Valentine's Day Dining

The 12 best Austin restaurants for romantic Valentine's Day dining

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love. And what we here at CultureMap especially love is food. We sifted through special prix fixe menus, deals, and our favorite romantic spots to help you plan out the special day.

Whether you're with a big group of people or the love of your life, enjoy the company of your choice on the 14th with our top dining picks. And seeing that Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, brunch is most definitely in order. If you’re not bruncher, not to worry, we’ve got the best dinner options too. Just remember to make those reservations.

For brunch

Juniper
New East Austin restaurant Juniper will serve brunch from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm on Valentine's. The restaurant dishes up unique savory plates like oxtail and rosemary lasagna, grilled fingerling potatoes and pancetta, and kale and herb frittata, as well as apple fritters or honey-dipped doughnuts for those with a sweet tooth. During the holiday brunch, Juniper will offer half off all bubbles.

Green Pastures
One of the most iconic Sunday brunches in the city, Green Pastures delivers a delicious buffet on its beautiful property steeped in rich history. For $42, guests can take in the all-you-can-eat offerings with coffee, tea, milk, and juice included. With a large variety of meat, veggie, egg, and side dishes, this is a great option for families or a big group with a little something for everyone.

Blue Dahlia Bistro
There’s nothing more relaxing than a morning spent on Blue Dahlia’s back patio at its East 11th Street location. Its Westlake branch is equally as charming, so take your sweetie out for a brunch with favorites like rotating egg frittatas, French crepes, Belgian waffles, and smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese tartines.

Breakup brunch at Living Room Lounge
Double your Sunday Funday pleasure with W Austin Hotel’s Breakup Brunch from noon to 2 pm. Grab the girls — or your guys — and savor an all-you-can-eat pancake bar, mimosas, and build-your-own Bloody Marys. DJ iwannabeher provides the soundtrack to the event. Tickets are $25, which include tax and gratuity.

For dinner

Chez Nous
One of Austin’s best-kept secrets serves its normal prix fixe menu on Valentine’s Day. For the romantic couple that desires an intimate experience, the adorable French restaurant serves a dinner bargain hard to pass up: three courses for $32.50. The set menu highlights appetizers, entrees like grilled salmon and sirloin, and desserts like chocolate mousse. Chez Nous also has an incredible wine list with affordable bottles so that you can indulge in the holiday without completely wiping out the bank account.

Uchi
From February 12 through 14, guests can partake in Uchi’s omakase, a chef-selected multicourse tasting menu. For $150, the meal can be shared between two people, but Uchi’s regular menu will also be available. To tease the evening, Uchi is giving a special takeaway item for diners who join them on Saturday or Sunday of Valentine’s weekend. This will also be offered at sister restaurant, Uchiko.

East Side Showroom
On Sunday, head to East Side Showroom for a lively and romantic dinner. The Vaudeville-style decor paired with farm-to-table food and craft cocktails make it a memorable date night spot. This Valentine’s Day, East Side Showroom will serve its daily menu and a prix fixe option. Don’t miss out on the $10 mussels or the jazzy sounds of crooner Sarah Arenella, who begins performing at 7 pm.

The Townsend
For $200 per couple, The Townsend is offering a four-course meal with cocktail or wine pairings. With two seatings (6:30 and 8:30 pm), enjoy live jazz music and an internationally focused menu utilizing Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian flavors. Tickets are still available.

Dai Due
At Dai Due you can expect great things coming from Chef Jesse Griffiths. Guests eating on Valentine’s Day get the choice of either a butcher shop or seafood multicourse menu, each priced at $85 per person. Venison ceviche, strip steak, oysters, and grilled amberjack are just a few of the highlights.

Fork & Vine
Fork & Vine is the unassuming trendy restaurant tucked away on Anderson Lane. On February 14 from 5 to 10 pm, diners can savor a special four-course menu for $125 with pairings, $75 without. Classic dishes like salmon and New York strip with unique twists will make an appearance.

