RIO Rooftop Bar & Lounge: Taking Nightlife to New Heights in Downtown Austin

Whether you’re looking for a hip spot for date night or a venue for a planned event, RIO Rooftop Bar & Lounge is a primo place to party in downtown Austin. The venue features a rooftop lounge with a swimming pool, a sports bar, and restaurant with chic, modern decor and premium service. They have a flavorful menu of small plates suitable for sharing.

Get your party started with a glass of wine, or one of their elegant artisan cocktails like the Spring Blossom with gin, St. Germaine liqueur, & lime juice, or the Paloma with tequila, pink grapefruit juice & lime. RIO's dining options include Filet Sliders with garlic herb butter, Truffled Mushroom Flatbread with thyme & arugula, Heirloom Tomato Salad with burrata mozzarella, and Queso with tortilla chips.

RIO Rooftop Bar & Lounge
601 Rio Grande Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 436-8464
www.riorooftop.com
www.yelp.com/biz/rio-rooftop-pool-lounge-and-restaurant-austin

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Trace: Fine Austin Dining

Trace restaurant adds to the Austin food scene by combining farm to table cuisine with a chic, modern ambiance. Known for his seasonal menu of Texas cuisine, Chef de Cuisine Lawrence Kocurek uses ingredients sourced close to home. Trace even has a bee hive on its roof to source honey as locally as possible! The New American menu is ever-changing, making it enjoyable to return time and again.

Customers rave over the Drunken Doughnuts — cinnamon sugar-dusted doughnuts served with three liquor-infused sauces, including a tequila chili fudge sauce. Prices reflect the high quality of the dishes at Trace, but it offers a total sensory experience, from taste and smell to sight — even sound. Saturday brunch features live music, as do Thursdays, which also include a special menu. Reservations recommended.

Trace
200 Lavaca Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 542-3660
www.traceaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/trace-austin

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille: A Classic Austin Steakhouse

Rave reviews abound for Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, a swanky eatery at Austin’s historic Norwood Tower.

Settle in for your dinner with a classic prohibition-era cocktail, like a Sidecar or Manhattan, and a starter like Prime Beef Carpaccio, Fresh Oysters on the Half Shell or Tempura Fried Lobster Tail. Choose an entrée from the Signature Selections menu, like the Prime Three Peppercorn New York Strip, Chateaubriand For Two, Petite Surf & Turf, or Southwest Filet Mignon. Poultry and seafood are also on the entrée menu. Sides include Creamed Spinach, Jumbo Steamed Asparagus, Whipped Potato Puree, Roasted Sherried Mushrooms and Lyonnaise Potatoes. Don’t skip a decadent dessert like the Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Rocky Road Bread Pudding or Bananas Foster!

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille
114 W. 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-6300
www.perryssteakhouse.com/locations/austin/downtown
www.yelp.com/biz/perrys-steakhouse-and-grille-austin

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Iron Cactus: Brunch and More in Austin, Texas

Brunch is a favorite meal at Austin's Iron Cactus. Stop by on Saturday or Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. to feast on yummy delights like Peel & Eat Shrimp, Fajitas, Omelets, Waffles and Roast Beef Au Jus. Bottomless Mimosas are sure to add a festive spirit to your daytime meal. Happy Hour is another great time to get your party on with some tasty discounted libations and snacks.

Entrée favorites served at the eatery include Baja Fish Tacos with Iron slaw with black bean relish, Stacked Pork Enchiladas with red corn tortillas, Pescado Del Sol with roasted tomato-lobster cream sauce, Chipotle Glazed Salmon with sweet & spicy chipotle glaze, and Tournedos de Tejas – beef medallions grilled with southwest spices. Burgers are also on the menu. Iron Cactus is open every day.

Iron Cactus
10001 Stonelake Boulevard
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 794-8778
http://www.ironcactus.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/iron-cactus-austin-3

The Best Wurst: An Austin Dining Destination

Head to The Best Wurst when you have a hankering for a hearty hotdog at a bargain price. It’s a friendly food trailer with two – yes, two – locations on Austin's 6th Street! Why is their wurst the best? They’ve been making these babies for more than 20 years, plus they’ve got some of the yummiest toppings imaginable.

Order the Bratwurst and you get a juicy, German-style pork sausage that’s double-ground with nutmeg and pepper. The Smoked Italian is seasoned with cayenne and fennel, and the Smoked Jalapeno is a spicy pork and beef variety. Want just a plain, all-beef wiener? They’ve got that, too. Pile on toppings like grilled onions, sauerkraut, curry ketchup and spicy mustard, and you’ve got a feast on a bun. Salt Potatoes are also on the menu.

The Best Wurst
201 E. 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 912-9545
http://www.thebestwurst.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-best-wurst-austin

Mulberry: Wine and More in Austin

This eclectic wine bar and bistro has quickly won fans among Austinites, who love its cozy ambiance and delectable menu of New American fare. Polished oak panels and a golden marble bar highlight the restaurant’s décor, creating a lovely ambiance for enjoying Mulberry's food.

