Fodor's Expert Review Café de las Artes

The charismatic owner of this intimate restaurant clearly gets a kick out of breaking the rules. Instead of the country-style decor favored by most San Antonio eateries, the walls here are painted bordello red and are cluttered with artworks, photos, and souvenirs from all over the world. Pasta dishes are the specialty: expect unusual combinations like duck ravioli in a saffron and walnut sauce or tenderloin and carrot ravioli in spiced tomato. Only the wine list comes up short—literally so—though the few options are very reasonably priced, as is the food.