Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in Austin

OpenTable

Updated 05 April 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in Austin? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyses more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favourites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Carillon Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (951)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

The Carillon is a New American restaurant featuring familiar food with a refined twist. The Carillon provides a sophisticated and approachable dining experience for all occasions. Our culinary team masterfully creates dishes with local, fresh, and seasonal produce and organic, grass-fed or free-range proteins. The Carillon offers ‘a la Carte’ or 3-course dinner for $45 tasting menu, which can be skillfully paired with award-winning wines.

Located at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, The Carillon delivers an impressive and memorable experience. Complimentary self-parking in the Conference Center Garage. Bring your ticket to be validated. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Top review

Cathy G

Dined 7 days ago

This was a stunning dinner! Unfortunately, we had to hurry through it because we had a commitment. The wait staff were wonderfully helpful in getting us out the door in a timely manner! When we dine there again, which we WILL, I’ll make sure we have time to linger! Delicious & great service should be lingered over!

Foreign & Domestic - Austin

4.8

4.8 (2102)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Central Austin

About the restaurant

We are a bustling neighborhood restaurant in the heart of north loop. We are one of Austins oldest farm to table concepts. Our menu is foreign in style, while domestically sourced. Our menus change with the season, farm availability, & on chefs whim. Join us for our nose to tail tasting menu nightly if you appreciate whole animal usage. Our wine program is aimed toward biodynamic natural small production wines. If you'd like to have pre or post dinner cocktails, our awesome neighbors include the tigress bar & drink.well.
Please note that we have a 15 minute grace period on reservation arrival times. Should you find yourself running late, please give us a call or the table may be released to a waiting guest.
Tables of 1-2 guests will be reserved for 1.5 hours, tables of 3-4 will be reserved for 1 hour and 45 minutes, tables of 6+ will be reserved for 2 hours. These times reflect standard dining times of our guests. Should you feel that you need additional time, please notate this.

Top review

William

Dined on 13 Apr 2025

Our 9:15 PM reservation for three at Foreign & Domestic quickly became a night to remember. The star of our evening was Shanae, our phenomenal server whose professionalism, warmth, and deep knowledge of the menu transformed our dinner into a curated experience. She anticipated our needs, offered insightful recommendations, and treated us with true hospitality from start to finish, even thoughtfully packing our leftovers and unfinished bottle of wine with care. We started with the Gruyère & Black Pepper Popovers, paired with charred onion butter. They were light, savory, and perfectly crisp, an appetizer that set the bar high. For entrées, each dish was a standout: the Lamb Ravioli was delicate yet rich, the Burger juicy and gourmet, the Root Vegetable Bolognese inventive and satisfying, and the Risotto creamy and comforting. The Collard Greens, unexpectedly elegant, were a surprise favorite—visually stunning and uniquely flavorful. Dessert was the perfect finishing touch, a luscious cheesecake that was both refined and indulgent. From the carefully curated wine list to the beautifully executed dishes and unforgettable service, Foreign & Domestic delivered a truly elevated dining experience. It’s the kind of place where every detail is intentional, and every guest feels seen. We’ll definitely be back, and we’ll be asking for Shanae.

Discover more

Popular dish

Parisian Gnocchi

Popular dish

Gruyere & Black Pepper Popovers

Popular dish

Roasted Berkshire Pork Collar

wink

4.7

4.7 (2357)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

How many of the great moments of your life were experienced at a table over a meal with friends and family? Dinner at wink is like coming to big dinner party where great food, quality ingredients, and Austin hospitality set the stage for yet another memorable experience at table. Wink happily embraces omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, pescetarians, and special dietary issues based on what we have in our larder! "The way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world." - Michael Pollan

Top review

SandiVIP

Dined on 11 Apr 2025

Very nice staff, service. Excellent trout. Bread and butter delicious. Will return often.

June's All Day

4.8

4.8 (1089)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

South Austin

About the restaurant

June’s All Day is a little bit of Paris in Austin—a neighborhood cafe and bar offering late breakfast, brunch, and an all day menu late into the evenings, along bustling South Congress Avenue.

