6 New Options for Business Entertaining in Austin

After a major renovation in November, Sullivan’s Steakhouse now features a larger dining room that holds 850 guests, a massive wine wall, and a wraparound copper bar. Other options for smaller groups include three private dining rooms and a semiprivate wine room.

Located in a two-story house on Rainey Street, NO VA Kitchen & Bar opened last August and has several options for private entertaining. Indoors is the main dining room for 50 guests and a 14-seat private dining room with audiovisual equipment. A patio with a dual-sided fireplace seats 50, and a covered balcony seats 25. The restaurant has a curated menu of items such as pear pecan salad, whipped blue cheese, and beer-braised pork shank.

Among last winter's most anticipated openings was LaV, a French-inspired restaurant in a converted warehouse on the city's east side from executive chef Allison Jenkins and managing partner Vilma Mazaite. Designed like a home, the interior has several intimate rooms each designed with a distinct style. The wine bar has tall communal tables; the bar lounge is in the center of the restaurant; the main dining room has an elegant feel; and the wine cellar holds 12 people for private events. Outdoors, there is a fountain with pergola seating and stone tables. In total, the 5,000-square-foot space seats 146 diners. Buyouts are available.

The highly anticipated Chavez opened in February in the Radisson Hotel & Suites Austin Downtown. Helmed by chef Shawn Cirkiel, the restaurant offers three private dining options: the 40-seat Lady Bird Lake Room, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake; the 24-seat Cava Room; and the Pool Deck, a covered terrace with an infinity-edge pool. Cocktail menus and a full bar are available.

Located next to the Austin Convention Center, Crave offers locally sourced fare, including sushi and beer. Options for the private dining at the eatery, which opened in February, include the executive room, which holds as many as 50 people, and the governor’s room, which holds 80. The patio and side bar area are also available for private events.

For a casual, offbeat place to entertain out-of-town clients, Mean Eyed Cat Bar reopened in October featuring a curated collection of clutter with an emphasis on all things Texas and Johnny Cash. A renovation and expansion added an outdoor bar, liquor cocktails, and a menu from Stubbs Bar-B-Q. The bar's signature "Mean Juice" drink is silver tequila infused with fresh ghost pepper chilies that comes with a warning from bartenders about its potency. The bar is available for private events and holds 160 guests.