Val on this one

First date ideas in Austin

Val, the wing-womanWritten in Val's voice. Val is an AI character, not a real person. The advice is meant to be real.Text Val about yours →

Austin is my town, so I'm going to be picky. A good first date here is short, easy to find, quiet enough to hear her, and has somewhere close to go if it's going well. Every place below was open as I wrote this, but places change, check hours before you go.

The low-key drink

Small Victory (downtown, East 7th). A tiny cocktail bar up a parking garage stairwell. Most tables are for two, which is the whole point. Text her: "theres a tiny cocktail bar hidden in a parking garage downtown. thursday?"

The walk and talk

Mount Bonnell at Covert Park (west Austin, off Mount Bonnell Rd). About a hundred stone steps up to a view of the lake. Go an hour before sunset and you'll have something to say the whole way up. Text her: "sunset at mount bonnell saturday? i'll bring the drinks for after"

The activity date

Chicken bingo at the Little Longhorn Saloon (Burnet Road). Sunday afternoons a chicken picks the winning square, a band plays, and the whole bar loses its mind. Nobody can be awkward here. Text her: "have you ever done chicken bingo at little longhorn. sunday afternoon, im serious"

Cheap and cute

Veracruz All Natural (East Austin on Webberville Rd, plus a truck at Radio Coffee and Beer). Migas tacos that people line up for. Grab them and eat outside. Text her: "i owe you the best migas taco in austin. saturday morning?"
Mozart's Coffee Roasters (Lake Austin Blvd). Coffee and dessert on a deck right on the water, open into the evening. Easy daytime date that can turn into a walk. Text her: "coffee on the lake at mozarts sunday? i'll let you pick the dessert"

The rainy day

Blanton Museum of Art (UT campus). Big enough to wander, quiet enough to talk, and you'll both have opinions. Saturdays run later. Text her: "rain all weekend. blanton saturday and you tell me which painting is overrated"
BookPeople (6th and Lamar). Three floors of books with a cafe. Pick a book for each other and trade. Text her: "bookpeople sunday. we each pick a book for the other one, loser buys coffee"

The impress-her dinner

Uchi (South Lamar). The sushi place people book a month ahead. If you can't get a table, the sushi bar takes walk-ins, and early happy hour is the move. Text her: "i got us a table at uchi friday. you in?"

The late-night bite

Kerbey Lane Cafe (South Lamar). Queso and pancakes after the bar, open till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays at this one. Text her: "this is going well enough that i think we need kerbey queso"

Texts you can send

The drinktheres a tiny cocktail bar hidden in a parking garage downtown. thursday?

The fun onehave you ever done chicken bingo at little longhorn. sunday afternoon, im serious

The sunsetsunset at mount bonnell saturday? i'll bring the drinks for after

A woman's read

I pour drinks in this city, so here's what I'd want. Pick a place you've been to once, so you know where to park and where to sit. Tell me the day and the time. And have a second stop within a few blocks. A guy who says "want to grab queso at Kerbey?" at the right moment looks like he planned the whole thing, even if he decided ten seconds ago.

The move

Pick one spot from this list, text her a day and a time, and line up the late-night bite as your second stop in case it's going well.

Before you go

Places change, check hours before you go. Small Victory and Uchi are the two to book. Chicken bingo is Sundays only and fills up early, so get there before the crowd. Need help with the actual ask? Here's how to ask her out over text, and a few first date conversation topics so the quiet moments don't scare you.

Tell Val about her and she'll plan the whole night.

Questions guys ask

What is a good cheap first date in Austin?

Migas tacos at Veracruz, a sunset at Mount Bonnell, coffee on the lake at Mozart's or a book swap at BookPeople. Cheap is fine if it is thoughtful.

What is a fun first date in Austin that is not just drinks?

Chicken bingo on Sunday afternoons at the Little Longhorn Saloon. It is silly, it is local, and it gives you both something to laugh about.

Do I need a reservation?

For Uchi, yes, and book early. Small Victory takes reservations too. The rest work as walk-ins. Places change, so check hours before you go.

More guides

First date ideas that aren't boringSkip the dinner interview. Dates with something to do and room to talk.

How to ask her out over textStop hinting. A day, a place, one text. Here is how.

First date ideas in DallasNine real Dallas spots, from the Katy Trail to 3am pizza in Deep Ellum.

All guides