Diners willing to try rabbit-rattlesnake sausage, elk-foie-gras sliders, or porcini-crusted spatchcock guinea fowl can head to Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, a new location of Fort Worth chef Tim Love’s signature restaurant. The eatery, which opened in downtown Austin in June, also serves more traditional western cuisine such as a number of hand-cut steaks. Cowhide covers the banquettes and bar façade, and there are taxidermy and brass details. The space seats 150 and has three options for private dining. A technology-equipped private dining room seats 30, and the LDA Lounge holds 50 for receptions and has a 60-inch TV. The climate-controlled wine cellar can also be used for private events of 14 people, and guests are loaned shawls and suede vests to stay warm.
In Hill Country, the Sonesta Bee Cave Austin hotel opened in July. The newly built 195-room property designed by Gensler offers 10,000 square feet of event space including the 5,300-square-foot Colony ballroom that holds 576 for receptions or seats 400 for banquets and can be divided into five smaller rooms. There are also two smaller meeting rooms, a 14-seat executive boardroom and the Swarm Courtyard that holds 345 for receptions or seats 250 for banquets. The property, which opened in July, also features a 2.3-mile hiking and biking trail.
Meridian 98 is a glass-enclosed rooftop terrace bar and lounge on the sixth floor of the Sonesta Bee Cave Austin. Open since July, the English pub-style venue is an upscale lounge and small-plates eatery that is available for private events. It seats 120 for banquets or holds 190 for receptions. The terrace, which offers Hill Country views, holds another 90 guests for receptions.
The 366-room Westin Austin Downtown hotel opened in July, a block away from the Austin Convention Center. Overall, the hotel has about 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space spread over two floors. The largest space, the 4,500-square-foot Continental Ballroom holds 450 for receptions or seats 350 for banquets. The hotel also has a rooftop pool and bar, as well as a ground-floor Southern-style restaurant called Stella San Jac with indoor and outdoor seating.
The Townsend Austin, a cocktail lounge and performance space, opened in the Townsend-Thompson building downtown in February. The venue was designed as a sophisticated space with dramatic chandeliers, a 32-foot bar, and 65-inch ultra high-definitions TVs that feature a rotating display of artwork. Penumbral Strategic Ventures oversaw the development of the project along with partners including an acoustics expert, who designed the sound system in the stage area. The space has 17-foot ceilings, concrete floors, and seating that can be customized for events. The 3,400-square-foot space, which was remodeled for the venue, holds about 200 total split between the front and stage areas.
The Tuscan-inspired Hotel Granduca Austin is scheduled to open in November in West Austin and has started to accept bookings. The sister property to Hotel Granduca Houston will have 194 rooms, six meeting rooms, and a 3,506-square-foot ballroom with prefunction space that holds 450 for receptions or seats 260. Other amenities on the property include a second-floor pool and gardens and a combination library and billiards room, as well as Visconti Ristorante, which will serve Northern Italian cuisine.
Tech Ranch Austin, which offers courses and workspace to technology entrepreneurs, is available for private event rental. The 8,000-square-foot venue is broken into several spaces that can be set up as a boardroom, classroom, or theater-style space with a maximum capacity of about 200. Amenities include high-speed Wi-Fi, presentation screens, whiteboards, and other equipment. The space opened in December in Austin’s Northwest Hills.
Named for the number of courses diners may order, Counter 3 Five VII is a fine-dining restaurant with a constantly changing tasting menu. The restaurant, led by chef/owner Eric Earthman and executive chef Damien Brockway, has a 24-seat chef’s counter where guests watch chefs prepare the meals as well as a separate bar and lounge space. For private events the space holds about 80 people. The restaurant opened downtown in the spring.
The California-based restaurant concept Eureka opened a downtown Austin location on the corner of East 6th and Brazos streets. The welcoming space features walls covered in wood slats arranged in a colorful chevron pattern, chandeliers made of antlers, and a stage for live music. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant seats 200 guests who can choose from a central wraparound bar, communal tables, and booths. It but does not have a dedicated private dining room, but areas can be sectioned off for private functions. It opened in June.
Serving modern Italian food in a relaxed setting, Juliet Ristorante opened in July on Barton Springs Road. The design, from Clayton & Little Architects, Joel Mozersky Design and Mark Wood Design, references the Mediterranean with the whitewashed stucco exterior and blue-and-white awnings, while the interior features warm leather booths and brass accents. The restaurant has five dining areas that seat 135 indoors. An expansive patio with its own bar seats 135.
