Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in South Austin

What a memorable night! It was worth the wait of having to make a reservation months in advance. We dined on a Friday evening and there was such a synergy to the entire restaurant. Even the Chef on expo looked so at ease with tickets flying in, he stopped and said hi to a smiling baby. Our server Kevin made us feel welcomed and as if we were the only table he was serving, just flawless. The steak cut like butter, it was perfect and highly recommend. The gnocchi reminded me of the last time I was in Italy, just delicious fluffy pillows. Our 9 year old had the Bolognese and it was bursting with flavor which was unexpected but delightful. We also had the meatballs and garlic bread, a perfect way to start the meal. Save room for dessert, you will not be disappointed. The only criticism was that our table was by the entry door and it was drafty and cold. I had to keep my jacket on during dinner, but other than that we look forward to returning in March!

I had high expectations and Aba still far exceeded them. Such unique menu items. The short rib hummus was phenomenal. Great service and ambiance.

We had an amazing dinner on Tuesday evening. They have a great selection of tequila. The wine selection is a bit pricey, we had a nice bottle for about $85. For an appetizer we had the Hamachi, which I enjoyed but my husband was not really fond of. We also had the Brussel Sprouts and Sopes as an appetizer to share for the table. They were both excellent. The Brussel Sprouts had jalapenos, which gave them a nice kick. The entrees are very large, next time I think we will share. I had the whole roasted fish, which was amazing. Lots of garlic and the sauce was very flavorful. They debone the fish and it was wonderful with the homemade tortillas. My husband had the short rib, which was also delicious. It was very tender and flavorful. Our guests had the carne asada and the El Rey and both were very pleased. We shared the sweet potatoes and corn as sides. I really loved the sweet potatoes. Our service was great, even on a busy night and the manager did come by to check on us at one point. They are very conscious of food allergies, which I greatly appreciate. The entire menu is gluten free! A great place for dinner, before a show at ACL. Reservations required as they are very busy.

My girlfriend and I made a last-minute decision to visit Perla's, and we're pleasantly satisfied with just about everything. We ordered 3 appetizers: Octopus, crab cake, and tuna tostada. All of them are excellent in different ways. Individually: - Crab : great brightness from the (celery?) And green apple salad to compliment the fresh brightness and creamy sweet aroma of the crunchy cake. By far my favorite. - Octopus: the sauce it's served over has a nice subtle dimension without overpowering the octopus. Nice smoky spicy profile. - The tuna tostada is what you expect from a Tuna Tostada. Nothing special, but you get exactly what you pay for. The tostada integrity and texture and crunch was phenomenal. The tuna itself was of fantastic quality and generous portion. Wouldve preferred some sort of spicy ponzu instead of the typical habanero aioli. Seems played out, but maybe that's just my preference. Then, we finished with the lobster bucatini. Now, this was value! Super rich and creamy and filling. The lobster was stupendous. Only gripe is there was one claw that I couldn't pry open. Sadly, that was tossed out. Dining room was clean and beautiful but quite tame. Service was fast and intelligent. We had dinner in about 60 minutes and left full and extremely satisfied. Overall. Dishes were pretty and tasty. Everything was great. Will visit again Didn't get my servers name, but that man was obviously a seasoned server as he read the room perfectly and approached exactly at the right time and for the right amount of engagement. 5/5

Another exquisite visit to Uchi. The service was fabulous from the moment we walked in. We let our server Jessica give us some guidance on our menu for the evening, and her recommendations did not disappoint. The sake tom kha was delicious, with a flavor packed tom kha reduction. We also had an ocean trout nigiri on special that was so delicious, we ordered seconds. We’ll be back!