The Townsend

Oh Townsend… I want to love you but you make it so hard. We have come here countless times over the last several months and while we love the ambiance and a new cocktail bar on the scene, the wait time for drinks is ridiculous. We’ve waited as long as 39 minutes in a bar that was busy but not packed. We’re on 15 minutes currently with around 40 people in the bar — most of whom have drinks. It’s the inconsistency that rates this place lower than I’d like. Hopefully the weekend service will pick it up, or else I’m afraid we’ll drop it from our rotation.

The décor is great — dark walls, leather, old time light fixtures. Total hipster vibe.
The drinks were tasty! But short pours for sure… lots of ice to fill the glasses.
Ordered the charcuterie board. The meats were great, but it took 15 minutes to receive (there were 10 ppl in the bar) and the pickled veg were missing.
Worst part — the service! There were at least 4 bartenders that I saw, and, repeatedly, we sat with empty glasses because no one was around… and it was not a busy night. We also ordered some delicious bar nuts (had 2 orders already, but they were awesome) and they never brought them. If the tenders would have been on point, this place could have raked in another $ 100 from us easily.

My husband and I came here for a date night. The location is great and the atmosphere is good, the service is decent. The drinks are ok, but this wasn’t our problem there. My husband and I got incredibly sick after going here. I contacted them and told them about the incident and explained everything from the entire night to them and they didn’t really seem to care that something at their bar made us sick for an entire day. I will never go back here in fear that they will make us very sick again.

Great drinks! Try the octopus. Staff and owner are amazing. My favorite music venue as well!

The Townsend is low-​key and upscale, but luckily not nearly as pretentious as I thought it might be when I first heard about it. The atmosphere and drink menu slot this place alongside other downtown cocktail bars like CU 29 and Garage. But The Townsend is quieter and sits off by itself on Congress Ave, so it’s a clear alternative to the dominant bar districts downtown. The happy hour menu offers three no-​frills cocktails for $ 7 each, but it generously lasts til 7pm. The basic HH old fashioned was excellent.

This place is swanky. The décor makes you want to sit down, get comfy and *drank*!!!
Leather-​backed booths along one wall and plush chairs up front. I was ready to absorb all of the swank-​ness presented. Which is exactly what i did at my girls’s birthday party there last night. The owner came out and introduced himself… super nice guy… and it didn’t hurt that he complimented the hell outta my necklace. The wine list is thorough and divine and the drinks are all hand-​crafted without being obnoxious. Given the proximity to the capitol, I plan to become a more frequent visitor.

I’ll start by saying we went on an off-​peak night when each group was well separated from the other customers. There was never a wait for a server, and the service was fantastic. This is a very pleasant place to hang out. We ordered several drinks and shared them, as well as a large cheese plate. The drinks were excellent, and they were strong. We will definitely return to check out an event in the back room.

If last Friday night’s crowd was anything to go by, this isn’t a bar for young professionals. I was hoping for a speakeasy sort of vibe, but got more of a creepy hotel bar feel. The crowd was mainly comprised of middle aged men wearing bad sport coats. There were a few ladies of the same age wearing what was cool in the early 90s and not in an ironic way. I was reminded of episodes of The Real World where ladies would wear bad vests, bleached jeans and cowgirl hats. The drinks were good, but there wasn’t anything here that would blow you out of the water. There are plenty of other $ 12 –ish cocktail bars nearby that do it better.

Cocktails, cocktails, cocktails! Great ambience: dark, chandeliers, leather. There’s also a cool room in the back that could be greatly utilized for a private event, concert, etc.
— The Herringbone ($ 11): like a Manhattan, very good and strong!
— The McKibbin ($ 13): like an Old Fashioned, but pretty refreshing and light (but strong)
— The Cheeseboard ($ 15): An ample amount of cheese. We requested extra crackers though because we ran out partway through eating it, and they charged us an extra $ 1 for some crackers which I thought was pretty lame
Overall a good spot if you’re looking for a mellow night with great cocktails. Especially good for a date, when the parents are in town (mine personally love craft cocktails almost more than I do), or on a night when it’s rainy out.

Went late one Saturday evening, and enjoyed a fantastic night at the bar. This place is the absolute definition of «great cocktail lounge». The décor is gorgeous with beautiful fixtures, perfect lighting, and a huge slab of a bar. The service is top-​notch; classy, smart, friendly, and unrushed. And the cocktails they serve? Magnificent and hugely creative. I’ll most certainly make this a regular stop on my travels to Austin.

