5 Best Restaurants in Central Austin, Downtown, and Capitol Area, Austin

Downtown’s Radisson hotel finally ousted an outdated TGI Fridays location on their ground floor and made way for yet another hit from chef and restaurateur Shawn Cirkiel. The delicious contemporary Southwestern cuisine is delivered in shareable or a la carte portions, from oyster taquitos to grilled hen with yellow mole. A limited menu is available in between lunch and dinner service and the Sunday brunch features more than 50 dishes served buffet style. Interiors are chic and floor to ceiling windows show off spectacular views of Lady Bird Lake.

Austin's first French bistro, owned by Paris natives, manages to maintain its quiet and cozy atmosphere despite its location mere feet from raucous 6th Street. Simple dishes from the French playbook make appearances on the reasonably priced menu, and the three-course prix-fixe dinner ($32.50) is a bargain. Start with the house-made pâté du jour or escargot, then treat yourself to housemade confit duck legs. The casual bistro atmosphere encourages long meals and romantic glances, so pace yourself accordingly.

Locals consistently nominate Hut's for the best-burger award in Austin Chronicle restaurant polls. Part of the mystique may be the American Graffiti–like atmosphere: the joint is a local institution that began in 1939. It's been in its present Old West location since 1969, and neon signs, vintage license plates, and UT memorabilia line the walls. Juicy burgers come in about 25 varieties, and the addictive onion rings are graciously served in shareable baskets. It's hard not to surrender to the experience. Beat the considerable dinner rush on Wednesday nights, when all burgers are two-for-one.

With all the high-class sophistication you get from Chef/owner David Bull's Congress restaurant, his adjacent brasserie-style restaurant is his answer to presenting diners with a more relaxed style of food. Here you'll find a steady crowd of patrons in for business, pleasure, or both, feasting on a wide selection of small plates, entrees, salads, and brick oven pizzas. You'll find diverse brunch, lunch and dinner options, from blistered shishito peppers with miso aioli and a chart-topping burger to "black and bleu" pizza with pork belly confit, dates, red onion and bleu cheese. Beers are local, cocktails are hand crafted and the wine list is replete with food-friendly selections.

Another upscale New American eatery hit downtown this year, with an impressive culinary and cocktail program led by husband-and-wife chefs. The bistro-style restaurant, just across from Lady Bird Lake, is modern and full of light, making it a great date night or business happy hour option. Lunch and dinner menus change with the seasons, but patrons can expect anything from lamb osso bucco and seared scallops atop a crispy scallion rice cake or flatbread pizzas like the “Fig & Pig” with smoked bacon, fig jam, and caramelized onions. Crowds flock to the Sunday brunch for decadent options like bananas foster french toast, homemade pecan sticky buns, and bacon tater tots.