Emerging district, Pearl in San Antonio, is adding to its coterie of cool with a roster of restaurants, bars and shops, that are redefining an area that was once home to the city’s industrial hub.
New York-based design firm Roman and William’s have added extra kudos to this mix, taking on the colossal revamp of the 19th-Century Pearl Brewery by architect August Maritzen. The duo, whose previous projects include the Ace, Viceroy and Highline hotels in New York have proved that they do sympathetic restoration well, and the 143-roomed Hotel Emma named in homage to the brewery owner’s wife and San Antonio darling Emma Koehler, with its locavore culinary offerings and clubby bar further exemplify this.
Rooms in the brewhouse tower feature chipped plaster walls kept fresh with hand-crafted white oak and caramel leather sofas strewn with rough natural linens but our pick has to be the Terrace Room, replete with an 86sq ft Redondo-tiled balcony and custom-made mesquite bench, they provide a respite from the bustle of the city down below, looking out across leafy River Walk.
Despite sporting a dramatic 25-foot vaulted ceiling the Sternewirth bar, named for the traditional brewery ‘privilege’ that allowed its employers to drink in taprooms for free, manages to summon a cosy atmosphere, and though there are no gratis suds these days San Antonians flock to swill prohibition-inspired cocktails from the comfort of custom-made beer-tank banquettes.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
136 East Grayson
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jason Risner
-
Terrified to get inked? This inviting Brooklyn tattoo parlour is for people who are 'a little bit nervous'With minty-green walls and an option to 'call mom', Tiny Zaps' Williamsburg location was designed to tame jitters
-
Let’s hear it for the Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike chiming watchThe Swiss watchmaker’s most complicated timepiece to date features an innovative approach to producing a crystal-clear sound
-
Form... and flavour? The best design-led restaurant debuts of 2025A Wallpaper* edit of the restaurant interiors that shaped how we ate, gathered and lingered this year
-
Form... and flavour? The best design-led restaurant debuts of 2025
A Wallpaper* edit of the restaurant interiors that shaped how we ate, gathered and lingered this year
-
New York’s members-only boom shows no sign of stopping – and it's about to get even more nicheFrom bathing clubs to listening bars, gatekeeping is back in a big way. Here’s what’s driving the wave of exclusivity
-
The Wallpaper* team’s travel highlights of the yearA year of travel distilled. Discover the destinations that inspired our editors on and off assignment
-
This cult Los Angeles pop-up restaurant now has a permanent addressChef Brian Baik’s Corridor 109 makes its permanent debut in Melrose Hill. No surprise, it's now one of the hardest tables in town to book
-
NYC’s first alcohol-free members’ club is full of spiritThe Maze NYC is a design-led social hub in Flatiron, redefining how the city gathers with an alcohol-free, community-driven ethos
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026: City of the Year shortlistExplore the nominated urban locations making an impact in design, architecture and contemporary culture
-
A local’s guide to Miami by gallerist Nina JohnsonAs Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 kicks off, gallerist Nina Johnson shares her hometown essentials – from art museums to where to eat, drink and shop
-
Dior’s new Beverly Hills dining salon raises the bar for couture cuisineFrom Peter Marino’s onyx bar and faceted mirrored walls to Nicole Wittenberg’s vast, immersive botanical canvas, Dior’s first restaurant outside Paris is here
