1. Husband-and-wife-run eatery Lenoir opened in January 2012, serving seasonal, three-course prix-fixe menus that utilize central Texas ingredients in dishes like pork osso buco in red curry with scallions and imperial lima beans. The wood-accented, blue-and-white-lined dining room is filled with recycled materials, and there’s a backyard wine garden. The space seats 34, and is available for buyouts.
2. This three-in-one downtown dining venue opened in stages, starting in late 2010. Congress is a fine-dining experience with a seven-course chef’s tasting menu and two private rooms that seat six and 12. Bar Congress is a cocktail lounge with a long Italian marble bar and patio, available for small events. Second Bar & Kitchen is a casual space serving playful food like buffalo-fried pickles, with an open-air mezzanine that can be booked for groups.
3. Popular local chef Shawn Cirkiel opened Olive & June, a refined Italian eatery in the Bryker Woods neighborhood, in February 2012, serving homemade pastas and specialties like saffron-infused risotto balls. The three-story space, filled with bare wood furniture and curving booths, includes an indoor-outdoor event room shaded by an oak tree, that seats 100. The private chef’s table room hosts 10 to 18 guests for family-style meals.
4. In a sleek dining room lined with exposed white brick, the upscale meat-lovers’ joint Rivals Steakhouse opened downtown in July. Two private rooms seat 40 and 80; both include a bar and 70-inch TVs, and can be combined for as many as 120. The semiprivate loft space seats 36.
5. The swanky Trento opened in January 2012 in the hills above Lake Austin, serving creative, northern Italian-inspired cuisine such as chicken confit pizza and brisket ravioli. The dining room, accented with hanging stained glass, offers views of West Lake Hills; a private dining room seats 45.
6. Named for the second president of the Republic of Texas, Bar Mirabeau opened downtown in September. The space has an industrial-chic decor and a menu of hearty fare like pan-fried pork chops with low country-style grits. The restaurant is available for buyouts, with a total capacity of 200.
7. The sprawling Rattle Inn, a live music venue, opened in the West Sixth Street District in January 2012. The main bar seats 145 at snakeskin booths and cowhide barstools. Ray's Backstage, which includes a stage and custom sound system, holds 205. The wood-covered rooftop bar holds 320 and offers skyline views.
