Barberry Brasserie to Bring Texas Hill Country and French Country Flavors to Reimagined El Tropicano
When the doors reopen at the historic El Tropicano on the San Antonio River Walk, longtime residents may recognize the name and the bones of a hotel that has been part of the city for more than six decades. What they will find inside, however, will include an entirely new culinary destination.
Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group has announced Barberry, a Texas Hill Country-meets-French Country brasserie scheduled to open in late 2026 at Sítio El Tropicano, the extensively reimagined 315-room River Walk resort at 110 Lexington Ave.
The restaurant will serve as a culinary anchor for the restored property, bringing together French brasserie traditions, Texas ingredients and a sense of place that its creators say was designed specifically for San Antonio.
What Will Be on the Menu at Barberry in San Antonio?
Barberry is expected to begin with dinner service before eventually expanding into all-day dining.
Early menu selections offer a glimpse at how the restaurant plans to connect French Country cooking with the flavors of the Texas Hill Country. Announced dishes include Chicken Fried Quail, Wagyu Steak Tartare, Stetson Chopped Salad and Sweet Corn Ravioles du Dauphiné. The broader menu is expected to emphasize Texas-sourced meats, Gulf seafood and locally grown produce.
Even the restaurant's name points to that approach.
Barberry is named for the small, tart berry used in cuisines around the world to bring acidity and balance to richer foods. The hospitality group says the ingredient inspired a restaurant philosophy centered on contrast, precision and balance rather than excess.
“What excites us most about Barberry is the opportunity to create something that really feels at home in San Antonio,” said Tavel Bristol-Joseph, partner and chief operating officer of Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group. “El Tropicano has so much history and character, and we wanted Barberry to feel like a natural part of what this property is becoming, a place that brings people together.”
A New Restaurant Inside One of San Antonio's Most Recognizable Hotels
For San Antonians who remember El Tropicano before its closure, Barberry's arrival is part of a much larger comeback story.
El Tropicano originally opened in 1962 and was the first hotel built along the San Antonio River Walk. During its heyday, the midcentury property became a social destination that hosted visitors ranging from tourists and local families to entertainers and celebrities, including Dolly Parton, Julie Andrews, The Who and the Rolling Stones.
The hotel later declined and closed in 2020. Its current redevelopment is being led by boutique real estate investment and development firm Trestle Studio, with partners Town Lake Company and Sopris Capital.
Now renamed Sítio El Tropicano, the property is being repositioned as an urban resort and members' club while retaining the identity of the landmark that preceded it.
The restored hotel will include 315 guest rooms, more than 400 feet of River Walk frontage, a 5,000-square-foot spa and wellness retreat, 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space and what developers describe as San Antonio's largest hotel pool deck. The property's design draws inspiration from Brazilian landscape modernist Roberto Burle Marx, with greenery and natural elements intended to blur the boundaries between an urban hotel and a retreat.
“Sítio El Tropicano has always been about honoring the history, celebrating the people and shaping the cultural future of San Antonio,” Trestle Studio founder Jake Lamstein said. “We’re excited to partner with Texas native Emmer & Rye to bring Barberry to life, creating a destination that offers the perfect balance of the city’s local heritage and multinational creative energy.”
Emmer & Rye Expands Its San Antonio Footprint
Barberry also represents another significant San Antonio investment by Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group, which has steadily expanded from Austin into the Alamo City.
Led by partners Kevin Fink, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Alicynn Fink and Rand Egbert, the Texas hospitality company operates Austin restaurants including Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Canje, Kalimotxo and Ezov.
Its San Antonio presence already includes Ladino at Pearl and the sprawling Pullman Market, where its restaurant collection includes Isidore, Nicosi, Mezquite and Henbit. The group has received extensive Michelin Guide recognition in Texas. Isidore and Nicosi have earned Michelin stars, while Mezquite and Ladino have received Bib Gourmand distinctions. Hestia in Austin also holds a Michelin star.
That makes the El Tropicano partnership about more than opening a single restaurant.
Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group is overseeing the broader culinary program at Sítio El Tropicano. Along with Barberry, plans call for a lobby café and provisions shop and an open-air poolside concept. Visit San Antonio describes the overall program as spanning four distinct food and beverage concepts.
For local diners, that could make the reborn hotel as much a dining destination as a place for overnight guests.
Why the El Tropicano Revival Matters to San Antonio
The transformation arrives during another period of change along the San Antonio River Walk, as developers continue reinvesting in historic properties while the city works to maintain the character that made downtown a destination in the first place.
El Tropicano holds a particularly recognizable place in that story. It helped establish the River Walk as a hospitality destination when it opened in the early 1960s, then spent decades serving as a hotel, gathering place and event venue.
Rather than removing that history from the project, Sítio El Tropicano's developers are making it part of the new property's identity.
Barberry appears designed with the same philosophy. It is neither a recreation of a 1960s hotel restaurant nor an imported French concept dropped into downtown San Antonio. Instead, the restaurant is being positioned at the intersection of French culinary tradition, Hill Country ingredients and the city's own hospitality culture.
For residents, that means the reopening could return something that disappeared when El Tropicano closed: another place along the River Walk where locals can gather without necessarily being hotel guests or tourists.
What Happens Next
Barberry is scheduled to debut alongside Sítio El Tropicano in late 2026, although an exact public opening date for the restaurant has not yet been announced. Reservations for Barberry are expected to open soon.
The hotel is currently accepting reservations for late 2026 stays.
When the first plates leave Barberry's kitchen and guests once again fill the halls of El Tropicano, San Antonio will not simply be getting another River Walk restaurant or another renovated hotel. It will be seeing a familiar piece of the city's history begin a new chapter, one built around food, hospitality and gathering together once again.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for updates on Barberry, the reopening of Sítio El Tropicano and new restaurants, businesses and developments taking shape across San Antonio.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
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