13 Essential Austin Bars, According to Industry Pros

• By WineBottleMag
• January 15, 2025
• Austin Bars Essential Industry Pros
• With 0 comments

Austin has undergone monumental growth over the past decade. The once sleepy college town billed as the “Live Music Capital of the World” is now a tech hub and bonafide food and drink destination with a population just under one million and tens of millions of annual visitors.

The laid-back city boasts its share of historic, tree-lined neighborhoods and significant green space, with 361-acre Zilker Metropolitan Park and adjacent Lady Bird Lake its crown jewels. There are also miles of multi-use paths and hiking trails within city limits, and the nearby Hill Country is home to numerous other outdoor recreational pursuits as well as wineries, breweries, distilleries and more.

While Austin isn’t as ethnically diverse as Houston, its food scene is still dynamic and varied, featuring everything from world-class barbecue to award-winning food trucks (breakfast tacos reign supreme). 

When it comes to imbibing, Austinites love their agave spirits, whiskey and beer, but there’s also the proverbial something for everyone, including one of Texas’s most famous dancehalls (shout out to The Broken Spoke), as well as honky tonks, music clubs, dive bars, cocktail lounges, beer gardens and tasting rooms. It’s impossible to hit them all on a single visit, but the following places are beloved by some of Austin’s top food and beverage professionals. Pace yourself.

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Best Cocktail Bar

The Roosevelt Room

Downtown

When co-owner Justin Lavenue opened his craft cocktail bar in 2015, Austin was in the fledgling stages of its bar renaissance. A decade later, this swank, welcoming spot has received national attention for intellectual, meticulously crafted cocktails like Silver Meadows, a mix of tequila, pisco, Junmai sake, foie gras-washed St. Germain, clarified lime and grapefruit, maguey sap, sweetgrass tincture and grapefruit oil. 

In addition to signature drinks, the menu is broken down into notable cocktail eras (turn of the century, tiki, etc.) but whatever you order, know that it will be beautifully executed. “It’s an encyclopedia of cocktails,” says Erin Ashford, co-owner of hotspot Holiday. “The team is a wealth of knowledge if you want to enjoy an expertly made classic or nerd out on the expansive menu.”

Best Bar Food

Holiday

East Austin

If dark, masculine, whiskey dens aren’t your thing, this bright, airy, plant-filled space is the antidote. Ashford’s first indie venture draws crowds for its playful, botanically-driven drinks and slushy Mexican martinis, but save room for tempting bar snacks like Gulf crab deviled eggs and housemade pastas. 

“It’s gorgeous, extremely welcoming, and the food is sneaky-good, with the best bar program in town,” says Steven Dilley, sommelier and owner of Bufalina and Bufalina Due.

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Best Speakeasy

Here Nor There

Downtown

Lavenue describes this subterranean cocktail den as a destination for “connoisseurs who crave a touch of mystery and indulgence.” You’ll need a reservation, but your reward is boundary-pushing cocktails that “artfully blend unexpected flavors, innovative techniques and rare spirits from around the globe,” he says. “Every drink is an experience designed to elevate and expand the palate.” 

Case in point: It’s Giving Wings, a Bloody Mary riff with vodka, yaupon tea, clarified tomato, umami soda and chili.

Best Tiki Bar

Tiki Tatsu-ya

South Austin

Descend the stairs to this wildly popular tiki bar and you’ll find yourself in what looks like a dimly lit grotto. The bar keeps the fantasy vibes going with outlandish creations like the Slurping Bastard, a heady blend of shochu, brandy, bitters, ginger, cherry and ume shrub served in a custom tiki vessel. With over 220 types of rum on offer and large-format drinks served on custom-made pirate ships, you’re unlikely to emerge unscathed, but this is one escapist experience you don’t want to miss.

“It’s a gleaming testament to Austin’s love for bold, boundary-pushing experiences,” says Lavenue. “A fully immersive adventure with an expertly curated and theatrically presented menu.”

Best Date Night Bar

Small Victory

Downtown

Housed on the second floor of a nondescript parking garage, this intimate, candle-lit space with lushly appointed velvet banquettes and barstools checks all the boxes for a romantic evening. Nibble on cheese and charcuterie while perusing the abbreviated menu that breaks cocktails into categories like low-abv, bitter and aromatic and tall, cool and swizzled. 

Pay special attention to the Singapore Sling, a standout and favorite of the team. “It’s the one place in town where I’m comfortable leaving my cocktail selection up to the bar staff,” says Dilley.

