Things to eat, drink, and do

Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail

10 miles of riverside trail going through most of the downtown area - definitely the best way to see the city on foot.

The Austin Winery

Believe it or not, Texas wine kind of rules. This place has our favorites.

Barton Springs Municipal Pool

Barton Springs is a public open-air swimming pool filled entirely with water from nearby natural springs. It's a quintessential Austin landmark, especially if it's warm.

Blanton Museum of Art

The University of Texas' art museum. Make sure to visit the Ellsworth Kelley house located right outside, too.

Bouldin Creek Cafe

Our favorite vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the city.

Butler Pitch & Putt

A 9-hole, par-3 golf course with cheap beer and excellent fried chicken biscuits. First come, first served.

Canje

New-age Caribbean, just recently named one of the best restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit and The New York Times.

C-Boy's Heart & Soul

A neighborhood bar featuring live soul and R&B music most nights.

Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden

Lots of outdoor space, coffee, beer, cocktails, food trucks. LeRoy and Lewis barbecue (listed below) is located here.

Este

A brand-new Modern coastal Mexican restaurant from one of our favorite chefs in the city, Fermin Nunez of Suerte. Reservations open up 21 days ahead but they reserve a lot of space for walk-ins.

Home Slice Pizza

The best pizza we've found in Austin, walkable to the venue.

Jester King -- Brewery, Kitchen, Farm & Event Hall

Austin's foremost beer destination. A famous farmhouse brewery on about 200 acres of land. All outdoors, beautiful scenery, great beer, great food. It's about a 30 minute drive out of the city.

Launderette

One of our favorite brunches in town. Get the ice cream sandwich if you're a dessert person!

Lyndon B. Johnson Library

This is LBJ's Presidential Library, located on the UT grounds. It's essentially a museum focusing on the 1960s. Highly recommended!

LeRoy And Lewis Barbecue

Traditional Texas barbecue with a modern edge, and you don't have to wait forever to get it. Texas Monthly rated it #5 in the entire state. Get the beef cheek sandwich with kimchi!

Little Brother

Their tagline is “SOLID BEVS” - we agree. They have a coffee and kolache shop near the wedding venue that's worth checking out, too.

LoLo

Trendy wine bar focusing on natural/organic wines. Great people watching and an excellent selection of to-go bottles.

Maie Day

A colorful, fun, and fresh take on your typical steakhouse. It's located on the first floor of the South Congress Hotel.

Meanwhile Brewing

Big, outdoor brewery with several food truck options. Check out their Distant Relatives food truck for great barbecue.

Nickel City

Our favorite bar! We've taken literally every visitor we've had here.

Nixta Taqueria

Some of the best tacos you'll ever have. Winner of this year's James Beard Award for Emerging Chef. Get the duck!

Odd Duck

Seasonal, modern Texas cuisine. It's our absolute favorite restaurant in the city - right after we got engaged, we went here for drinks and dessert.

Otoko & Watertrade

Both located in the South Congress Hotel (the wedding venue!), Otoko is a pricey Japanese omakase restaurant and Watertrade is their separate cocktail bar. If you're looking for the best possible meal, Otoko would be a great experience. Otherwise, Watertrade is amazing and takes walk-ins.

P. Terry's Burger Stand

Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge

Part of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail - one of our favorite views of the city.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya

Great ramen in a great location. They have a few sister restaurants - Tiki Tatsu-Ya (on this list!), Kemuri Tatsu-Ya (a Japanese izakaya/smokehouse), and DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya (fancy hot-pot) - that we also love.

Scholz Garten

The oldest restaurant in Texas and the oldest biergarten in the country. Bring your lederhosen and order a big beer.

St. Elmo Brewing Company

Our favorite neighborhood brewery (try the Carl for a light beer, the Smalls for a hoppier one). In the same area as several places on this list (Austin Winery, Sake, Spokesman, Still)

Statesman Bat Observation Center

Austin has the world's largest urban bat colony, right in the middle of downtown. Go stand on/by the Congress bridge around sundown to see them fly out.

Suerte

One of our favorites - you'll have to make a reservation at least a few weeks in advance, though. It's worth it!

Texas Saké Company

Texas' only saké brewery - highly recommended. Their food truck (Texas Sushiko) serves excellent sushi handrolls.

Tiki Tatsu-Ya

A completely over-the-top tiki drink experience. Set a reminder to get your reservation a full month in advance.

Uchi

Austin is a surprisingly great destination for sushi - this is our favorite. Their happy hour is one of the best deals in town, but you'll have to make a reservation.

Zilker Park

Austin's biggest and most-loved park. It'll have hosted Austin City Limits Music Festival a few weeks before.