15 Best Bars in Austin
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From absinthe bars to craft cocktails served in a parking garage, retro pool parties to Argentinian speakeasies, Austin takes its bar scene seriously. Whether you're bellying up to a neighborhood dive or a rooftop overlooking Austin's skyline, there are no shortage of places—or cocktails—to be had. Read on for our intel on where to drink in Austin.
- Courtesy The White Horsebar
The White Horse
The White Horse$This is perhaps the coolest honky-tonk in Austin. The simple space puts newcomers at ease, while regulars take to the dance floor when live music is playing every night on a very small stage. A photo booth, pool tables, and a small yard with seating allow for breathers between sets. With a full bar that serves whiskey on tap, the energy at this dive never seems to wane; neither does the flow of cheap drinks. And the dynamic crowd is one of the best surprises here—a multigenerational mix of hipsters, ranchers, rockabillies, and bikers convene nightly.
- Hunter Townsendbar
Nickel City
Nickel City$$The vibe is decidedly divey (moody lighting and retro signage included), with a craft cocktail menu to counter it. Patrons love Nickel City for its approachable setting without the subpar dive bar drinks. Nickel City Negronis and Aperol Spritzes are on draft, while the rest of the cocktail list is split into well-known, lesser-known, and unknown drinks—plus, a section devoted to beer-and-a-shot combos. This is a great spot to come for a down-home experience in Austin.
- Marc Swendner/Courtesy The Roosevelt Roombar
The Roosevelt Room
The Roosevelt Room$$This reservations-recommended bar has become one of Austin’s chicest craft cocktail destinations (you'll want to throw on those heels or blazer). The industrial-swank downstairs area is always buzzing, and an upstairs lounge has a casual feel: a pool table and balcony views to the space below. The staff here is educated and tends to guests with studied nonchalance. Serious cocktail connoisseurs will want to embark on the seated cocktail experience guided by bar staff, but if that seems too formal, ordering a la carte at the bar will net you something just as good.
- Molly Culverbar
Drink Well
Drink Well$$Drink Well’s mixology-driven menu highlights some of Austin’s best seasonal beverage ingredients, with their own twist, and the dining experience delivers for Austin’s wellness crowd (a rarity at a bar). The one downside is that the TV over the bar clashes with the intimate setting, and some might say that guests cheering on football games conflicts with intended chilled-out experiences. However, if you don't mind that—or if you're one of the loud ones yourself—you'll find the great food and drinks are worth stopping for.
- Courtesy Seven Grandbar
Seven Grand
Seven Grand$$This whiskey bar feels like a cross between a sophisticated cocktail lounge and a hunting lodge. Exposed brick walls with taxidermy, moody lighting, pool tables, and tufted leather seating (and the occasional live jazz or blues) round out the vibe, striking an impressive combination of laid-back and upbeat. One side of the bar is packed with over 400 bottles of bourbon, rye, and scotch. The other is packed with quite a few groups having their version of a guys' night out here. Most everyone shares a common passion for refined brown liquors. If that's what you're looking for, this is the optimal place to kick off a night out with craft cocktails and games of pool.
- Courtesy Kitty Cohen'sbar
Kitty Cohen's
Kitty Cohen's$$This retro patio bar is at once rebellious and feminine, serving cocktails and punches in a backyard setting with poolside seating. An aquamarine palette, pink flamingo wallpaper, lawn, and patio furniture makes it feel like a pool party year-round, without ever having to get wet. Reasonably-priced tropical drinks, cocktails, frozen rosé, and Texas beers are all on order, and culinary pop-ups make the occasional appearance here to satiate the festive crowd.
- Courtesy Firehouse Loungebar
Firehouse Lounge
Firehouse Lounge$$$Tucked behind the fold of a secret bookshelf door in Austin’s oldest fire station built in 1885, Firehouse Lounge harkens history with turn-of-the-century Singer sewing machines holding up tables, an old oxygen tank tucked in the spirits shelf, and rich red damask wallpaper glowing against tiny candles. Black leather benches and slim lacquered wood stools surround the multicolored wood bar for a mix of 1920s speakeasy district meets underground dive bar. As you grab drinks, you hear jazz or blues, or is that a DJ, or maybe rock from their live music stage.Since it’s hiding in a hostel, you’ll find all kinds of atrons, from 20-something travelers and locals all the way to music-loving elders, depending on who’s playing live that night and which old-timey drinks they’re imbibing in.
