Upstairs at Caroline
109 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Best Restaurants in Austin
Austin's dining scene blends bold flavors, live music and a growing wine culture. This directory features 10 standout restaurants — from intimate wine bars to lively neighborhood bistros — with maps, wine notes, and tips to help you explore the city one glass at a time.
10 venues
4.6 avg
Tasting Events
Corner Restaurant
110 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Verbena Food & Drink
612 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Sixty Vines
3401 Esperanza Crossing, Austin, TX 78758, USA
Winehouse
501 Old Fitzhugh Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620, USA
The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen - Lakeway
3001 Ranch Rd 620 S, Austin, TX 78738, USA
The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen - Westlake
6317 Bee Caves Rd #380, Austin, TX 78746, USA
Ranch 616
616 Nueces St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Josephine House
1601 Waterston Ave, Austin, TX 78703, USA
Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar
1014 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703, USA
Wine Culture in Austin
Austin sits at the crossroads of Texas Hill Country winemaking and an adventurous urban food scene. The city has embraced a wine culture that foregrounds local Hill Country producers alongside Old World varietals. You'll find tasting flights that showcase Tempranillo, Viognier, Mourvèdre and emerging Texas blends, often paired with locally sourced Texas beef, Gulf seafood and seasonal produce.
Restaurants and wine bars in Austin frequently host winemaker dinners and tastings tied to nearby vineyards around Fredericksburg and Driftwood. Wine lists tend to mix Texas Hill Country bottlings with Provençal rosés, Oregon Pinot Noirs and crisp Sauvignon Blancs, reflecting Austinites' appetite for both regional discovery and international classics. Expect educated service, rotating by-the-glass options, and an emphasis on food-friendly wines that complement the city’s bold, eclectic cuisine.
Where to dine with wine in Austin
Austin’s neighborhoods each offer a distinct wine-and-dine vibe. South Congress (SoCo) blends tourist energy with genteel bistros—perfect for an evening at Upstairs at Caroline. Downtown and 2nd Street deliver lively urban tasting rooms and wine bars where somms curate thoughtful by-the-glass lists. East Austin and Clarksville favor intimate, chef-driven menus with natural and Old World wines, while Westlake and Lakeway skew toward elevated, patio-ready wine service at venues like The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen locations.
Notable spots to bookmark include Corner Restaurant, Sixty Vines, Winehouse, Verbena Food & Drink, Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar and the Grove locations in Westlake and Lakeway. Many restaurants partner with Hill Country wineries for special events; during festival weekends and summer months, reservations and early planning are essential. Whether you’re after a tasting flight, a date-night cellar experience, or a casual glass on a shaded patio, Austin’s neighborhoods deliver unique settings to enjoy wine with food and music.
What to Look For
When choosing a restaurant in Austin, prioritize menus that pair thoughtfully with wines. Look for curated lists that include Texas Hill Country producers alongside international selections—Tempranillo, Viognier and Grenache often indicate a kitchen committed to regional pairing. A strong by-the-glass program and rotating seasonal bottles help you explore without committing to a full bottle.
Other key signs of a great Austin wine restaurant: staff who can recommend pairings, outdoor patio seating (Austin’s year-round al fresco dining is a major plus), thoughtfully sourced local ingredients, and special events like winemaker dinners or themed tastings. If you value atmosphere, seek venues that balance good acoustics with live music—many restaurants lean into Austin’s musical heritage while keeping the focus on the dining experience.
When do wine restaurants in Austin open and close?
10 of the 10 wine restaurants listed in Austin publish their opening hours. The median one opens at 11 am and closes at 10 pm on a typical trading day.
Sunday is the day that catches visitors out: 9 venues in Austin (90% of those with published hours) trade on Sunday, against 8 on Monday. 8 open seven days a week.
7 addresses stay open past 10 pm, which matters if you are buying after dinner rather than before it. Upstairs at Caroline closes latest, at 12 am.
At the other end of the day, Corner Restaurant opens earliest, at 6:30 am.
These hours come from each venue's own Google Business Profile as read in March 2026. They are regular hours: public holidays, August closures and harvest-season changes are not reflected, so call ahead for a specific date.
What the ratings in Austin actually say
The 10 rated wine restaurants in Austin carry 31,857 reviews between them. The mean rating is 4.60 out of 5 and the median is 4.6, and 7 venues hold 4.5 or better — 70% of the list.
Upstairs at Caroline carries the highest rating with a review base large enough to mean something: 4.9 from 6,559 reviews. Corner Restaurant is the most reviewed address in Austin, at 17,419.
A five-star average is worth less than it looks on a venue with a dozen reviews, which is why the ranking above is sorted by rating and review volume together rather than by rating alone. The rating also measures the visit, not the cellar: service, queueing and the state of the room all land in the same number as the wine selection. It is a starting filter, not a verdict on what is on the shelf.
How much do wine restaurants in Austin cost?
Price level is published for 8 of the 10 wine restaurants in Austin, and it splits as follows: 6 moderate (75%), 2 upmarket (25%). Google's price level is a four-step band reported by the venue and by visitors, not a price list, so it says where an address sits relative to its neighbours rather than what a bottle costs.
