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.
Cocktail barNatural wine bar and bottle shop$$$
LoLo in Austin is the natural wine bar and bottle shop on East 6th Street, with hundreds of wines for drinking on site or taking home, plus a large back.
Signature drink: Rotating natural-wine glass
Food: Snacks and small plates
Tip: The retail shelves double as bottle list; pick from the wall and the corkage is a flat low rate.
Cocktail barBeer garden and casual cocktail bar$$$
Bouldin Acres in Austin is the South Lamar two-acre beer garden on the corner of Oltorf, a family-and-dog-friendly patio with smash burgers.
Signature drink: Frozen margarita and big-batch cocktails
Food: Smash burgers, tacos, kids menu
Tip: 21-plus rule kicks in after 10pm; the daytime patio is family-and-dog territory until then.