7 Best Restaurants in Austin, Texas

Reservations are essential at this intimate eatery (and can be made a month in advance), but there are also a limited number of communal tables available for walk-in patrons. The strictly seasonal, locally sourced daily specials blend the artistic style of Japanese sushi with the familiarity of Southern comfort food. Be sure to list any food allergies when reserving as dinner comes in the form of a fixed daily menu of chef-selected small plates ($105 per person). Chef/owner Bryce Gilmore delivers innovative dishes like duck-blood crepes with sweet chiles and pear-and-turnip soup with apple cider and chanterelles. Trust the servers for expert beer and wine pairings.

This Manor Road hot spot hangs their hat on seasonal local cuisine, with an emphasis on farmers’ markets, Texas beer and wines, and even ingredients foraged by the chefs themselves. A butcher-shop display-case greets patrons upon entering, showcasing various charcuterie and house-made canned and pantry goods. The cozy dining room, accented with exposed brick walls and reclaimed wood fixtures, is down the hall. Their initial prix-fixe “supper club” menu quickly expanded to include nightly à la carte items and a breakfast and lunch service (only on the weekend). Chefs and servers are passionate about their carnivore-heavy cuisine, and it shows. Charcuterie plates are an obvious staple, and daily creations span wide-ranging territory, from venison ceviche to turkey tamales. Try the refreshing house libations, like wild persimmon sodas or sparkling peach jam cocktails.

Bouldin Creek’s best date-night destination might have limited dining space, but the seasonal prix fixe selections and shabby-chic decor is worth the hype. In addition to the nightly menu offerings, diners can indulge in a chef's choice menu ($64) with five courses that could be creations like striped-bass crudo and bowfin caviar, green curry fumé, seared antelope heart, or jerk quail with pecan butter and watermelon radish. Menus change weekly, and single off-menu dishes are available. An impressive European-focused wine list elevates the experience. The shady backyard wine garden has additional seating for weekly happy hours and dinner service. Walk-ins are accommodated. 

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.

Another rave-worthy hit from the team behind Ramen Tatsu-Ya, this modern take on traditional Japanese hot pot is Austin's long-awaited answer to a new-school shabu-shabu–style destination. The required meal here is in the name: thinly sliced meats and veggies designed for dipping shabu-style in various house-made broths and dips. A decadent omakase menu and sake pairings are also great for date nights.

If you're looking for Austin's best sushi, you might just find it here. The tatami-lined interiors are sleek and sophisticated, and chefs achieve unparalleled quality in every dish, whether it's nigiri or hand rolls, Wagyu short ribs or snow crab. Omakase is available for connoisseurs, and don't sleep on their sake pairings and delicious desserts like lychee jellies and milk chocolate semifreddo.

This spot might have started out as the "little brother” of chef Tyson Cole’s now famed Uchi restaurant, but the contemporary Japanese fusion eatery has become a standard in its own right. Led by the James Beard Award–winning Cole, Uchiko impresses with dishes like Jar Jar Duck, served in a mason jar and opened tableside to release a rosemary-smoke fog that reveals confit and smoked duck amid cracklings, kumquats, and pickled endives. The shareable small plates make for a delightfully playful experience, especially when left up to the experts with the daily omakase (“I trust the chef") menu.