Vox Table
Spend your Valentine’s Day at Vox, the New American-style restaurant in the Lamar Union complex. Executive Chef Joe Anguiano has prepared an exclusive prix fixe menu for $75 per person. Guests can enjoy the modern interior while sipping an expertly crafted cocktail and sampling smoked Tasmanian trout, oysters and caviar, roasted monk fish, or glazed duck breast.

No Va Kitchen + Bar
Don’t miss Valentine’s Day at Rainey Street’s modern restaurant. No Va is upscale yet casual with a menu that is so good it’s almost embarrassing. For $45 on February 13 and 14, guests at the eatery will either select two appetizers and one main or one appetizer, one main, and one dessert. Items include mussels with chorizo, caramelized Brussels sprouts, New York strip, seared salmon, beignets, and much more.

Vox Table's prix fixe menu for Valentine's Day features favorites like Tasmanian trout.

Photo by Melody Fury

Vox Table's prix fixe menu for Valentine's Day features favorites like Tasmanian trout.

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Fresher Now

Elite omakase counter returns to Austin after rebrand and upgrade

Sushi by Scratch Margarita Kallas-Lee and Phillip Frankland Lee

Photo by Carly Snook

Margarita Kallas-Lee and Phillip Frankland Lee are bringing their elite sushi counter back to Austin.

Sushi by Scratch Restaurants, the omakase spot formerly known as Sushi|Bar, has gone through lots of change in and around Austin since it debuted as a sort of speakeasy in 2020. After a slight rebrand and a physical absence, Sushi by Scratch is returning to Austin in a downtown space starting Friday, December 6.

Sushi|Bar was a big deal right away. The concept, occupying a bar tucked into the space that was already carefully split between Bento Picnic and Saba San's Wine & Sake, was originally a pop-up, but it later decided to stay. It was sexier the more elusive it was — and with the constant bookings reaching a waitlist of 25,000 by the restaurant's count, it became very elusive.

Part of its draw was name recognition for chef-owner Phillip Frankland Lee, who competed on Top Chef; he shared ownership with his wife, Margarita Kallas-Lee, who has since become one of Austin's favorite pastry chefs.

Sushi|Bar was the couple's introduction to Austin since moving from Los Angeles, but they quickly started building a new empire here, including Pasta|Bar, NADC Burger, and Wolf and Wheat (which has since closed to continue meeting baking demands for the other two restaurants).

As reported by Eater, the couple sold Sushi|Bar in 2021, and it eventually took over the whole space. The former owners rebranded existing locations to Sushi By Scratch, opening a new location in Cedar Creek — specifically, that location's at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. A December 3 press release explains that this absence from Austin was to fulfill a noncompete agreement, which has now been completed.

Sushi by Scratch will make its comeback at 603 Brazos St., right behind 6th Street businesses like Eureka! and Voodoo Doughnut. Sushi|Bar at the Hyatt Regency will remain open, too.

The downtown menu features 21 courses in total; four canapés will be served in the lounge, and 17 more courses will be served at the the sushi counter. About a dozen of those sushi items are new.

According to the release, Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee gathered inspiration for the new menu items while traveling around the world. In addition, Frankland Lee has spent time working with sushi chefs in Japan over the past three years.

Some new items, both in the lounge and at the sushi bar include an edible cocktail experience; Japanese jellyfish with soy sauce, lemon, and sea salt; a medium-rare Wagyu with a sauce made of local egg yolk, soy, scallion, and black truffle; Japanese bigfin reef squid that is cut as small as sushi rice, with ponzu made with imported cherry blossoms and local cherries; and a yuzu creamsicle and tonka bean custard.

Products from other Austin businesses will make an appearance. CM Smokehouse contributes brisket, and Vacancy Brewing presents a co-branded Japanese-style rice lager.

The performance aspect of fine dining is alive and well in the new restaurant, where chefs will carve an aged piece of tuna that hangs on display in the lounge, or cut and season rice so that guests can see it before trying it.

Beverages will be available for an optional pairing, including sakes and Japanese whiskies, among "other libations."

Sushi by Scratch Restaurants will offer downtown seatings at 5 pm, 7:15 pm, and 9 pm. Reservations are available via Tock. Reservations require a $25 deposit that will be applied to the check after dinner, along with a 20 percent service fee.

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