2 days ago
Where to eat, stay and play in Austin, Texas
EAT
Baked goods There's no sweeter way to start the day than on the sunny patio at Little Swedish. Coffee is freshly roasted; pastries are oven-warm (gooey cinnamon rolls £5); and sandwiches (above, £11) are made to order – choose your favourite bread, meat, cheese, veg and condiment (
Tex-Mex Locals queue for Güero's Taco Bar, where the hand-shaken margaritas are spicy. If you're (really) hungry, order the No. 1 Dinner (£16): a beef or chicken taco, an enchilada, a tamale, guacamole and chilli con queso; oh, also rice and charro beans (
Walk-in A bar with a good wine list, sharing plates and outdoor seating, no reservation required? That's Rosie's Wine Bar. Tuesday is paella (£25); any other night, the fried calamari (£10), endive salad with comté cheese (£10), and saffron rice croquettes with 'nduja (£9) will do the trick (
STAY
Private haven Southern hospitality meets rock'n'roll opulence at Hotel Saint Cecilia. Set around the gardens of an 1880s Victorian home, the 20-room retreat attracts writers, artists and musicians – Foo Fighters recorded Saint Cecilia on-site – drawn by its seclusion, luxe Hästens beds and outdoor pool (above; doubles from £323,
Downtown digs What rooms at Citizen M Austin Downtown lack in size (they're as wide as the king-size beds are long) they make up for in coloured mood lights, blackout curtains and a smart TV, all controllable from your bed on the iPad (doubles from £112,
Ranch life After something more spacious? In rural town Dripping Springs, 30 minutes from Austin, rental property Dripping Springs Social has views of Texas Hill Country, an outdoor pool, hot tub and barn-turned-games room (from £88 per person per night, based on 20 sharing;
Scenic route See the city's landmarks and murals by electric bike. In two and a half hours, Barton Springs Bike Rental's tour shows you Zilker Park, Austin Central Library, the original Whole Foods Market (it's now international) and the Texas State Capitol (£53pp, helmets, sunscreen and bottled water included;
Western gear South Congress Avenue should come with a spending warning. There's Allens Boots (above), Tecovas and Heritage Boot Co for – yep – cowboy boots, Maufrais for custom hats, Kendra Scott for demi-fine jewellery and Madewell for jeans.
Late nights No trip to the live music capital of the world is complete without a night at a dimly lit jumpin' joint. The Continental Club ( a fixture since 1955, hosts gigs nightly, some after midnight. Or there's basement bar The Elephant Room for jazz performances (
