Cocktail barCocktail bar$$$Mon-Wed 17:00-02:00, Thu 20:00-02:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-02:00
The Roosevelt Room in Austin is the West 5th cocktail bar in the downtown Warehouse District, Austin's most-awarded cocktail room with a 150-page.
Signature drink: Original cocktails with a 150-page menu
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: The classics-and-originals menu runs deep enough that asking the bartender to choose is the standard order.
Cocktail barCocktail bar$$$
Whisler's in Austin is the East 6th Street cocktail bar with the city's strongest mezcal program, plus Mezcaleria Tobala upstairs serving agave flights.
Signature drink: Mezcal cocktails and a deep agave list
Food: Thai food from Mezcaleria Tobala upstairs
Tip: Walk straight upstairs to Mezcaleria Tobala for the agave list; the downstairs bar runs faster and louder.
Cocktail barHotel cocktail bar$$$
Garrison in Austin runs a steakhouse bar program at the Fairmont Austin on Red River, with a five-time Wine Spectator-recognised cellar and a tableside Dirty.
Signature drink: Garrison Dirty Martini, made tableside
Food: Steakhouse menu from the dining room
Tip: The bar takes walk-ins; ask for the tableside Dirty Martini and the seasonal-fruit Old Fashioned variant.
Cocktail barCocktail and wine bar$$$
Better Half in Austin is the Clarksville bungalow from the New Waterloo group, a coffee-shop-by-day, cocktail-bar-by-night patio with a frozen Negroni.
Signature drink: Frozen Negroni and seasonal espresso martini
Food: Brunch plates and bistro snacks
Tip: The patio is the work-friendly room until 4pm; after that the cocktail program runs and the laptops close.
Cocktail barBBQ bar and live-music venue$$$
Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin is the Red River BBQ-and-music venue in an 1850s limestone building, a downtown amphitheatre with smoked plates and a long.
Signature drink: Bloody Mary with smoked-pepper rim
Food: Texas BBQ from the smokehouse
Tip: Sunday Gospel Brunch books out 3 weeks ahead; the regular bar runs late on show nights.
Cocktail barLate-night French bar$$$
Justine's Brasserie in Austin runs an after-midnight bar program at the 1937 East 5th cottage, the city's longest-running late-night French room.
Signature drink: French 75 and Champagne by the glass
Food: French brasserie plates until midnight
Tip: Late-night service runs to 12am Friday and Saturday; the Pagoda room is the smoking patio.