Serenade

Overall great experience! The drinks were delicious and the main course was exceptional. The duck confit was amazing it was so rich and even the veggies were well seasoned and vinegary. The service seemed a bit discombobulated but Tad took great care of us and stepped up to ensure we had a good experience. Also once the food came out, it was piping hot the fries or frites were so hot they singed my fingers but were so good. It's also beautiful inside the restaurant and Tad was sure to tell us about the design and the history of this new place. I can't wait to see how this new restaurant grows with time.

Love the atmosphere Paloma was good Steak was good Fries were really good Mustard béarnaise was fire Our server Tad was kind and attentive. Gluten free options for shared plates, entrees and desserts. Writing the review before desert but, it will probably be good. Update: crème brûlée was great

One of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had. Chef Johnny Ray elevated our visit by taking the time to visit our table and tell the story of the dishes which created a true one of a kind experience. We will definitely be back again.

Great service. Food is unexpectedly good for a hotel restaurant. We stopped in before an ACL live show next door to get the 15% discount. We would do it again. The interior design was very beautiful. Cool vibes with a furry wall!

The place and atmosphere is very nice, but the food and service are not on par with the price. They tried to be creative, and I like their not-overwhelmingly-sweet desserts, but half of the savory options we tried were not good. The ribeye steak was very tough I couldn't finish it. Our server didn't clean our table between courses and we had to box the leftovers ourselves.

Had an amazing brunch at Serenade! The food was absolutely delicious, with a perfect balance of flavors. The ambiance is classy yet relaxed, creating the perfect setting for a leisurely meal. The cool vibe and attentive service made the experience even more enjoyable. Highly recommend!

If you’re looking for a dining experience that perfectly blends French elegance with bold Texas flavors, this restaurant is a must-visit! From start to finish, every bite was an adventure. We started with the whipped chèvre spread—possibly the best goat cheese I’ve ever had. It was perfectly balanced between tangy and savory, with a delightful crunch. We even saved the last bits to pair with our entrees! The Bacon Jam Gougères were the ultimate French/Texas fusion—flaky, savory, and absolutely indulgent. For entrees, the duck confit was cooked to perfection, and the sea bass had an unexpected twist that elevated it to the next level. Both were amazing and highly recommend. Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, we ended with the pecan pie-inspired éclair. Imagine all the richness of pecan pie reimagined in a light, airy pastry—it was pure genius and the perfect sweet finish to an extraordinary meal. The ambiance was warm and inviting, the service flawless, and the menu’s creativity unmatched. Whether you’re celebrating or just treating yourself, this place delivers an unforgettable experience. We can’t wait to come back and explore more of this incredible menu. Props to the chef of this fantastic addition to the Austin restaurant scene.

The first thing you will fall in love with is the ambience both inside and outside, then the friendly and personable staff, and lastly the delicious and well portioned food selections. The fashionable hosts will seat you at your preference of table upon entry and you can peruse the varied menu for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Whether it's Nelly, Rene, Tony, Jack, Rhett, Eric, Hailey, or any of the servers you will be well taken care of and shown plenty of southern hospitality. Whether you want waffles/ ham for breakfast, red fish or steak for dinner, or crust less cobbler or puff pastry with gold flakes, you will walk out full and satisfied with your dinner/drink selections. It's an all around great restaurant that's a must stop in to visit in Austin.

We had breakfast at Serenade while staying at the W Austin and really enjoyed it. My husband had the blue crab benedict, which came with a fresh salad on the side and he loved it. I ordered the Serenade breakfast -- eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast -- and it was exactly what I was craving. We also shared a pancake, which was big, fluffy, and came with butter and syrup on the side. The restaurant itself is beautiful inside, bright and modern but comfortable. Service was friendly and quick, and our coffee cups stayed full. Everything tasted great and we both finished every bite. A little on the pricey side, but overall a really good experience