Excellent service, amazing cocktails and a great happy hour. Try an old fashioned… such a work of art, I felt bad drinking it.

This town and its bars. I went all the way to New York City only to miss the bars here in Austin. The Townsend continues this and steps up the game with a beautiful bar space and solid bartenders.
Every drink we ordered was perfect and interesting. The bottle selection they have is impressive with some really interesting picks worth a try. The bartenders were super nice and we all chatted for awhile as celebrities packed in to the Paramount across the street for some opening.
The space is so awesome. I love the couches and relaxing tables begging for you and your friends to sit and enjoy a drink.
Make sure you check out their Sunday night bottle special. They usually pour something unusual at cost. One week I saw them pouring 21-​year Nikka Taketsuru and I KNOW that was a good deal. Great way to try things without much commitment.

Pretty good cocktails in a nice space with mixed service (2 of the 3 bartenders were nice and approachable, while one seemed to be too cool for school). The bar is designed well. Someone told me it is like being transported into Mad Men. I’m not sure I would say that considering the amount of Boy George and other 80s tunes they were playing, but I see where he is coming from. Crisp leather couches with velvet bar stools (that were quite comfortable), glowing bookshelves and more. It does have a classic feel to it that I liked.
I ordered their Herringbone and Lamplight cocktails and I got to taste their Dark n Stormy and Bottom Buzzer. All 4 were good and professionally crafted. While none stood out as being amazing, I would come back here to try some more as well as go off menu a bit to see what they can do.

What a cute place! It’s been on my bookmarks list forever and I was happy to duck in here one weeknight with a friend of mine. It’s swanky, with leather-​bound books and redolent of rich mahogany. Jokes. Actually it’s just normal smelling but it’s a far cry from what this space used to be.
Good cocktail menu, nice wine, cheese plate, charcuterie bites. Looks like they’ve started a cocktail hour from 5 –7 Monday — Friday. They’re so close to the capitol I can’t imagine that they’ll be hurting for business. They do a lot of rare whiskey pours and you can keep up with that on their facebook.
It’s a little too spendy for me honestly but then I remember when my friends told me that cocktails cost $ 15 in NYC a couple of years ago and I almost croaked. I’d like to see that cheese board amped up a bit. For $ 16, it seemed sparse. Though it probably wasn’t, the wine felt like a short pour. It’s a nice classy bar and one I’ll return to when I’m feeling flush.

My Über driver from the airport, Todd, recommended The Townsend to me while visiting on business. He pointed out that the owner hired «the best mixologist in town». I had to find out for myself.
The atmosphere is a nice throwback to a classic early 19^th century Victorian library with tall ceilings and nice frosted glass ceiling lamps. Books and paintings adorn the wall opposite the bar.
It was a bit late 8:30−9 on a Wednesday night and I was surprised to see less than a handful of people. But is it mid August, prime vacation season. This is a college town. My guess is that it is bustling when students return.
The music playing was loud nouveau punk rock, quite the juxtaposition to the décor. I rolled with it for the cocktail experience, even though the music was more annoying than soothing for a «place of reading» and relaxing conversation with the mixologists and new found acquaintances on my side of the bar. Rather than music enhancing the experience, I found myself mentally batting it, trying to put it out my head so I could relax and enjoy life.
I like my single malt scotch and bourbon neat with a water (no ice) back. I have to say, the cocktails were sublime. Matthew mixed my first, the Herrington (?), it tasted exactly like the careful and nuanced description he gave, which enhanced the written menu perfectly. He must be «The Best Mixologist in Town» who was accurately advertised. Delightful flavor. He has a showy, subtle flair as he mixes and I enjoyed his performance.
I ordered the smoked trout pâté, which was delicious.
The staff was not as engaging as I had hoped for. I like to learn about liquor and mixology at an establishment like this. Too bad. When I travel on business I like to find great spots with fun staff who inspire me to return. It’s fun to engage in conversation and learn from the professionals!
Andrew did a fine job describing and mixing my second bourbon cocktail. A refreshing summery citrus mix. A really nice finish to the Quail Knots dinner, that was slightly underdone, but tasty accompanied by slightly tart yummy collard greens.
Unfortunately, this experience came to an abrupt end when the aroma of bleach overcame the bar. Too bad, because by 10, the crowd is grown by 12 – 14 after the movies ended across the street. I could no longer enjoy my cocktail, driven home early by the bleach.
The back room does look interesting, a small space for live music. I will have to come back to try more cocktails and see if the staff has matured in their customer service skills. It will be fun to check out the live music too.

