Le Calamar opened May 29 in Austin, Texas, taking the place of Underdog, a nationally recognized bar known for natural wines and Korean food.
When Underdog closed in March, it left a wine-and-scallion-pancake-shaped hole in the Austin dining scene. Cofounders Claudia Lee and Richard Hargreave noted that, while operating Underdog, they began to see the space’s potential as a full restaurant, not just a wine bar. When the opportunity came along to partner with chef Casey Wall, they decided to transition the concept into Le Calamar.
Wall had been working in Australia for the past 15 years and cofounded the acclaimed Melbourne establishment Bar Liberty. His résumé also includes time at Le Cirque and the Spotted Pig in New York City.
Wall moved to Austin specifically for this role. The collaboration caps a 14-year international friendship between Wall and Hargreave, who met in Sydney when Hargreave was working at David Chang’s Momofuku Seiobo.
The concept serves dishes and drinks inspired by France, Texas, and Mexico.
Le Calamar’s 3,000-square-foot space was redesigned from its Underdog days and features glossy olive walls and dark-stained concrete floors. The dining room is joined by a 12-seat bar and additional patio seating.
The founders want the restaurant to be a place where guests can enjoy a Martini and oysters at the bar, or eat a full dinner while sampling from the curated beverage program.
“Le Calamar is a love letter to our favorite neo-bistros of Paris that opened our eyes to what a modern-day restaurant could be,” said Lee. “We’re creating a transportive experience — an ode to the modern French bistro through a distinctly Texas lens.”
That inspiration is evident in the menu. One standout starter is the deboned chicken wings that are stuffed with a mousseline of chicken breast, veal sweetbreads, and huitlacoche before being finished on a binchotan grill. Steak tartare is served on housemade bread and topped with crispy Comté cheese. Fresh oysters are paired with Texas hot links.
Chicken wings à la Koffman are stuffed with a mousseline of chicken breast, veal sweetbreads, and huitlacoche.
Entrées include grilled trout with brown butter, almond, and guajillo peppers, Carolina Gold rice with Gulf shrimp and blue crab, and a rotating selection of meats cooked over charcoal.
Lunch service will launch soon and feature a smaller, more streamlined version of the dinner menu. The team hints that a classic French dip sandwich inspired by their favorite birria spots will be an anchor dish.
Hargreave, who serves as Le Calamar’s sommelier, curated the beverage program to mirror the culinary influences of the menu, with a specific focus on France, Mexico, and Texas.
Steak tartare is served on housemade bread and topped with crispy Comté cheese.
The wine list spotlights food-friendly bottles from low-intervention producers, emphasizing small, independent growers who prioritize sustainable practices. It’s organized to highlight terroir-driven expressions, with sections like “mountains & valleys” and “coastal.”
The cocktail program, which was a creative collaboration between Hargreave and Wall, features three distinct pillars — Martinis, Manhattans, and mezcal — as well as French-inspired classics.
“I’ve always looked for value in wine, finding bottles that deliver more than their price suggests,” Hargreave said. “These selections, along with our cocktail program, are designed to be approachable yet exciting, just like the food we’re creating.”