Words cannot express how good they did on the remodeling of this place. It is so pretty inside. It is a vibe in general. The staff is so friendly and very attentive and even the manager comes to check to make sure everything is going great and she was so nice. The bar is gorgeous. It is definitely a date night or girls night owl or just go and relax there and mingle kind of place. Huge election on cocktails you can choose one of theirs which they have very unique tasting ones or you can just order what you usually do and they will do a great job at it. They also had a great wine selection, which is very nice. All the food we got was delicious. The muscles came in a very good sauce that honestly, you can drink it. This was a different take for the beef tartare, but that little white sauce that they would add was so delicious on it. The only thing that I thought was OK with the little biscuits not relief for me but people who love biscuits would love them. Now I know super odd but I have to say their french fries were so good. I am big on french fries. Now, sadly, the tomahawk that they gave us they overcooked it and it was not medium the way we wanted it. It was a little dry. It was the last one they had, but they were nice enough to comp us that steak and on the house make us ribeyes, which came out amazing it's not on the menu, but I think you can request them and they were made medium and perfect to Taste literally like butter. Overall, definitely will keep going back to this place just for the vibes and also for the food.

I'm always on the lookout for good French cuisine and was not disappointed! The food. Let's face it, if the restaurant is beautiful and the food is terrible why go?! Our waiter was attentive and was ready to make recommendations. They also offer valet parking - which is a big incentive to me when coming downtown. I'll always select a restaurant who thinks about their patrons before they even get into the car.

The W Hotel opened its restaurant! We arrived toward the end of their Sunday brunch and were seated immediately. The ambiance is airy and refreshing, a big departure from the previous dark, velvety vibe. John, the host and manager, stopped by to chat about upcoming renovations and even showed us the tucked-away Blue Room. The pastries are a must-try, especially the puff pastry with mascarpone, fruit compote, and cream cheese--absolutely delicious. The pastry chef came from Swedish Hill. I had the duck confit, which was slightly overcooked but still enjoyable, especially with the perfectly crisped mashed potato rectangle. My companion ordered the crab cake eggs Benedict and really liked it, He loves eggs Benedict. The space is lovely, the service was excellent, and the bar is absolutely gorgeous. They had run out of the Chilean sea bass, which happens to be the chef's favorite dish, so I'll have to come back to try it!

This is the restaurant attached to the W in downtown Austin. It was our breakfast spot, and our breakfast was included in our rate. Yes, we tipped the normal amount on top of the "free" breakfast. The menu was spectacular and we each ordered according to our tastes. I requested a side of bacon cooked extra crispy and received exactly that - beautiful responsiveness. The breakfast sandwich with pork belly was similar to a bacon roll from the UK in some ways and not the traditional "bacon egg and cheese croissant" in the US style. My wife's crab benedict was incredibly flavorful and she enjoyed the lightly dressed greens as a sharp accompaniment to the sweet crab and umami egg. The coffee was spectacular - brightly acidic and paired well with some heavy cream. This is the kind of place that if we had a reason to be downtown early, we'd come for breakfast and should be a welcome sight to anyone staying at the W.

I used to frequent the W as the brand has always been associated with the party crowd, but now that each hotel is rebranding itself, the vibe is more sophisticated, grown up and chic. I have been eagerly awaiting the reopening of this space and it was so worth the wait! A few little nuggets of info: They offer brunch all day, everyday and during lunch, valet is free!

We came here for a brunch during my bachelorette, and while this was the perfect establishment for vibes and pictures, the food was simple not it. I got the duck confit hash, and the theme of my dish was underseasoned. My duck was dry and tasteless and the potatoes and eggs were saltless. I had to drown my dish in cholula. My friends all had similar sentiments about their dishes- many got the serenade breakfast. Our server was very nice though! He was very attentive and gave us a good mixture of juices for our mimosas. He also gave us a complimentary plate of delicious fruit and honey. Overall, I probably wouldn't be back, especially not for the food. But Serenade is well cleaned and nestled in JW, has many beautiful single stalled restrooms, and is perfect for vibes and pictures.

