Destination Date Night: 11 Best Restaurants for Date Night in Austin Texas

After living in the Austin area for over 20 years, some of my favorite restaurants are in Central Texas. I’m always looking for a table with a thoughtful ambiance that transports me to a new place or time. With a varied menu that pairs classics with a modern approach and local ingredients, I am in heaven. Austin specializes in relaxed yet knowledgeable waitstaff that brings it all together. It makes for a memorable evening. Here are the best date night restaurants in Austin.

Best Date Night Restaurants in Austin 

Fonda San Miquel

Lutie’s

Hestia

Barley Swine

Justine’s Brasserie

Peche Sinful Cocktails & Cuisine

June’s All Day

Wink 

Uchiko Austin

Lucky Robot Japanese Kitchen 

Perla’s

Fonda San Miquel

If you and your love get heart palpitations for Mexican food, then Fonda San Miquel is your date-night destination. It’s an all-time favorite with classics like Mole. Its Queso Fundido is a must, as is its Guacamole.

Entree options include ribeye, chicken and fish; and everything I’ve tried over the years has been exceptional. The enchiladas and rellanos are also good bets. The spicy margarita and paloma are personal favorites.

Located at 2330 W N Loop Blvd, Austin. Open Monday to Thursday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and  Saturday from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Reservations are required.

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Lutie’s

A free-standing restaurant in the Commodore Perry Estate, an Auberge Resort, Lutie’s is a highly sought-after table in Austin. Overlooking the terraced and balustraded rose gardens, the alabaster and onyx checkboard floor invites the gardens inside with greenery hanging from the lattice on the ceiling. 

Its menu blends best-of-season vegetables with entrees from noted purveyors, using subtle flavorings and herbs. The house bread is a standout, so order it in addition to another small plate to share. For everything the cocktail and wine list was, the desserts were ho-hum at best and didn’t include a decadent chocolate option, so order a glass of sparkling rosé instead.

To dine at Lutie’s, reservations are booked months in advance with a waitlist. This is one of the Best Date Night Restaurants in Austin. It is featured in the Michelin Guide.

Located at 4100 Red River inside the Commodore Perry Estate. Open daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., plus Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are required.

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Hestia

Recently declared one of the top new restaurants in the U.S. by Esquire magazine, this open-hearth eatery blends old-world methods into some of the most inventive bites in Texas. The seasonal menu encourages sharing, from the one-bite smoked tomato tart to the shingled Wagyu NY strip.

Inside the muted dining room, sit back for a meal to be enjoyed plate by plate (at times the time elapsed between courses stretched). Each selection offers a layered take balancing elements of taste: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory. Vegetable selections concentrate on their unique flavors and add a dimension with the addition of herbs or a savory foam. Don’t miss dessert, and their coffee drinks are the perfect to cap off a remarkable meal.

To dine at Hestia, grab reservations months in advance. This is one of Best Date Night Restaurants in Austin. . It is featured in the Michelin Guide.

Located at 607 W. 3rd St., Suite 105. Open Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. (closed Sunday, Monday and Wednesday).

Barley Swine

With an international-inspired menu, diners will find entrees from flavors of the world. The menu changes with the seasonal to follow the best ingredients.

It is featured in the Michelin Guide. Reservations are recommended.

Located at 6555 Burnet Rd #400, Austin. Open Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday from 5 to 10, Saturday from 4:30 to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 4:30 to 9 p.m. (closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday).

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French Bistro Dining

Justine’s Brasserie

I’m a romantic, so French cuisine holds a chunk of my heart. Marble-topped tables with market umbrellas in a treed outdoor space make me swoon. The free-flowing baskets of crusty bread and butter make me forget about the carbs. Pour me a glass of hearty red wine, and I’ll wear a beret.

Justine’s Brasserie is all of that in East Austin. Go when the weather is at Austin’s peak or late-night to dine outside. Diners will find lights sparkling overhead and a congenial crowd settling in for a dose of France. This is one of Best Date Night Restaurants in Austin.

The menu features French classics in French with English translations. Start the evening with a Kir Royale or French 75 paired with the escargots à la Bourguignonne. Then savor the Steak Frites, a ribeye with beurre maître d’ and perfection fries.

Located at 4710 E 5th St. Open daily from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., midnight on Friday and Saturday (closed Tuesday).

Peche Sinful Cocktails & Cuisine

Come for a cocktail, come for dinner. Find a moody pre-prohibition bar that spans the length of the building. Serving up classic cocktails to satisfy a time traveler, including an impressive list of absinthe.

Make it an evening with a menu of French brasserie musts using Texas products. Standouts include the Haricot Vert Salad, a concoction of pickled cauliflower and local tomatoes with lardons mixed with feta and almonds all dressed with a creamy Dijon. Or sample the Prince Edward Island mussels or escargot for a bit of traditional fare.

Attentive staff, and the owner even works the dining room on busy nights, offering drink recommendations.

Located at 208 W. 4^th St. Open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Saturday from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Reservations Accepted.

June’s All Day

June’s All Day means many things to many people, and it all depends on when you walk through the door. Grab breakfast and coffee on a workday, or stop by for a vibrant happy hour.

The All Day menu features French bistro classics, like the PEI Mussels with a creamy fennel and Pernod broth. Or sample the steak au poivre with confit garlic and parmesan fries for a French-inspired date night.

Located at 1722 S. Congress. Open Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations accepted.

Wink 

This Austin Old Guard restaurant has been a favorite for years. Since it opened in 2001, diners have savored local ingredients and tastes. To make it a special night, consider its five- or seven-course tasting menu, which also offers a wine pairing.

Located at 1014 N. Lamar Blvd. Open Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday to Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m., to Thursday to  Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. (closed Sunday and Monday). Reservations accepted.

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Japanese Flavors

The French don’t have a monopoly on romance or date night in Austin. So sample some sushi and Japanese faves. Or take it a bit casual for some of the freshest seafood straight from the coast.

Uchiko Austin 

The sister restaurant to Uchi, enjoy Japanese farmhouse dining in a lively yet understated dining room. For the best of the daily and regular menu, order the omakase or chef’s tasting menu. It features 10 different courses, perfectly prepared and presented.

The tasting menu might feature shishito tempura or tempura peppers. The hama chili featuring yellowtail is another jewel. The Hana with fried cauliflower and curried raisins fuses the flavors of Asia. End your meal with Ruby Red Grapefruit with aloe air and olive oil.

Located at 4200 N. Lamar Blvd. Open Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations accepted.

Lucky Robot Japanese Kitchen 

If your love loves sushi, then head to the first sustainable sushi restaurant in Austin. Start with Brussels sprouts or spicy edamame to liven up the taste buds. Follow with screaming fresh sashimi and inventive dumplings, or try the tasting menu for a host of new flavors.

Located at 1303 South Congress Ave. Open Monday to Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Reservations accepted.

Seafood Stars

Perla’s

If the weather is nice, then the patio is the place to be. This seafood-heavy menu runs the gamut from a raw bar to Maine Lobster to Gulf Snapper. The appetizer menu is packed with favorites, so you could even order several from there and call it dinner. There’s a surf-and-turf option too.

Located at 1400 S Congress Ave, Austin. Open lunch from Monday to Friday from  11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner from  5:30 p.m. to close.