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

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

Best Date Night Restaurants in Austin 

• Lutie’s
• Hestia
• The Peacock Mediterranean Grill
• Sammie’s Italian Restaurant
• Justine’s Brasserie
• 1417 Bristo
• Peche Sinful Cocktails & Cuisine
• June’s All Day
• Wink 
• Uchiko Austin
• Lucky Robot Japanese Kitchen 
• Monger’s Market + Kitchen

Lutie’s

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.

A free-standing restaurant in the Commodore Perry Estate, an Auberge Resort, Lutie’s is a highly sought 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 Best Date Night Restaurants in Austin.

Best Museums in Austin 

Hestia

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.

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.

The Peacock Mediterranean Grill

Located in Austin’s Proper Hotel at 600 W 2nd St. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (10:30 p.m. on Thursday to Saturday)

On the ground floor of the Proper Hotel and along the shores of Shoal Creek, enjoy a new-world vision of old-world cuisine. The dining room uses texture to exude an understated opulence, and if the weather is good, eat on the patio. The wait staff is attentive and knowledgeable without being too much of either. 

Find the traditional Mediterranean favorites on the menu though Peacock’s version puts subtle flavors on edge, at times heavy-handed with garlic. Missed a creamy tzatziki on the meze menu. The cocktail menu is varied and offers a nice selection of wine.  

The Best 4 Day Austin Itinerary

Sammie’s Italian Restaurant

Located at 807 W 6th St. Open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to midnight on Thursday to Saturday and noon to midnight on Friday.

Enjoy a night pursuing a menu that takes Italian supper club classics up a notch. Drawing design cues from East Coast supper clubs, diners can enjoy good wine, great bread and a plate overflowing with pasta. Start with the house-made mozzarella sticks for a bespoke take on the classic appetizer. Pasta dishes are delicately flavored. This a great option for those needing a restaurant open late. 

Austin Restaurant Guide 

French Bistro Dining

Justine’s Brasserie

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

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  meforget 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 Bourgainnoone. Then savor the Steak Frites, a ribeye with beurre maître d’ and perfection fries.

1417 Bristo

Located at 1417 S 1st St. Open Monday to Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., Friday  from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. then 5 to 11 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. then 5 to 9 p.m. Reservations Accepted.

A bit on the Boho side, this French bistro offers excellent steak frites, especially the frites. Its cocktail menu blends classics with in-house concoctions. The bistro seamlessly combines an elevated menu with a cozy and comfy vibe.

Peche Sinful Cocktails & Cuisine

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.

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.

June’s All Day

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

Reservations accepted.

June’s All Day means many things to many people, and it all depends on when you walk into 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.

The cocktail menu favors rum and whisky. Sunday night is pub night with an Indian twist, so find curries and naan. For dessert, sample the Doughnut pâteéroles.

Wink 

Located at 1014 N. Lamar Blvd. Open Tuesday from 5 to 9 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. (closed Monday and Tuesday). Reservations accepted.

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.

Austin Fun Guide 

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 

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

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 tempera or tempera peppers. The hama chili featuring yellowtail is another jewel. The Hana with fried cauliflower and curried raisins fuses the flavors of the Asian continent. End your meal with Ruby Red Grapefruit with aloe air and olive oil.

Lucky Robot Japanese Kitchen 

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

If your love loves sushi, then head to the first sustainable sushi restaurant in Austin. Start with the Brussels sprouts or the 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.

A few tables along South Congress with more tables inside.

Seafood Stars

Monger’s Market + Kitchen

Located at 4119 Guadalupe St. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday

Seafood is so fresh it dances across the plate at this happy East Austin outlet. Find a fresh seafood market and raw bar, or head to a handful of tables for the freshest of seafood. With a menu featuring the Gulf of Mexico’s bounty, sample a buttermilk-fried Gulf shrimp. Or sink a fork into a blue crab cake. Taco Tuesday is celebrated with fish tacos.