Best Date Spots: Dining
From casual to fine dining restaurants, here are a few of our favorite spots to grab a bite to eat in Austin.
DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya | A Japanese nabemono hot pot dining experience where dishes are cooked at the table and then dipped into flavorful sauces.
7301 Burnet Rd #101 | 512.893.5561
Jeffrey’s | A Clarksville fine dining icon featuring dry-aged prime beef, French American classics, seasonal favorites, and a full bar.
1204 W Lynn St | 512.477.5584
Juniper | Northern Italian cuisine meets central Texas influences at this East Austin restaurant, offering inventive food and cocktail menus that align with their swanky interior.
2400 E Cesar Chavez St #304 | 512.220.9421
Lutie’s | This high-end restaurant located at the Commodore Perry Estate takes a personalized, handcrafted approach to Texas heritage cuisine.
4100 Red River St | 512.675.2517
Mattie’s Austin | This Southern restaurant located in Bouldin Creek pays homage to the past with a menu that doesn’t feel dated.
811 W Live Oak St | 512.444.1888
Uchi + Uchiko | Whether you vist Uchi or its sister restaurant Uchiko, the ambiance, upscale sushi, and small plates will not disappoint.
4200 N Lamar Blvd | 512.916.4808
Best Date Spots: Uniquely Austin
Here are a few date suggestions that are uniquely Austin and sure to give your date a memorable edge.
Austin Pottery | Take a page out of Swayze’s book and take a pottery class at Austin Pottery. They offer one-time wheel throwing classes, as well as hand-building ones for those less inclined to Ghost it up.
5442 Burnet Road | 512.436.8971
Chicken Sh** Bingo | It is exactly what it sounds like. Join in on this Sunday tradition at Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon with drinking and country music.
5434 Burnet Rd | 512.524.1291
Delysia Chocolatier: Virtual Chocolate Tasting | Stay in, cozy up, and learn to taste chocolate like the experts with one of their many virtual chocolate tasting courses.
512.413.4701
The Escape Game Austin | A live 60-minute adventure featuring 6 rooms with themes ranging from gold rush to a prison break.
405 Red River St | 512.643.0043
Haunted ATX | Features a 3-hour tour of Austin’s most haunted spots while driving you from location to location in a hearse that has been converted to a limousine!
501 N Interstate Hwy 35 | 737.210.1869
Pinballz Arcade | Play your heart out at Pinballz Arcade which offers a huge assortment of classic and new arcade gameplay. Don’t forget it’s also BYOB!
8940 Research Blvd | 512.420.8458
Urban Axes | Indoor axe throwing bringing people together one bullseye at a time. Don’t forget to bring your closed-toe shoes and that it’s BYOB!
812 Airport Blvd | 512.887.2937
The White Horse | Live country music is served up in this hip, upbeat, sprawling East Austin honky-tonk.
500 Comal St | 512.553.675
WonderSpaces Austin | Visit WonderSpaces new Austin exhibit that features twelve extraordinary works of art, spread across their 28,000 square foot space.
1205 Sheldon Cove # 2-A
Best Date Spots: Catch A Show
From catching a concert to experiencing the magic of the theater, check out these great Austin venues for catching a show.
ACL Live at the Moody Theater | Austin City Limits at the Moody Theater hosts diverse performers, from Pat Green to ZZ Top, so you can’t go wrong.
310 W Willie Nelson Blvd | 512.225.7999
Alamo Drafthouse | A movie, dinner, and drinks – the perfect combo. Be sure to also check out some of their signature series such as Terror Tuesdays, Champagne Cinema, and Master Pancake Theater.
Various Locations
Elephant Room | In the heart of old Downtown, sidle down a few steps into this underground bar and breathe in jazz. The candlelit venue features the best in jazz and is open seven nights a week.
315 Congress Ave | 512.473.2279
Esther’s Follies | Have a laugh at this modern-day vaudeville theatre featuring magic, singing, dancing and sketches on current events.
525 E 6th St | 512.320.0553
The Paramount Theatre | Offering everything from live music to films to comedy, The Paramount is Austin’s century-old performance and movie theatre in the heart of downtown.
