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A lush garden patio.
Tamale House’s patio.
Courtney Pierce/Eater Austin

19 Essential Austin Patios for Outdoor Drinking and Dining

Bask in the glory that is the city’s plentiful alfresco spaces

by Erin Russell and Nadia Chaudhury Updated
1 comment / new
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Tamale House’s patio.
| Courtney Pierce/Eater Austin
by Erin Russell and Nadia Chaudhury Updated
1 comment / new

Patio time is special for Austin, when people get to enjoy the sun and perfect weather. The city has a strong selection of outdoor spaces built for perfect alfresco dining and drinking, available all year round. Here are Austin's most essential patios, like Lenoir's wine garden, the fun patio of Kemuri, the easy Better Half patios, the lush patio of Tamale House East, and others.

Eater has your other patio and alfresco dining needs covered. There are guides torooftops,beer gardens, restaurants and bars with great views, and dog-friendly bars and restaurants.

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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Olive & June

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The tucked-away three-story Italian restaurant hides a stunning patio in Bryker Woods with a beautiful ancient oak tree, perfect for happy hour cocktails. Reservations are available.

3411 Glenview Ave, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 467-9899
(512) 467-9899
A restaurant patio with large umbrellas and a tree.
Olive & June.
Olive & June

Mozart's Coffee

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The Lake Austin cafe wins for beautiful scenery, coffee, baked goods, and free Wi-Fi.

3825 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-2900
(512) 477-2900

Camp East

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A newcomer to the patio scene, the Rosewood space features plenty of outdoor seats and tables to enjoy wine from shop/tasting room Cork & Screw, Filipino-Vietnamese fare from Fil N’ Viet, and weekend bakery Dõ.

2907 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

Nixta Taqueria

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The East Austin taqueria with duck carnitas tacos and a great natural wine selection has two fun outdoor patios adorned with colorful murals.

2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 551-3855
(512) 551-3855

Also featured in:

Better Half Coffee & Cocktails

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Everything about the Clarksville-adjacent restaurant’s patio feels like, well, Austin, from the pink picnic tables to the iron-wrought tables and chairs to the gravel ground to dogs abound.

406 Walsh St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 645-0786
(512) 645-0786

Also featured in:

Kalimotxo

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The chic downtown Basque bar has plenty of riverside seating downtown. To go along with a gin and tonic or frozen kalimotxo, there are tapas ranging from the tortilla espanola to a big burger — and don’t miss desserts from pastry chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph. Reservations are available.

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

Also featured in:

LoLo

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There’s plenty of covered and open seating at the East Sixth natural wine bar, alongside snacks like cheese plates, tinned fish, and hummus. Even the house wines are fantastic.

1504 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 906-0053
(512) 906-0053

Also featured in:

Kitty Cohen's

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The East Austin patio bar serves up daytime-friendly drinks like spritzes and frozen rosés, plus a wading pool if the temperature gets too hot if that’s your thing.

2211 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702

Tamale House East

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The historic Tex-Mex restaurant on East Sixth offers plentiful outdoor space for dining on tamales, tacos, and natural wine, from the lush courtyard to the parking lot patio.

1707 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 495-9504
(512) 495-9504
A restaurant patio with lots of greenery.
Tamale House East.
Robert J. Lerma/Eater Austin

Also featured in:

Kemuri Tatsu-ya

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The funky Japanese-Texas izakaya offers an expansion patio for a pleasant outdoor time in the Holly neighborhood. The back area features plenty of covered and uncovered tables. Reservations are available.

2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 893-5561
(512) 893-5561

Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile

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Pretend the bustle of the city is far, far away while dining out on the New Texan Govalle restaurant’s back patio, which overlooks a quiet and pretty section of the Colorado River, best paired with refreshing cocktails and burgers. Reservations are available.

3235 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 366-5808
(512) 366-5808

Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar

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The Bouldin Creek seafood restaurant contains one of Austin’s original high-end patio dining experiences, and still one of the best. Oysters, champagne cocktails, and fresh seafood a la plancha are worth the wait.

