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    The Driskill Bar

    4.1 (475 reviews)
    Open 2:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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    Trina D.

    On our first day in Austin, we were wandering around getting the lay of the land. We walked into this really cool looking hotel called the Driskill. We found the Driskill Bar upstairs from the lobby and wandered in. It looked really cool and iconic. We noted it would be a good place to grab a drink later in the evening. So we left and walked around some more. My husband's family was meeting us after dinner so we opted to walk back to the Driskill from our hotel. We ended up having seats in the lounge area and had the perfect seats to listen to the live band playing next to the bar. My stepfather in-law had gone to University in Austin so this was part of his old stomping grounds. Once seated, we ordered a few drinks to try. My husband and I tried the David Old Fashioned and the Bluebonnet. My in-laws tried the margarita along with a shot and Topo Chico. Our aunt ordered an espresso martini. It was lovely with the live music and while the minutes ticked away, I got hungry. I looked at the menu again and opted to order the Driskill chocolate cake. The cake is this decadent layered cake with "1886" frosted on it with chocolate shavings on the side. It was really good and perfect for sharing. My stepfather in-law requested green tea from our server and she told him she wasn't able to serve him hot tea. It was a little absurd since we were in a hotel bar. Maybe it was the time of day but it wasn't that late in the evening. He was a little put off and didn't even finish his margarita. We settled up and left. My husband and I enjoyed our time at the Driskill Bar but they should really offer coffee and tea to patrons if they request it.

    Texas hummus  Bluebonnet  Rusty nail
    Courtney K.

    Service is slow so would recommend being on top of ordering ahead of when you want things. Hummus and pita were good (I can always use more pita), but was satisfied with the amount of pita. Bluebonnet was perfect for those that like a sweet drink with balanced amount of liquor. My friend who got the rusty nail said her drink hits the spot if you're looking for a classic - and emphasis on accounting for slow service.

    Blue Bonnett and a Blackberry Smash
    Kathy B.

    Great place to enjoy cocktails (loved the Blue Bonnett) in historic and lovely surroundings. We went on an early Friday night before it got busy and our server was friendly and fast with our drink orders.

    Jumbo Pretzel with beer cheese and mustard. It's enormous and fantastic.
    Craig W.

    This is a charming bar inside the historic Driskill Hotel. It's kid friendly, by the way. The decor is wonderful. Everyone--EVERYONE--orders the Jumbo Pretzel, and you should, too. It's absolutely enormous so be prepared to share. It comes with beer cheese and mustard. For cocktails, I tried the El Rancho but didn't love it. It is sort of a ranch water/watered down margarita. But in general, the cocktails looked good here. They were a bit short-staffed (like everyone else these days) so service was friendly but a little slow. They don't open until 2:00 p.m. and they have live music at night, per the website. The hotel is worth visiting and exploring (even the restrooms are gorgeous) and the bar is worth checking out.

    Bar
    Harry B.

    If you want a drinks and a bite at the famous Driskill then stop in and grab a drink. Extra star for how comfortable and cool decor. Service was also good. Food was okay and you pay for the location. We stayed at the Driskill which had a nice old time feel with clean class flare. Service was great. But the bar just and that same old feel but with a classy feel.

    Espresso martini!
    Diana H.

    This bar is in the 1886 Driskill Hotel and is totally Texas OG. Guns and severed cow heads adorn the walls in a completely true to Texas style. My server was friendly, and the place was hard wood and leather packed with mostly hotel guests. I had an excellent espresso martini to start off. My grilled chicken sandwich was moist and delicious, and I upped to Truffle fries, and that was worth it! I recommend having a cocktail and eating here if you get in late and are staying at The Driskill Hotel!

    Empress Rose
    Amy W.

    We were really looking forward to coming here and it was absolutely on our "must visit" list while in Austin. This lounge is located inside a gorgeous hotel. It's one of the oldest in the city. It would have been cool to see pics of it from back in the day. They kept some of the original decor and it was absolutely fantastic! The bartenders were very knowledgeable and picking drinks was easy. The cocktails were on the more expensive side but well worth it with spectacular service and ambiance. I would absolutely recommend this place and would come back!

    Fantastic cocktails!
    John C.

