Hotelier Liz Lambert’s newest property is a music-inspired retreat in a former Victorian manse. Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews were recent guests.

Located in the modern bohemian neighborhood of South Congress (or SoCo), the über-hip San José Hotel has 40 sleek, minimalist guest rooms with eart

Built in 1886 by cattleman and ex-Confederate Colonel Jesse Driskill, whose goal was to create a “frontier palace,” The Driskill continues to be on

Unpretentious oasis on Lady Bird Lake; public spaces are distinctly Southwestern (a hide-covered sofa and the like). 

Sandra Bullock owns this flower shop, bakery, and deli where the motto is Perishable, cherishable, fetishable.

The coffee house is adjacent to the Hotel San José and is perfect for iced coffees and people watching.

At this unassuming restaurant in Cherrywood, local chef-owner Hoover Alexander serves Deep South—style comfort food with Tex-Mex, Cajun, and Jamaic

Order the birria, a hearty Mexican goat stew. The light burgundy broth has an oily sheen, and should be showered with minced jalapeño, onion, cilan

This updated version of the traditional diner concept is not, in fact, a cafeteria at all but a sit-down restaurant popular for its take on traditi

Bess translates an idealized French bistro into western terms (pewter bar; encaustic tile; distressed mirrors). Yes, it serves killer steak frites,

Stop by for grilled pimento cheese sandwiches, cult-favorite Coca-Cola from Mexico, and a stellar burger topped with crumbly cheddar.

The postmodern barbecue joint, housed among mid-construction condo buildings in an airy, historic brick warehouse, delivers outstanding barbecued c

Despite its unassuming strip mall location, this New American restaurant is often lauded as one of the best in the city. The dining room is intimat

The calm waters of Lady Bird Lake, the dammed portion of the Colorado River that runs through Austin, provide an excellent vantage point to experie

Art from South of the Border includes several José Clemente Orozcos and Rufino Tamayos (and a number of other painters of a heroic, postrevolutiona

Zilker Park’s three-acre pool, created from natural freshwater springs, is a favorite local hangout. Free swim, from 9 to 10 p.m., is particularly

An Art Deco house set on 12 waterfront acres, featuring a rotating collection.

The Longbranch Inn, which is not an inn at all but a small dive bar on a corner in gritty but renascent East Austin, is a popular neighborhood bar

The Broken Spoke has been around since 1964, when this classic honkytonk was on Austin’s rough-and-tumble outskirts. While strip mall development

The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day event held every October in Zilker Park with more than 100 artists covering a wide spe

Long privately held but open to the public because its owners didn't feel right about not sharing it, Hamilton Pool is now the centerpiece of a nat

This cramped honky-tonk isn’t licensed to sell spirits but does provide the setup—the ice and juice—for only a few dollars.

Music strikes a note in Austin, known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” so dance your way to this bar for blues, country rock, and rockabil