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Luminaire, Austin, TX

Luminaire

4.2
4.2
89 Reviews
$31 to $50
American
Top tags:
An all-day restaurant on Congress Ave. Seasonal Texas local fare and charcuterie, led by Chef Steve McHugh, six-time James Beard nominated chef. Luminaire will continue the Chef's philosophy of incorporating Texas' diversity of local and seasonal ingredients, working closely with farmers, and making sustainability a top priority.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American, Tapas / Small Plates
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 6:30 am–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (737) 257-3211
  • Website
    https://www.luminairerestaurant.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Steve McHugh
  • Catering
    All inquiries can be directed to veronica@landracegp.com
  • Private party facilities
    All inquiries can be directed to veronica@landracegp.com
  • Location
    721 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701-3216
  • Neighbourhood
    Downtown
  • Cross Street
    Congress Avenue and 8th Street
  • Parking Details
    Valet
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Wine Dinner

    US$150.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Oct 11, 2023 only
    Luminaire, Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin’s full-service restaurant located on the ground floor of the hotel at 721 Congress Avenue, is hosting a special farm-to-table dinner paired with a selection of stellar Spanish wines on Wednesday, October 11. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy a six-course menu prepared by James Beard nominated Chef Steve McHugh and Luminaire Executive Chef Greg Driver.

Offers

  • Tapas Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Sun - Sat - 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    Enjoy our limited menu from 3-5PM with small bites and discounted libations. Who knows what might end up receiving at the table, make your reservation today for this fun Tapas Hour!

What 89 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Austin

    Good for business meals

  • Austin

    Innovative

  • Austin

    Good for business meals

  • Austin

    Innovative

89 Reviews

  1. AnnieB

    Austin

    24 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    My new favorite downtown spot - doesn't hurt that the french fries are the best and they have Graham Beck by the glass. Who can resist bubbles and fries?!

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  2. Nickname

    Omaha

    7 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Honestly… I always want to love every restaurant I try. I saw mixed reviews, but wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to Luminaire. Space is fine… it’s a bit corporate, but no problem. Service was… odd. 1. Ordered starters and mains. They all plopped on the table at the same time. 101 right?… but fine, whatever. 2. Not once did they check on us for water or drinks. And no…. Not busy, so not an excuse. Again… whatever, I can track you down if I really need something. No problem. 3. But, the food…. Meh. Not bad. Definitely not great. Just…. there. We ordered some empanadas for the table. Pretty average. Egg and cheese was better than the chorizo and potato, surprisingly. The gnocchi looked really good on the menu. Unfortunately, it was just kind of an uninspired, muted flavor, (now cold) mess. The server suggested the shrimp and hominy. Again. Sounds great… again…. Engh. Almost no spice. Shrimp were a touch rubbery, everything was cold, which didn’t help. Back to 101… this is why you serve the starters… and then fire the main course later…. Luminaire…. I wanted to love you… but you’re way better on paper than in real life. You’re just missing on every front…. And not by a ton. I want to be fair. Some tweaks can make it work, but there are too many places in this city that don’t miss. So I can’t see you anymore… I’m sorry.

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  3. AustinDiner

    Austin

    71 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    71 reviews

    Dined on September 17, 2023

    overall4food5service3ambience4
    The food is top notch. Love the white gazpacho and shrimp with whipped hominy in particular. Service was courteous, but very slow.

