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A dish from Lutie’s.
Lutie’s

11 Restaurants to Splurge on an Upscale Dinner in Austin

Where to go big for a special occasion, or for no reason at all

by Erin Russell Updated
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A dish from Lutie’s.
| Lutie’s
by Erin Russell Updated

While Austin is more often recognized for its taco joints and barbecue spots than its high-end restaurants, there are still quite a few pricey places that fit the bill for super special occasions. These restaurants range from a once-in-a-lifetime omakase sushi experience at ultra-cool Otoko to the always-creative tasting menu from Barley Swine. With this guide, you’ll find a fine-dining establishment for every occasion, from group dinners in luxe and modern spaces to charming and cozy choices for two. (Find a wider variety of date night solutions here.)

And not all break the bank if you keep it simple. Check out the dinner options from James Beard Award-winning chef Iliana de la Vega’s El Naranjo, or visit during happy hour, when some of these picks — like Jeffrey’s and Uchi — have the same great food for much less.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

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DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya

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Opting for special occasion hot pot may sound a little odd, but DipDipDip Tatsu-ya is definitely an experience. At beautiful, intimate tables, diners can choose high-quality cuts of meat like A5 wagyu ribeye from Japan and browse the daily cart offerings for noodles and more. Or, pick an omakase to sit back and enjoy. Don’t miss the Keep Austin Dipping sauce — a take on queso. There are omakase options ranging from $95 to $125, allowing you to sample a little bit of everything.

7301 Burnet Rd Ste 101, Austin, TX 78757
(737) 701-6767
(737) 701-6767

Also featured in:

Barley Swine

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Of chef Bryce Gilmore’s three restaurants, it is the Brentwood restaurant that offers up more experimental seasonal dishes through its multi-course chef’s tasting menu for $115. Expect items like the duck paired with brown butter apples or the masa tres leches cake with peach jam. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

6555 Burnet Rd #400, Austin, TX 78757
(512) 394-8150
(512) 394-8150

Also featured in:

Lutie’s

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Planning ahead is essential at this tiny restaurant at the Commodore Perry Estate. Verdant Lutie’s, from lauded Austin chef couple Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu, has dishes like chickpea and green corn salad, whole roasted black sea bass, and kouign amann ice cream. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

4100 Red River St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 675-2517
(512) 675-2517
The grand aioli features fresh vegetables including some cut into rosettes with poach shrimp and boiled eggs on a tower made from marble. A white plate with a single English muffin sits off to the side along with a crystal dish of dip and a clear stemless glass of white wine.
Grand aioli at Lutie’s
Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection [Official]

Also featured in:

Jeffrey's

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This Clarksville fine-dining institution was reimagined by the entrepreneurs at McGuire Moorman Hospitality in 2013 (now McGuire Moorman Lambert), turning it into a near-perfect spot for special occasions. The ingredient-driven menu changes daily and is centered on dry-aged steaks — go all in with a bone-in ribeye. Oohs and aahs are guaranteed thanks to both the martini and cheese carts, caviar service, and top-notch hospitality.

1204 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5584
(512) 477-5584
A restaurant dining room.
Jeffrey’s.
Jeffrey’s

Also featured in:

Olamaie

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The modern Southern restaurant in downtown Austin is back, under executive chef Michael Fojtasek and chef de cuisine Amanda Turner. The menu focuses on expertly executed Southern faves like smoked eggplant with an Alabama barbecue sauce, red rice with Gulf shrimp and Tabasco sauce, and grilled pork chops. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

1610 San Antonio St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-2796
(512) 474-2796

Also featured in:

Hestia

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Named after the Greek goddess of the hearth, the downtown restaurant centers on live-fire cooking. That means dishes like a scallop with beef tallow and pears, dry-aged steaks, and maitake mushrooms with roasted parsnips and apples. Hestia comes from the much-lauded team of Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, the latter of whose creative desserts are absolutely not to be missed. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

607 W 3rd St #105, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 333-0737
(512) 333-0737

Also featured in:

Garrison

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Though the windowless ambiance at Garrison may not be to everyone’s taste, the kitchen is doing everything right. The menu rotates frequently and ranges from super fancy tater tots with black truffle and aerated gruyere to caviar with allium chips to a 42-ounce tomahawk steak. Expect five-star fine dining service as well. It’s open for indoor dine-in service.

101 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 600-2000
(512) 600-2000
A whole grilled fish on a board.
Garrison’s whole grilled branzino.
Courtney Pierce/Eater Austin

Also featured in:

Uchi

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Uchi’s modern take on Japanese cuisine has rightly earned its national acclaim. While you can’t go wrong with the exquisite a la carte menu, choose the adventurous omakase menu to truly experience the chefs' expertise with fresh cuts of fish with flavorful adornments to one-of-a-kind desserts. Takeout orders are available. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 916-4808
(512) 916-4808

Also featured in:

Otoko

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Shrouded in exclusivity, the 12-seat Japanese restaurant located at the South Congress Hotel offers a multi-course omakase-style ticketed dinner, which incorporates influences from Kyoto's kaiseki and Tokyo’s sushi traditions. At $295 per person for sushi omakase or $250 for the classic omakase, the multi-course journeys from chef Yoshi Okai are one of Austin's most expensive dinners — but it’s unforgettable.