Best Restaurant Bars

Jeffrey’s of Austin

Clarksville

Since 1975, Jeffrey’s has been treating Austinites to “impeccable service, great food and high-quality, perfectly made cocktails,” says Ashford, who admits she loves a good restaurant bar. Book a table in the art-filled main dining room to experience the legendary martini cart, which includes an array of spirits and garnishes and vintage glassware, or just enjoy a classic adult beverage at the intimate bar.

Bar Toti

East Austin

The sister bar to the lauded Mexican seafood restaurant Este, this adjacent outbuilding is a “perfect blend of neighborhood bistro, with the energy of Mexico City or Madrid,” says Rae Wilson, winemaker at Austin’s Wine for the People. “It’s an intimate room with communal seating down the center, the limited wine list is a gem, and the cocktails are always made with fresh juices. And the Smashburguesa is not to be missed.” 

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Best Place to Experience Old Austin

Donn’s Depot

West Austin

In a city that’s morphing at lightning speed, Donn’s remains unchanged. For over 50 years, the rambling piano bar and saloon, which is partly constructed from repurposed railcars, has attracted patrons who come for the stiff drinks, gracious service and live music, including tunes from beloved proprietor Donn Adelman. 

On weekends, the dance floor is packed, and the people-watching is unrivaled. “It’s my favorite bar,” says Ashford. “The lead bartender has been there over 34 years, and she recognizes everyone and can remember and serve drinks without writing anything down. It’s some of the highest skilled bartending I’ve ever seen, to command a room that way with such warmth and hospitality.”

Best Honky Tonk

The White Horse

East Austin

While it doesn’t go back as far as Donn’s, this East side institution is Austin’s top honky tonk. It features live music seven nights a week as well as two-step lessons. “It’s not just a bar; it’s an experience steeped in the rhythm of Austin’s soul,” says Lavenue. “The vibe is undeniably Austin—unpretentious, diverse and downright friendly.” Even if you don’t know a pearl snap from a snip toe, order a Lone Star with whiskey chaser, and you’ll fit right in.

Best Dive Bar

The Cloak Room

Downtown

Ashford is a fan of this “no frills” dive across from the state Capitol. Since the 1970s, the dimly-lit basement bar has attracted politicos, but the longtime bartenders are notoriously tight-lipped about dishing any dirt. “It’s somewhat hard to find and they don’t do trendy drinks or social media, but it’s friendly,” says Ashford. “The last time I was there, the bartender was feeding the resident ‘feral cats,’ aka raccoons.”

Best Mezcaleria

Mezcalería Tobalá

East Austin

Housed in a 19^th century granary above Whisler’s bar on happening East Sixth Street, Tobalá feels airlifted right out of Oaxaca. Every Friday and Saturday night, patrons gather in the dreamy little space, alight with incense and candles, for guided tastings and flights from the bar’s extensive mezcal collection. The vast assortment includes wild varietals, alternative agave spirits and small-batch family offerings you won’t find anywhere else. 

Pro tip: Get here early, because seating is limited. “The aroma of palo santo sets the tone for an experience that feels more like visiting a mezcal maestro’s personal collection than a bar,” says Lavenue. “The lone bartender is part mixologist, part storyteller.”

Best Wine Bar

LoLo

East Austin

“This is my idea of the perfect natural wine bar and bottle shop,” says Dilley, who himself has received national accolades for Bufalina’s wine list. “Super knowledgeable but unpretentious staff, great vibe, excellent but not overwhelming selection. There’s always something new to discover.” With its minimalist chic interior, expansive back patio and thoughtful curation of entirely small-batch Old and New World producers, there’s plenty here to keep vinophiles sipping pretty.

Best Neighborhood Bar

Drinkwell

North Loop

“This is the epitome of a neighborhood restaurant bar,” says Lavenue. “It’s unassuming yet elevated, the kind of place where industry pros send their friends to unwind, and locals come back for more…a community space where the hospitality feels as carefully considered as the drinks.” Owner Jessica Sanders and her team nail the classics as well as whimsical variations on more esoteric offerings, like the B.C.P. Batida, a rare combination of cachaça, graham cracker cordial, banana-coconut condensed milk, lemon and cinnamon. There are also irresistible bites like berbere spiced corn fritters and a loaded house hamburger.

If your itinerary allows, also consider checking out these other industry favorites: Nickel City, Deep Eddy Cabaret, Jester King Brewery, Half-Step and Lala’s Little Nugget.

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