Excellent experience: charming, classy elegance complete with outstanding service. Warm, welcoming atmosphere and delicious drinks. Recommend the Eastern Sour: you’ll want to gulp this one. Can’t wait to get back here again and see a performance on the stage in back. The acoustics seem awesome, bet it really would sound great with a live performance. Hope to come back again some day!

Elegant yet approachable.
We were pre-​gaming last night before heading to a show at the Paramount. Using the handy Unilocal app I saw Townsend recently opened and is right across the street from the show we were seeing later. We initially had trouble finding Townsend as the signage is minimal.
The old Silhouette space has been remodeled into an upscale cocktail bar and music venue. We found a seat at the long dark wooden bar. Behind the bar they have a nice lineup of fancy bottles of liquor, fruit and house-​made mixes. The bar program is top notch with Qui, Peche and Eastside Show Room alumni.
It was Bastille Day, appropriately I ordered a well balanced Rosé Crémant de Loire. Jesse ordered one of herringbone with Old Grand-​Dad Bonded Bourbon, Metaxa 5 star, Cardamaro, Cointreau and bitters. This aromatic drink was nice and strong. We thoroughly enjoyed our drinks and the show while sitting at the bar.
They have happy hour daily 4pm-​6pm which offers 3 cocktails for $ 7 and 3 tea sandwich options at $ 5 each.

I can’t say enough great things about this bar! I’m a craft cocktail girl, and have been to almost all of them in town. The «Blush of Youth» is always the first drink I start with, followed by the «Single Engine Plane,» which is the best drink I’ve ever had! Naturally with any craft cocktail bar, sometimes it take a few minutes to get your drink. Primarily because it takes more time and labor to make each drink, but if you watch them make it, you’ll have a greater appreciation for it. I have taken several different groups of people here, because it’s so close to my office, and all the men loved the rye and whiskey cocktails.
The food: I have only sampled two items on the menu, but they were incredible. I’m really excited and looking forward to going back to try the rest of the menu, because from what I’ve heard, they have some great talent behind the kitchen doors.
The event space: I’m also really looking forward to coming here for an event. While it’s not a large space, which I like, because it creates a level of comfort and intimacy. As in, I’m there with 50 REALLY cool people, rather than a venue with 5,000 strangers. I think there will be some amazing shows put on here, and like I said… I’m really excited about that.
All in all, the bar is beautifully done and has become my favorite new little spot. It’s truly such a gem!

The design of this bar is top notch — if you’re looking for a nice, higher end cocktail/​spirits bar, you’ve come to the right place. It’s dark, it’s a little burlesque even, and has got chandeliers (that’s all you need really!). The service is also up to par — friendly staff, attentive, quick to seat, quick to serve.
We were just passing by and wanted to check it out after having read about their soft opening online. We ordered a couple drinks that sounded a lot more complicated than what our drinks actually tasted like. To say the least, the drinks here are STRONG. Perhaps it’s my lack of taste buds or my dulled senses, but I couldn’t taste much else besides the alcohol in our drinks. Cocktails are about $ 10 – 15 so plan on spending a good amount of money here if you’re planning on staying a while, but at least you know you’re getting a good amount of that pour in your drink. Comfortable seating with some couches, lots of armchairs and barstools, a few tables towards the back.
It also looks like they have a space dedicated in the back for a live band but we were too early to enjoy. It’s a beautiful addition to the area it seems like, and is a great place to meet, but I’m not sure how many people really stay the entire night at a place like this.

Townsend is a beautiful bar that took over the old Silhouette space, and it’s a definite improvement. Decorated in muted grays and blues, it’s a super classy place where I can see many business drinks happening. There were quite a few people in suits and professional dress there when I visited. Even so, the waitstaff did not treat me and my coworkers (in our standard engineer uniform of «t-​shirt and jeans») any differently.
The bar runs almost the entire length of the space, and there are several 2 – 4 person high top tables opposite. They also have a great couch with low tables for a larger group.
I can’t comment on the food yet since we only tried a cheese plate, but I liked the drinks. The cocktail menu leans to higher-​end liquors and has the «classics with a bit of originality» flavor that I tend to enjoy. I’d love to see them add a happy hour menu in the future!