Here's a look at new Austin eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces available for events this fall. The new and renovated Austin venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
Greater Goods Coffee Roasting opened a bright and airy modern coffee shop in East Austin in March. Special to the café is its training lab, which offers space for coffee classes, tasting sessions, and private event space. Outdoor seating arrangements include tables and banquettes, while the interior features the coffee bar and library nook with comfortable couches. The 3,000-square-foot venue seats 50 in the main café, 24 in the lab, and 30 on the patio.
The Four Seasons Hotel’s Austin location has replaced its original restaurant, Trio, with a new eatery under the guidance of celebrity chef Richard Sandoval. Called Ciclo, the restaurant features modern Texas dishes with Latin influences, which means dishes like oxtail bone marrow empanadas and hickory-smoked prime ribeye steaks. The space is bigger now, expanding to more than 5,000 square feet, which includes two private dining rooms that each seat 12. The main dining room seats 90 and a patio seats 112. The restaurant opened in late September.
Progressive American seafood restaurant Guild debuted in June with a modern space complete with indoor and outdoor spaces. For private events, the 5,134-square-foot venue has a private dining room and multiple patios, as well as audiovisual capabilities. Overall, it seats 160 or holds 250 for receptions. The menu, under the helm of executive chef Sterling Ridings, focuses on seasonal seafood dishes and raw bar offerings.
Members-only club Pershing opened a private event space to non-members earlier this year. The Gallery features its own sound, lighting, projector, and sound system capabilities. The courtyard is also available when the club is closed. There are various food and drink menu options, from passed appetizers like baked oysters, steak skewers, and curry lamb meatballs, to bar packages with liquors, beer, wine, and mixers, as well as non-alcoholic beverages. The Gallery holds 370 guests.
She’s Not Here brought Pacific-Asian food and drinks to downtown Austin starting in August. The 4,000-square-foot, vibrant tropical space features the main dining room, a lounge area, and both sushi and cocktail bars. The menu spans sushi and hand rolls and larger entrees like pork shanks with roti. The venue seats 125, including an outdoor patio.
Opened in May, Wolf House’s indoor and outdoor event space in East Austin is found within a landmarked historic 1890 mansion. Audiovisual capabilities include outdoor electrical outlets, two flat screens, projector, and Google Fiber access. In-house catering services are from Wolf House Catering and Wolf House Patisserie, served in its own kitchen. Next year, Wolf House will open up the second and third floors for overnight stays. Overall, the venue holds 99 inside and 1,600 outside.
Work & Woof, which opened in June, is a combination coworking space, dog park, and event venue. There are desks, private offices, a conference room, and a kitchen. For audiovisual capabilities, there is a projector and television. For the canines, there is a screened-off section as well as 6,000 square feet of outdoor space. It holds 150 people—or 100 people and 50 dogs—inside, while outside holds 150 people or 125 people plus 60 dogs.
The clothing brand Madewell opened its first experiential retail shop in Austin this July. While functioning first as a store, Madewell Commons is designed to be capable of holding live music performances, pop-up shops with other vendors, panels, and dinners.
Mexican restaurant Suerte opened to rave reviews in March with its focus on masa by chef Fermin Nunez. There’s the entire restaurant space, which fits 135 people, or the semi-private dining room, sectioned off with curtains. The bright open space features fixtures and knick-knacks sourced from Mexico, from the mezcal bottle chandelier to the Oaxacan textiles. Also available for large groups of eight people or more is the five-course family-style meal.
Apt 115 took over what had been a ground-floor apartment for its intimate and eclectic wine bar and shop space in March. The small kitchen serves up snacks like cheese and meat boards for as many as 30 guests. There’s access to 2,000 square feet of event space on the rooftop of the mixed-use development with views of downtown Austin; it holds 100 people.
