Here's a closer look at Austin's newest 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, fundraisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, team-building activities, conferences, meetings and more.
A note regarding COVID-19: Some of the venues listed here may not yet be available for hosting events due to COVID-19, or they may be operating at a lower capacity. As venues begin to slowly reopen across North America, we encourage event organizers to contact the venues to verify current capacity restrictions.
Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District
Set in downtown Austin, Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District opened its doors in August. The property boasts 214 guestrooms, as well as a bar and restaurant, a fitness center and an expansive roof deck. The aesthetic captures Austin’s unique vibe, with a fresh color palette, artful lighting and textured wall coverings, along with interesting furniture and locally inspired artwork. In total, the hotel features 4,050 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including the 2,500-square-foot Apex Ballroom, which accommodates 100 people for cocktail receptions or 50 for seated banquets; the 17th-floor roof deck, which is equipped with lawn games and offers space for 100 guests; and the 960-square-foot Muse meeting room, which can be divided into two spaces that can each accommodate 50 guests for receptions.
Photo: Taggart Sorenson
Fierce Whiskers Distillery
In September, Fierce Whiskers Distillery opened its doors on a 6-acre property in Southeast Austin. In addition to a full distillation facility, the venue includes a 1,520-square-foot tasting room that seats 50 or fits 120 for cocktail parties, and planners can host as many as 40 guests for cocktails on the covered patio. Outdoor parties can accommodate more than 250 guests for everything from picnic-style meals to live music and movie screenings.
Photo: Courtesy of Fierce Whiskers Distillery
Grimaldi's Pizzeria Dining Room
New York’s iconic Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is set to open a location in Domain Northside in October, designed with the same checkerboard-tablecloth look as the Little Italy original. The menu will feature popular dishes like coal-fired brick-oven pizzas, bruschetta and a wide range of hearty salads. Spanning 3,950 square feet, the restaurant seats 105 guests inside with room for an additional 64 on the outdoor patio.
Photo: Courtesy of Grimaldi's Pizzeria
AC Hotel Austin Hill Country
This fall brings the opening of AC Hotel Austin Hill Country, a modern, 121-room property in southwest Austin. In addition to a ground-level patio and a rooftop bar with Hill Country views, both of which can be reserved for events, the hotel offers a total of 929 square feet of dedicated meeting space. Planners can reserve the 545-square-foot main meeting room that seats 68 theater style or 45 for banquets, and one (or both) of two 192-square-foot breakout rooms, each of which seats six around a boardroom table. Catering is provided on site.
Photo: Courtesy of AC Hotel Austin Hill Country
Distillers Hall at Dripping Springs Distilling
In July, the 10-acre property that’s home to Dripping Springs Distilling debuted an event venue: Distillers Hall. Built with reclaimed Texas wood and limestone, the brand new space exudes a casual yet elegant Hill Country-style vibe that matches a from-scratch menu of elevated comfort food. For private events, planners can utilize the 2,400-square-foot, 150-seat Reception Hall; the 1,500-square-foot, 40-seat Cocktail Bar; a 96-seat covered patio; and a stage area that seats 200. Built-in audiovisual capabilities, a DJ setup, private dressing rooms, handheld and clip-on microphones, and screens for presentations and slideshows can all be utilized for events.
Photo: HLK Fotos
Rackhouse Event Space
The Rackhouse at Desert Door completed a renovation in June. The ambiance at this dedicated event venue is modern desert chic, with a dramatic 28-foot bar, 20-foot ceilings and other unique features. Indoors, the space spans 1,500 square feet, with room for 80 people for cocktail parties or 60 for seated events. Post-renovation, the venue now boasts a private patio, as well as an additional 1,200-square-foot area that accommodates 60 for either cocktail-style or seated gatherings. Planners can utilize Bluetooth microphones, an 86-inch TV, and indoor and outdoor surround sound, and private tours of the adjacent distillery are easy to arrange and sure to impress guests.
Photo: Courtesy of The Rackhouse at Desert Door
Wanderlust Wine Collective
October brings the opening of Wanderlust Wine Collective in East Austin/Govalle. Set in a historic building, the winery features an open layout and high ceilings in a warehouse-style space. Vibrant artwork and eclectic decor celebrate the city’s music scene and help create a welcoming, laid-back vibe throughout the 19,000-square-foot facility, which can accommodate 400 guests for cocktail parties (675 if planners bring in portable restrooms) or 275 for seated events. Private spaces spanning 150 to 250 square feet are also available for smaller groups. A whopping 64 wines, along with 16 other beverages, are available on tap, and the outdoor area of the winery features cuisine from three food trucks: vegan, tapas and charcuterie, and Laotian cuisine.
Photo: Courtesy of Wanderlust Wine Collective
Ani's Day and Night
East Austin welcomed Ani’s Day & Night, a low-key cafe and bar, in July. Housed in a 1930s-era Victorian farmhouse, the venue is adorned with original fixtures like an eye-catching red velvet couch and a statement chandelier in the main hallway. Most of the seating is outdoors, where food trucks can be set up to feed guests and the bar serves cocktails, beer and wine. Outside, Ani’s offers space for as many as 100 seated guests or 140 for cocktail-style events, while inside, the 900-square-foot restaurant includes two rooms that can each accommodate as many as 10 guests.
Photo: Courtesy of Ani's Day and Night
Trudy's Tex-Mex South Star
The South Star location of Trudy’s Tex-Mex completed an extensive renovation in July. With vibrantly colored walls, a rose-patterned mural and reupholstered seating, the new look offers a fresh take on the original, but the restaurant still remains true to the brand’s legacy with an effortlessly casual, Texas-style ambiance. In total, the 6,000-square-foot space can accommodate as many as 500 guests for receptions. Guests can enjoy a from-scratch menu of tacos, fajitas, quesadillas and other Austin-style Tex-Mex favorites.
Photo: Courtesy of Trudy's Tex-Mex
Trudy's Tex-Mex North Star
Trudy’s Tex-Mex North Star also completed a recent renovation, debuting a new look in August. The warm, inviting space has been updated in and out, from flooring and upholstery to restrooms and signage. The biggest enhancement is the addition of the Scorpion Bar upstairs, a slightly more upscale environment focusing on high-end tequilas. Downstairs in the restaurant, guests can order scratch-made, creative Mexican dishes like brisket tinga enchiladas, ceviche and chorizo-stuffed chicken. Measuring 8,500 square feet, the restaurant has space for as many as 500 guests for cocktail-style receptions. Audiovisual capabilities are available for planners to use as needed.
Photo: Courtesy of Trudy's Tex-Mex
