The Belmont

I dont even want to give one star. This place changed ownership. It is NOTHING like the previous Belmont. This place sucks now. The Swanky Las Vegas Plush Interiors are gone. There is no atmosphere now, except that of drunk out of towners standing in line at the bar, crowded in like sardines. One of my favorites is history now. Too Bad.

BELMONT CLOSED FOR BUSINESS!!!
Not that this review matters to a hill of beans, but I had a large cocktail party scheduled with them for tomorrow evening. After numerous calls this week, I finally went there in person to be told by a staff member from next door at Maiko that they are out of business. NICE!!! Luckily Sullivan’s had a last minute opening, but someone could have called me earlier this week. So not cool…
I just received this canned email from them:
We regret to inform you that The Belmont is closed indefinitely and without warning as of today, September 21, 2011. We apologize for the extreme inconvenience this may cause you and your guests.
Extreme inconvenience doesn’t even describe it. Planning a party for 35 people with less than 24 hours bites.

I decided to host my boyfriends surprise party here based soley on the convenient location, swanky lounge area and diverse menu. Little did I know I would have my mind blown by an incredibly friendly staff (even the valet guys were outstanding!) and extremely efficient server. Lemme talk about Kristal (Crystal?) for a minute. From the moment I arrived at the restaurant (2 hours early, I was nervous!) she was helping me out. She was buzzing tables, helping me relax and most importantly she was genuine. The party began and not one guest ever had an empty glass… She was efficient, quick and polite. Our orders were taken and food served promptly. She made excellent recommendations (cajun pasta yummmm), helped me serve b day cake and closed us all out so we could move to the next bar. Kristal made this party a smooth success. I will recommend this place to EVERYONE and make this my go to spot for events or even a casual date night.
Thank you Belmont,
(the girl in the white tutu:-)

I’m going to go ahead and review the concert space for this one, just because oh my god I am too old to do this regularly. I don’t know if my standards have gone up or if facilities have just gotten worse since I frequented downtown, but this one takes the cake.
To preface: the bartenders for the concerts are spot-​on, really cordial and great all-​around (with pours as well). The staff is great. The ladies’ bathrooms… NOPE.
As of July 2011: there are no locks on the ladies’ bathroom stalls, there’s a toilet seat missing from one stall, and you have to walk past the open men’s door (read: active urinaling). With a 8pm concert where the main act isn’t there until 10, chances are you’re using this at least once. So you’re praying that no one opens the stall door, and then slow-​maneuvering your way out once you’ve done your business so that you don’t throw the metal door into an unsuspecting friend-​of-​bathroom-​goer who is doing the valiant thing and holding the door closed for her lady-​friend.
If you’re heading in late, do a pre-​pee and make yourself a happy client.

I’m going to be honest — I was only here for a few hours for mimosas. The mimosas were average, neither particularly good no bad, and the service fairly average as well. It was brunchtime on Sunday but we’d already eaten and were just catching up with some friends.
I’ll say that the DJ was actually pretty good, and they kept the mimosas flowing. We sat on the patio, but the heat was a bit overwhelming.
Though I suppose on retrospection, that’s more Texas’ fault than the Belmont’s, and so I’ll give them 3 stars instead of two.

I. am. SHOCKED. How have I never written a review for the Belmont? Remedying immediately!
The drinks I’ve had there are decadent — mojitos and french 75s and cuba libres. Frosty beers and frozen ritas on a night when I’m feeling less ooh la la and more ooh what can i fit in my budget. The people who all work here are gorgeous — like they sourced them from some gorgeous people farm — and the same goes for the clientele. While I can only lay claim to having tasted a fraction of everything on the menu, it was all really well done. And made better by their gorgeous patios — upstairs and down.
It’s a spot to feel like you’re in Palm Springs or the 60s or in Palm Springs IN the 60s. It’s dark leather booths and white linen pants. Cat eye glasses and long cigarettes. It’s red lipstick and loose hair and lively conversation and low laughter. Lots of atmosphere, lots of innovation on stage and just a generally solid spot to spend part of – or most of – your night.
ProTIp: Take advantage of the times when they want you to eat, drink for cheap. Cheap date night on Mondays, All You Can Eat Buffet on Sundays and a $ 5 Happy Hour snack menu that’s pretty impressive.

Belmont and your dimly lit ambiance and leather booths are a throw back to what I can imagine clubbing in the 60’s would be like or add a few palm trees and cigars and transform me to Cuba.
Your patio as breezy and cool and your drinks are oh so groovy. I had a French 77 here for Unilocal drinks week and it was awesome.
Someday I may need to try you for dinner, but in the meantime, I am happy to stop in with friends and have a cocktail or 2 on an evening pub crawl.
I am waiting for you to seduce me into staying. I dare you to!

