Nightcap

Everybody has an off night. Things happen, people are inconsistent. I get that, our server had a bad night. This with a few other imperfections resulted in a bad experience. I’m doubtful we would return.
The setting: This place is drop dead beautiful. I’ve anxiously been watching the reconstruction of this place since last year some time. What they did with the building, the outdoor space, and the interior… all beautiful to look at.
We had reservations, a party of four. Seated promptly in a nice booth. There are two menus, one was smallish black font in purple paper. It seemed the average age of the patrons at this time/​date was easily 50. I saw many people reaching in for the readers. We were seated across from a group of women. They laughed as they each pulled out their iphone and used the flashlight to read the menu. We laughed along, at first. All four of us jokingly held a hand up in front of our face to shield the light. It was funny, but the bright lights pointed at our table didnt turn off, and this continued throughout the meal. I don’t blame them. They have a right to see what it says… it was not easy to read that menu.
I saw two trays of pinkish drinks with salted rims go past our table. I was hoping it was some sort of grapefruit paloma. Our server scowled at me when I asked about them, «those are for a private party!»
our server, while congenial enough at the beginning of our experience, seemed to suffer some catastrophic shift in temperament. The manager did come and refill our water glasses, they were all mostly empty, as was my drink. Maybe he had some cross words with her? I don’t know, but she sure came back ANGRY. Her jaw was clenched, she slammed things around and it looked like she was fighting back tears.
I liked the music being played, a nice upbeat mix. BUT IT WAS TOO LOUD. I couldn’t speak to the couple that was with us. I could only speak to my wife, and she’d relay… it was not easy to converse. We finally asked the server could it be turned down. We received a scolding look with a rebuttal implying we’d asked something that was unreasonable. They DID turn down the volume, and we greatly appreciated that.
The charcuterie and cheese plate was pretty good. The real high point of that was the chicken liver pâté’ (house made). That was really good. The other items on the board were good, but not any different than you’d get on any board at just about any place.
The pork belly was good (I think it was $ 17). It was a fun take on the dish with a few new flavor combinations. I’d recommend it.
The chicken… while the chicken was good, and it was also beautiful to look at, the portion was almost comical. At $ 26 there should be more food on that plate! It was really just a few bites. I’m not sure you could’ve made a chik-​fila sandwich with that breast.
At this point our server was still upset. We decided to finish our meal elsewhere.
Our friend excused herself to the bathroom as we left. When she returned she was a bit flustered, «our server nearly barreled right over me! LITERALLY ALMOST RAN ME OVER! Didn’t even say excuse me».
I don’t know what was happening behind the scenes. But it didn’t work for us, on that night. I didn’t get the chance to try any of the desserts. I know I was denied whatever pink salted rim drink I wanted. I hope the server has better nights, than she did earlier this week. I felt like we suffered from whatever made her angry/​upset.

I brought a group of 12 for brunch for my birthday this weekend. I made a reservation weeks in advance. However, when I arrived, we had to wait over an hour. This was explained to us because other parties were taking longer than they anticipated. While I understand this problem, it was pretty frustrating for our party to wait over an hour to be seated.
I only took one star off though because the wait staff was very pleasant and courteous during the wait. They gave me a complimentary iced coffee and gave the table a few pitchers of free drinks. And the food really was amazing (although VERY SMALL portions). I thought the portions were enough (although definitely cleaned my plate) but the guys at the table (or girls with larger appetites) had to eat a second meal afterwards. I got the lemon ricotta pancakes… omg just amazing! Others at the table seemed to enjoy what they got too. I will likely be back, but maybe not for brunch when it’s so crowded… excited to try their dessert in the future!

Extensive wine and cocktail menu. We got boozy milkshakes and they were strong! We decided that the milkshake could be upgraded to delicious by using homemade whipped cream. The Dreamsicle dessert was AMAZING, the sherbet was just so delicious. We also had the Strawberries and Cream dessert which was tasty but can’t hold a candle to that sorbet in the Dreamsicle.

