8 of Austin’s outstanding spots for celebrating special occasions

Wife and husband team, pastry chef Krystal Craig and executive chef Ian Thurwachter, chose the Italian word for “whole” when they opened their East Austin trattoria in 2018. The name reflects a sustainable, zero-waste cooking philosophy, which means a celebration here is a seriously ethical one. Although the hyper-seasonal menu is always changing, there are always housemade pastas, breads, and meats from Texas farms and ranches. Sweeten any occasion with Craig’s exceptional truffles, chocolate barks, or sipping chocolate—or a pick from the restaurant’s extensive amari selection.

Pitch-perfect wagyus and porterhouses headline the menu at this stylish Southern steakhouse. But Vince Young’s occasion-friendly menu also includes sleeper hits like bacon mac and cheese and an off-menu wine “milkshake” that blends vanilla ice cream with Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’re leaning toward a drinks-driven celebration, the restaurant is home to one of the best happy hour deals in town—all bar and lounge menu items are $10 from 5 pm to 7 pm daily, including deep-fried Texas quail and, yes, even steak frites with chimichurri.

This lively spot comes from the team behind another local modern Mexican favorite, ATX Cocina. Bulevar’s floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a massive patio, and you won’t find a better spot for a sunset celebration. Fuel your party with street snacks and corn tortillas, made from heirloom Oaxacan corn ground onsite—bonus points for a kitchen that’s 100 percent gluten-free. Bulevar’s high-energy bar is known for top-notch agave cocktails, plus a rollicking happy hour that stretches through the night on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Special moments were made for this elegant New American restaurant. Carillon is ideal for a celebratory dinner before a show at the nearby Moody Center or an outdoor Sunday brunch with the family. Its burnt-orange interiors—the University of Texas color—also make the restaurant a go-to for graduation parties. Chef Kyle Barham’s Texan menu is sprinkled with fun international accents (case in point: seared sea bass with tom yum and Thai herbs), best enjoyed as an occasion-worthy three-course meal.

Hestia’s distinguishing features, like its sleek, industrial-chic interiors and top-shelf ingredients—wagyu ribeye, king trumpet mushrooms—level up any celebration. The modern-day grill house is part of Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group and led by Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, the award-winning duo behind other Austin hits like Emmer & Rye, Canje, and Kalimotxo. Dishes are fired up in a 20-foot custom-built hearth where they’re treated to techniques from around the world. Extra-special occasions call for Hestia’s multi-course tasting menu with wine pairings from a 400-label strong list that recently scored Wine Spectator love.

There are plenty of high-roller touches at this modern sushi and sashimi shrine, including fish flown in daily from Japan and sleek private dining rooms. James Beard Award-winner Tyson Cole crafts occasion-worthy nigiri like cured Norwegian mackerel with tomato, truffle, and basil, but his massive menu has something for everyone, including a knockout omakase selection. Add some of the city’s most unique desserts—Earl Grey panna cotta with habaneros and white-chocolate crunch, anyone?—and you’ve got one inventive special-occasion spot.

Ezov, another restaurant from Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group, just landed in Austin this year. But the Mediterranean place is already a special-occasion hotspot for excellent Galilee, Israel-inspired dishes like DIY chicken shawarma (translation: you get to carve it), falafel, and crispy phyllo cigars with spiced sweetbreads, all made with locally grown ingredients. A lot of the northern Israeli menu is designed to be shared, so take a crew to celebrate over chef Berty Richter’s family-style feast—and don’t skip a group photo by the graffiti wall, scrawled with the Hebrew lyrics to Britney Spears’s “Toxic.”

Top Chef winner and now-host Kristen Kish opened this festive, sun-lit gem in the LINE Hotel in 2018. The eclectic menu fuses her French and Italian training, Midwestern flavors from her childhood, and Texan swagger—think fried steamed buns with charred eggplant and caper relish and a can’t-miss coconut pistachio mousse with Texas melon, rose tapioca, and lemon meringue. Grab a perch at the roomy bar for an easygoing celebration or a table with Lady Bird Lake views for a fancier night out.