Austin's cocktail scene rewards drinkers who know where to look. The cocktail bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

What unites the ten? The bartenders care. The rooms feel right at the time of night they are designed for. The drinks list reads clearly without showing off. We rate classic cocktails and seasonal house creations and the small things that turn a one-and-done visit into a regular's habit: an unhurried welcome, a warm room temperature in winter, a cool one in summer, and a bartender who remembers your name on the second visit.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Austin or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten cocktail bars that any serious drinker in Austin would tell you to put on the list.

The list

01

Aba Bar

SOUTH CONGRESS · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Aba Bar draws a steady local crowd in South Congress. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
02

Antone's Nightclub

DOWNTOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Antone's Nightclub draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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03

Austin Beerworks

NORTH LOOP · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Austin Beerworks draws a steady local crowd in North Loop. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

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04

Bar Illegal at La Condesa

2ND STREET · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bar Illegal at La Condesa draws a steady local crowd in 2nd Street. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

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05

Broken Spoke

SOUTH LAMAR · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Broken Spoke draws a steady local crowd in South Lamar. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
06

Clive Bar

RAINEY STREET · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Clive Bar draws a steady local crowd in Rainey Street. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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07

Contigo

THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Reservations strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday dinner service. The bar area is walk-in friendly. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday is popular — book ahea. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Full review →
08

Continental Club

SOUTH CONGRESS · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Continental Club draws a steady local crowd in South Congress. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Full review →
09

Deep Eddy Cabaret

TARRYTOWN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Deep Eddy Cabaret draws a steady local crowd in Tarrytown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
10

Easy Tiger Beer Garden

DOWNTOWN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Easy Tiger Beer Garden draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →

By neighbourhood at a glance

2nd Street: Bar Illegal at La Condesa. Centre: Contigo. Downtown: Antone's Nightclub, Easy Tiger Beer Garden. North Loop: Austin Beerworks. Rainey Street: Clive Bar. South Congress: Aba Bar, Continental Club. South Lamar: Broken Spoke. Tarrytown: Deep Eddy Cabaret. Most of these bars sit walking distance from each other within their districts. Austin's drinking neighbourhoods are compact — plan two or three bars in a single evening rather than racing across town.

Before you go

Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings at any of the higher-priced rooms above. Mid-week before 8pm, walk-ins are usually fine. Tipping in Austin is appreciated; check our city guide for local norms. Cards are accepted everywhere on this list except where the bar specifies cash only — usually the older heritage rooms. Austin's last-call laws vary by district; plan your route from the strictest to the most relaxed.

"You'll know which of these ten cocktail bars matches your night within the first sip."

Want more Austin? Our full Austin bar guide covers every neighbourhood and every category. For the broader category index, see all cocktail bars worldwide. And if you have a recommendation we missed, tell us — our editors review every reader submission.