The Ten Best Hotel Bars in Austin

Polished, precise, civilised. Austin's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.

Austin's hotel bars run a quieter, more disciplined kind of drinking. They're rooms designed for travellers who want a precise martini and an unhurried hour, not whoever happens to walk in off the street. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to the 10 best hotel bars in Austin — picked for craft, atmosphere, and the rare quality of being equally good at 6pm and 1am.

Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.

Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.

The Ranked List

Ten hotel bars, ranked

Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.

No. 01 · Hotel Bar
Firehouse Lounge
Downtown · $$$
Firehouse Lounge draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
No. 02 · Hotel Bar
Summit Rooftop Lounge
Rainey Street · $$$
Summit Rooftop Lounge draws a steady local crowd in Rainey Street. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
No. 03 · Hotel Bar
The Rooftop on Rainey
Rainey Street · $$$
The Rooftop on Rainey draws a steady local crowd in Rainey Street. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
No. 04 · Hotel Bar
Azul Rooftop
Downtown · $$$
Azul Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
No. 05 · Hotel Bar
Eden East Rooftop
East Austin · $$$
Eden East Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in East Austin. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
No. 06 · Hotel Bar
La Azotea Rooftop
South Congress · $$$
La Azotea Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in South Congress. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
No. 07 · Hotel Bar
The Driskill Bar
Downtown · $$$$
The Driskill Bar draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
No. 08 · Hotel Bar
The Eleanor Austin
City centre · $$$
The Eleanor sits on East 4th Street with a wraparound patio and a pair of small inside rooms — easily Austin's most charming neighbourhood cocktail bar with a g
No. 09 · Hotel Bar
The Roosevelt Room
City centre · $$$
Reservations recommended for Thursday through Saturday. The bar seats 12 and operates walk-in. Call 512-894-2008 or book via their website for table reservation
No. 10 · Hotel Bar
The Skylark Lounge Austin
musicians for over a decade — Tuesday-Saturday live blues · $$
The Skylark is a tiny Airport Boulevard blues lounge that's been pulling Austin musicians for over a decade — Tuesday-Saturday live blues, Sunday gospel brunch,
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Photos via Google Places. Editorial selection by Bars for Kings editors. Source