The Best Wine Bars in Austin

III Forks

★★★★☆ 4.2 (687) • $$$

"Amazing meal. Celebrated my wife's birthday. Cocktails were fabulous. Salads were delicious. Steaks cooked to perfection. Sides were delightful. Service was impeccable. No fewer than a dozen people were constantly helping one another to ensure nothing was missed. They have some sort of CIA inspired communication protocol between every worker. They know what you are eating and all knew it was my wife's special day. First class attention to detail - right down to the complimentary birthday goodies. The bar and main dining areas have much more ambience. The back room is more intimate and quiet for discussions. Top notch."

Cedro Scratch Italian & Wine Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (672) • $$

"Consistently awesome food and service at this cozy little locally owned Italian place. Meatballs, Caesar salad, and beet salad were all amazing."

Jeffrey's

★★★★☆ 4.1 (548) • $$$$

"Our server was amazing- knowledgeable and friendly. The appetizers - the beef tartar was scrumptious. I felt the scallops were overdone and chewy, but dining mates disagreed. Filet was perfect. Mushrooms were amazing! We were in the "well-lit" section so it wasn't warm and fuzzy but once they cut the ac, it was better. Great night out either way friends. We all agreed to return."

Gino's Vino Osteria

★★★★☆ 4.3 (442) • $$$

"This place makes me happy. Gluten free options abound. Will be back! Cocktails are tasty too"

House Wine

★★★★☆ 4.3 (432) • $$

"I was just in from out of town and got to try this place. They had great wines and did a great job of letting me taste new wines. The charcuterie was very good also."

Milano Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (515) • $$

"Laid back Sicilian restaurant. Cappuccino was excellent. Had a nice chat with owner and shared some Sicilian tips and history. Limoncello dessert was on point. Citrusy and sweet but not overbearing."

Mandola's Italian Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.9 (432) • $$

""Ordered the Italian salad with a side of shrimp because, you know, carbs are my mortal enemy right now. Let me tell you, the salad was a surprise hit--like the indie film you weren't expecting to love. The house vinaigrette had this mild sweet tang that made my taste buds do a happy dance. The onions, cheese, and what I'm 95% sure was hominy (who knew?) were like a perfectly balanced squad of flavor. A true underdog story.The shrimp? Well, it was shrimp. Sizzled in butter, obviously delicious, because when has butter ever let anyone down? And the portion was surprisingly generous, so my wallet didn't cry either.Would I come back? Oh, absolutely. While I was being virtuous with my carb-conscious choices, my family was out here devouring pizza, baked ziti, and desserts from their Italian bakery like they were living in a Food Network special. If this salad was that good, I can only imagine the level of culinary witchcraft happening in the carb-loaded section of the menu. 10/10 would risk my diet for their bakery next time.""

Mandola's Italian

★★★★☆ 3.8 (396) • $$

"Drove up to visit my daughter and her family and had lunch here. Wonderful establishment. Nice atmosphere, good service, and delicious food. I had the chicken Marsala lunch special that came with a side of pasta and Caesar salad. They also have a nice dessert bar and gelato bar. We had gelato afterwards, and I got the mint chocolate. All very delicious. I highly recommend."

Nightcap

★★★★☆ 4 (350) • $$

"Diner Beware! Nightcap charges for a large rock in your drink and won't tell you ahead of time when they ask if you want one."

Cafe Blue at Hill Country Galleria

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (468) • $$

"Wow! Best kept secret in the Hill Country Galleria! Has always been a great spot for happy hour; however, their recently revamped menu and deals are off the charts awesome!Over several visits, I have made my through the entire app menu. I highly recommend the crispy ribs, curried mussels, truffled beef tips...heck all of it! Scrumptious! And of course raw oysters when in season. Peel and eat shrimp is an easy choice as well. HAPPY HOUR available in entire restaurant and patio Mon - Fri 3-6pm AND reversed on Fri & Sat 9-10pm. 1/2 off apps, oysters, pae shrimp...and draft beers, select wines by the glass, and their killer sig cocktails. A nice place to enjoy lunch or dinner, but the HH is what keeps me coming back. I'm hooked (pun intended; haha). They moved to a different spot years ago in the HCG. Still nice interior ambience. The large side patio is great for outdoor dining and always has a breeze during the warm months."

