A vegetable-forward Montrose restaurant will soon serve its final meal. Auden is closing after service on Sunday, April 6.

Chef-owners Kripa and Kirthan Shenoy provided CultureMap with a brief statement about their decision to close the restaurant in the Autry Park mixed-use development:

“We’re holding our heads up high and looking forward to the future. Houston has always been kind to us so there’s only gracious vibes from our hearts towards the community here,” the couple wrote.

Open since the fall of 2023, Auden served a globally-inspired, vegetable forward menu created by its owners. Prior to moving to Houston, executive chef Kirthan and pastry chef Kripa worked at a number of restaurants in New York, including Marea, which earned a Michelin star, and Brooklyn's Nitehawk Cinema. In addition to staples like steak frites and a burger, the couple spotlighted their Indian heritage in dishes such as Chicken 65, Crawfish Samosas, and Masala Shrimp Scampi.

The restaurant earned critical acclaim, including a strong review from retired Houston Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook and an honorable mention on Texas Monthly’s list of the best new restaurants of 2025. Still, the media attention wasn’t enough to keep the restaurant afloat.

While Auden is closing, Autry Park has seen a number of new openings. They include both Annam, a fine dining Vietnamese restaurant from MF Sushi chef-owner Chris Kinjo and twin concepts Doko and Bar Doko, a new sushi restaurant and Japanese-inspired cocktail bar from the team Kokoro and Aiko. Mayahuel, a Mexico City-inspired restaurant and bar from acclaimed chef Luis Robledo in partnership with Houston-based Culinary Khancepts (Leo’s River Oaks, Liberty Kitchen) will open later this year.

The Shenoys also own EaDough, a coffee shop and bakery located in East Downtown. It remains open and is not affected by the closure of Auden.