The 21 Best Restaurants in Austin

"It is not an overstatement to say Tyson Cole put Austin's culinary scene on the national map when he opened Uchi in 2003, serving authentic Japanese sushi in landlocked Austin. Chefs here use traditional techniques, fish flown in daily from Tokyo, and a few wildcard moves (like swapping fish for foie gras in nigiri) to keep food obsessives coming back for years and years This is a bucket-list restaurant for diners, and reservations are scant, so lines are here are a nightly tradition. Our tip: go for sake social hour, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the sushi bar, to see for yourself why Uchi still reigns supreme." - Mandy Ellis