Bufalina Due

★★★★☆ 4.1 (301) • $$

"I called to see if they were dog friendly and the person on the phone mentioned we could sit outside but it wouldn't be eligible for happy hour.What's the happy hour deal? 1/2 off pizzas and 2 bucks off of house wines and draft beers?Sorry, pooch. You're going to have to stay home because this merits further exploration. Their HH deal runs everyday, so I went Sunday and it was quiet so I got sat pretty quickly.It was my first time so the server was happy to go over the menu and reiterated the happy hour pricing. I started off with the olives and nuts, the burrata and the Caesar salad. The olives and nuts seemed simple but were delicious-the nuts were seasoned and roasted. The burrata had peaches which was not something I had before but it made a great pairing. The Caesar salad though was the surprising item, a pretty usual staple item but I'm not sure what it was but it was delicious. If you see my photos there's 2 pizzas; I ended up ordering four. Half off, so 4 for the price of 2, why not? I didn't have a bad one the two missing were the four cheese and the mushroom and it was gone before I realized that I didn't snap a photo. I ordered the Taleggio and Calabrese after I had finished and the first two. Oh, and since it was after 4 I got the Cacio e Pepe-understated but rich. You'd think after all that I'd be done but when I found out that the sorbet was watermelon I had to have it. I've made Buffalina a regular stop now, usually for Happy hour but I'm still happy any time of day."

La Cocina

★★★★☆ 4.2 (269) • $$

"My husband & I decided to try on a Friday night, 10/27/24, after reading great reviews. We were seated right away. I ordered the highly recommended meat lasagna, which was WONDERFUL! My husband ordered the La Cocina Red Enchiladas (ground beef in a red mole sauce). He did not care for the sauce or the cheese (he didn't like the taste of cheese & there was too much cheese). We look forward to going back so my husband can try the lasagna!"

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint

★★★★☆ 4 (295)

"My boyfriend was in the mood for something different so I recommended we go to Mudbugs. We began our meal with the Calamari, which was a fantastic start. The calamari was perfectly crispy on the outside while tender on the inside, with just the right amount of seasoning. It was served with a zesty and flavorful creole remoulade.My boyfriend opted for the Soulful Seafood Jam, and it was an absolute hit. The salmon was cooked to perfection. The seafood jambalaya had a spice level that was just right, and the creole mustard Beurre blanc sauce added a rich, tangy finish that brought the whole dish together.I chose the Chicken Fried Steak Friday special, which you cannot find on the menu. The chicken was perfectly breaded and fried, and was served with mashed potatoes. The gravy was the cherry on top, adding a savory richness that made each bite comforting and satisfying.We also tried the Smoldering Longbranch and Embrace the Buzz cocktails. Embrace the Buzz was good but I highly recommend the Smoldering Longbranch.The service was a little slow for lunch on a Friday but the staff are very friendly and make some fantastic suggestions."

CRÚ Food & Wine Bar

★★★★☆ 3.5 (363) • $$

"Reviewing after first visit: *the Service: Good. They only had one employee during our visit. She was the hostess, waitress, and bartender! Felt bad for her but we were not in a hurry so we were patient although I did see people leave. Although she was trying her best this made for a very slow service. *the Food: we ordered a wine flight. Was told they rad out of one if the reds. apps: pizza, calamari, tartare, goat cheese-twice. portions were inconsistent. Knocked only one star for these 2 things We will definitely go back for the goat cheese! See pics."

Rose Gose

★★★★☆ 4.4 (183)

"Great ambience, great food, decent service, but pricey. Fortunately, there's plenty of parking."

Apt 115

★★★★★ 4.8 (117) • $$

"The chefs tasting menu was all good except for the crab tasting bun one when eaten you get a burst of crab flavor which over powered the dish in my opinion. Aside from that presentation was very nice and food was a good interactive experience. The desserts were all very tasty. The service was attentive for the whole night. The decor inside was old to modern looking in some areas but fun as well. Gave your eyes something to look at. Music plays from a vinyl record so it's really nice."

