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Start a Top 5 for Holiday BarsEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Austin Monthly and CultureMap Austin. Updated September 2026.
The Eleanor · Downtown
Each December The Eleanor's multi-level downtown space becomes Miracle on 5th Street, redone floor to ceiling in Christmas decor with a Santa backdrop for photos. Austin Monthly describes red-and-green decor and a menu of festive cocktails built around holiday flavors, while Culturemap notes the room's seasonal glassware, with mugs available to take home and a share of proceeds benefiting the James Beard Foundation. Order one of the dressed-up seasonal cocktails and ask about the take-home mug before the room fills for the night.
Nickel City · East Austin
Each winter Nickel City's east side bar becomes Sippin' Santa, a tiki-themed holiday pop-up with tropical decor taking over the whole room. Culturemap describes a themed transformation of the bar's Cash Only nook into a boozy hut with a hot drink station and a shot-ski, plus Elvis and flamingo motifs in the bathrooms. Order the punch-bowl cocktail built around bourbon, walnut liqueur, Jamaican and Puerto Rican rums, citrus and maple syrup, meant for sharing with the table.