Here's a look at the best new Austin restaurants, corporate event venues, hotels, conference centers, and private and party rooms to open this spring. These new and renovated Austin venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
Ramen Tatsu-Ya opened its second location in South Austin in January. The black, white, red, and wood motif is spread throughout the 70-seat space. The highlight is a black-and-white wheat-pasted mural lining the wall. There is a semiprivate table in the back, as well as a view of the open kitchen. The ramen shop is available for full buyouts only on Monday mornings and afternoons.
The JW Marriott Austin opened this month in the center of downtown. Among the luxury hotel’s event and meeting spaces are the 30,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, the 23,000-square-foot Junior Ballroom, a 23,000-square-foot exhibition hall, and 42 meeting rooms. Its food and beverage options include Italian restaurant Osteria Pronto and Corner, which focuses on Texan fare and tequila.
The atmosphere at Fixe, which opened in December, is more akin to walking through an inviting Southern house than a downtown restaurant. There’s the welcome bar, the reclaimed objects scattered throughout the 8,200-square-foot space, and the chef’s table with a direct view of the open kitchen. The centerpiece of the dining room is the large indoor screened porch. The entire venue seats 240 guests and has three private dining rooms, which seat between eight and 24 guests each and include audiovisual capabilities; the largest room has a 70-inch screen. The Southern progressive menu includes a dedicated grits section.
Gourdough’s Public House, a novelty doughnut shop, expanded to downtown Austin earlier this month with a second brick-and-mortar outpost following the launch of its South Austin location as well as trailers around the city. The 2,400-square foot-space includes an indoor bar and patio, plus a small stage.
Opened in mid-November, Fork & Vine serves what it calls Austin cuisine, along with wine, craft beer, and sake-based cocktails. It has multiple spaces for private events: Table 1500 is the semiprivate wine tasting table that seats 12 people. Functioning garage doors lead to the 500-square-foot indoor-outdoor space, which can be covered or uncovered. Additionally, there is a 1,000-square-foot patio overlooking Shoal Creek. Every bar seat and booth is outfitted with power outlets and USB capabilities. Overall, the space holds 200 people.
The East Side restaurant Launderette, which took over a former laundromat, opened in mid-February. The stylish space seats 120 people, including 70 inside and 50 outside. The menu consists of what owners call “everyday fare,” such as snacks, toasts, and entrées. For small groups, a party table in the dining room seats 10 people.
Cover 3 Downtown, an upscale sports bar, opened its second location downtown in October, featuring a plethora of TV screens. For private parties, there are three available options: the Party Room, which seats 32 guests; the 28-seat East Cocktail Area; and the patio, which seats 60 people.
Named after an quote from the novel The Outsiders, the lounge Stay Gold opened last month in East Austin. For groups it offers full buyouts of the 80-person space, which also has a stage, digital sound equipment, a projector, and a screen. Outdoors, there is a covered patio with lounge-style seating for 120 people. The food trailer Toaster is set to open soon and will serve Southern comfort food.
Apis Restaurant & Apiary opened in the Hill Country earlier this month. The rustic restaurant’s cuisine incorporates honey and produce created from the on-site beehives and garden. A honeycomb motif is worked in throughout the 3,300-square-foot space, which seats 124 total in the main dining room, bar, and patio.
Opened last August, Punch Bowl Social is part bowling alley, part arcade, and part bar and restaurant with room for small and large groups. There are eight bowling lanes and two karaoke rooms, plus arcade games, ping-pong tables, dartboards, and billiards. For private events, the Social Lounge holds as many as 300 for receptions, and the Diner holds 150 guests.