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  4. StephanieC

    Austin

    3 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 14, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience3
    We started our Austin Restaurant week with a birthday celebration and a hidden special occasion for me. As a food enthusiast I was excited to try Luminaire. A poetic symbolism to light my way after a hard season. We started with both the: White Gazpacho As an Austinite, this is my favorite gazpacho in town thus far! The notes of cucumber & almonds coated our palate in a refreshing taste of summer and spring. All of the flavors danced together so delightfully. Sweet yet nostalgically savory as if of something my grandmother would serve if she was a chef. We love the grape and toasted almonds pieces and thought it added a great combination of texture! Which made it fun to eat. Five stars for this —or better, five hearts! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Crispy Croquettast Unfortunately, the plate came out almost cold and the cheese was hard. The flavor was there, but I know the dish would have been 5 stars if hot. Instead, I would give it a 3. Followed by the: Chicory Salad Was absolutely delicious! The blue cheese was light with the slightly tart chicory and strawberries in sherry vinaigrette accompanied really well with the warm sweetness of the glazed pecans! Gambas Al Ajillo Was beautiful, but for me, the dish was a little heavily salted. Carrillada Of Pork The whipped Hominy was my favorite and pork was soft and melted together. As a finally, we had the: Natilla Custard, Churro The Churro was perfectly crispy yet soft on the inside. While the custard made the dessert light which was wonderful and an experience with the dessert wine. Sorbete De Limon Was delicious, however I felt it was still a little salty even paired with the dessert wine. For our service, we notice the bad reviews and wanted to try it out. Our server was nice, however she did make me feel a little uncomfortable. I think she believed that my partner was going to pay so she tended to him more (to say the least) which left me a little disappointed in experience because I was celebrating too! 😞💔

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  5. MandyD

    Austin

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Run, don’t walk, to this lovely new restaurant. Every dish was poetry, the servers and chefs were warm and lovely, and the meat melted like butter. Many of the dishes were really inventive - tomato tartare! - and all the ingredients flowed together. This is fine dining at its best - with a Texan warmth in ambiance and service. Go before the secret’s out and you can’t get a table.

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  6. Beth

    Austin

    42 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    42 reviews

    Dined on August 31, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The chef was loving making us things that we would love and find extraordinary …. I wasn’t expecting their level of excellence in a hotel restaurant It’s a special place 

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    Dallas

    5 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on August 9, 2023

    overall1food2service1ambience1
    It was so empty it was eerie. There was only one other two top at the restaurant the entire time we were there yet the service was terrible. So incredibly slow and server was super soft spoken. The restaurant was very quiet and we still could hardly hear the server. Food was ok, unfortunately nothing stood out especially given the price point. Had high hopes but am unlikely to return :/

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  8. SkyCar

    Austin

    6 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on August 5, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience1
    The ambiance is majorly lacking. It feels like the lobby of an office building. Grey everywhere. We ordered drinks first, then apps. While we were eating apps, we ordered entrees. The drinks didn't come until our entrees. The food wasn't anything special, but it's priced as if it is very special. $17 for a gin & tonic. Wasn't a bad experience, but I wouldn't recommend it...or ever go again.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This place was more than I could’ve asked for on my birthday celebration. It was so special and we had the upmost service. Everything was well placed and put together for the best experience! We had so much fun.

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  10. GwynT

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 4, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    We enjoyed the atmosphere, it was quiet and we ate and enjoyed cocktails at a leisurely pace. Very European! We loved the Dinner Board! We loved the Luminare Salad! The Gnocchi was our least favorite dish. We tried both Lamb and Beef Chops and one of the Lamb chops was all Fat no meat. Order of 2. Beef chops were good, but small portions. We also had the vegetable paella which was okay. Overall, pricey and the cocktails especially pricey! But will maybe try other foods or happy hour in the future!

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  11. markeymark

    San Francisco

    34 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on July 29, 2023

    overall4food4service3ambience4
    The food was great as was our server, however we found the speed of service to be slow and often times having to ask when drinks/food would be coming? (And it wasn’t packed) Overall food was quite delicious…just bummed about speed. Hope they can improve on this. I would recommend if not in a hurry. Waitress (GiGi) was very sweet and friendly.

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  12. Bestfoodwithfriends

    Austin

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 25, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    The food was wonderful. Staff helpful and prompt.

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  13. AustinDiner

    Austin

    71 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    71 reviews

    Dined on July 20, 2023

    overall4food5service3ambience4
    Its a beautiful space, but the afternoon sun can be blinding with all the glass on the west facing wall. The food is delicious, particularly the white gaspacho. Good wine list and cocktails. Loved the pre-theatre menu, in particular. The staff is very friendly -- but needs some training. Some are not familiar with the menu. Some tend to disappear and not come by for long periods of time. Servers are awkward about bringing out the food, and seeming not to know how to sit it down if other plates have not been picked up.

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  14. Dino

    Toronto

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on July 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Wow. Wonderful food and service. Everything tasted amazing. Great use of citrus and winegars. Luminaire salad and smoked duck was beautiful.

