A new French bistro infused with Texan sensibilities, Le Calamar, is set to open in May at 1600 S. First Street in Austin. The restaurant is the latest project from hospitality veterans Claudia Lee and Richard Hargreave, the duo behind Underdog, which earned critical acclaim from The New York Times and World’s 50 Best.
The restaurant will offer a full-service dining experience with lunch, dinner and happy hour menus. The culinary direction is led by Chef Casey Wall, known for his work at Le Cirque and The Spotted Pig in New York and a string of celebrated Melbourne establishments, including Bar Liberty and Capitano. Wall returns to the U.S. after 15 years in Australia to open Le Calamar with longtime friends and collaborators Lee and Hargreave.
Menu highlights from Le Calamar
Le Calamar’s menu presents French technique through a Texas lens. Starters include chicken wing à la Koffman, steak tartare with house-made pain de mie, and oysters charentaise with Texas hot links. Entrées feature dishes such as grilled trout with guajillo brown butter, Carolina Gold rice with Gulf seafood and daily charcoal-grilled cuts. Dessert offerings reimagine bistro classics using local ingredients, including a standout “baked Texas” with pecan, banana and honey.
Lunch service, branded as “Le Cal,” features a streamlined selection anchored by items like a French dip sandwich inspired by Austin’s birria scene. Happy hour will include small bites and a rotating beverage menu.
The bar program marks a significant expansion from Underdog’s wine-and-beer roots, offering a full cocktail selection focused on martinis, manhattans and mezcal, plus French-inspired classics. The wine list, curated by Hargreave, emphasizes low-intervention French, Mexican and Texan wines, organized by geography and terroir.
A farewell and a new beginning
Designed by local artist and production designer Bruce Curtis of KISSMYART, the 3,000-square-foot space features glossy olive walls and dark-stained concrete floors. The restaurant will offer bar seating for 12, an indoor dining room and additional patio space.
Lee describes Le Calamar as “a love letter to our favorite neo-bistros of Paris,” while Hargreave says the beverage program is meant to reflect the bold and unexpected nature of the menu. Wall adds that the project feels like “both a homecoming and an exciting new beginning.”
Le Calamar takes over the former Underdog space, which closed in March 2025 with a final dachshund-themed sendoff. A portion of closing week proceeds benefited the Pasadena Humane Society, supporting animals affected by the Eaton Fire.
Le Calamar will be open Thursday through Monday for dinner (4 p.m. to late) and Friday through Sunday for lunch (12 to 3 p.m.). Takeout will be available during lunch hours only. Follow for updates at their website or on Instagram.
RELATED: Bee-Inspired Dining and Hive Tours Land at Four Seasons Austin This Spring
The post French-Texan Bistro From Underdog Team To Open on South First in May appeared first on Tribeza.