My senior group (12 people) are trying to find a restaurant that we can go to downtown. We'll be in formal attire, so it needs to be somewhat nice. But we want a fun restaurant as well. I've looked at some stuff in 360, but have no clue where to even start. It would also be nice if it wasn't so expensive, but we can split the meals. We're going to the trail of lights after dinner so we wanted to just grap a shuttle and ride over from the Downtown.
There is no specific cuisine that we want though I'm thinking it would be nice to go to a place where you have a relative idea of what the items on the menu really are (so basically, a steakhouse would be nice).
We also have the problem of reservations. We just decided to do this last week and we were planning on going to the Oasis, but the weather it bad. And this time of year is horable for making reservations for a group of 12 only 4 days from Christmas.
Thanks for the help!
2006-12-20 05:34:21 · 4 answers · asked by biulding 7 1 in Dining Out ➔ United States ➔ Austin
I personally, I enjoy Carmelo's Italian Restaurant in downtown Austin, near the convention center. Its an upscale, mid-priced place where you could go and have a lot of fun. The wait-staff is great and they really make you feel special. Someone took me there once for my birthday. I would pay for the ambiance alone. I've included a link that has a menu and prices:
http://www.carmelosrestaurant.com/menu.html
P.F. Chang's is on the other block and is also a great place. Its an Upscale Chinese place, and again, good atmosphere and fun.
http://www.pfchangs.com/location/loc_code.jsp?state=tx
Have Fun!
2006-12-21 06:31:16 · answer #1 · answered by volkgal 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A Message From This Business
Dive Into Something Fresh
Jazzy & Cool
Hip & Inviting
Steak, Seafood, & Sushi
Jazzy and cool. Hip and inviting. Finn & Porter gives surf and turf a contemporary twist. The freshest seafood, prime steaks and creative regional sushi. Gleaming glass and soaring spaces. A nonstop bar with innovative cocktails and select wines. Friendly service that keeps the energy coming. Come savor something fresh.
Finn & Porter Editorial Review – by Tara Hall
In Short
The street level entrance of this Hilton restaurant leads customers into a low-lit, comfy bar with overstuffed leather chairs. Patrons on the next level come through traditional doors to the spacious dining room with two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows. Flown in from around the globe three times a week and cooked to order, fresh fish is one of Finn & Porter's specialties. Meat lovers opt for one of the tender, juicy bone-in steaks.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Parking
Hotel parking runs $10 for self-parking or $5 for valet. Skip the cost altogether and scout out a meter in the surrounding neighborhood.
The Extras
Finn & Porter is the perfect upscale dinner stop for nearby Convention Center goers.
On the Menu
For a lighter alternative, choose from the eight types of oysters offered or watch the chef create that spicy tuna roll at the full sushi bar.
Finn & Porter User Reviews
What users are saying
Prompt seating: yes Make reservations: yes Romantic: yes Good for kids: no Write a review and share your thoughts with other users.
Fantastic Dining Experience
Posted by sirbillo on 06/29/2006
We went on a whim (decided at 7:30) on a Saturday nite - called up, got a reservation at 9pm. Got to the bar about 8:15 and first off were blown away by the decor. It was much nicer than we were expecting. The bartender (Heath) was very friendly, accomodating and provided great service. My girlfriend and I both commented that we'd love to return some night and just chill at the bar - or even eat at the bar, as another couple were doing. Anyway, we were walked downstairs past the Sushi Bar (which we should try I guess according to the other reviews here) and sat at a nice table. Our nite was perfect, quite honestly. The service was fantastic from the moment we entered the place. She got the cup of Lobster Bisque (HUGE, was like a bowl and delicious) i the lobster steamed dumplings (also delicious and meticulously prepared and presented) The filets (I also had the lobster) were among the best we've ever had anywhere. FANTASTIC. Robert, the General Manager, came and chatted with us and was delightful, even picked up our dessert (creme brulee trio). All in all an incredible night out - especially for a whim! In summary, we were completely impressed with the taste, preparation,and display of the food! The service was fantastic as well. Neither of us were prepared to enjoy our evening that much! Perhaps we had preconceived notions about a restaurant in a hotel or just hadn't heard enough about Finn & Porter, but rest assured, we are spreading the word amongst our people and will most definitely be back.
Pros: THE FOOD, friendly and ATTENTIVE service, atmosphere - and did we mention the FOOD?
Cons: Only thing I can think of is that this is an upscale resaurant, therefore somewhat expensive, but you can't expect to eat a fine meal for less - and for what we got
Overall user rating: Highly Recommended
2006-12-20 09:03:01 · answer #2 · answered by Amy_S 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's not a steakhouse, but if y'all like Japanese food, Kyoto is really, really good and the non-sushi entrees are big enough to be split between two people. Suki yaki is really good--basically beef soup with veggies and noodles and tempura is just fried stuff. And everyone has had teriyaki, right? It's a good way to try a new cuisine without eating anything unfamiliar. http://www.kyotodowntown.com/
As far as steakhouses go, Dan McKlusky's is probably exactly what you're looking for. Good food, hardwood floors, cloth napkins. http://www.danmckluskys.com/
If you want to go super fancy, go to the Driskill hotel. http://www.driskillhotel.com/dining.html
I've eaten at all these places w/out reservations, but it was just 2 of us. Go ahead and call and see if it's not too late for reservations. It's probably not.
As long as you don't want to throw spitwads or shout, none of these restaurants should be too uptight.
2006-12-22 10:55:55 · answer #3 · answered by amanda_utx 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-12-15 04:59:29 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