Negroni lovers rejoice here! They do classic Negronis and unique Negronis, and they do it in a classy, sophisticated space that is both welcoming and demure at the same time. No board shorts & sandals here. Everybody was dressy and pretty. HH is a good deal here with drinks and apps discounted. And the Luxardo cherry on top of all this? Complimentary valet parking. Now we all know only terrorists don’t tip complimentary valet parkers, but being able to pull right in and hand off the keys is a big plus on a hot Austin evening.
We didn’t try any of the food offerings this time because we were going to dinner from there, but other patrons were wolfing them down so I’m betting they’re as delish as the drinks. I like Nightcap!

This review is regarding brunch. Everything we tried was tasty, but the portion size is quite modest yet items are a full size price. I ordered the lemon ricotta pancakes and they were wonderful: light and fluffy, with dollops of delicious passion fruit crème and and crispy honeyed corn flakes for some added texture… if not filling. I left still feeling hungry.

BEST RESTAURANT IN AUSTIN!!!
It is a small plates, dessert and cocktail restaurant in the Clarksville neighborhood located in a really cool, old school bungalow. I love the small plates idea, we were able to order many different dishes and share them with the table. As soon as you walk in, you can tell you are going to have a good time. Each room has a little different ambiance and all were amazingly thought out. You have to go check out the back room if you have never been there. The ceiling is covered with 3-​D floral wall paper, so incredible to look at. It also has a great little bar area and super cool outside with comfy couches and artificial turf that feels like real grass.
The drinks are all cleverly named and nicely done, my favorite being the «Rye You Don’t Call.»
Now the food, holy awesomeness! As I mentioned earlier, it’s fun to order a bunch of stuff to share with your table. We started with the pretzel, beets and cauliflower which were all amazing. We then had the chicken, salmon and hanger steak. Picking a favorite from these is impossible, they are all so good but if I had to choose, I’d say the salmon… no, the steak… no, the chicken… never mind, I can’t choose a winner. Aldo, when it comes to the desserts, just do yourself a favor and order 1 of everything!
Totally in love with this place and will look forward to seeing this on my credit card statement for years to come!
PS. They also have a rockin’ brunch!

I was expecting a bit more for the price. Brunch portions are small and left me wanting more. They were nice enough to make me one pancake — which was pretty darn good. They are great at plating their food though and everything came out looking very lovely. Service wasn’t super great. I think she may have been hungover or something and was super confused when I asked if the bartender could create me a mocktail. All in all I’d come back for a «nightcap» but not for brunch.

This is my new favorite brunch spot! I cannot believe I’ve never visited this quaint little place tucked away on sixth.
The place itself is upscale/​pretty, ambience is a little hipster, service is sort of okay, but the food — oh my God! We went here for a double-​date brunch — I was a little skeptical that things would be on the sweeter side, but Nightcap did not disappoint. We got the lemon ricotta pancakes (citrus-​y, fluffy, delicious!), the donut + foie (w/​o the foie, still VERY delicious, just the right amount of sweetness and tartness), chicken and biscuit, and the french scramble (fluffy eggs with mushrooms, gorgonzola and radish). And they make one mean bloody mary!
Must-​try brunch spot in Austin!

Nightcap knows aesthetics. From the moment you walk through the door, the beautifully curated space feels more like your next-​door neighbors trendy bungalow. Inviting is an understatement. Anywhere you post up, whether its outside with the yard games and cabana furniture, or inside among the bright windows and original hardwood floors, you’re going to be comfortable and welcomed.
As quaint and charming as the house is, it comes at a price that reflects it’s hip location on West 6^th St. Most of the cocktail and desserts are pretty pricey ($ 9-​$ 16) and it only goes up from there if you decide to venture to the entrée side of the menu. Happy hour is a frugal chasers paradise, where the cost instantly becomes ¹⁄₃^rd cheaper. A great option if you’re all about ambience and daylight, but the menu doesn’t include dessert. There’s no cheapening the delectable, sugary treats that the trained chefs produce.
And delectable they are. We treated (literally) ourselves to the Lemon Donuts with Ricotta. At $ 16 for 6 donuts holes, they were definitely a splurge, but damn good. A once try, as I’m not sure I could justify the price again.
Although spending an evening at Nightcap comes with a hefty cost, it’s worth it for it’s laid back, yet trendy atmosphere and delicious food. A great addition to the dessert desert that is West 6^th.

