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Austin’s Most Iconic Restaurants

by The OpenTable team

Updated 15 December 2023

Seasons change, trends come and go, but these restaurants have withstood the test of time—and have become integral parts of the Austin dining scene. Here are Austin’s OpenTable Classics: the places that continue to excel after 10+ years. There’s a reason they’re still around: they keep giving us a reason to come back.

A photo of Uchi Austin restaurant

4.9

4.9 (5440)

$50 and over

Sushi

Downtown

About the restaurant

Everything is special about this James Beard Award-winning Japanese restaurant housed in what looks like a little home. The contrast of a cottage exterior with a chic interior of red walls and honey lighting sets the stage for the impressive meal ahead. They have exceptional sushi that they fly in fresh from Japan each day, accompanied by masterful service. This is definitely a place fit for a special occasion. Everything is outstandingly good, so a great option is to go for their very unique “Sake Social” menu—offered on weeknights from 5-6:30—where you can get things from the regular dinner menu for nearly half the price.

Top review

P

Patty

Dined on 15 Jan 2025

Our server was outstanding - Jennifer or Jenny. She was very professional.

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A photo of Five Nigiri of a restaurant

A photo of Walu Walu of a restaurant

A photo of Honey Toast of a restaurant

A photo of Eddie V's - 5th Street restaurant

Eddie V's - 5th Street

4.9

4.9 (5808)

$50 and over

Seafood

Downtown

About the restaurant

Eddie V’s has classic written all over it. They’ve thought of everything and work diligently to deliver on all of it. From a robust menu of delicious food options, a wine list curated by a Master Sommelier, and a live jazz band to set the mood, this is a great restaurant for a special occasion or big night out. Though they’re known for sumptuous seafood like swordfish steak, a wildly popular chilean sea bass dish, and a plethora of oysters (with champagne pairings), caviar, and shellfish, they also make great steaks. If you can’t decide between surf or turf, you can have both and get their filet mignon and lobster tail combo. In addition, they have devilishly decadent sides—like potatoes au gratin, lobster mashed potatoes, and truffle mac n cheese—so while that might make it hard to make a decision, don’t fret, it’s all top-notch here.

Top review

W

WilliamVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Wonderful dining experience with high quality food and atmosphere

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A photo of Jumbo Lump Crab Cake of a restaurant

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

A photo of Chilean Sea Bass of a restaurant

Chilean Sea Bass

A photo of West Coast Oysters of a restaurant

West Coast Oysters

A photo of Ranch 616 restaurant

4.6

4.6 (1559)

$31 to $50

Regional American (Southwestern)

Downtown

About the restaurant

Bring your gang here if you’re looking for a fun, indulgent, and boisterous night out. Decorative character and big flavors are abundant, so there’s lots to observe and delight in. You’ll see an enormous neon pistol festooning their front patio, and some pretty unique options on their menu. Guests rave about their fried oysters and frog legs, and also really enjoy the quail and trout dishes served in a “divorced” style (meaning they prepare each protein two ways and place sides down the middle to separate the two). On the cheesier side of things, they have goat cheese mashed potatoes and a baked tomato stuffed with arugula, brie, and Boursin cheese! This is definitely not a meal to count calories at, and while they do have salads and vegetable options, you’re coming here to let loose and get a little zany.

Top review

A

AmberVIP

Dined 4 days ago

The meal was delicious and always a fun atmosphere!

A photo of Truluck's - Ocean's Finest Seafood & Crab - Austin Downtown restaurant

Truluck's - Ocean's Finest Seafood & Crab - Austin Downtown

4.8

4.8 (5213)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Downtown

About the restaurant

Though the outside of this two-story warehouse-style building might look a bit industrial, inside it’s filled with a myriad of elegantly-set tables with white linens and floor-to-ceiling windows offering great sunset views. Their crab—sourced from their own fisheries—is definitely the star of the show here and (aside from entré options) it finds its way into many delicious dishes, from crab claws and crab cakes to crab mac n cheese and crab fried rice. Truluck’s has earned several accolades for their great food and superior service, and because of the upscale experience they offer, they maintain a business casual dress code for their guests, so take the opportunity to dress up a little and make it a really special night!