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  15. Regulars

    San Antonio

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on July 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fabulous! Five-time James Beard Nominee Chef Steve McHugh hits it out of the park again. Robert, the GM, made us feel right at home. It was the perfect long relaxing dinner to enjoy before going next door to the Paramount/State Theatre show. (Save room for dessert, and don't miss the white gazpacho as a starter!) Afterward, a drink in the rooftop bar at Las Bis is a divine idea, too. Bravo! Chef! Chef! Parking was easy: it's only $15 to valet park at Hyatt Centric if you ask the restaurant staff to validate your ticket and then don't stay longer than 3 hours.

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  16. LeoR

    Corpus Christi

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 8, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    1st time eating there with my wife an it was a good experience, enjoyed the food an the service we received.

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  17. Annette

    Austin

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on July 3, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience4
    Service was great. Food was meh. Fine if you just need a quick meal like we did.

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  18. DuckJibe

    Austin

    37 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on June 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Beautiful place right beside the Paramount theater. Great for pre-show dinner. We had a yummy appetizer courtesy of the kitchen, and ordered the butter lettuce salad, Delgado chops and cauliflower. I enjoyed a cool and light Froze’! The service was very friendly but relaxed.

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  19. JennATX

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We loved our first visit so much that we are already making plans for our next visit.

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  20. AprilH

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Love Luminaire and thank you for your presence on North Congress Avenue. The food is great, the service is better, and it's a great space for a business lunch.

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  21. sjstallard

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had a birthday dinner at Luminaire and our group was sat upstairs in the restaurant. Norris was our server and he was amazing. There weren’t many other people there at the time because the restaurant is new, but the space could be an amazing place for late night drinks downtown. It had a high end lounge feel. Norris had some thoughtful ideas of how to bring more people to the restaurant. He was great and made our night even better. The food was delicious and the chef came out to check on us after the meal. Overall we really enjoyed our night here.

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  22. AmyD

    Austin

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on June 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great cocktails and amazing food! Chef brought out smoked duck breast on toast for a surprise. So delicious! We will be back to enjoy this cool vibe!

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  23. datenightdiner

    Austin

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 31, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I went to a 9:30pm reservation by myself on a week day. It’s quiet with a fabulous date night ambiance. I can’t wait to come back again for an actual date night. I ordered the Luminaire salad, steak & potatoes, and an Aperol spritz. Food was superb, friendly staff and overall great restaurant! Location is great if you live downtown as it’s situated just blocks in front of the Capitol. The outdoor patio is so cute. Next time I can’t wait to try their frozen drinks!

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  24. Zlovesfood

    Austin

    20 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on May 28, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    The restaurant is beautiful, the ambiance ideal, and the menu is varied. The waitresses were very attentive to our needs, kind and respectful. There's valet parking at the Hyatt, next to Luminaire and they validate your parking. The food tasted very good, but I could give the chef some tips. May be these are growing pains because the restaurant is new. The flan was excellent, one of the best I've tasted. We had a good time. I recommend this restaurant.

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  25. Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 28, 2023

    overall2food4service1ambience3
    The food was really good; however, the service was quite poor. There were only 4 or 5 tables occupied and even so, it was tough to get the waiter’s attention.

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  26. KarinK

    Austin

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 22, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    My friends and I were disappointed. We had read two very good reviews but the restaurant did not live up to the reviews. The food was just so so. The wine selection by the glass was limited. And, the service and ambiance were nothing special.

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  27. WyattA

    Orlando

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Service was fantastic! We got the Yogurt bowl, French Toast dish, and the burger which were all very good!

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  28. piperbrown1

    Austin

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience5
    Great addition to downtown Austin with beautiful decor, Spanish inspired cuisine and nice service providers. Husband loved his chops, burger was enjoyed and vegan dinner-mate was able to find tasty items on the menu conducive to their dietary needs. The only disappointment was my grilled redfish which was undercooked/raw in the middle. Mentioned it to our waitress when she came by and inquired how our food was but nothing was done about it.

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  29. Eduardo

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Food was really good. My wife loved the French toast.