We certainly came here unaware of the classy upscaleness of this place and arrived in shorts and t shirts. Do yourself a favor and dress nicely for this place-​even if you’re just coming for dessert. We ordered the Dreamsicle and chocolate sponge cake and although they were certainly fancy desserts, I don’t think they were worth $ 10 each. It was good, but not THAT good.

Went here for coffee and dessert. I had high hopes for the coffee as it was served in a metal french press. Unfortunately, the coffee was some of the weakest I have ever had. I only drink coffee black, and this had zero flavor. The coffee was not listed on the menu, so I was shocked when my bill came and it was $ 8. I also had the chocolate sponge cake and the dreamsicle. The chocolate sponge cake was blah and kind of dry. Not worth it. The dreamsicle was very good. I would absolutely recommend this.
I had high hopes as I’ve heard good things, but I will not be back.

The Happy Hour menu at Nightcap is a stellar option given the fact that the food is delicious, the cocktails are amazing and the presentation might be some of the best I have seen. The bartenders are extremely helpful and the innovative nature of the cocktails and menus is really top notch. Nightcap is a great spot in West Austin and you should most definitley give them a try.

This is based soely on drinks and service as a late lunch prevented me from being able to try the savory or sweet menu offerings although they did look and sound amazing.
Since I arrived a little earlier than my date, I started out at the bar with an old fashioned. Bar service was very prompt and the old fashioned was very well made with an actual sugar cube and garnished with a Luxardo cherry. My only complaint is their bourbon and whiskey selection leaves a lot to be desired if I was drinking neat instead of in a cocktail. They could also use some slightly better ice. While I applaud their move to larger cubed ice for old fashioned based on other reviews, if you’re sipping rather slowly the drink does get a little diluted.
Once my date arrived, we were seated promptly and our waiter was very prompt and attentive with our drink orders and water refills. Service was definitely above the standard I’ve come to expect as normal.
While all of their scotches were 12 yr and the best bourbon I saw was Basil Hayden’s, a great bourbon but far from a top shelf. That said, Nightcap is about cocktails and in that area they don’t disappoint. I don’t know that I’ll be a frequent customer, but I’ll definitely be back.

The house that was converted is adorable and the setup was great for the party of 5 that I went in with. The staff was incredibly friendly and willing to talk about their favorites on the menu. The jalapeño cocktail was just the right amount of spicy, do recommend.
The pretzel bun was tasty. We tried five different entrees and they were all well made and presented. The chicken was moist, well-​seasoned and all together delicious, something that doesn’t happen every often for chicken dishes (and those potatos dauphine were perfect). The beet dish was AMAZING, easily the most elegant presentation of the night.
As for dessert, the chocolate cake was a brand new addition and was rich and moist. I’m absolutely going to return here.

Wow! For a place that specializes in desserts and late night cocktails… underwhelmed. It was my second time there. 1^st time, just OK. 2^nd time… blah. They had literally 6 items on dessert menu, only 2 of which were sweet, there rest were sort of «savory» I guess. We had the chocolate sponge cake. The presentation was dreadful. It was such a small serving in a huge bowl. I literally thought we were on a hidden camera show.
The «cake» was (I’m not exaggerating here) 3 small teaspoon size pieces. They looked exactly like what you would scrape off the side of a brownie pan.
Then there were 2 rock hard thin dark chocolate wafers… think Oreo, but 1000 times harder like a brick and irregularly shaped like broken glass. You needed a hammer to break them.
There was some sort of frozen sorbet which was tasty (like a salty caramel, but not that good).
Finally there were 2 «pieces» of chocolate ganache. Now, ganache is supposed to be rich and creamy and soft. This was (again no exaggeration) 2 small about nickel sized hard as rock chunks. Super hard.
Overall, this place has a great location, it is in a cool old house on W 6^th… but if you’re going to call yourself Nightcap and «specialize» in desserts and cocktails… atleast make your desserts edible. And, have better selection.
Gross. Will NOT be back.
And for the record, read my reviews. I don’t leave many, and they are honest. In addition, I’m not an Austin transplant… I’ve been here 15 years, I know Austin, I know almost every restaurant in town and I know good food. Unfortunately, as much as I want to like this place (good idea, good location), I just can’t.

