Eat well, do good at this the TAXI development fixture, which is much more than just a weekday lunch counter serving an ever-changing menu of mostly Mexican plates: pork shoulder in salsa verde with rice, beans, and handmade tortillas, for instance, or beef-and-potato flautas beneath a rainbow of garnishes, or spicy shrimp tacos alongside an agua fresca. It’s also a nonprofit training kitchen for immigrant women aspiring to open their own culinary businesses — and on Thursday afternoons, it hosts a community farmers market.

Though an urban winery first and foremost, Bigsby’s charms are broad enough to be lost on no one. The renovated, brick-walled factory space is gorgeously appointed with chandeliers and parlor furnishings as well as flanked by two dog-friendly patios. The full bar ensures that even non-enophiles get their fill. And the food is unexpectedly thoughtful, going beyond the standard bar snacks and charcuterie boards to include dishes like gigante bean–quinoa salad, pea-mascarpone risotto with almond crumble, and green chile–chicken nachos with lime crema and tomato relish.

The aptly named Source put RiNo on the map when it opened in 2013, and though it has undergone numerous changes over the years, it remains a wellspring of major culinary talent; in fact, it may be the best version of itself right now. While Alon Shaya’s contemporary Israeli sensation Safta, modern Mexican draw Bellota, the Kizaki brothers’ Temaki Den, and Reunion Bread Co. are destinations unto themselves, the market hall and hotel also house Bill Espiricueta’s blue-ribbon barbecue joint Smōk; Chicago-style pizzeria Grabowski’s; rooftop tavern The Woods, featuring New Belgium beers brewed on-site; and soft-serve shop Melted.

Here’s a mini-vacation in the midst of RiNo: Barely wider than a hallway that leads to a backyard with picnic tables, this little getaway evokes countless raw bars and crab shacks from Cape Cod to Gulfport to Monterey. Its menu, meanwhile, borrows from them all: In addition to oysters from both coasts, it serves up New England–style clam chowder, New Orleans–style shrimp po’ boys, and West Coast–style fish tacos with equal confidence — not to mention key lime pie. And while craft beer is obviously the star of the bar program, the lighthearted selection of wines and cocktails pulls its own weight.

Fresh pasta is the pride and joy of Spencer White and Alex Figura’s acclaimed fast-casual kitchen, featured in preparations both classic (spaghetti and meatballs, cacio e pepe) and creative — think casarecce puttanesca with capers, olives, Worcestershire, and horseradish or creste di gallo with duck confit, sweet peppers, and corn in yuzu kosho. But there’s more to the story in the form of equally inspired appetizers: blistered shishitos with cantaloupe and ricotta salata in prosciutto vinaigrette, say, or chicken-fried lion’s mane mushrooms with aged gouda and rosemary hot honey. The beverage list is likewise small but smart: a TRVE grisette and German bubbly here, a tequila cocktail laced with balsamic there. More in the mood for pizza? Dio Mio sibling Redeemer Pizza is brand-new to the neighborhood.

Resembling a slice of tropical rainforest in the old Populist space, this spinoff of pan-Latin LoHi smash Señor Bear is now a hit in its own right (with a second location slated to open in Wash Park). The menu here is primarily modern Mexican, centered on elaborate tacos and lighthearted snacks like mezcal-infused aguachile and green papaya–pig ear salad; the bar, meanwhile, entertains with daily-changing congelados (frozen cocktails) and spiked aguas frescas.

The inclusion of outside chains generally defeats the purpose of local maps, but this one has proven an exception, filling a niche in the neighborhood with grace and style. For all its popularity, Barcelona doesn’t merely play to the mainstream: The accessibly priced wine list encourages casual drinkers to discover lesser-known regions, varieties, and styles, while the menu supplements classic tapas like pan con tomate and gambas al ajillo with uncommon twists: heirloom carrots in black-garlic vinaigrette, say, or seared blood sausage with romesco.

Launching as a 17-seat chef’s counter in an old bungalow, this fine-dining destination now has a sumptuously decorated patio to show for the pandemic era. What hasn’t changed is the intimate experience it offers, built around prix fixe tasting menus that change with the seasons, highlighting local ingredients along with wide-ranging influences. Of course, the (optional) beverage pairings are equally thoughtful.

Coming to this supper club is a little like stepping back into an era when everybody dressed up to paint the town. Its Art Deco–inspired interior design sets a swanky stage for not only live jazz but also excellent cocktails, both classic and original, and a fine wine list with an appropriate emphasis on bubbles; though the kitchen turns out a small selection of a la carte plates, most come here to make a night of it over a seasonal three-course menu featuring such elaborate dishes as seared Arctic char with brown-butter parsnips, parsley coulis, and caper-mulberry relish.

An early favorite in the still-emerging RiNo district when it opened in 2015, Jeff Osaka’s underground ramen shop is of course best known for its namesake, mostly traditional noodle bowls. But for many regulars, half the fun of a meal here lies in seasonal specials like green chile–chorizo ramen as well as in signature snacks, from karaage and okonomiyaki fries to loco moco and mochi doughnuts. (Speaking of fun, Osaka also owns kaiten-zushi Sushi-Rama around the corner.)

Occupying a nearly 100-year-old building at the heart of RiNo, this food hall jumps from morning to night as 11 different vendors ply their wares: There’s a coffee shop, a butcher stall, a bakery, a salumeria, a fishmonger, a greengrocer, a pizzeria, a lunch counter, a creamery, a chocolatier, and, of course, a cocktail bar, all under one bright, bustling roof.

In an artsy, loftlike setting, this daytime kitchen serves up equally savvy, eclectic eats. Toast might be topped with avocado and Vegemite or sardines, white beans, chard, and a fried egg; sandwiches might show Japanese or Middle Eastern influences; and while fresh-baked scones, muffins, and the like are always on offer, Sunday-only doughnuts change weekly — think nectarine-cinnamon or saffron-kumquat.

Tiny but mighty, Cart-Driver turns an old shipping container into a party place whose guests gather over not just the oysters, wood-fired pizzas, Italian wines, and batched cocktails it built its name on but also on terrific snacks like chicken-liver mousse and tinned seafood with fresh-baked bread and other fixings, plus spritzes and specials like pesto-topped focaccia.

There’s really no place quite like Work & Class’s sibling across the street in the Ramble Hotel either: Here, pan-Latin cuisine meets dim sum–style cart service in a colorful space inspired by the street art of Mexico City. For the complete experience, follow up surefire small plates like Brazilian shrimp sopa, patatas bravas, and arepas de queso with a family-style entree of lamb barbacoa accompanied by tortillas and garnishes aplenty, plus an order of fruit empanadas for dessert. Signatures from the bar include the rum-spiked Chicha and the La Rosa G&T.

Don’t believe the hype — because it’s actually an understatement. Upholding the Japanese tradition of meticulous technique while allowing their imaginations to run wild, the team at this chic and intimate outpost of Tyson Cole’s famed Austin flagship rarely fails to wow, whether they’re preparing the simplest order of sashimi or plating some elaborate seasonal creation: maybe yellowtail collar in sunflower mole with corn relish, maybe Wagyu tataki with pine-nut gremolata and burnt-onion vinegar. Sit at the bar to soak up the atmosphere in style.