I’m no saint, maybe there have been times when I deserve to be treated badly, or ask for it (like from mistress natasha). but belmont dished out a heaping load of disinterest to our party that was hard to take.
it goes a bit like this, we left a «yelp drinks week» party at imperia. took a poll and belmont won by unanimous vote. walked over and found the courtyard was mostly empty and I asked a server if we could get table service on the upper deck. she paused and said «sure, I can’t serve you dinner up there, but we can serve drinks». so we walked up (the stairs were not roped off) and we lounged, it was a great place for lounging, the wind was blowing and the sofa was so comfortable… and we lounged some more… and the lounging stirred the thirst, and after more than ten minutes passed, somebody said, «are we really getting served up here?». I volunteered to go down to check on the situation. I the same waitress standing there by the bottom of the stairs.
I questioned her again, «are we really going to get service up there?». she replied «um… I need to speak to my manager», so I rebutted, «so you are saying I should place the drink order at the bar and carry the drinks up myself?»
she was clearly annoyed, «how about, I go get the manager and you can speak to him yourself!».
I thought, YES. things are about to get settled, we will get drink service and happiness and fun will ensue. so I waited for the manager… waited. and after a good long while I noticed our group was being shuffled down the stairs behind me, the red rope was closed behind them. we settled into some tables and once again started to order drinks, but before the order was complete, we got flushed from the table; «im sorry, these tables are reserved»
aw come on! the place was more than half empty. we’d been waiting for more than 20 minutes to place our drink order. eight thirsty adults with $ to spend on drinks and were 2x refused. one person pledged to set us up new tables, different from the empty tables reserved for people not yet there– tables that had been empty for 20+ minutes. but at this point a bad feeling had developed. two people in our party uttered these two testaments (kind of like moses would have spoke words of wisdom reading from stone tablets)
#1, I would be OK with being shuffled around for 20 minutes, IF, at any point somebody would have offered to give me a drink
#2, we could have easily dropped a couple hundred here but at this point I’d rather spend my money at the cheesy disco place on the corner
and we left, we spent thirty minutes trying to have a drink at belmont and I can’t recall the last time I’ve been to a place that cared less. we ended up at betsy’s bar around the corner, we had a good time there.
I’ll admit that the staff at betsy’s were also a little indifferent, but we got prompt service and that made all the difference.

Went on a Sunday for brunch with a party of 7. We were able to get seated immediately (after giving up on waiting for the line at Moonshine a couple streets over) and even had the option of indoor or patio seating. The patio was very cute, unfortunately it was extremely windy that day so we opted for indoor seating. The décor inside is very nice, but not too nice that you feel out of place.
The brunch buffet is $ 18.95 per person and includes items such as: smoked salmon, chef or caesar salads, artichoke and asparagus salad, artichoke penne pasta with red sauce, eggs, bacon, various bread selections, tarts and cookies, as well as a few others. The really cool thing about the buffet is that there is also a list of things that are made to order such as eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, pancakes and other things that are much better freshly made. Smart planning, on their part.
They also had BOTTOMLESS mimosas for 2 bucks. need I say more?!
I would recommend The Belmont as a brunch option — we all left satisfied and ready to take on our day!

I spent a good portion of my SxSW experience at The Belmont. The showcases here were amongst the best in the city (in my humble opinion). At first I felt the review may be slightly skewed since I’ve only been here during the madness of South By, but having spent so much time there I think I can review it pretty safely.
First of all I want to say that I really like the atmosphere here. You have a choice of sitting inside, outside in the courtyard, or upstairs on the rooftop. The bartenders were all friendly and helpful… and well, coming from Miami I thought their drink prices were beyond reasonable. A girl could get used to this!
Waiters were also friendly… He patiently dealt with a table full of 7 women… for that I give him credit!
But here’s where The Belmont is lacking– the food is quite pricy for the quality they provide. I guess I break even considering I found the drinks so reasonable, but still, I don’t like overpaying for food that leaves me feeling «meh».

I’ve been to the Belmont many times but always have mixed feelings about it, and it’s not really one of my favorite places to hang out. The type of crowd that this place draws is just not, well, not me, and the happy hour could be much better.
Pro’s:
— good food
— strong drinks
— live entertainment in the summers
Cons:
— attracts a strange crowd
— expensive
— would prefer more snackable items on the appetizer menu

I keep coming here and it’s randomly closed. And the manager will look at US like WE’RE crazy and say we don’t open til _​_​_​ (4 hours later than the website said) or we closed early. Just annoyed with this place now. Stay closed for all I care. Or please hire a new manager.
Just too unreliable to me.