Overall I am giving this place 4 stars but it was quite close to a 3. When it comes to food, it was all fantastic! The service on the other hand needed some work. I am hoping it is only because they are reletively new and still working out the kinks but it was a little rough.
Our group pretty much ordered one of everything on the brunch menu and eveyone one loved their dish. I ordered the Salmon plate which was their take on a common breakfast dish. It came with two good size slices of fresh rye bread topped with house smoked salmon, hardboiled egg, and avocado. The dish was slighty over salted but that can be expected in smoked salmon. I also was able to try the lemon pancakes and they melted in your mouth. I would highly reccommend most of the dishes on the brunch menu.
The main issues with the service were missed/​forgotten items on the order tickets. My first drink took approximitly 15mins to come to the table. Half way through the meal, another person in our group ordered a drink, and once again it was forgotten twice. Finally, when the food came out, all but one dish arrived. The last dish was about 10 mins past the rest. Our waitress appolligized for all the delays, saying items were missed but after the third time, it was a little upsetting.
Overall, the food wins and it was great but the service needs some training/​help.

Came here on a Tuesday evening for some dessert and it was fairly crowded. I loved the environment. It is located in a house converted into a business and it is great for date night. We ordered a cheese plate and a coffee and donut and I thought both were excellent. The donut holes were warm and the coffee dessert in the cup was amazing. I can’t wait to come back to try more dishes.

*This review is after having only drinks, not dessert or other food.
The house converted into a restaurant/​dessert destination/​cocktail bar set up is nice. Their food menu looked solid, their drink names are cleaver, service was attentive, atmosphere chic yet cozy. Though, their outside fake grass does not seem to fit in well with the rest of their design.
I’m sure their rent is high due to their location. That being said, for $ 14 in Austin at a place allegedly specializing in not only desserts, but cocktails, I would have expected a much better old fashioned than the one I received. I also would have thought it would come with 1 rock versus a whole bunch of ice. I can think of at least a handful of places in town where I can get a much better one for $ 10, served correctly and in an atmosphere equal to if not nicer than here.
Despite my displeasure with my drink, there is a chance I would return at some point, I just won’t be ordering an old fashioned.

Five stars for the fact there’s are two favorite things I like in life (well there are many but for the sake of this review I’ll just mention two) — desserts and French press coffee. Ironically I had to throw out my French press coffee because I was lazy trying to clean the darn thing. Me and my wonderful friends Joe C. and Shannon B. went out after my birthday bash to this place.
I ordered the Cookie Du Jour which was a snickerdoodle cookie which a tiny cup of sesame milk, Joe C. ordered the Coffee & Donut and Shannon B ordered the olive oil cake. Then of course we ordered the French Press coffee which was huge. The waitress told us to let it steep and she will press the grounds down to the bottom. I think between all three of us, we had two French Press coffee. I guess the waitress was surprised at how much we needed the half and half.
Nightcap is a great concept which has a small menu for bites but is predominantly known for desserts and cocktails. It’s in a Bungalow house with a small parking lot where you enter from Pressler. It’s cool when they hand you a check its in a type of library book with one of those due date cards where you can sign.

Of all the great things in Austin, we lacked a cool, hip place, open late, that catered to the sweeter side of life. Wait no longer because Nightcap is here to answer your prayers. The boozy dessert shop is bringing refinement to late night and offering a menu that hits the spot.
Nightcap is run by Christin Adams along with her are Executive Chef Drew Dunston and Pastry Chef Annabelle Turner. The menu features sweets like Olive Oil Cake with charred apricot, buttermilk gelato. And basil milk which had the slightest taste of a fresh salad with the basil and olive oil but left your mouth in a sweet state.
If you are looking for a full meal or simply nightcap after dinner, this is a place you absolutely must visit as soon as you can.