1400 S. Congress Suite B100, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 291-7300
(512) 291-7300
A restaurant patio with an umbrella and people sitting.
Perla’s.
Perla’s

Lenoir

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The tiny Bouldin Creek restaurant expanded its indoor dining room into its expansive wine garden, with both the family-style tasting and the a la carte menu,s anchored by plenty of wine and a ginormous tree. Reservations are available.

1807 S. 1st St., Austin, TX 78704

The Buzz Mill

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This convivial 24-hour coffee shop and bar in East Riverside is home to the vegan burger truck Plow Burger and barbecue truck JNL. It also serves beer, cider, and lots of flavored liquors.

1505 Town Creek Dr, Austin, TX 78741
(512) 547-9909
(512) 547-9909

Radio Coffee & Beer

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The South Lamar coffee shop and bar is so popular, it expanded with an extra parking lot. Take your pick of lounging spots from the shaded outdoor space, the patio, to the grassy lawn. Plus, food from Veracruz All Natural, Dee Dee, and Briscuits always make for a good time.

4208 Manchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 217-1160
(512) 217-1160

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Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden

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This sprawling South Austin space is lush with plants and water features. The cafe serves coffee and cocktails (try one of the frozens) and is home to great food trucks like LeRoy & Lewis, which serves some of the best barbecue in Texas, and Pueblo Viejo, for excellent tacos.

121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 481-0694
(512) 481-0694

Also featured in:

Ani's Day & Night

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The newer Montopolis cafe and bar offers a nice spacious outdoor space with plenty of shade and seating options, plus access to a nice bar and wine list and on-site food trucks like Nyam and Las Alegres Comadres.

7107 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78741
(512) 775-1355
(512) 775-1355

Also featured in:

The Little Darlin'

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Far South Austin’s alfresco savior is this sprawling bar and restaurant with ample outdoor space, all the better to partake in the bar’s hearty food menu and drinks lineup.

6507 Circle S Rd, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 814-0999
(512) 814-0999

The Far Out Lounge & Stage

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The far South Austin space has it all: food trucks, lots of drinks, and plenty of outdoor seating.

8504 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 351-9909
(512) 351-9909

Also featured in:

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Olive & June

3411 Glenview Ave, Austin, TX 78703

The tucked-away three-story Italian restaurant hides a stunning patio in Bryker Woods with a beautiful ancient oak tree, perfect for happy hour cocktails. Reservations are available.

3411 Glenview Ave, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 467-9899
(512) 467-9899
A restaurant patio with large umbrellas and a tree.
Olive & June.
Olive & June

Mozart's Coffee

3825 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin, TX 78703

The Lake Austin cafe wins for beautiful scenery, coffee, baked goods, and free Wi-Fi.

3825 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-2900
(512) 477-2900

Camp East

2907 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

A newcomer to the patio scene, the Rosewood space features plenty of outdoor seats and tables to enjoy wine from shop/tasting room Cork & Screw, Filipino-Vietnamese fare from Fil N’ Viet, and weekend bakery Dõ.

2907 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

Nixta Taqueria

2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

The East Austin taqueria with duck carnitas tacos and a great natural wine selection has two fun outdoor patios adorned with colorful murals.

2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 551-3855
(512) 551-3855

Better Half Coffee & Cocktails

406 Walsh St, Austin, TX 78703

Everything about the Clarksville-adjacent restaurant’s patio feels like, well, Austin, from the pink picnic tables to the iron-wrought tables and chairs to the gravel ground to dogs abound.

406 Walsh St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 645-0786
(512) 645-0786

Kalimotxo

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

The chic downtown Basque bar has plenty of riverside seating downtown. To go along with a gin and tonic or frozen kalimotxo, there are tapas ranging from the tortilla espanola to a big burger — and don’t miss desserts from pastry chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph. Reservations are available.

