Austin’s restaurant scene has no shortage of places chasing the next big thing. Chistā is taking a different route, looking toward family recipes, regional traditions and generations of Persian cooks.

Opening this fall at 44 East Ave. near Rainey Street, the two-story restaurant will be led by Executive Chef Mojdeh Eghbal of Noush, alongside partners Morteza Tohidi, Omid Kalantari and Michael Santoro, consulting chef and co-owner Paul Qui, and Beverage Director Bill Norris.

For Eghbal, the menu starts with recipes passed down from her grandmother and shaped by her travels and connection to the Iranian diaspora. The goal isn’t to reinvent Persian cooking for Austin, but to introduce diners to more of its regional depth.

“I’m not changing Persian food; I’m presenting it to a new audience through a fresh lens,” Eghbal said.

A Menu Built Around Persian Tradition

Meals can begin with grilled peach labneh with roasted garlic and mint or a crispy falafel crust served with hummus and house-pickled red onion. Rice gets its due with saffron tahdig and jeweled rice layered with barberry, orange peel, pistachios and almonds.

Regional dishes include ghalieh mahi, a traditional stew from southern Iran’s coastline. The charcoal grill handles beef and chicken kabobs along with racks of lamb, bringing smoke and fire into the heart of the menu.

Qui will help guide the culinary direction alongside Eghbal. His résumé includes a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest and a win on Season 9 of Top Chef.

Cocktails and a Two-Story Setting

Norris, whose Austin career includes Midnight Cowboy and Alamo Drafthouse, is developing a beverage program featuring cocktails, zero-proof drinks and wines with an emphasis on Middle Eastern and Texas selections.

Overlooking Lady Bird Lake, Chistā spans two floors designed by Austin-based CoExist Studio. Persian influences appear through traditional loom-weaving tools, naturally dyed textiles and vessels referencing historic Persian forms.

Downstairs is designed to capture the louder, communal energy of a Persian gathering, while upstairs shifts toward a more intimate dining experience. A first-floor patio will also welcome dogs.

Chistā arrives with an ambitious team, but its most interesting element may be its simplest: putting deeply personal Persian cooking in a prominent downtown Austin dining room.

Chistā
44 East Ave., Unit 100
Opening Fall 2026
Sunday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Friday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.