Vino Vinyasa has the pleasure of booking a ton of private events for bachelorette groups who come to the great city of Austin to celebrate the bride-to-be. Often, we get asked for recommendations, so why not share them with you all? Find some of our favorite activities below:
To Cool Down
Austin is hot a lot more often than not, so we love heading over to Barton Springs or Deep Eddy for a dip. Both are cold and spring-fed. Barton Springs is a natural pool and has some great people watching, while Deep Eddy is manmade (but the oldest pool in Austin).
If you are looking for a more luxury experience (and staying at an Airbnb without a pool), you can get a day pass to many hotel pools through Resort Pass.
Rent paddle boards, kayaks or canoes at The Rowing Dock for a bit more active fun on the lake. You can also rent party barges, boats (try taking a wake surfing lesson!) or go float the river if you're looking for more of an all-day bachelorette activity in or just outside of Austin.
To Drink: Wine Bars
There are too many watering holes in Austin to choose from, so we'll focus on what we know best: wine bars. My top three are June's All Day, APT 115 and Aviary Wine & Kitchen. All of these both have excellent food as well so they're great options for brunch/lunch or dinner (APT115 only serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday, but their food is phenomenal; note that Aviary is closed on Sunday & Monday).
Lolo and Birdie's are some other good wine bar options on the east side—Lolo has snacks, Birdie's has dinner and these do not take reservations. The Meteor is a great natural wine bar on South Congress, which has bowls, salads and homemade pizza, but is a bit south from the rest of the SoCo stuff you might be doing. They actually have good frozé, though, so if you are nearby, check it out.
Rosie's Wine Bar in Clarksville just opened and I went recently – they don't take reservations either, but you can put your name down, go to Better Half, Clark's, Bar Peached or my personal favorite in the area, Lin Asian Bar, nearby for food/drinks, then you'll get a text from Rosie's when your table is ready. (Note: get the soup dumplings at Lin, and make a ressie ahead of time.) Rosie's is also connected to a new bar, Howard's, if you want to keep the party going.
Finally, I know this is probably outside of the typical "bachelorette" area of town, but Neighborhood Vintner in the high-end neighborhood of Westlake deserves a major shout out. The most gorgeous wine bar in town, with an amazing selection and the option to buy retail at great prices. Pro tip: go to the delicious nearby Thai restaurant Sway, for an amazing food and drink happy hour from 4-6pm, then head to Neighborhood Vintner for a chill night drinking wine. They close at 9pm, so you can still call a ride share to take your bachelorette group out on the town after, if you're up for it!
To Dine
Aside from a meal at one of places mentioned above, check out Lenoir, Emmer and Rye, or Hestia for a great higher-end dining experience (which to me, has to include a good wine list). Reservations are required for the nicer places.
For sushi, Uchi is my absolute favorite (an oldie but a goodie). Plan to take your group to their happy hour, you'll save a pretty penny (reservation recommended). Loro is a laid-back Asian smokehouse (started by the chef from Uchi and from the famous Franklin's BBQ) with indoor-outdoor seating that's good for groups, and also has a great happy hour with food selections.
If you're looking for Mexican food and margaritas (as you should be doing in Austin!) a unique option is Fonda San Miguel, a hacienda-style restaurant in North Austin, El Alma on Barton Springs has solid food, is cute and centrally-located. Suerte is another great high-end offering on the east side, and for interior Mexican with a casual Austin vibe, I love Licha's Cantina. Your group can also attempt to check out the famous Tex Mex restaurant, Matt's El Rancho, if you don't mind waiting (no reservations and ALWAYS busy). Get the Bob Armstrong dip and thank me later.
If vegetarian/healthy is your jam, a must-try Austin classic is Bouldin Creek Café. For grab-and-go healthy food and juices, Juiceland is the local staple and can do wonders for hangovers. I am also a huge fan of The Soup Peddler for their detox soup, smoothies and if you are feeling naughty, grilled cheese.