713 Congress Ave | 512.893.5561
Violet Crown | In the heart of the Second Street District, Violet Crown Cinema makes dinner and a movie an experience worth checking out, with four screens devoted to independent, documentary, and foreign films.
1434 W 2nd St | 512.495.9600
Best Date Spots: Cool Cocktails
From swanky hotel bars to secret bars, grab a craft cocktail at one of these local drinking spots.
The Driskill Bar | Enjoy specialty cocktails, updated bar bites and local musicians in their plush Texas-themed lounge.
604 Brazos St | 512.391.7107
Firehouse Lounge | Located in Austin’s oldest standing fire station, this speakeasy is hidden behind a bookshelf in the Firehouse Hostel’s lobby. Just slide the bookcase from left to right and you’re in.
605 Brazos St | 512.212.4244
Garage | An unassuming bar crafting inventive cocktails in a hip space within a parking garage. Once in the parking garage, keep following the path upwards until you stumble upon the entrance of the bar.
503 Colorado St | 512.369.3490
Half Step | Austin’s famed Rainey Street is home to this unique cocktail bar that offers simple, high-quality cocktails and a standout-out menu.
75 1/2 Rainey St | 512.391.1877
Midnight Cowboy | An intimate reservations-only lounge known for its hip speakeasy vibe and old-school cocktail menu. Be sure to make a reservation in advance online and ring the Harry Craddock buzzer for entry.
313 E 6th St | 512.843.2715
The Roosevelt Room | Located in the heart of downtown Austin’s Warehouse district, The Roosevelt Room is where carefully crafted cocktails collide with the city’s easy-going attitude.
307 W 5th St | 512.494.4094
Best Date Spots: Daytime Dates
Can’t wait till the sun goes down? Austin has tons of ideas of fun things to do during the daylight hours.
The Contemporary Austin | Reflects the spectrum of contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, education, and the collection.
700 Congress Ave | 512.453.5312
Jester King Brewery | A world-renowned maker of farmhouse ales and barrel-aged wild ales located on 165 acres of farmland on the outskirts of Austin. Pups are also welcomed at this local brewery.
13187 Fitzhugh Rd
Lake Austin Spa Resort | Choose from over 100 unique spa treatments and services or pamper you and your date with a full-day spa package at this beautiful Texas Hill Country spa and resort.
1705 S Quinlan Park Rd | 512.372.7300
Peter Pan Mini-Golf | Operating since 1946, this cash-only family attraction features a variety of characters and obstacles on two 18-hole courses.
1207 Barton Springs Rd | 512.472.1033
Retro Boat Rentals ATX | Cruise the lake with your sweetie in a rare classic boat while enjoying casual outdoor drinks and eats.
74 Trinity St | 512.663.5145
Texas Rowing Center | Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard on Lady Bird Lake. No reservations necessary, just show up!
1541 W Cesar Chavez St | 512.467.7799
Best Date Spots: Treat Yo Self
Head to one of Austin’s best bakeries to enjoy all the baked goods, desserts, and sweets with your sweet. The perfect addition to any date!
Churro Co. | For sweet tooths, Churros Co. is the answer, dishing out churros topped with fruit compote, apple pie, marshmallows, caramel, and more.
1906 S 1st St | 512.905.5267
Cookie Rich | This local cookie company is crafting an update on the classic, homemade cookie. They are currently offering 10 flavors that will rotate quarterly.
2201 N Lamar Blvd | 512.359.5465
Gourdough’s Public House | Spawned from a trailer, this restaurant is known for its extravagant donuts and is the perfect spot for a late-night treats.
2700 S Lamar Blvd | 512.912.9070
Lick Honest Ice Creams | Visit hip ice creamery, Lick, who churns out offbeat flavors made from local, natural, and sustainable ingredients.
Various Locations
Little Lucy’s | Warm, delicious, and oh so addictive! This mobile food truck bakery offers mini-donuts with creative flavors, toppings, and dipping sauces.
75 1/2 Rainey St | 424.235.8297
Tiny’s Milk & Cookies | A good chocolate chip cookie, hot from the oven, is one of the greatest indulgences! Take a little bit of Tiny’s home and bake some of their cookies in your own oven!
1503 W 35th St | 512.220.0698