Sunday brunch at the Belmont was not exactly terrible. The DJ was spinning some nice atmospheric beats at perhaps 115% of optimal volume, and the Austin weather really nailed it.
Everything was indeed edible and typical breakfast fare. Therein lies the problem. The buffet was dishing up IHOP-​caliber versions of french toast, potatoes, bacon, and fruit. When the check came, I almost choked. What hath I wrought on my bank account for this unremarkable breakfast?
$ 20.95 (with no beverages). Great Bevo’s droppings! $ 20.95 would feed a family of 13 at Shoney’s, and you probably couldn’t tell the food apart.
This is highway robbery with a side of eggs. At least the music was nice.

We came in on the heels of ACL, a bit tired and worse for wear, but we had a coupon to use up, and it was the last day, so we headed on in after a slow recovery day. We sat at the bar so the BF could watch football, and the bartender who served us was very nice, very attentive and chatty. I wish we’d gone with his food recommendations, because we might have been happier (I just blanch at spending $ 30 for a piece of meat unless I’m ASSURED it’s going to be fantastic). We ordered the PEI mussels, the ravioli, and a side of mac & cheese, and figured we’d eat it all together, family style. After awhile the bartender informed us that they were out of ravioli. OK. So after some back and forth we ordered the pork shoulder (he suggested the pork chop, and I should have listened).
The mussels were interesting, different than I’m used to. The sauce pretty much overwhelmed the mussels. I like mussels, I don’t need them completely obliterated under chunks of meat (pepperoni, maybe?), onions, and. .. don’t know what else. It had a smoky flavor to it, interesting. It’s not that I didn’t like each element, I’m just not sure they went together perfectly. I found myself trying to eat the mussels without the sauce and then piling the sauce on the bread, which was good.
Now, we had asked for everything to come at the same time, but the mussels came first, followed by the pork shoulder in about 10 minutes or so, followed after quite awhile by the mac & cheese (hard to explain that timing). I started to wonder if they’d forgotten the mac & cheese and was willing to let it go (because it was a LOT of food already), but after tasting the pork, I was glad when the pasta arrived. The meat was kind of stewy and quite dry (both wet and dry at the same time, an interesting feat). It came in a bed of white beans, escarole, pepperoncinis and polenta. I couldn’t place all the flavors, but I took shreds of pork and mixed them with the mac & cheese to moisten it up, and that helped. The mac & cheese was standard for this kind of place, baked with some kind of crispy stuff on top. Pretty good.
All in all the food was ok, but not terrific. I wanted better. I expected better. We hadn’t been in a year or more (maybe two), and I seem to remember liking it more. It’s possible we tried the wrong things, and I’d go back and try other things (based on reviews of people I trust). But despite the fun décor (I love the cushion on the front of the bar, soft on the knees) and the hip atmosphere, I want the food to be better. Maybe I’ll drink next time. That might help.

Yummy drinks and great happy hour, but I’m not a huge fan of the menu change! They changed it up and took a few items off. I’m sure this makes things easier for the staff, but I personally would prefer more options!
They do a brunch here with carafes of mimosas, and often have live music (which can be a little loud if you sit close to the stage). They do a lot of events here including fashion shows, and New Year’s Eve was a blast for $ 75 all you can drink and free apps! They host a lot of events here.
I’m a volunteer event chair for a local nonprofit called Big Hearts for Brave Hearts and we held our launch event here. They worked with us ahead of the event to get everything down to the last detail worked out. During the event the staff was competent and the room we were in was perfect for what we were doing. All in all we were very happy with how the event went even if there were a few snags that night.
If you’re looking for a nice bar with outdoor seating, this is a good fit to start your saturday night… and maybe the following morning.

Came here on Derby Day and was extremely pleased with the experience. Yes, a bunch of folks were carousing outside on the deck/​patio/​thingie (ladies, if it’s Derby and you’re *not* in Louisville, leave the hats alone. Seriously.), but inside was all Rat Pack cool. From the banquettes to the leather to the colors to the pictures to the soulful sounds of Ella… The Belmont had me sold. Like many guys of a certain age, the Rat Pack holds a distinct charm and affection. How awesome would it have been to be a member? And, no. I wouldn’t have been Sammy. Funk that noise. I would so be Peter Lawford: movie star, pretty, married a Kennedy. Sign me up!
As I dreamt of marrying American royalty, I woke up to the fact that I had some good food in front of me. After tearing up some calamari, my eyes got really large at the sight of my Italian sandwich. The star of that show was the SLAB of deliciously salty bacon that filled up both halves on the sandwich. Between that and my fries, I was barely able to clean my plate — a fact somewhat suspect given my pregnant man-​belly. I was too full, even, for dessert.
And what to wash down such culinary goodness? Why, a Belmontini, of course. Before you judge me, the drink is not all frou frou. It’s got vodka. It’s the house’s signature drink. It’s authentic… Please don’t take away my Rat Pack membership. I’ll drink a dirty one next time. Promise (crosses fingers and eyes another Belmontini).

