The Austin Bar Hit List: Where To Drink Right Now

Rainey Street is growing up, trading its shot glasses for beautiful stemware. Known for historic bungalows and backyard bars, the district is shifting, and a new lounge at the base of the Modern Austin Residences signals a more sophisticated era for the neighborhood.

In Austin, certain names carry instant recognition: Zilker, Paramount, Stubb’s — and Rainey. For nearly two decades, the historic district has built an unmistakable energy, with bungalow bars…

There’s no shortage of places to drink in Austin—this is a city where you can order a gin and tonic at H-E-B—but everyone has strong feelings about what kind of bar belongs in their rotation. Maybe you’re a dive bar lifer, a patio-beer evangelist, or someone who swears by frozen margaritas on South Congress. But when it’s time for something more polished, cocktail bars…

In a city known for celebrating the unique, offbeat and undeniably creative, Austin’s cocktail scene is full of drinks that are every bit as imaginative as the bars behind them. From unconventional presentations and funky garnishes to sips that serve as full-on culinary experiments…

A famed 78701 thoroughfare, Rainey Street has seen its fair share of evolutions over the years. In the last two decades, the once-sleepy, bungalow-filled neighborhood transformed into a bacchanalian nightlife corridor frequented by rowdy twenty-somethings and adventurous tourists….

Austin is home to countless bars, pubs and lounges, offering nearly any atmosphere you could want from the city’s watering holes. But when you’re in the mood for a well-crafted beverage in a beautifully designed space surrounded by stylish patrons, these 15 spots belong on your nightlife itinerary.