Houndstooth Coffee

Uchi

Tyson Cole's flagship is still the best meal in Austin, full stop. This isn't a sushi restaurant — it's a Japanese farmhouse that happens to serve the most inventive raw fish in the Southwest. The omakase is worth every dollar, but honestly the à la carte hot tastings are where the kitchen really shows off.

Hotel Saint Cecilia

Named after the patron saint of music and poetry, and it earns both. This is a 14-room estate hidden behind a wall of bamboo on South Congress. No lobby, no check-in desk, no corporate anything. Just a pool, a record collection, and the distinct feeling that you're staying at a very cool friend's house.

Barton Springs Pool

A 68-degree natural spring-fed swimming pool in the middle of the city. It's three acres of crystal-clear water that stays cold year-round, and Austinites treat it like church. Go early on a weekday morning before the crowds. Float on your back and stare at the sky. This is the thing people mean when they talk about old Austin.