- Julie Copebar
Garage
Garage$$$One of Austin’s smallest and most elusive bars is also one of its best. The aptly named Garage (it’s literally wedged inside a parking garage on Colorado Street), is much more intimate on the inside than its unremarkable industrial surroundings suggest—something the standard-seeking regulars can tell you off the bat. The drinks are elegant, herbaceous and balanced—on our visit we had an Apple and Vine, a heady but bright blend of Calvados, Malbec, lemon, and decanted bitters. Also make sure to ask for an order of the blue crab toast before settling in with your impressed out-of-towners.
- Molly Culverbar
Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Cowboy$$This brothel-turned-speakeasy is now one of Austin’s hippest and most exclusive bars. But don’t even think about just dropping in—the intimate bar is reservations-only, so book ahead. And it’s well-worth it: House cocktails are beautifully garnished and are elegant continuations of the spirit forward modern cocktail movement. Read: they're potent. They also combine some of the most overwhelmingly popular ingredients (Japanese whisky, mezcal) with beautifully complementary, though less ordered elements (Galliano or genever for example).
- Mark Weatherfordbar
Whisler's
Whisler's$East 6th is the coolest place to be in Austin, and Whisler's is the coolest place on East 6th. The cocktails are expertly crafted, particularly in the dedicated Mezcal bar upstairs (Mezcaleria Tobala). They do the basics very well (an outstanding Old Fashioned, for example, and a great hot toddy during the winter months), with some interesting additions that will pique the curiosity (and tickle the taste buds) of more experienced cocktail drinkers. Come here for a night out with a friends, but not the messy kind.
- Molly Culverbar
Weather Up (CLOSED)
Weather Up (CLOSED)$$Weather up is now permanently closed for business.
This New York City offshoot fuses East Coast and Southern sentiments: inside feels like it could be Tribeca, with white subway tiles, modern lighting, and blonde wood furniture, while the sprawling backyard with trees and patio furniture scream Texas. Not surprisingly, you can expect a roster of expats and locals to mingle here, and typically those with a hip tinge. Colorful libations are served in appropriate barware here, and most beverages come with hand-carved or crushed ice, for an extra festive touch. At times friendly or fickle, the attitude is a bit of a crapshoot. Luckily, the drink quality is always consistent. - Claire McCormack Photographybar
Half Step
Half Step$$The Craftsman-era building gives a homier-than-normal feel. There's a front porch with landscaping, a living-room style interior, and a backyard with a banister and seating, making it the perfect place to chill with a cocktail and new friends. You’ll find regulars hanging out back in the shade provided by the trees, or on the front porch acting as if it were their own. Depending on the day, live country music or events like hot dog eating contests may bring more of a party set to enjoy the simple cocktails here. Not over-complicated or showy, most drinks are made with four ingredients or less, by a bar staff that epitomizes southern hospitality.
- Courtesy Milonga Roombar
Milonga Room
Milonga Room$$This speakeasy-style saloon is discreetly tucked under Buenos Aires Cafe and the bar embraces the prohibition-era ideas hard. You must make a reservation—and get the password—prior to arriving. Once you’ve been granted entry through the back door, you’ll arrive in an Art Deco room with turquoise walls, vintage velvet couches, and walls full of funky artwork. The cocktail menu celebrates Argentine fernet and amaro, with a special collection of rare antique spirits hand-selected by the owners. The intimate setting makes it a great place for a special date or surprising visitors—and anyone with an affinity for Argentine culture.
- Annie Rayrestaurant
Péché
Péché$$Austin’s first absinthe bar shows off pre-Prohibition cocktails and French comfort fare in a stylish setting. Vintage absinthe fountains and green candle holders on the bar pay tribute to the famous (and often misunderstood) spirit. Appropriately potent cocktails are the highlight here, like the Oaxaca Flocka (mezcal, rum, passionfruit, lime, coconut, absinthe rouge). Bartenders pride themselves on their encyclopedic knowledge of spirits and cocktails, creating a welcoming atmosphere to ask questions. This is an ideal place for an eventful drink with a friend or a unique date, and a refreshing departure from Austin’s beer and dive bar scene.
- Courtesy Craft Pridebar
Craft Pride
Craft Pride$This hip craft beer staple on Austin’s lively Rainey Street is all about the Texas pride: they only serve craft beer made by in-state breweries. Inside, wood-paneled walls give it a cabin feel, while the backyard boasts a lively atmosphere, often with live music. The popular fenced-in back patio is often crowded with clusters of die-hard beer lovers and representatives of local breweries tasting their way through new arrivals and limited releases. You don’t have to be an expert in fermentation to fit in here, but a curiosity helps.
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