Eat well, do good at this recently relocated RiNo original, which is much more than just a weekday breakfast and lunch counter serving a menu that, at any given time, cuts across a broad swath of Latin America: breaded and fried tilapia with green plantains and coleslaw, for instance, or chicharrón-stuffed pupusas, or chiles en nogada alongside an agua fresca. It’s also a nonprofit training kitchen for immigrant women aspiring to open their own culinary businesses, featuring produce from fellow Focus Points Family Resource Center operation Huerta Urbana 2Gen Farm Incubator Garden.

Along with Temaki Den and Smōk, as well as excellent bakery Reunion, the Source Hotel and Market Hall is home to the dazzling Israeli destination that is Safta. With Eastern Mediterranean and North African influences, chef-owner Alon Shaya’s menu is built around such signatures as wood-fired pita and hummus with lamb ragù; various salatim, or salads and spreads; crispy eggplant layered with herbed goat cheese and tomato; and pomegranate-braised lamb shank. But any given visit will also yield seasonal delights like pumpkin stuffed with lentils, caramelized onions, basmati rice, and feta fondue or sumac-roasted rhubarb babka a la mode. Cocktails spiced with the likes of urfa pepper, baharat, and orange blossom only enhance the mood, as do wines from, say, Greece, Lebanon, and Armenia.

An oasis at the industrial center of the Source’s market hall, this sushi bar specializes in meticulously composed hand rolls and aburi (flame-seared) nigiri featuring everything from blue crab and scallop to eggplant and uni, which are supplemented by snacks like kabocha tempura and a not-to-be-missed yuzu–black pepper sorbet for dessert; to pair with it all, the beverage list includes a sizable sake selection and cocktails such as the Juushi Ushi with Wagyu fat-washed Japanese whiskey as well as smartly curated wines and beers.

Opening with a boom in 2015, Tommy Lee’s modern Chinese hot spot hasn’t stopped rocking since, serving up clever eats and drinks in a setting that’s as see-and-be-seen as ever. The menu supplements signatures like the chilled tofu in bang bang sauce and the Beijing duck roll with seasonal and daily specials such as seared scallops with country ham and water spinach in Cantonese-style black pepper sauce or fermented and grilled cabbage topped with a poached egg and caviar; the bar, meanwhile, turns out cocktails laced with the likes of Sichuan peppercorns, yuzu, and makrut lime leaf while offering one of the city’s most progressive wine and cider selections.

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 seasonal menu, meanwhile, borrows from them all: In addition to raw or grilled oysters from both coasts, it serves up New England–style clam chowder, Louisiana Bay rock shrimp, and Lake Superior smelt fries with equal confidence — not to mention killer 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.

While it’s named for the New York neighborhood whose artistic energy informs the decor of the airy, high-ceilinged space, this New American hot spot takes its culinary cues from all over the world. Picture lamb meatballs spiced with Yemeni hawayej alongside whipped feta and salsa verde; sourdough dumplings in five-spice broth with sunchoke chips; and braised short ribs with fregola sarda, honey labneh, and salsa negra, plus a slew of dishes highlighting locally grown vegetables and enticing pizzas. But there is one way to take a bite out of the Big Apple here: by ordering what may be the best cheesecake in town.

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 in Wash Park). The menu here is primarily modern Mexican, centered on flamboyant tacos and breezy snacks like citrus-cured tuna–charred watermelon ceviche and Brussels sprout-quinoa salad with avocado and dried cantaloupe in creamy tomatillo dressing; 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: swordfish a la plancha with salsa puttanesca, for instance, or piquillo-pepper hummus and pita.

Launching as a 17-seat chef’s counter in an old bungalow, this fine-dining destination run by major talents Duncan Holmes and Allison Anderson 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, while the service is positively balletic.

While the team at this tiny smoke shack does a bang-up job of the basics — brisket, chicken, sausage, and so on — they also clearly have a blast coming up with constant specials, so be sure to check their Instagram feed in advance of a visit: Here’s to lamb riblets, pulled duck, green beans with pork belly, cauliflower “burnt ends,” and so much more.

What its sibling Dio Mio (above) does for pasta, this savvy parlor does for pizza, turning out top-notch pies both simple and super-clever: Weekly specials might be topped with both roasted green and butter-poached white asparagus, preserved lemon ricotta, and green goddess dressing or butternut squash, toasted hazelnuts, sautéed spinach, and garlic cream. Including lunchtime sandwiches like the fried pork cutlet with parmesan, arugula, and peach mostarda on focaccia, the rest of the menu is a romp, from garlic knots to prickly pear ice cream to cheeky libations like the Sunny D Spritz.

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 Spam musubi 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 crafty, eclectic eats. Toast might be topped with ricotta, pear butter, and thyme-oat crumble or herb hummus, sautéed mushrooms, and pistachio za’atar; sandwiches might show Japanese or Middle Eastern influences; and while fresh-baked pastries, coffee cake, and the like are always on offer, Sunday-only doughnuts change weekly — think flavors like raspberry-rose or saffron-honey with orange-blossom custard.

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 terrific snacks like chicken-liver mousse and tinned seafood with fresh-baked bread and other fixings, plus spritzes and specials like pumpkin-spice panna cotta.

There’s no place quite like this beloved neighborhood anchor, where Mexican, Midwestern, and Deep Southern influences mingle on a menu overseen by the inimitable Dana Rodriguez. Housed in a renovated shipping container, the dining room begins to fill up the moment the doors open with crowds digging into coriander-roasted lamb, carnitas in habanero barbecue sauce, Cajun-style deep-fried trout, and other centerpiece meats, supplemented by everything from blue-corn empanadas to smoked-gouda mac-and-cheese. The drink list is equally down to earth, centered on mix-and-match highballs, quirky boilermakers, and well-priced wines by the glass or bottle.

Don’t believe the hype — because it’s an understatement. Upholding the Japanese tradition of scrupulous 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 softshell crab tempura in yellow curry, maybe Wagyu tataki with pine-nut gremolata and burnt-onion vinegar. Sit at the bar to soak up the atmosphere in style.