Amici

★★★★☆ 4.2 (84)

"What can I say? Hands down the absolute BEST gnocchi I have ever had in 50 years on this planet. Light, fluffy, flavorful. Unbelievable. Would you expect such a high caliber entree from a location tucked into a strip mall alongside 290? No of course not, BUT within 5 minutes of exchanging small talk with the very welcoming female owner, I learned that the place has a serious LEGIT provenance as the family had a well-established restaurant in NYC for years. You can tell. From the first bite of gnocchi I knew she was absolutely telling me the truth. Where this place excels - cozy up to the bar and enjoy a glass of wine with the best Italian food in Hill Country - maybe even all of Austin. It has that cozy family feel at the bar. Dining room looked little sterile and loud, but the service appears on point. They are clearly doing the best they can with the space. The bar section and takeout is where I'll no doubt be regular. I think the prices show value for portion size and given that everything is homemade with top notch ingredients. This is quality Italian. NOT Olive Garden darlin. Bravo to the owners and staff. This place is a welcome addition to Dripping Springs / Hill Country."

Bambino

★★★★☆ 3.6 (71)

"The flavor is good. I enjoyed the white creamy part over the cheese of the pepperoni pizza. Garlic bread was good and our server was delightful. Location is good and patio options (shaded) available. Parking- if busy- can be tight but street parking available. We celebrated a coworker's birthday on a Friday and didn't realize they charge a $3 per person fee for bringing dessert from the outside. That was a little inconvenient since we had everything but the candle and a knife. Understand that it is a business decision and overall the service was good. Nice little bar area right in the middle to the space with good lighting. Yummy ranch (might be homemade) and cheese sticks were delish."

Santorini Cafe

★★★★★ 4.7 • $$

"I tried their dolamdes, saganaki, babaganoush and pita for appetizers. I enjoyed the babaganoush the most! The dolmades were decent. The saganki was lit on fire but still tasted pretty good. If you get their fish dish, it is fried. I got their meatball plate and enjoyed it too. We also got beignet which had honey on them. The texture was almost like mochi and chewy which were good. We went on a Saturday afternoon and they had live music which was really great to enjoy with friends and families."

Mandola's Italian

★★★★☆ 3.9 • $$

"Came with a small group for a work lunch. Ordering at the front was straight forward. I ordered the Tuesday special which was the chicken picatta. I personally really enjoyed it and originally planned to save some for leftovers and next thing I knew I was clean plate club. Also ordered a tiramisu to go, which was also good but maybe not my personal favorite within the Austin area."

Salt Traders Coastal Cooking

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$

"It must be fate because after almost a decade we keep coming back and can't ever get enough of Salt Trader's consistently edgy fresh food immaculately prepared with superb service and always a good vibe.I guess it's meant to be, forever and me, after all.(apologies to Cher and Peter Cetera)Tonight was a great night with with the best food and service by Tiffany that included Smoked Fish Dip, $1 Wild Gulf Oysters, Ceviche Tostadas, Clam Chowda, Creamy Crab Soup, and Poblano Shrimp Enchiladas along with masterfully crafted drinks! The Kitchen Line and Oyster Shuckers, led by their Executive Chef, was incredible and amazing to watch as they worked together seamlessly like a well-greased machine putting out table after table of piled high seafood and accompaniments plus all the other rockstar menu offerings. You literally could eat at Salt Trader's every day and remained enthusiastic about the available menu variety and specials that'll keep you coming back for more!"

Fixe Austin's Southern House

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$$

"Southern Fixe is a gem in Austin that knows how to serve up Southern Louisiana comfort. My visit was made even better by the accommodating staff, who went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. Their warmth and attentiveness added to the overall experience. They accommodated us with deviled eggs which was whipped and dressed to perfection.The highlight of the meal was their biscuits--soft with a perfect crumble, paired with whipped butter and apple preserves. It was the ultimate fall comfort food, simple yet bursting with flavor. I also tried the Brussels sprouts, and they did not disappoint. Cooked to perfection, they were glazed with a sweet sauce that had just the right amount of heat. This "sweet heat" flavor made the dish standout. The fish and chips dish was okay, but only because I'm not the biggest catfish fan. Otherwise it was well seasoned and the fries and hush puppies were great.Southern Fixe delivers both in food and hospitality, making it a must-visit for anyone looking for Southern classics done right. I'll definitely be back!"