of scoop-your-own veggies.

Allday Pizza vs. Poeta
Menu items represent very different price ranges, but the Italian hospitality prevails in both.

• Allday Pizza: It's thin-crust pizza on a paper plate. The craft speaks for itself, with nothing to hide behind — not even the popular wine bar it partners with.
• Poeta: When the team behind Intero opened Poeta, they emphasized the stay-all-day attitude. Although the dishes are upscale, Italian cooking will always feel homey.