1603 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX

Also featured in:

Lenoir

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There's a lot to love about this imaginative South Austin restaurant, from the romantic vintage chic look to the beautifully balanced dishes. While the restaurant features a la carte dishes and a five-course chef’s tasting menu for $70 per person. Everything is centered on umami-rich "hot weather food" (think acidic, citrusy, brothy, and spicy), all to be paired along with the impressive wine list. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

1807 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 215-9778
(512) 215-9778

Also featured in:

El Naranjo

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James Beard Award-winning chef Iliana de la Vega serves dishes from Oaxaca, with dishes like duck breast served in mole negro, tlayuda oaxaquena, and ensalada a la jamaica. Most all dishes in the restaurant are gluten-free. Takeout orders are available. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

2717 S Lamar Blvd STE 1085, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 520-5750
(512) 520-5750

Also featured in:

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DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya

7301 Burnet Rd Ste 101, Austin, TX 78757

Opting for special occasion hot pot may sound a little odd, but DipDipDip Tatsu-ya is definitely an experience. At beautiful, intimate tables, diners can choose high-quality cuts of meat like A5 wagyu ribeye from Japan and browse the daily cart offerings for noodles and more. Or, pick an omakase to sit back and enjoy. Don’t miss the Keep Austin Dipping sauce — a take on queso. There are omakase options ranging from $95 to $125, allowing you to sample a little bit of everything.

7301 Burnet Rd Ste 101, Austin, TX 78757
(737) 701-6767
(737) 701-6767

Barley Swine

6555 Burnet Rd #400, Austin, TX 78757

Of chef Bryce Gilmore’s three restaurants, it is the Brentwood restaurant that offers up more experimental seasonal dishes through its multi-course chef’s tasting menu for $115. Expect items like the duck paired with brown butter apples or the masa tres leches cake with peach jam. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

6555 Burnet Rd #400, Austin, TX 78757
(512) 394-8150
(512) 394-8150

Lutie’s

4100 Red River St, Austin, TX 78751

Planning ahead is essential at this tiny restaurant at the Commodore Perry Estate. Verdant Lutie’s, from lauded Austin chef couple Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu, has dishes like chickpea and green corn salad, whole roasted black sea bass, and kouign amann ice cream. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

4100 Red River St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 675-2517
(512) 675-2517
The grand aioli features fresh vegetables including some cut into rosettes with poach shrimp and boiled eggs on a tower made from marble. A white plate with a single English muffin sits off to the side along with a crystal dish of dip and a clear stemless glass of white wine.
Grand aioli at Lutie’s
Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection [Official]

Jeffrey's

1204 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703

This Clarksville fine-dining institution was reimagined by the entrepreneurs at McGuire Moorman Hospitality in 2013 (now McGuire Moorman Lambert), turning it into a near-perfect spot for special occasions. The ingredient-driven menu changes daily and is centered on dry-aged steaks — go all in with a bone-in ribeye. Oohs and aahs are guaranteed thanks to both the martini and cheese carts, caviar service, and top-notch hospitality.

1204 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5584
(512) 477-5584
A restaurant dining room.
Jeffrey’s.
Jeffrey’s

Olamaie

1610 San Antonio St, Austin, TX 78701

The modern Southern restaurant in downtown Austin is back, under executive chef Michael Fojtasek and chef de cuisine Amanda Turner. The menu focuses on expertly executed Southern faves like smoked eggplant with an Alabama barbecue sauce, red rice with Gulf shrimp and Tabasco sauce, and grilled pork chops. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

1610 San Antonio St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-2796
(512) 474-2796

Hestia

607 W 3rd St #105, Austin, TX 78701

Named after the Greek goddess of the hearth, the downtown restaurant centers on live-fire cooking. That means dishes like a scallop with beef tallow and pears, dry-aged steaks, and maitake mushrooms with roasted parsnips and apples. Hestia comes from the much-lauded team of Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, the latter of whose creative desserts are absolutely not to be missed. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

607 W 3rd St #105, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 333-0737
(512) 333-0737

Garrison

101 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701

Though the windowless ambiance at Garrison may not be to everyone’s taste, the kitchen is doing everything right. The menu rotates frequently and ranges from super fancy tater tots with black truffle and aerated gruyere to caviar with allium chips to a 42-ounce tomahawk steak. Expect five-star fine dining service as well. It’s open for indoor dine-in service.

101 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 600-2000
(512) 600-2000
A whole grilled fish on a board.
Garrison’s whole grilled branzino.
Courtney Pierce/Eater Austin

Uchi

801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

Uchi’s modern take on Japanese cuisine has rightly earned its national acclaim. While you can’t go wrong with the exquisite a la carte menu, choose the adventurous omakase menu to truly experience the chefs' expertise with fresh cuts of fish with flavorful adornments to one-of-a-kind desserts. Takeout orders are available. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 916-4808
(512) 916-4808

Otoko

1603 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX

Shrouded in exclusivity, the 12-seat Japanese restaurant located at the South Congress Hotel offers a multi-course omakase-style ticketed dinner, which incorporates influences from Kyoto's kaiseki and Tokyo’s sushi traditions. At $295 per person for sushi omakase or $250 for the classic omakase, the multi-course journeys from chef Yoshi Okai are one of Austin's most expensive dinners — but it’s unforgettable.

1603 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX

Lenoir

1807 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704

There's a lot to love about this imaginative South Austin restaurant, from the romantic vintage chic look to the beautifully balanced dishes. While the restaurant features a la carte dishes and a five-course chef’s tasting menu for $70 per person. Everything is centered on umami-rich "hot weather food" (think acidic, citrusy, brothy, and spicy), all to be paired along with the impressive wine list. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

1807 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 215-9778
(512) 215-9778

El Naranjo

2717 S Lamar Blvd STE 1085, Austin, TX 78704

James Beard Award-winning chef Iliana de la Vega serves dishes from Oaxaca, with dishes like duck breast served in mole negro, tlayuda oaxaquena, and ensalada a la jamaica. Most all dishes in the restaurant are gluten-free. Takeout orders are available. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

2717 S Lamar Blvd STE 1085, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 520-5750
(512) 520-5750

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