The specialisations that recur most often in Austin are Tasting Events (1), Local Wines (1). Filtering the list above by one of those is usually a faster route to the right shop than sorting by rating.
Austin compared with the rest of United States
Austin accounts for 10 of the 139 wine restaurants we list across United States, spread over 15 cities.
Sunday trading in Austin runs in line with the national picture — 90% against 86%.
Both columns are computed from the same rows that build these pages, so the national figure moves whenever a city's listing does.
| Measure | Austin | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Venues listed | 10 | 139 |
| Mean rating | 4.60 | 4.53 |
| Open on Sunday | 90% | 86% |
| Median closing time | 10 pm | 10 pm |
Where to look next from Austin
Other wine venues in Austin: 17 wine bars, 19 wine shops, 13 wineries and tasting rooms. In a city with a thin specialist trade, the restaurant list is often where the interesting bottles actually are.
The nearest larger listings in United States are Phoenix (17), Jacksonville (15), Columbus (14), Dallas (13), San Jose (12). Each is a separate page with its own hours, ratings and map.
Bottom line
Austin has 10 wine restaurants on this list, averaging 4.60 out of 5 across 31,857 reviews. The median address opens at 11 am and closes at 10 pm; 9 of the 10 with published hours open on Sunday.
If you only have time for one stop, Upstairs at Caroline is the highest-rated address with a real review base (4.9 from 6,559).
Ratings, hours and price bands here come from public venue profiles read in March 2026; they describe how an address is reviewed, not how good its wine list is. Confirm hours before travelling for a specific bottle.
Buying wine in United States: age, tax and trading rules
The purchase age is 21 in every US state, the highest in this directory. It is not federal law directly: the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 withholds federal highway funding from states that set it lower, and every state complied.
Federal excise duty on still wine at or below 16% ABV is $1.07 per wine gallon under the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's schedule — about $0.21 on a 750 ml bottle — with a credit for smaller producers. State and local taxes sit on top and vary widely, which is why the same bottle carries different shelf prices across state lines.
The structural difference is the three-tier system left by Prohibition's repeal: producers sell to wholesalers, wholesalers to retailers, and retailers to you, with the tiers legally separated in most states. Seventeen control states go further and act as the wholesaler themselves. It is why a wine that is easy to find in one state is unavailable in the next, regardless of demand.
Sunday sales, grocery-store wine and shipping rules are all set at state and sometimes county level. Check the state before assuming a shop will be open, and never assume a rule from one state applies in another.
Sources: TTB — Tax rates for wine (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) · National Minimum Drinking Age Act, 23 U.S.C. §158
Local Tips
01
Book ahead for festival season
During SXSW, ACL and Austin Food & Wine Festival, restaurants fill quickly. Reserve weeks in advance and confirm any special wine events or prix fixe menus tied to festivals.
02
Try Texas Hill Country wines
Ask for flights that include Texas producers—Tempranillo, Viognier and Mourvèdre highlight the region. Many Austin wine bars regularly rotate Hill Country selections to showcase local winemakers.
03
Pick a patio when possible
Austin’s climate makes patio dining a must. Seek restaurants with shaded outdoor seating—great for rosé, crisp whites, and relaxed evening pours.
04
Plan transportation for nightlife
Parking can be limited near South Congress and Downtown. Use rideshares or valet services, especially if you plan to enjoy multiple wine pours and live music.
FAQ
This directory highlights 10 restaurants in Austin selected for their wine focus and dining experience. The city as a whole hosts thousands of eateries, from food trucks and casual cafés to fine dining rooms, but here we concentrate on ten notable spots for wine lovers.
Yes. Many Austin restaurants prominently feature Texas Hill Country wines—Tempranillo, Viognier, Mourvèdre and blends—alongside domestic and international selections. Expect tasting flights and bottle lists that celebrate regional producers from Fredericksburg, Driftwood, and other Hill Country AVAs.
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends, during festival weekends (SXSW, ACL, Food & Wine), and for special wine dinners. Popular places like Sixty Vines or The Grove locations can fill early; book ahead for dinner service or for parties wanting specific seating such as patios or private rooms.
Yes—many chef-driven restaurants in Austin offer pairing menus or sommelier-recommended flights. Look for prix fixe dinners, seasonal tasting menus with suggested wines, and special winemaker events. These are excellent ways to experience how local ingredients interact with both Texas and Old World varietals.
South Congress and Downtown are great for walkable, vibrant options; East Austin and Clarksville favor intimate, experimental kitchens; Westlake and Lakeway offer upscale, patio-focused dining. The Domain and North Austin also provide modern wine-forward restaurants and easy parking or transit access.
Many Austin restaurants are group-friendly and can accommodate private tastings, large tables, or semi-private spaces. Venues like Sixty Vines and The Grove are known for larger group bookings; always contact the restaurant ahead to discuss set menus, wine pairings, and corkage or bottle service policies.
Discover wines at these venues
Scan any wine label for instant AI sommelier recommendations.
Get VinSip — Free