Top review

R

Rhonda

Dined 4 days ago

Amazing dining experience with superb service. This is the perfect place to celebrate any occasion! We enjoyed the infamous crab cake as an appetizer. Our dishes were phenomenal including the miso sea bass and redfish potchatrain. And we both loved the au gratin potatoes. Everyone was incredible and so congratulatory of our recent wedding. We will be back to celebrate next year 💞

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A photo of Ribeye of a restaurant

A photo of PETIT CARROT CAKE of a restaurant

PETIT CARROT CAKE

A photo of World Class Carrot Cake of a restaurant

World Class Carrot Cake

A photo of ASTI Trattoria restaurant

4.8

4.8 (2104)

$30 and under

Italian

Midtown

About the restaurant

The husband and wife team behind this comfortable and cozy Italian spot are experts at making people feel right at home. Their charming little restaurant is perfect for a low-key dinner for two or even a night to catch up with friends, which is why this adorable trattoria is such a beloved neighborhood gem. Their semolina fried calamari and white bean purée (irresistible with truffle oil) are great ways to rev your engine before getting into their pastas and pizzas (all of which can be made with gluten-free dough). When you’re served freshly baked bread and breadsticks, your mind can quickly jump to the delicious sauces you’ll get to wipe up with them, and their rigatoni with pork ragu and chili flakes (we recommend adding the sausage to it) and seafood & saffron risotto (with four types of seafood) are perfect for that.

Top review

K

KennethVIP

Dined 4 days ago

If you want great neighborhood Italian Asti always delivers

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A photo of Spaghetti Carbonara of a restaurant

Spaghetti Carbonara

A photo of Classic Tiramisu of a restaurant

Classic Tiramisu

A photo of Chez Zee restaurant

4.7

4.7 (4598)

$30 and under

American

Northwest

About the restaurant

Can you think of a more delicious way to start your day than with complimentary warm croissants and strawberry butter? We can’t either, and at Chez Zee, brunch is the name of the game. The dining room is adorably inviting, with glowing little lights strung overhead and a wall full of French Doors. Another French delight is their creme brulee French toast (which is definitely a commitment to sweetness), but they’re known for it and it’s outrageously good! On the more savory side, they have eleven different benedicts to choose from, and a slew of great egg dishes and salad options. To top it all off, they have a large selection of mimosas and bloody marys.

Top review

D

Danielle

Dined today

Great food, great servers, great hosts, great atmosphere, a little pricey for 4 people, but worth it.

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A photo of Breakfast in Bed French Toast of a restaurant

Breakfast in Bed French Toast

A photo of Lobster Benedict of a restaurant

Lobster Benedict

A photo of Lemon Rosemary Cake of a restaurant

Lemon Rosemary Cake

A photo of wink restaurant

4.8

4.8 (2350)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

This elegant and simply-designed restaurant is plating up inventive and seasonally-inspired dishes for their guests. Wink is often chosen as a special occasion destination, but it doesn’t feel overly fancy at all. While their à la carte menu has a host of delicious options, many of our favorites also show up on their five and seven-course tasting menus, so those are both great options. In particular, their hamachi ceviche with sweet potato, scallops with somen noodles, and duck breast with potato confit are strong standouts that you’ll see on all three menus. End things on a sweet note with their lemon meringue or the dessert sampler (why pick only one, if you don’t have to).

Top review

N

NathanVIP

Dined 4 days ago

First real farm to table experience I can recall in Austin, and still one of the best.

A photo of III Forks - Austin restaurant

III Forks - Austin

4.8

4.8 (4205)

$50 and over

Steak

Downtown

About the restaurant

It’s unique to have a steakhouse with the size and upscale presentation to match their food. The grandeur and handsome interiors of their space feels impressive, and they have eight different dining rooms for guests to choose from, each with a different theme and historic artwork to bring it to life. As a prime destination for steak, you can get anything from a six-ounce filet mignon to a 32-ounce Tomahawk ribeye and cover it with a variety of different “butters & crowns.” If you’re not a steak-lover, they also have a seafood section to their menu (with a great chilean sea bass), some other meat and pasta options, and stellar side dishes (like off-the-cob cream corn).

Top review

C

Chris

Dined 2 days ago

Bobby did a great job! He was knowledgeable and attentive. He took care in steering us in the right direction for choices we made. Great birthday celebration for my wife, we really enjoyed ourselves. Thank you!

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A photo of Chicken Fried Filet Mignon of a restaurant

Chicken Fried Filet Mignon

A photo of Steak Frites of a restaurant

A photo of Chicken Fried Lobster of a restaurant

Chicken Fried Lobster

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