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

LoLo

1504 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

There’s plenty of covered and open seating at the East Sixth natural wine bar, alongside snacks like cheese plates, tinned fish, and hummus. Even the house wines are fantastic.

1504 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 906-0053
(512) 906-0053

Kitty Cohen's

2211 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702

The East Austin patio bar serves up daytime-friendly drinks like spritzes and frozen rosés, plus a wading pool if the temperature gets too hot if that’s your thing.

2211 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702

Tamale House East

1707 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

The historic Tex-Mex restaurant on East Sixth offers plentiful outdoor space for dining on tamales, tacos, and natural wine, from the lush courtyard to the parking lot patio.

1707 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 495-9504
(512) 495-9504
A restaurant patio with lots of greenery.
Tamale House East.
Robert J. Lerma/Eater Austin

Kemuri Tatsu-ya

2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702

The funky Japanese-Texas izakaya offers an expansion patio for a pleasant outdoor time in the Holly neighborhood. The back area features plenty of covered and uncovered tables. Reservations are available.

2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 893-5561
(512) 893-5561

Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile

3235 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

Pretend the bustle of the city is far, far away while dining out on the New Texan Govalle restaurant’s back patio, which overlooks a quiet and pretty section of the Colorado River, best paired with refreshing cocktails and burgers. Reservations are available.

3235 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 366-5808
(512) 366-5808

Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar

1400 S. Congress Suite B100, Austin, TX 78704

The Bouldin Creek seafood restaurant contains one of Austin’s original high-end patio dining experiences, and still one of the best. Oysters, champagne cocktails, and fresh seafood a la plancha are worth the wait.

1400 S. Congress Suite B100, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 291-7300
(512) 291-7300
A restaurant patio with an umbrella and people sitting.
Perla’s.
Perla’s

Lenoir

1807 S. 1st St., Austin, TX 78704

The tiny Bouldin Creek restaurant expanded its indoor dining room into its expansive wine garden, with both the family-style tasting and the a la carte menu,s anchored by plenty of wine and a ginormous tree. Reservations are available.

1807 S. 1st St., Austin, TX 78704

The Buzz Mill

1505 Town Creek Dr, Austin, TX 78741

This convivial 24-hour coffee shop and bar in East Riverside is home to the vegan burger truck Plow Burger and barbecue truck JNL. It also serves beer, cider, and lots of flavored liquors.

1505 Town Creek Dr, Austin, TX 78741
(512) 547-9909
(512) 547-9909

Radio Coffee & Beer

4208 Manchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78704

The South Lamar coffee shop and bar is so popular, it expanded with an extra parking lot. Take your pick of lounging spots from the shaded outdoor space, the patio, to the grassy lawn. Plus, food from Veracruz All Natural, Dee Dee, and Briscuits always make for a good time.

4208 Manchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 217-1160
(512) 217-1160

Related Maps

Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden

121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704

This sprawling South Austin space is lush with plants and water features. The cafe serves coffee and cocktails (try one of the frozens) and is home to great food trucks like LeRoy & Lewis, which serves some of the best barbecue in Texas, and Pueblo Viejo, for excellent tacos.

121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 481-0694
(512) 481-0694

Ani's Day & Night

7107 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78741

The newer Montopolis cafe and bar offers a nice spacious outdoor space with plenty of shade and seating options, plus access to a nice bar and wine list and on-site food trucks like Nyam and Las Alegres Comadres.

7107 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78741
(512) 775-1355
(512) 775-1355

The Little Darlin'

6507 Circle S Rd, Austin, TX 78745

Far South Austin’s alfresco savior is this sprawling bar and restaurant with ample outdoor space, all the better to partake in the bar’s hearty food menu and drinks lineup.

6507 Circle S Rd, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 814-0999
(512) 814-0999

The Far Out Lounge & Stage

8504 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78745

The far South Austin space has it all: food trucks, lots of drinks, and plenty of outdoor seating.

8504 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 351-9909
(512) 351-9909

Related Maps