Apis Restaurant & Apiary

Chef-owner Taylor Hall, a veteran of Brennan’s in New Orleans and Boulevard in San Francisco, opened Apis as a model of sustainable dining—the restaurant keeps bees that both pollinate the garden and provide honey for dishes. Located 27 miles west of Austin on six acres, Apis’s vibe parallels the landscape that surrounds it: the walls are limestone, the floors made form smoky brown repurposed wood, and earth tones dominate. Diners can opt for the 22-26–course $105 signature tasting menu or order a la carte. The seasonally-rotating menu is packed with both high-concept dishes and re-imagined comfort food: courses like 60-day aged ribeye and hibiscus-cured foie gras are served alongside buttermilk biscuits, with honey butter and bee pollen salt. Dessert also sparkles—we love the meyer lemon panna cotta—and from the cocktail list, we’ll take the Apiary, honeycomb-infused Texas bourbon with lemon, sarsaparilla and dry curacao.