On a nice day, nothing beats seafood and oysters at the beautiful-yet-pricey Perla's on South Congress, or Clark's in Clarksville.
For the best thin-crust pizza in Austin, check out Bufalina (they also have a fantastic wine list), though Via 313 is also delicious if you like Detroit-style pizza (thick crust) and works well to-go for a night in.
There are SO MANY MORE GREAT DINING OPTIONS so if you have questions about restaurants, please reach out. I have probably been and am happy to help.
Bachelorette Brunch + Breakfast Tacos
You can't really "wing" brunch in Austin. You will need to make a reservation almost anywhere you decide to go with your bachelorette group. One of the cutest places is probably Josephine House in the quaint-but-pricey Clarksville neighborhood. June's is also great for brunch, and Launderette is another solid option (their latkes are amazing). I also recommend Paperboy on the East Side, or Summer House on Music Lane (South Congress area).
For a nice outdoor atmosphere overlooking Lady Bird Lake, The Four Seasons has a great a-la-carte brunch on Saturdays at their restaurant, Ciclo (if you come to one of our public classes there, definitely stay for brunch!).
If your group wants a more casual place that is still iconic Austin, check out Kerbey Lane All Day Cafe. They are famous for their pancakes and queso, and have just introduced a new Reverse Happy Hour in the morning that's perfect for bachelorette groups. The South Lamar location is now open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays, too. Check out more in our recent post on the updates at Kerbey Lane here.
Have a group of hungover bachelorettes who just want breakfast tacos to-go? There is a huge debate in Austin over who has the best breakfast tacos. My vote is Veracruz (personal fav: migas poblanas). There are several locations and sometimes you can order ahead online. Be warned: on busy weekends they often turn this function off, so you will have to wait in line and for your tacos (average weekend wait time when this happens: 45 minutes). It's worth it, especially if you grab a coffee while waiting (I always go to the South Austin location at Radio Coffee, another fav). But if that is too much, you can settle for Taco Deli or Torchy's and you'll be just fine 🙂
Shopping
Hit up South Congress for a cute, walkable area with plenty of shopping, dining and people watching. The famous "I love you so much" sign is also there, where many Austin bachelorette parties like to get photos. Lucy in Disguise is going out of business soon, sadly, so hit it up while you can for all your fun outfit/costume needs, and be sure to check out some of the boot stores if you want some authentic Texas cowgirl boots. Allen's Boots is the OG, and Tecova is newer with lots of cute options. Check out the SoCo Maker's Market on the weekends for handmade goodies (happening on Fridays 10-6, Saturdays 10-6 and Sundays 1:30-6). There are also a ton of hotels in this area where you can dine and drink (South Congress Hotel's bar is beautiful and worth popping in).
Wineries
The Austin Winery is an urban winery with great wines if you're looking to stay within Austin but want a wine tasting experience. There are several wineries just outside of Austin, and our favorite is also one of the closest: Fall Creek Vineyards in Driftwood. Aside from being beautiful, they have some high quality wines made by their winemaker, who used to make wine for one of the most well-known wineries in Chile. We can also rent out their barrel room if it's available for your bachelorette party to hold a private class in. (Bonus: Salt Lick BBQ and Cellars is across the street—the restaurant is BYOB and their BBQ is super delicious. You can also grab some in the airport if you don't make it to Driftwood, though!)
If you are spending any time visiting wineries in the Hill Country, please let me know—I do PR for the entire region's wineries and I have a TON of insider knowledge I can share. If you're looking to schedule a full-on winery tour (and lots of other activities!), be sure to contact Texas Tipsy Tours and they'll take care of you.
For more help with your Austin bachelorette party planning, check out Bonita Bachelorettes or BASH. And if you are looking for some hotties to come to your Airbnb pool or house to make and serve cocktails, check out Cocktail Cowboys!
Have fun and stay hydrated! Reach out for more info on private yoga and wine events for your bachelorette group.