Here's a look at the best new Austin restaurants, hotels, party rooms, corporate event venues, conference centers, and private rooms to open this winter. These new and renovated Austin venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, meetings, business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, weddings, and more.
The Brodie Homestead, a rustic barn from the 1940s located in South Austin, underwent major renovations this summer. Wood floors, air-conditioning, and lightning were all added or updated. On the ground floor are giant chandeliers, a massive stone wall, and wood paneling reused from other portions of the barn. The former stables were turned into office and kitchen space. Upstairs, the loft area serves as private rooms, such as bridal and groom suites.
The bungalow housing new restaurant Olamaie adds to the atmosphere of an old Southern home, dishing up what it refers to as modern Southern food. The 2,000-square-foot space seats 65 people, depending on the type and configuration of the event. The private dining room comes with its own PA system.
Dai Due opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant and butcher shop in August after maintaining a stand at farmers’ markets since 2006. The menu is seasonally and regionally focused and changes daily; it's accompanied by a Texas wine and beer list. It seats 50.
Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile, the restaurant, outdoor event space, and artisan shop, opened in August as an homage to owner Adam Jacoby's family café in Melvin, Texas. The East Austin space includes a bar, dining room, cocktail porch, and lawn for receptions of 100 people that has views of the Colorado River. Partner Kris Swift designed the space, which features reclaimed wood, exposed brick, and other home-style touches. The menu highlights fresh vegetables and seasonal fare, as well as beef from the Jacoby family ranch.
Renovations to the Riverside Ballroom at the Radisson Hotel & Suites in downtown Austin added floor-to-ceiling wraparound windows overlooking Lady Bird Lake. Catering comes from chef Shawn Cirkiel, whose restaurant Chavez is located downstairs in the hotel’s lobby. There are various multimedia capabilities, including two video walls and an in-house audiovisual company.
From the team behind Contigo comes Gardner, a restaurant focused on seasonal vegetarian fare but with some meat and seafood options. Opened in November, the space seats 72 people indoors and 15 people in the outdoor lounge.
The biergarten portion of Gourdough’s Public House unveiled a design update in October. Reclaimed clear window panes were added to the walls of the outdoor patio—which seats 75 people—to open up the space. A highlight of the catering menu is the kitchen's famed doughnut concoctions such as the Squealing Pig with cream cheese icing topped with bacon, strawberries, jalapeño jelly, and candied jalapeños.
Patika, the newest coffee shop in South Austin, serves caffeine beverages and house-made pastries during the daytime and beer, wine, and cheese and meat plates in the evenings. The 1,000-square-foot space holds 80 guests for receptions when combining its indoors and outdoor spaces.
The Hightail reopened after 18 months of renovations, along with the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar, offering new capabilities. The star of the cocktail lounge is its karaoke rooms, which hold as many as 22 people. The rooms have themes such as the Joysticks room with a Nintendo motif and the Black Lodge, a tribute to the David Lynch TV show Twin Peaks. The space has hosted musical events, trivia nights, and corporate meetings, and it offers audiovisual capacities as well as a 12- by 18-foot stage. The entire lounge holds as many as 50 guests, and the patio holds about 50. The patio can be booked on its own or in conjunction with the lounge.
East Austin bistro Mettle underwent a chef change and menu revamp earlier this fall. The menu has an international focus and includes items like lamb tikka masala and beef tongue banh mi. Owned by local restauranteur Bridget Dunlap, the 3,000-square-foot space displays art by local artists such as glass and metal installations. The restaurant seats about 200 people with 123 seats inside and 75 on the patio.