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  30. HeatherB

    Austin

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This was our first visit & we were very impressed with the food & cocktails. We had to eat early because we were going to a Broadway show so the place was empty. Service was fantastic as well. We will return.

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  31. OpenTable Diner

    Houston

    3 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 8, 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience4
    Location and patio are nice but the food is sub-par. The idea of meat chops as a side sounded good but the quality of meat was low grade and the taste was bland.

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  32. JeffL

    Austin

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience4
    The food was a bit underwhelming. I had the boar chops and there was enough chili on it to wipe out the rest of the flavors. The bread that it sat on to hold the juswas too soft. It was more like a sponge than a crusty bread. The chops were also served on an elevated plate, for no apparent reason. I don’t think anyone would be able to eat directly off that plate, and I had to ask for an additional plate that I could eat off.

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  33. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    It was great, wonderful experience with great food. Would definitely recommend. We ordered our appetizer and our meal together and it all came out at once so I would order separately if you would like your appetizer first and your meal to follow.

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  34. GeorgeR8

    New York Area

    31 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on April 27, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Overall excellent though food did not come out timed as hoped, but very good.

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  35. OpenTable Diner

    Omaha

    14 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on April 23, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    My fiancé and I visited this new restaurant for our weekly date night and we were VERY impressed. Being that it is a newer smaller restaurant it did have a smaller menu but the options on the menu were all fantastic. We had the Smoked Tomato Tartare, gnocchi, and steak and potatoes. The drinks we had were also very good. We would definitely recommend checking out this restaurant and we will definitely be back again!

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  36. OpenTable Diner

    Dallas

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We go out to eat a lot! This place is top tier- food and service! Everything we ate was soooooo good: Luminaire Salad Mixed Greens, Red Onion, Smoked Paprika Potatoes, Marinated Green Olives, Egg, Citrus Vinaigrette Shrimp and Whipped Hominy Smoked Tasso Ham, Tomatoes, Chipotle Adobo DELGADA CHOPS Boar Goal Pork Citrus Braised Fennel Churro & Chocolate Hazelnut Gâteau Basque Sherry Berries

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  37. Joesafari

    Chicago

    17 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall4food4service3ambience5
    This was our first time at Luminaire. The restaurant is very pretty and the patio was lovely. We all ordered the shrimp and hominy based on a recommendation and it was delicious. We also ordered the Luminiare salad, which sounded great, but it did not have any dressing. We were in a hurry, so didn't complain. I would go back though.

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  38. happygirl

    Austin

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Great new place. Service was lovely, wine amazing, martinis excellent. GET THE CARROTS and the soup and the shrimp! Churro and Basque Gateau are worth saving space for. Did I mention the service was great 👍👍👍

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  39. AllenM

    Austin

    79 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    79 reviews

    Dined on April 19, 2023

    overall1food2service1ambience3
    Luminaire is one heck of a hot mess of a restaurant. The service at our table for four was deplorable...wine not replenished, water not replenished, an item we had ordered which never arrived, etc. We ordered a Grand Cru Alsatian white which was described on the wine list as a Gewurztraminer. When the bottle arrived , the label noted it was a Pinot blend. The "wine person" (definitely NOT a sommelier) then attempted to convince us that it was "really" a Gewurztraminer, despite the fact that Pinot and Gewurztraminer are two different varietals...not exactly news to the two 40 plus year members of the International Wine & Food Society and the sommelier in training at the table. The much lauded (and expensive) charcuterie board contained barely enough food for two, let alone four. I could go on but why waste the energy...this restaurant could well be the poster child for all that is amiss with dining in Austin.

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  40. JoelB

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic, in every sense of the word. Still thinking about it the next day

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FAQs

Luminaire offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (737) 257-3211.

Luminaire is rated 4.2 stars by 89 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Luminaire

721 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701-3216

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Congress Avenue and 8th Street
  • Neighbourhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 6:30 am–11:00 pm
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American, Tapas / Small Plates
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress Code
    Business Casual
  • Parking Details
    Valet
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Steve McHugh
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    https://www.luminairerestaurant.com/
  • Phone number
    (737) 257-3211
  • Catering
    All inquiries can be directed to veronica@landracegp.com
  • Private party facilities
    All inquiries can be directed to veronica@landracegp.com
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