Southern cuisine, and notably Texas, is known for its large heavy meals. But it would be wrong to assume it’s all it has to offer. Austin, Texas’ capital, is making a name for itself as a culinary destination. And while its types of eateries are varied, today, we are going to focus on the best of the best: high-end, fancy restaurants. The restaurants in this article boast incredible meals, made with high-quality ingredients and professional techniques, decorated with taste and subtlety. And fine cuisine doesn’t mean breaking the bank since some of these restaurants are quite affordable. If you opt to either stay in one of the luxurious 5-star hotels around the area or take a breather in some of the serene hotels with a balcony in Austin, make sure to savor the local cuisines of the area. Read on to learn about the best fancy restaurants in Austin, Texas.
1. Otoko
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Otoko on Friday, March 30, 2018
Located at South Congress Hotel, Otoko specializes in Tokyo-style sushi and Kyoto-style kaiseki. This 12-seat Japanese omakase restaurant boasts a menu composed of a wonderful mix of modern omakase, sushi, kaiseki, and cocktails. There is also a seasonal menu where the dishes served will depend on the availability of ingredients and the current season.
With the restaurant helmed by Yoshi Okai, a renowned executive chef lauded by various food channels, visitors are guaranteed delicious food and drinks that are complemented by the ambiance. This is sure to grant guests a positive dining experience at one of the hotel’s most intimate spaces.
Otoko
Address: 1603 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704, United States
Website: Otoko
Opening hours: Wed - Sat: 5pm - 11pm (closed from Sun - Tue)
2. Lenoir
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Lenoir on Saturday, July 4, 2020
With a focus on serving the best of what Central Texas has to offer, Lenoir is a fancy restaurant that offers what the owners call “hot weather food” which is, essentially, food that blends well with Austin’s climate. It is healthy and delicious as the restaurant strives to use less butter, cream, and gluten.
There is Mediterranean and Indian cuisine served as well. Some examples of the food this restaurant serves are crab fingers, warm beet salad, grilled cabbage, seared duck breast, chocolate Lisbon cake, and coffee-scented flan.
Lenoir
Address: 1807 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704, United States
Website: Lenoir
Opening hours: Wed - Sat: 5pm - 10:30pm; Sun: 5pm - 10pm (closed on Mon & Tue)
3. Lutie’s Garden Restaurant
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Built inside a lavish, ornate mansion, Lutie’s Garden Restaurant offers guests a doorway to a fine-dining experience during the era when Texan businessman, Edgar “Commodore” Perry, was presiding over lavish Jazz Age soirées. This elegant place, which is among the most expensive restaurants in Austin, invites you over to a taste of heritage cuisine and refreshing cocktails complemented by its urban sanctuary and pastoral ambiance.
Some of these delicious dishes include crudo, corn falafel, petit aioli, country pork pate, estate bread, barbecued scallops, delta blues rice, coffee soft served, chocolate shaved ice, swordfish, yonder way pork, and Texas ribeye.
Lutie’s Garden Restaurant
Address: 4100 Red River St, Austin, TX 78751, United States
Website: Lutie’s Garden Restaurant
Opening hours: Wed - Sun: 5pm - 10pm (closed on Mon & Tue)
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4. Hestia
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Hestia on Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Boasting a 20-foot (6-meter) hearth, Hestia offers an extensive menu that, according to the owner, highlights the role of fire in food. This upscale restaurant in Austin presents a soulful menu composed of a variety of dishes including pan de cristal, smoked custard, crudo, sunchoke, Berkshire porkchop, chocolate mousse, and spiced kabocha cake.
There is also an extensive wine menu that includes over 250 different bottles of liquor. This menu is composed of dessert wine, sparkling wine, champagne, new-world whites, old-world whites, burgundy, and so many more.
Hestia
Address: 607 W 3rd St Suite 105, Austin, TX 78701, United States
Website: Hestia
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 5:30pm - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 5:30pm - 11pm; Sun: 5:30pm - 10pm (closed on Mon)
5. Comedor
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Our newest menu offering — a ribeye served with molé and garnished to perfection. This @44farms 16 oz steak is locally sourced and hormone free.
Posted by Comedor on Monday, November 2, 2020
Comedor is a modern Mexican restaurant that specializes in serving Mexican-inspired food and drinks. The extensive dinner menu is composed of a variety of dishes and drinks including avocado tostada, pasilla mixe adobo, beef cheek, heirloom corn tortilla, el jolgorio espadín, del maguey las milpas, carajillo, viejo moda, and charanda pineapple.
Located in downtown Austin, the restaurant boasts high ceilings and an industrial design that contributes to the wonderful ambiance and atmosphere. These design details were made by architect Tom Kundig. Paired with the tasteful Mexican fare, this lovely interior promises visitors a magnificent dining experience.
Comedor
Address: 501 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701, United States
Website: Comedor
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 5pm - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 5pm - 11pm
6. Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab House
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Truluck’s is a restaurant chain which specializes in bringing you the freshest seafood (most especially, crab) and the highest quality steaks. For that purpose, they source their crab every day from their very own fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, which ensures that it has been caught less than 24 hours prior to it arriving on your plate. The menu is sophisticated, and the hundreds of positive reviews vouch for the quality of the food and of the service. With a location downtown and another one in the northern part of Austin (Arboretum area), you are sure to be taken on a luxurious culinary trip with this restaurant. And if you’re feeling extra fancy, they serve caviar!
Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab House
Address: 400 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Website: Truluck’s Seafood, Steak and Crab House
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 5pm - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 5pm - 11pm (closes at 9pm on Sunday)
7. Jeffrey's
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
The appearance of this restaurant might be humble, but don’t be fooled, you have a true high-end one right here. Jeffrey’s is inspired by French and American cuisine, with a rustic touch at times, for a wonderful mix of savoir-faire and flavors. While the meals are inspired by France’s delicacies, the meats are local and fresh. If you’re looking for a fancy place to eat in Austin, this might be the right one since the reviews praise the excellent service and the fine taste of its food.
Jeffrey's
Address: 1204 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703, USA
Website: Jeffrey’s
Opening hours: 4:30pm - 11pm (daily)
8. The Carillon
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
If you’re looking to please your eyes as much as you want to please your palate, The Carillon Restaurant is a great place to start. With beautifully decorated plates adorned with flowers and colorful dressings, your meal will definitely look appetizing. As with most fine dining restaurants in Austin, its menu is concise yet diverse: full of exciting flavors and ingredients (such as kimchi brussel sprouts, or smoked okra pickles).
The Carillon
Address: 1900 University Ave, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Website: The Carillon
Opening hours: 6:30am - 10am; 11:30am - 1pm; 5pm - 10pm (daily)
9. Fonda San Miguel
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
We often associate Mexican food with street food, but it would be wrong to assume so for this restaurant. The fully authentic Mexican menu is filled with hearty and sophisticated meals. The interior is beautifully decorated with intricate patterns and warm colors, for a well-rounded experience. With over 1000 positive reviews, you shouldn’t hesitate, for one second, to try it out.
Fonda San Miguel
Address: 2330 W N Loop Blvd, Austin, TX 78756, USA
Website: Fonda San Miguel
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 5pm - 10pm; Sun: 11am - 2pm
10. Garrison
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Garrison, a fine-dining restaurant located in Downtown Austin, focuses on premium local ingredients, refined by sophisticated recipes. And if reading the menu doesn’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will: Atlantic cod with beurre blanc sauce, wagyu rib-eye with chanterelles, ricotta and grapes with walnuts and honey, and much more to discover on this exquisite journey of beautifully decorated plates and unique flavors.
Garrison
Address: 101 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Website: Garrison
Opening hours: 5pm - 10pm (daily)
11. Goodall's Kitchen and Bar
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
From our table to yours. You can savor Goodall's brunch classics, like the Belgian Waffle, Chef's Burger, Shrimp &...
Posted by Hotel Ella on Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Nestled inside a historic mansion of Austin, this restaurant is nothing of an old and dusty place. The inside is bright and modern, and so are the meals on the menu. Serving modern American cuisine, this restaurant alternates between classics like deviled eggs or quiche, and healthy millennial flavors like a refined kale salad, or pumpkin and black truffle tortellini. Come at any time of the day, because they serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner!
Goodall's Kitchen & Bar
Address: 1900 Rio Grande St, Austin, TX 78705, États-Unis
Website: Goodall’s Kitchen & Bar
Opening hours: 7am - 2pm; 5pm - 10pm (daily)
12. Ancho's Restaurant
This restaurant aims to offer to you a sophisticated twist on Southern cuisine while you are in its very heart. The meals are simple but tasty and well decorated. The interior has a unique vibe and a look with tall glass walls and modern sculptures. Don’t miss their desserts and pastries, because these are their specialties!
Ancho's Restaurant
Address: 700 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701, États-Unis
Website: Ancho’s Restaurant
Opening hours: 6:30am - 2pm; 5:30pm - 10pm (daily)
13. Vespaio
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Opened since 1998, this popular establishment on South Congress Avenue aims to serve quintessential Italian cuisine. With a funny story behind its name, Vespaio holds the promise of fresh and local ingredients and making everything in their own kitchen: from the stocks to the pasta, cheese, meat and more, everything is homemade with passion. Additionally, their pizzas are “wood-fired” for an authentic taste! If needed, they serve gluten-free pasta.
Vespaio
Address: 1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704, USA
Website: Vespaio
Opening hours: 5pm - 10pm (daily)
14. Uchi
Located in a renovated bungalow on Lamar Boulevard, this restaurant has a unique perspective on the usual Japanese restaurant. Their seafood is sourced directly from markets in Fukuoka and Tokyo, and they make sure that the fish comes from sustainable resources. Exquisite fresh seafood is complemented by precise techniques and creative preparations to make a dish that looks and tastes truly wonderful. And if that can’t convince you, maybe the 1300 positive reviews will!
Uchi
Address: 801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, USA
Website: Uchi
Opening hours: 7am - 10pm (daily)
15. Trace
Trace is a downtown restaurant with growing popularity for its vibe, events, quality of service, and quality of food. The produce is local, seasonal and flavorful. And with these ingredients, they aim to create simple, healthy, and rustic food, inspired by all cuisines of the United States, with a dash of European inspiration. All of this results in hearty yet refined plates that are unique and tasty, prepared by skilled chefs.
Trace
Address: 200 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Website: Trace
Opening hours: 6:30am - 10pm (daily)
A growing food scene in the heart of Austin, Texas
It’s now obvious that Austin is an increasingly strong culinary destination, and the city is clearly not lacking in terms of high-end restaurants. These places may vary in culinary influences, but they all share the same taste for modernity, quality ingredients, and sophisticated palates. So don’t hesitate any further, go out and try out some of these fancy restaurants in Austin!
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