Visit Mulberry, and begin with a glass or bottle from their expansive wine selection along with an appetizer like Seared Foie Gras with roasted figs, Salmon Sashimi with garlic oil & fried capers, or Escargot with lemon thyme butter. Several sandwiches adorn with menu, as do entrees like Corn Ravioli with blackened shishito & grape tomatoes, Halibut with saffron jam, Beef Tenderloin with coconut demi-glace, and Lamb Torchon with yellow curry yogurt sauce.

Mulberry also serves brunch on the weekends, offering flavorful fare like Toasted Brioche, a House Frittata, Lemon Ricotta Crepes, and Poached Eggs with béchamel sauce.

Mulberry
360 Nueces Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 320-0297
www.mulberryaustin.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mulberry-austin

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Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar: Join the Slow Food Movement With Farm to Table Fine Dining

Austin’s Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar believes in supporting small farms and sustainable agriculture, and it is a member of the international slow food movement. Wink sources more than 75% of its menu items from within 100 miles of the restaurant, and the menu changes daily depending on what ingredients are fresh and available.

For diners who want to take a tasty tour of the day’s best offerings, Wink features a daily chef’s tasting menu of five or seven courses. Wink also features a daily farm and garden vegetarian tasting menu. Appropriate wine-pairings enhance each course. The elegant and intimate restaurant space fills up quickly, so reservations are recommended. Guests can also enjoy the full menu, and a more casual environment, in the Wine Bar.

The Wine Bar opens at 5 p.m. daily. The dining room opens its doors to dinner guests from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 5:30 p.m. ‘til 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. 

Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar
1014 North Lamar Boulevard, Suite E
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 482-8868
http://www.winkrestaurant.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wink-austin

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Chez Nous: Let Your Taste Buds Travel to France

Chez Nous’s romantic, candle-lit ambiance and authentic French dishes like fioe gras, escargots, and house-made pâté can whisk diners away on a culinary journey. Try the sautéed veal sweetbreads with button mushrooms, or check out the pepper crusted beef tenderloin with a brandy and demi-glaze reduction. All entrees are served with warm French bread, pommes dauphines (crispy potato puffs), and fresh vegetables. At $29.50, many customers praise the affordability and variety of Chez Nous’s three-course prix-fixe dinner menu. 

Chez Nous’s downtown location and quiet and intimate atmosphere make it a great go-to spot for business-colleague lunches or catch-up night with friends, or date-night with that special someone. Chez Nous provides hungry patrons with lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday, serves dinner Saturday and Sunday, and is closed Mondays. 

Chez Nous
510 Neches Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 473-2413
http://cheznousaustin.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chez-nous-austin

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24 Diner: Austin Comfort Food

24 Diner offers classic American fare with a modern twist in a fun, laid-back Austin atmosphere. The inspired menu, plus a great beer, wine and cocktail selection turn up the volume on the ordinary diner experience. Partygoers love the fact that they stay open round the clock right in the heart of central Austin.

24's all day breakfast menu means you can sidle up to Eggs, Sausage and Waffles at any hour. Burger and sandwich options include a French Dip with gruyere & horseradish, Chicken Salad with spicy pepper relish and a Bacon Avocado Burger with smoked aioli. Entrees include Meatloaf with sweet onion gravy, Pork Chops with sage butter, Roast Chicken with shallot jus, Vegetable Plate with lemon vinaigrette, and No-Bean Chili with cornbread.

Austin's 24 Diner is open daily.

24 Diner
600 N. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 472-5400
http://www.24diner.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/24-diner-austin

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The Bonneville: Sophisticated New American Cuisine

Take a date to The Bonneville, a classy restaurant in downtown Austin offering sophisticated New American cuisine. Most dishes are gourmet updates on everyday favorites, like the popular Bacon and Egg Ravioli appetizer — tender dumplings served in a creamy brown butter sauce. Diners also recommend the Grilled Pizza as a starter. (Try the lamb pizza with a spicy eggplant puree, mint, Manchego cheese, and a drizzle of lemon yogurt sauce.) There is a handful of entrees to choose from. The Toasted Orrecchiette Pasta with house-made veal meatballs is a crowd pleaser. Don't skip dessert at The Bonneville; the Lemon Buttermilk Pudding with blackberry compote is out of this world.

A full bar features craft cocktails, like a Habanero Margarita. Stop by during the daily happy hour from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and take advantage of $3 discounts on cocktails and wine by the glass. The ambiance is ideal for a date — a mix of wood and contemporary brick make it sophisticated, yet simple; modern, yet inviting.

The Bonneville
202 W. Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 428-4643
http://www.thebonnevilleaustin.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bonneville-austin

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