If you’ve ever been to The Belmont then you certainly don’t need me to tell you what a swanky place it is both inside and out. But, what you may not know is that they serve up a pretty tasty brunch on Sundays.
For $ 14.95 you can order your brunch Family Style. And if you and your friends plan to eat off the platter, they’re supposed to charge you the $ 14.95 for each person. Luckily, our waiter, aka The Pouring Ninja as he came to be known after serving up our first round of mimosas, turned a blind eye and did not scold us for sharing. So nice and so dreamy he was. Sigh… If you’re with a friend and you both like to drink, I say skip the $ 1 mimosas by the glass and go with the carafe. For $ 5, that carafe will yield you about 8 mimosas — yes, we counted
Everything on the platter was delish, except for the cinnamon roll, which was a total stain on brunch. We mentioned this to Pouring Ninja and he apologized but explained that the baker had overcooked them all that morning. After scanning a few other plates, though, we weren’t convinced and were even bold enough to call him a liar! So he brought us two more just to prove he wasn’t giving us the shaft. And he was right. I’m happy to report, however, that everything else on that platter was delish, even the Monte Cristo we ended up ordering just so as to use up the full amount on our coupon.
And while I’m no brunch expert, I’ll leave that distinction to Megan L, I’d easily say The Belmont seems to be doing Brunch just right.
P to the S
How could I forget to mention the music here??? I thought the music selection during brunch was great. Not only did I hear Gotan Project playing, but I also heard an Esthero selection. So choice!

This is a review for the Sunday night Happy Hour. All appetizers and drinks are half off.
This week was pretty tedious, so I decided to hit Unilocal in search of a good happy hour. I called Dining Partner and here we were. Sometimes I feel weird coming to places like this because regardless of what I’m wearing or how I appear, I feel like a fish out of water. The Belmont really put me at ease here. They’ve created a pretty comfortable atmosphere. It’s dark and quiet enough that you feel like you’re off in your own private area.
The mojito was the best I’ve had in Austin so far. The Belmont Collins was a little forgettable, if you ask me. We ordered the mussels in the coconut curry broth to start. I’ll be honest and say I prefer this dish at the Clay Pit (because the curry broth is a bit spicier there and it comes with garlic naan), however the dish was very good here. We then ordered the onion rings and the spinach and artichoke dip. The onion rings were fine, but I probably wouldn’t get them again. The spinach and artichoke dip was better than many other restaurants in town, but I still can’t shake the feeling that I’ve had better. All in all, the food was fine to very good. The service was attentive and it was a really nice evening as a whole. There was also the added bonus at the end of the meal of «Wow, it’s only that much?!»
We’ll definitely be back. The rest of the menu looks really good and for the most part reasonably priced. In the spirit of honesty I’d probably give a 3 ½ star rating, but it was good enough to where I feel like 3 would be too harsh.

I’m a big fan of special events here. Maybe because that is the only time I have been. Last night was the Flavor Tripping party with the magic berries that alter for palette. We arrived early and sat in the pretty courtyard and had some $ 5 happy hour margaritas. Not bad, a little too much sweet/​sour towards the end. Would have loved to try a fancy martini (they had several) but kinda expensive. The whole downstairs (inside and out) has a pretty snazzy vibe. I was wearing a silk fancy dress and heels and felt right at home. But the peeps in tshirts also fit in. cool.
On to the event: The set up was perfect cuz they had the bar area, then a long table set up on the patio and one inside. They also had the misters and fans going and still plenty of tables with umbrellas, so it was very pleasant. It was nice to be able to look down onto the lower patio, made you feel part of the private party. oooh, exclusive!
It wasn’t until I arrived here that I realized I’d also been here for St. Pattys day. It was after a few green beers, perhaps that’s why I didn’t realize where I was, ha. A friend was also hosting a private party upstairs. I honestly would prefer to stay outside hen on the upper level. The inside to me is a little weird since the hallway leading from outside to inside also host the bathrooms (single stall) so when you walk by, you walk by everyone waiting to pee. Weird. also, the celiings seem really low and there is like red velvet on the walls? I just felt claustophobic in there.
Anyways. I would go back for a pre-​dinner drink on the patio for sure, and would certainly attend another event here.

Perfectly decent place to go for happy hour! Plenty of seating (and willing/​able to accomodate our party of 8, which no one else could). Service was very friendly. Great happy hour prices on beer and apps (though the regular prices on the appetizers are a little high for what you get). I had bruchetta, which was really good. The sandwiches all looked tasty too. The ambiance inside leaves something to be desired, IMO (it’s so dark — seems way too serious) but once we moved out onto the patio, it was much nicer.
I don’t know that I’d make it a point of coming back here next time I’m in town, but I wouldn’t turn it down either.