All PostsAustin Living

GOT AUSTIN: Best Date Spots

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.

Dip Dip Dip

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 Austin

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

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

Restaurant

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

Outdoor dining

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

Uchiko

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.

Pottery class

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 shit bingo

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

Chocolates

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

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

G31

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

Arcade

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

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

The White Horse  |  Live country music is served up in this hip, upbeat, sprawling East Austin honky-tonk.

500 Comal St | 512.553.675

Art

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

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 Draft House

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

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

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

Paramount Theatre interior

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

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.

Driskill

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

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 bar

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

Restaurant patio

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

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 bar

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.

Art museum in Austin

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

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

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

Mini golf

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

Pink boat LBJ lake

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

People getting ready to go paddle boarding

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!

Churros

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

Cookies

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

Desserts

​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

Red velvet ice cream

Lick Honest Ice Creams  |  Visit hip ice creamery, Lick, who churns out offbeat flavors made from local, natural, and sustainable ingredients.

Various Locations

Mini donuts

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

Boxes of cookie dough

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