Aris Mediterranean Steakhouse
A polished West 6th dinner date built around dry-aged steakhouse craft, Mediterranean flavors, and a three-course Restaurant Weeks menu.
Our night at Aris
For this Tuesday date night, we dressed up and headed to Aris Mediterranean Steakhouse on West 6th for the Austin Restaurant Weeks menu.
The night started with a small amuse-bouche of warm broth, followed by a bread course with hummus and accompaniments before we settled into the prix-fixe dinner. They even let us choose the garnish for our water, which was a small detail that made the table feel a little more intentional.
I added the $25 beverage pairing to my Restaurant Weeks menu, while Jen started the evening with a lemon drop. For the first course, we split the beef carpaccio and Aris cigars, which gave us one cool, delicate starter and one richer, crisp bite. For dinner, Jen went straight for the steakhouse move and ordered the ribeye; I went Mediterranean and chose the lamb chops.
Jen had been to Aris before on a girls' night, when the steaks were presented and carved tableside with a dramatic sage-smoke presentation. We didn't get that show during Restaurant Weeks, but that tradeoff is part of why we love Restaurant Week: it is a chance to try great restaurants and great food at a reduced prix-fixe price, while also supporting a great cause. A portion of Austin Restaurant Weeks proceeds benefits the Central Texas Food Bank.
A lemon drop for Jen, the pairing for me, then ribeye versus lamb. Exactly the kind of split-order date night we like.
What we ordered
To start: a warm savory broth amuse-bouche, followed by bread with hummus and accompaniments.
Drinks: Jen started with a lemon drop. Mark added the $25 beverage pairing to the Restaurant Weeks dinner.
First course: We ordered the beef carpaccio and the Aris cigars so we could share both starters.
Table detail: Aris offered a choice of garnish for the water.
Second course: Jen had the ribeye with demi-glace ($15 Restaurant Weeks supplement), while Mark chose the lamb chops with saffron carrot cream, asparagus, snow pea, chickpeas and chermoula ($10 Restaurant Weeks supplement). We also had the carrot side shown below.
Pairing: Mark's beverage pairing continued with the second course, while Jen had her own drink alongside the steak.
Dessert: We finished with baklava ice cream and mango sorbet, plus a mini espresso martini to close out the meal.
Part of the experience
Aris leans into the steakhouse theater. There is a visible meat room showcasing premium cuts, including A5 Wagyu and other steak selections, plus a Scotch cart for tableside pours. Those details are part of what makes it feel like a true special-occasion restaurant rather than just a place to grab dinner.
One more stop: Nightcap
We weren't quite ready to call it a night after dinner, so we walked about two blocks down the road to Nightcap for one last cocktail. Jen ordered The West Egg and substituted vodka for the gin; Mark went with the Whiskey Business. It was an easy way to stretch the date out without getting back in the car—and gave the night a relaxed second act after the full Restaurant Weeks dinner.
Nightcap: 1401 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703. Current posted hours are Tuesday–Wednesday 5–10 PM and Thursday–Saturday 5 PM–midnight; closed Sunday and Monday.
One more Nightcap tradition
Before you leave, sign the guest book at the bar. And if you're following this date night, flip through and look for the AustinDateNights.com entry—we left our mark too.
Plan your own Aris date night
Parking: Valet was $8 on our visit.
After dinner: If you want to keep the night going, Nightcap is about a two-block walk from Aris. We ordered The West Egg (vodka instead of gin) and the Whiskey Business. Use the links above for Nightcap's current drink menu and directions—and don't forget to sign the guest book at the bar. Look for the AustinDateNights.com entry while you're there.
Dinner for a good cause
One of the things we like most about Austin Restaurant Weeks is that it is more than a prix-fixe deal. A portion of proceeds from participating restaurants benefits the Central Texas Food Bank, so trying a new restaurant also helps support neighbors across Central Texas.
The menu that night
Dinner — $75 per person. Aris also offered an optional $25 beverage pairing, which Mark chose for the night. The photographed menu below is what was on our table that evening.
Appetizer
Entrée
Dessert
Optional after-dinner choice shown on the menu: Espresso Martini or Carajillo. Menu photographed during our 2026 Austin Restaurant Weeks dinner.
Our take
Aris hit the sweet spot for a dressed-up Austin date night: a beautiful room, steakhouse energy, and enough Mediterranean influence that we could order two completely different entrées. The broth amuse-bouche, bread-and-hummus course, thoughtful water-garnish choice, and drinks made the opening of the meal feel especially polished. Jen's lemon drop and my beverage pairing set up the night, and splitting both the beef carpaccio and Aris cigars gave us two very different starters before we moved on to her ribeye and my lamb chops. Jen's previous visit had included the full tableside steak presentation with sage smoke; Restaurant Weeks was a little more streamlined, but the value is exactly why we keep coming back to these events—great food, a special-occasion restaurant, and a lower prix-fixe price. Even better, a portion of the proceeds supports the Central Texas Food Bank, so the night also gives back to the community. Ending with baklava ice cream, mango sorbet and a mini espresso martini made the prix-fixe dinner feel complete from start to finish. The meat room and Scotch cart reinforce that Aris is built for a special-occasion night out, even when you visit on a Restaurant Weeks prix-fixe menu. Walking a couple of blocks to Nightcap for Jen's West Egg and Mark's Whiskey Business was the perfect way to turn dinner into a complete Austin date night. Signing the guest book at the bar gave us one last little memory to leave behind—look for AustinDateNights.com if you go.