    Came in the day after Christmas with 6 family and friends. We all had a fascination with grabbing a drink here given the whole haunted Driskill Hotel thing. Being that I was visiting from Los Angeles, I had no idea about the Driskill history until getting into Austin for the holidays. It was fun to visit this historic hotel, now owned by Hyatt. I was expecting the place to be more dingy and run down. But the hotel is a grand, Class A place. The bar was high energy with lots of people around. The bar staff was fantastic. We grabbed the last table in the bar lounge area. Quickly thereafter, a staff member came by to help us with drinks and snacks. Very welcoming staff, highest quality cocktails, and a fun atmosphere. In a historic building. What else could anyone want? I'll definitely visit again when back in Austin!

    Christa W.

    Always our top happy hour spot! Fresh new cocktails and bites for the holiday season 2024.

    Shooter lamp
    Dev O.

    Fancy for the chilly weather!! It was amazingly delicious, the chairs were super le comfy for this monkey.

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    Ask the Community - The Driskill Bar

    What hours do they have live music?

    I think it's just for the Sunday live jazz brunch for now ! Sundays 11-3 I believe !

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - The Driskill Bar

    Next time I'll stay at the Driskill hotel, eat at the restaurant and dress more appropriately for the bar.

    Mentioned in 23 reviews

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    Powder Room

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    Really fantastic experience!…read more The cocktail menu is diverse and fun. The quality of drinks was excellent. My favorite part was the DJ was also playing electric guitar to accompany some of the songs in his lineup. It was really cool. I've never seen a DJ do that before. The whole time we were there the service and ambience and tastes were top-notch, but the DJ piece really created a memorable experience that leaves me wanting to come back.

    We got there on time and had to wait 20 mins to be sat. We were asked to leave our table promptly…read moreat the 90-minute mark from when our reservation was supposed to begin; not factoring the time we lost at the table due to it not being ready for us. But it was more important to the Powder Room that the next group got their table on time, apparently. The drinks took soooo long, we got ONE round in, and were asked to leave the table before our second round arrived. They had no issues when taking our second round order while we were seated, but we were asked to leave the table immediately after. This round also took forever and we drank it standing, crowded, in everyone's way. I was embarrassed as it was my birthday, and I was taking a group of 7 other people - new to Austin - here to check out what was one of my favorite spots. I was bragging about it and chose it over other spots on their list. They hated it. I'm disappointed. Our server was great to us and apologetic about the service bar.

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    Simona's

    Simona's

    4.7
    (92 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Came to Simona's with some coworkers for happy hour and was not disappointed! This place is behind…read morethe Colton hotel off Congress ave. There is a parking lot that you can get validation for 2 hrs free, but after that you will be charged. Overall though, it's totally worth a visit! The bartenders are really friendly, the bathrooms are immaculate, and the inside of the place is really cute -- think kinda pink vintage? There are some tables, and big comfy couches around a coffee table in the middle of the bar which is where we sat. I had one of their happy hour cocktails that was similar to a creamy espresso martini, and they are 50% off on happy hour days/times! My friend got one of their floral cocktails which wasn't discounted but I LOVED it personally. I also got a strawberry matcha drink (non alcoholic) that was a little too sweet in my opinion; I finished it but wouldn't get it again. Overall though the cocktails and vibe in there are worth a visit alone! When it's not too hot, the area outside has little mini-chandeliers and is also very vibey.

    Located inside the Colton House Hotel, Simona's is the hotel's local resident serving coffee by…read moreday, and cocktails by night. I usually only go to coffee shops to work, but today, went on a coffee date with my dog instead. There's ground floor parking in the garage that's complimentary for two hours. I kept it simple with a vanilla latte. I noticed they had tacos at the bottom of the food menu, but at $13.25 for two tacos + an a la carte item, I decided to pass. Maybe my expectations were too high (as usual) because it's inside a hotel, but I was hoping for the kind of warm hospitality hotels are known for, but instead, the service felt a bit cold. It didn't exactly make me want to spend more money there. While sitting on the patio, I spotted the food truck outside and thought, "PERFECT. A food truck HAS to be cheaper. Take that Simona's!" I walked up to the window... only to find out it wasn't actually a separate food truck. It was just the pickup window. To order? I had to go back inside to Simona's and place my order with the delightful staff... I ended up ordering two Blue Migas tacos, and honestly, they were just... good, but nothing memorable. They tasted like your average breakfast tacos that you can find all over Austin for less. Despite loving how relaxing the outdoor patio is with its lucious greenery surrounding you and the beautiful French chairs and cafe tables, it's located right next to the hotel pool. If you're visiting on a summer afternoon, expect some extra noise with pool guests. If you're looking for a quiet coffee or a place to work, I'd recommend coming early in the morning instead.