The bistro-style food menu (think Croque Madame, Steak Tartare & Frites, Grilled Chicken Paillard, & Steak au Poivre) is complemented by a frequently changing wine & bar program including unique bottles and classic cocktails The restaurant has a wraparound patio (open year round) and is ideal for people watching and hanging with your friends.

Top review

Shelly

Dined 4 days ago

Great space for breakfast or brunch. I wouldn’t missed their pastries while their mains are really good

Discover more

Experience

Happy Hour | Monday - Friday

Hestia

4.7

4.7 (2023)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Hestia, named after the Greek goddess of the hearth, is a modern live-fire grill house. Dishes find inspiration from a custom 20-ft hearth which anchors the kitchen and dining room. Our menus offers an opportunity to explore and showcase techniques that highlight the role of fire in food. You may choose to order from our a la carte menu or experience our chef curated tasting menu.

We accept reservations 60 days in advance. For event inquiries, please visit our website.

2024 Michelin One Star

Top review

Kathy

Dined 1 day ago

This was our first time eating at Hestia and we were dining with friends for a belated birthday celebration. Our servers, Tory and Albert were awesome as were all the other service staff we encountered. Drinks and food was amazing especially the halibut and sauce!

Discover more

Dry Aged 8oz Texas Wagyu Bavette

The Well

4.8

4.8 (629)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in Austin's iconic 2ND Street District at 440 W. 2nd St., The Well blends top-tier nutrition, local and sustainable farming, and authentic flavors for a culinary experience that redefines healthy food in Downtown Austin.

Top review

EricVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Very enjoyable; beautiful decor; and the food came out quickly.

Discover more

Honey Moon Spirit Lounge

4.9

4.9 (338)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Central Austin

About the restaurant

Honey Moon Spirit Lounge is a vintage-chic restaurant/speakeasy with a well curated menu of elevated comfort food and modern American share plates. The menu includes a craft cocktail list emphasizing fresh juices and classic ingredients, and an extensive and diverse wine list featuring varietals from around the world with a selection of beers and ciders, and a tap of local craft brews.

Top review

TishaVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Love love loved the ambiance. Great food for dinner and wait staff Is excellent.

Pecan Square Cafe

4.7

4.7 (584)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Pecan Square Café, located in the heart of Clarksville, serves simple, seasonal food inspired by our home in Austin. With a focus on market driven ingredients and an evolving roster of dishes, the menu is straightforward but elevated. The beverage program delivers dynamic variations on classic cocktails, with an approachable and sophisticated wine selection. Open for lunch, brunch, and dinner seven days a week. Service is easygoing, warm, and casually elegant.

Top review

DoraVIP

Dined on 14 Apr 2025

Amazing food and great service. The food and atmosphere what’s superb

Discover more

Experience

Happy Hour | Monday - Friday

The Kitchen American Bistro - Austin

4.7

4.7 (123)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

The Kitchen Austin is now open and we are so thrilled to be part of this vibrant community!

Our nationally acclaimed Chef/Partner Michael Bertozzi and his team are creating gorgeous seasonal dishes inspired by global flavors and our General Manager John D'Alexander and his front-of-house team can't wait to greet you with warm hospitality.

Top review

BobVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Went to Austin for some R&R and found The Kitchen by accident. Ended up eating Brunch and dinner several days later. Excellent experience. Will eat there the next time in Austin.

Discover more

Experience

Mother's Day! Brunch and Dinner

Roaring Fork - Downtown, Congress

4.6

4.6 (3574)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

The Roaring Fork offers bold American wood-fire cooking with fine dining atmosphere. We serve dinner nightly starting at 5pm and Happy Hour daily from 4pm - 6pm in our bar and lounge area only. Sorry, no reservations for Happy Hour. Our bar and lounge is always open seating. Reservations are always recommended for dinner. Thank you for your interest and we hope to serve you soon.

Top review

Joe

Dined 6 days ago

The food is good and the staff is friendly. I booked on OpenTable and requested standard but was sat in the bar. I’ll need to make sure I request the dining room on my next trip.

Discover more

Beef Tenderloin Sliders

Explore Diners' Choice best of Austin