Bufalina in Austin is Steven Dilley's natural-Italian wine bar and Neapolitan pizzeria on East Cesar Chavez since 2013, the room that started Austin's natural-wine and pizza pairing.
Food program: Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza
Tip: Half-off pizzas during happy hour 4:30 to 6pm daily; the wine list runs 200 deep, ask for the orange-wine page.
Address: 2215 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
Este in Austin runs a sharply curated Mexican and Mediterranean wine program at the Manor Road bungalow, with bar seating for ceviches and a wine-only late-window after 9pm.
Signature pour: Mexican Valle de Guadalupe glass pour
Wine focus: Mexican and Mediterranean wines, plus mezcal flights
Food: Coastal Mexican seafood, ceviches, snacks
Tip: The bar takes walk-ins after 9pm; the wine list runs Valle de Guadalupe through southern Italy at the same depth.
Suerte in Austin runs a Michelin-recognised wine program led by Celia Pellegrini at the East 6th masa-driven dining room, paired with Fermin Nunez's modern Mexican kitchen.
Signature pour: Glass route by sommelier Celia Pellegrini
Wine focus: Mexican and natural-leaning wines, Michelin Texas Sommelier 2025
Food: Modern Mexican small plates and tacos
Tip: Pellegrini won the Michelin Texas Sommelier Award 2025; ask her to route the pairings or the all-Mexican flight.
Emmer & Rye in Austin runs an Old World-leaning wine bar program at the Rainey Street grain-driven kitchen, with a list built to drink alongside house-milled pasta.
Signature pour: Loire Valley Cabernet Franc glass
Wine focus: Old World, low-intervention bottle list paired to grain-driven food
Food: House-milled pasta and dim-sum-cart small plates
Tip: The bar seats see the dim-sum cart first and route directly to the cellar; book bar over table if you want both.
Better Half Coffee & Cocktails in Austin runs a wine, beer and cocktail patio at its Clarksville bungalow from the New Waterloo group, coffee shop by day, wine bar by evening.
Signature pour: Frozen Negroni on Sundays
Wine focus: Natural-leaning by-the-glass and seasonal cocktails
Food: Bistro snacks and brunch plates
Tip: Order frozen Negronis on Sunday with a brunch plate; the wine glass list is short but sharp at $14.
Fonda San Miguel in Austin runs a deep tequila and reposado list alongside Mexican and Spanish wines at the 1975 North Loop dining room, the city's heritage Mexican cellar.
Signature pour: Casa Madero from Coahuila Valley
Wine focus: Mexican wines, Spanish bottles and tequila reposados
Food: Regional Mexican dining room and Sunday hacienda brunch
Tip: The reposado-and-mezcal flight at the bar is the room's quiet routine; ask for the Mexican wine list at the back.
LoLo in Austin is the East 6th natural wine bar and bottle shop from Christian Moses and partners, the city's first dedicated natural-wine room with a large patio.
Signature pour: Rotating natural-orange-wine glass program
Wine focus: Natural wines and grower-producer bottles, with hundreds of bottles for on-site or retail
Food: Snacks and small plates
Tip: The wine wall doubles as the retail shop; ask for a bottle to drink on-site at a flat corkage rate.
