Check out our list of top Austin date spots to create romance. Choosing the perfect date location requires at least a little research.. And Something More is here to help, with recommendations for the best restaurants in Austin to take that special someone, whether it’s for a first date, an anniversary, or just an ordinary evening that calls for extraordinary romance.
Here are the most romantic spots to woo your special someone for each occasion. If you’re more inclined to munch on small plates and work your way through a cocktail list than sit down for an actual dinner, then head to Upstairs at Carolines for the most lively version of that vibe. Make a reservation at Jeffrey’s only if you’re trying to pull out all the stops on a future with this person.
For significant celebrations—like a decade-long partnership—reserve the River Hill restaurant. Its classy American menu, quite the opposite of a run-of-the-mill diner, makes for a memorable evening. And if dollars are the object, the next best thing to a serve-yourself buffet in pricing is the Southern layer cake. Quite the showstopper and made to share, half a cake still nearly filled my car’s backseat.
2. Odd Duck
One of the most iconic restaurants in Austin’s Zilker neighborhood is famous for its excellent and innovative food, and for obvious reasons. From inventiveness to flawless cooking, there are many reasons to love what is simply one of the best spots within these confines. You could share small plates such as grilled chicken heart skewers, veggie-laden ceviche, and stuffed quail; or you could keep it all to yourself. They’re also letting folks know that there is indoor and outdoor dining available.
The Govalle restaurant pays proper homage to its inspirational home country of France. The flickering candlelight and red walls provide a nice backdrop for a meal enhanced by anything from the wide collection of records the restaurant plays. Make sure to end the evening with an impeccable crème brulée. There are both indoor and outdoor dining options.
4 Juniper
Juniper, an Italian eatery in Austin, consistently lands in the top 10 of the best restaurants in Austin, according to the Austin American-Statesman. That’s because it’s owned and operated by a local legend, and the food is nothing short of extraordinary. Juniper combines locally sourced, hyper-seasonal Texas ingredients with Old World Italian culinary techniques. The result? Dishes that are simultaneously comforting and innovative, bridging the gap between Northern Italy and Central Texas.
5. Perla’s
Perla’s presents fish and oysters fresh from both coasts, making an actual half-shell presentation. Ingredients come from the Gulf of Mexico and other worldwide locations: “This is really a tribute to oysters everywhere,” O’Neill says. “We just don’t do Chesapeake Bay or Blue Point oysters. And everything that we can do coastally, we do it to the max.” Perla’s opens at 11 a.m. daily.
Culinary encounters that feel both deeply familiar and yet also profoundly strange greet you in the dining room of Odd Duck, a snug little restaurant perched atop a converted house in South Austin. On a given evening, you might begin your repast with a warm salad of beet greens and couscous that, although it pays homage to the classic warm salad, leaps boldly into the realm of the culinary avant-garde and, in doing so, epitomizes the ethos of the restaurant as a whole.
7. Ember
Austin’s top-notch Josper oven experience can now be found at Ember Kitchen. The Ember Kitchen menu spotlights that elusive live-fire cooking—an experience that happens just a stone’s throw away from the Josper oven itself. The kitchen’s work doesn’t get any more elemental than that. Yet there are very few places in this part of the world that can serve up as many dishes with the kind of丁shameless enthusiasm that Ember Kitchen can.
8. Hestia
The custom 20-foot hearth that anchors the kitchen and dining room inspires our dishes. The menu gives us a chance to dig deep and show off the techniques—mostly fire-based, but not entirely—that highlight the role of cooking with fire in food. We offer a la carte selections and a tasting menu for those who want to fully immerse themselves in the Hestia experience.
9.Red Ash
Northern and Southern Italian culinary traditions inspire the craft Italian cuisine at Red Ash. Owner and Executive Chef John Carver, along with the kitchen staff, expertly prepares food that dazzles the palate. Yet, it is not just any food; it is the much-envied Italian cuisine that has long made chefs from that country famous. If anything, the culinary achievements at Red Ash promise to build on the lore of Italian cooking. Indeed, Italian cuisine, done right, is hard to beat.
10.Commodore
This contemporary Mexican eatery is one of the best new restaurants in the country, according to Texas Monthly. Impressive architecture is part of the draw (the exterior is dark, the interior flooded with light—a speakeasy vibe). But the real reason to come is the food and drink, in particular the bone marrow tacos and cocktails.
Remember that the date venue is almost the same as the date outfit. It’s all about first impressions. Take a look at the menu and the wine list ahead of time, find out what dish the restaurant is known for and of course ask friends what their opinion is of your selection. A noisy crowed restaurant with bad service and crappy food is no way to start the beginning of what could be your next romantic relationship!
