What made this post both difficult and easy to write is that any venue could be a great spot if you’re spending quality time with your boo thang or boo thang prospect. Still, in case you’re stumped, here’s my take on best date spots in Austin. I focused on coffee date alternatives, spendy dates, dives and holes-in-the-wall, cozy and intimate restaurants, and venues that serve more than just food and drink. I hope you enjoy this list and are inspired to go on more dates!
Best date spots for when you’re tired of the coffee first date but aren’t ready to commit to a full meal
Gelato in a Cute Repurposed House
The first of a handful of repurposed houses in my list. The space is cheerful and bright, a great place for a casual date.
Dolce Neve
1713 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Gelato Before Barhopping
A sweet gelato addition to East Austin. If the date goes well, you can wander East 6th for drinks or trailer eats. They’re also a bar! A gelateria and bar!
Gelateria Gemelli
1009 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Tabletop S’mores and Coffee at Halcyon
The coffee bar downtown, Halcyon has become an Austin staple and their tabletop s’mores an iconic Austin dessert. They often have live music in the evenings and serve comforting small bites and desserts. They now have a cute location in Mueller now that is also a great place to hang out!
Halcyon
Multiple locations
halcyonaustin.com
Cupcakes near the Campus at Polkadots Cupcake Factory
Polkadots has been my favorite cupcake place in town ever since I first tried them in 2010. Their space is a tiny house near campus.
Polkadots Cupcake Factory
2826 Rio Grande St, Austin, TX 78705
polkadotscupcakefactory.com
Flirty and boozy ice cream at Prohibition Creamery
And another repurposed house! This one serves boozy ice cream. I repeat, boozy ice cream! I wrote a dedicated post here about Prohibition.
Prohibition Creamery
1407 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
prohibitioncreamery.com
Snow Monster
11220 N Lamar Blvd., Ste 275B, Austin, TX 78753
Bright, casual, and a nice change to the coffee date. If you’ve never had snow ice, imagine gelato and snow cones had a baby. Their baby would be snow ice.
Best Date Nights Spots for When You’re feeling Spendy
Soto’s Sexy 18-course Omakase
If you’re wanting a breathtaking experience, try the omakase at Soto. The presentation of the courses and playful flavor combinations are sure to impress your date!
Soto
1100 S Lamar Blvd Ste 2115, Austin, TX 78704
https://sotosouthlamar.com/
Driskill
604 Brazos St, Austin, Texas 78701
If this is your first date, you can slyly work in the fun fact that Lyndon B. Johnson took Lady Bird on their first date at the Driskill. Just don’t be creepy about it. You can read my post about the Driskill here.
Grizzelda’s
105 Tillery St, Austin, TX 78702
I fell for Grizzelda’s at first sight and bite. The food is great and the space is dreamy. The chandelier hanging in their patio is the same chandelier from the wedding of the couple behind Grizzelda’s. So you can say they built Grizzelda’s with love in mind. You can read more about it in my post here.
Jeffrey’s
1204 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703
Plush and lush. May I recommend the escargot?
Lonesome Dove
419 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
The name of this restaurant warms my heart as it is a nod to one of my favorite books. Celebrity chef Tim Love, the mastermind behind Lonesome Dove brings to Austin another fine dining restaurant that specializes in game.
Uchiko
4200 N Lamar Blvd., Austin TX 78756
Uchiko has remained my favorite restaurant in Austin since their inception. Great for celebratory dates. The food and service are impeccable.
Uchi
801 S Lamar Blvd., Austin TX 78704
Food and service are on par with their sister, Uchiko. Also another great place for celebratory dates.
The Balla Omakase at dipdipdip Tatsu-Ya
For an upscale hot (pot) date night perfect for a chilly evening in Austin, check out dipdipdip Tatsu-Ya 🥘! If you want to splurge and treat yourself, I recommend getting the Baller Omakase. And if you miraculously have room after that experience, try the ice cream at their attached ice cream stand featured in my matcha guide.
dipdipdip Tatsu-Ya
7301 Burnet Rd Ste 101, Austin, TX 78757
dipdipdip-tatsuya.com
Date spots for when you want a cozy atmosphere
Josephine House
601 Waterson Ave, Austin, TX 78703
I enjoy both dinner and brunch at Josephine House and am always charmed by the darling house with twinkle lights hanging over the patio.
Kome
4917 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751
The header photo of this post is from one of my first dates with Sugarface before we became an item. It’s one of our regulars for date nights. Leave room to split the green tea parfait!
Sway
1417 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
I love Sway. In fact, Sugarface and I celebrated both our first and second anniversary here after watching Die Hard and Die Harder. Try the Son-In-Law and maybe the whole fish. Definitely have the Thai Tea Affogato for dessert.
Bufalina
1519 E Cesar Chavez, Ste 200, Austin, TX 78702
Some of my close friends say Bufalina is one of their go-to date spots. Quaint space and great pizza. I
Justine’s Brasserie
4710 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78702
Cute seating both outside and in. Open late and I liked their mussels!
Chez Nous
510 Neches St, Austin, TX 78701
Through the years, Chez Nous has earned a reputation of being one of the most romantic restaurants you can take a date.
Fabi and Rosi
509 Hearn St, Austin, TX 78703
Known for their charming atmosphere, Fabi and Rosi serves modern European fare.
Lenoir
1807 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Romantically lit, I recommend this cozy repurposed house to everyone looking to woo or be wooed.
Enjoy Japanese & Texas fusion inspired fare izakaya Kemuri Tatsu-Ya
Kemuri Tatsu-Ya
2713 East 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78702
http://kemuri-tatsuya.com/
Date spots for when you want something more. Something more than food that is.
Go for a classic movie and a dinner at Alamo Drafthouse
Sure dinner and a movie can be a bit of a dating cliche but not if it’s dinner and a movie at the same time. If you go to the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar you can grab drinks and snack at Highball. (Read my post about Highball.)
Alamo Drafthouse
multiple locations
drafthouse.com/austin
Learn how to cook a new dish at Central Market
I’ve done a few cooking classes with Central Market and think they make awesome date nights. What’s not sexy about getting handsy with your food and sharing bites over wine?
Central Market Cooking Classes
4001 N Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78756
centralmarket.com
Soar high with your date at iFLY
Did you know there have been studies that link adrenaline-boosting activities to attraction? I think that makes iFLY a top pick for date night! If you haven’t heard of iFLY, they provide indoor skydiving experiences.
iFLY
13265 US-183 A, Austin, TX 78750
iflyworld.com/austin
Throw Some Axes with Urban Axes
Austin has an Urban Axes location that is perfect to spice things up with a unique date experience! Hopefully you are more skilled than I was in that video.
Urban Axes
urbanaxes.com/austin
Playfully Swing Towards love at Topgolf
Practice your swing while you flirt at Topgolf. It’s a great way to burn some nervous energy while you get to know your date!
Topgolf
2700 Esperanza Crossing, Austin, TX 78758
topgolf.com/us/austin/
If you’re in Austin, what are your favorite romantic places? If you’re not in Austin, tell me about your most memorable dates!
Follow my eating adventures and happenings on Instagram. You can also see what is catching my attention in the food world on Twitter and Facebook. I also recently launched a Patreon to share some behind the scenes of running a food and travel blog. I just joined TikTok and Youtube too.
Last updated 05/20/2020
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