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    The Roosevelt Room

    The Roosevelt Room

    4.4
    (925 reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    Full bar
    Takes reservations

    Upscale yet fun cocktail bar with great staff and drinks…read more Food: 4 Service: 4.5 Atmosphere: 4.5 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: yes Return worthiness: yes Highlights - Classy atmosphere - Upstairs has a few tables and a quieter smaller bar - Downstairs has booths tables and a long bar which is a bit more lively - Isaac: skilled bartender that was fun to watch him make the drinks - Great temperature controlled drinks super cold classes--it's the little extra things that make a differene - Some cocktails have very cool glasses: one with a very long stem, a skull, etc. - Martinis: unique shisho and solid vesper - Grilled cheese: looked basic but the gouda and cheddar mix garlic rosemary oil on the sourdough bread, and crispy cheese on edges were great. 4.5 stars - Looks nice but no dress code where the FAQ said come in what you are comfortable in which which I appreciate - Can make reservation on open table and choose upstairs or down Midlights - Downstairs has a different menu than upstairs : down more simple by time period, up more upscale detailed - Pretzels for dessert were just simple tiny crispy choc covered. 3 stars - For the grilled cheese might have been able to go with an upgraded chip from Ruffles--maybe even a Kettle chip Lowlights - Even in quieter upstairs can't hear the bartender when right in front of him - Special board featuring drinks but they were out of the one I wanted

    My boyfriend and I came in for happy hour without a reservation and were seated immediately. The…read morebar had a dark, cozy, and intimate atmosphere. We ordered the Espresso Martini, Vodkadora, French 75, and Pisco Sour. All of the drinks were strong and delicious! The service was fantastic as well. The staff was attentive and friendly throughout our visit. Definitely check this place out if you're in the area! We'll definitely be back to try more drinks.

    Photos
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    BUCK TO THE FUTURE
 rye whiskey, manzanilla sherry, strawberry-basil purée, nardini amaro, ginger syrup, lemon, barrel smoked black pepper
    BUCK TO THE FUTURE rye whiskey, manzanilla sherry, strawberry-basil purée, nardini amaro, ginger syrup, lemon, barrel smoked black pepper
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 rr tiki rum blend, donn's mix, falernum, lime,
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    ZOMBIE rr tiki rum blend, donn's mix, falernum, lime, grenadine, angostura, flamed absinthe, served in a skull with flamed cinnamon powder
    Whisler's

    Whisler's

    4.3
    (676 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    These are moments I think why do I live in San Antonio ( and often work in Austin ) when I can just…read morelive here and enjoy great restaurants, bars and weird gothic haunts like this with weird dark goth decor, a scent of palo santo , superb music, a great crowd and amazing drinks! College me would have lived here !! Enjoyed a French 75, my husband enjoyed a smoked Old Fashioned and it was a great place to grab a drink prior to seeing Springsteen at the Moody seated amongst candles , a weird alter of sorts while enjoying some Stevie Wonder as is playing now though some weird NIN or Type O might have been more appropriate

    I went to Whisler's and had one of the worst bar experiences I've ever had…read more I had one drink. I was completely sober for all intents and purposes. The bartender claimed I was drunk and cut me off anyway. I was at the bar talking to a girl while waiting to get a drink (the wait was long because the service is very slow, despite the bar not being very busy at all). She was clearly into me, and the bartender kept jumping in trying to talk to her too (instead of doing his job making drinks). He was doing all sorts of things to try and flirt with her and make her laugh: pulling out and showing her buckets of pre mixed cocktails, running and sliding under the bar, etc. She was engaging with both of us , and right in the middle of that, I get cut off out of nowhere. No explanation other than claiming I looked drunk, which I very clearly wasn't. It felt very clear what was going on--he wanted me out of the way. I left and asked the bouncer on my way out if I seemed drunk. This was literally two minutes later. He said no, not at all, and asked me why I would even ask that. I then told him exactly what happened and asked him to let the owner or whoever was in charge know about this extremely unprofessional conduct so they can discipline the bartender. His response was that the bartender has discretion to cut anyone off, and let me know the bartender is supposedly married so he couldn't have been flirting with any of the customers. Well, sounds like his logic is flawed--not only COULD he flirt with his customers, he WAS, and was therefore cheating. I hope his wife finds out. This is perfectly representative of Austin customer service lately and not normal in other places. I was in Tampa for an entire month earlier this year and this would've been unthinkable there. I'm not coming back.

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    Main bar

    The Driskill Bar - lounges - Updated July 2026

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