Serenade, previously Trace restaurant has a Texas flare with French undertones. The newly renovated restaurant was convergence of a French brasserie combined with an American speak easy. We were treated to four passed bites: Miniature Endive bite, Housemade Gougeres, Chevre Spread and Beef Tartare. Hands down, the Housemade Gougeres was my favorite...the bacon was sweet and savory at the same time and quite crunchy, which soothed my palate. Beef tartare was not my favorite...it was a bit bland and uneventful. The two welcome beverages were served and were quite refreshing: De Soi Sparkling non-alcoholic sparkling aperitif and Daylight, which was highlighted as a lemon martini (wow: alcohol content TBD...but let me just say you only needed one and should be experienced slowly). I carefully selected the Oscar Winning Tears - a gin cocktail with whisked egg white and mixers. I loved the miniature clothespin that attached mint to the side of the glass. The drink was a little on the foamy side. Truly the crescendo of the evening was the chef highlighting some Serenade signature dishes. He described the dishes with intricate detail with onlookers salivating as the dishes were unveiled. He epitomized an individual that loved what they did. All in all, a lovely evening and great opportunity to meet yelpers!

Had really high hopes for this restaurant but was very disappointed by the drinks, food, and service here. The restaurant itself is beautiful, but the experience and service were very much lacking. As another review mentioned, the bread served with the Whipped Chèvre was cold and the dish overall was underwhelming. The fish and french toast dishes were decent, but nothing that really sets it apart from other restaurants. We felt rushed during our time here and were not very satisfied with the wine recommendations we received from our server. We were hoping to receive recommendations that paired with the dishes we ordered, or that were generally popular, but realized we were simply recommended the wines with the highest prices on the menu. Really wished the service was more similar to other restaurants in Austin, where servers aren't trying to upsell you on drinks. Would not recommend sitting at the bar for a casual brunch, or visiting if you aren't staying at the hotel. I'd say this is a decent spot if you're staying at the hotel, but definitely wouldn't come to mind when recommending restaurants to locals. There are lots of restaurants around town with better service, tastier dishes, and a more pleasant experience.

Overall: Serenade might be one of my new favs in Austin! The decor is beautiful, the wait staff is attentive, and the food was good! I went during brunch and they had so many options for me to choose from. Also, they have a huge patio, perfect if you prefer to sit outside. What I Got: - Blue Crab Benedict - This was delicious. I love the sweetness of the corn cake paired with the crab. I wish the corn cakes were thicker or more crab was added. Get this if you want a healthier or lighter option to eat. - Chicken Cordon Bleu - this sandwich is THICK! The chicken is crunchy, which I love, and the bread is a brioche bun, which I love even more. It also comes with a whole bunch of fries. Definitely get this if you're hungry hungry. - Serenade breakfast platter - This was a simple platter which is always a good option to have. The bacon was crispy, the bread was chewy, and the potatoes were good!

Good food option inside the W hotel. We ate breakfast there twice. Good coffee and great service. Prices were reasonable given the quality of the food and size of the portions.

Decided to check out this new restaurant with friends and was super underwhelmed. 1. Whipped Chèvre was pretty good but even the naan served with it was cold so nothing great 2. Tomahawk steak was insanely overpriced and not well cooked or a good cut of meat in this instance 3. Mussels were just OK 4. We had a birthday and had requested a birthday dessert and were charged for this which was not a great touch when you've just opened.

This is the new restaurant in the renovated W hotel, formerly Trace. Unfortunately, despite a nice facelift of the overall hotel space it still feels like a mediocre hotel restaurant. There's no validated parking, it's $30 for 2-3 hours or $45 if past that. It's worth it to park at a garage around the hotel. They just opened so still figuring out the kinks, which is why service gets a pass. Food wise, nothing stood out as unique but we tried a couple things: - whipped chèvre - crudo - mussels - this was probably my fave dish - tomahawk - very medium rare but was just ok for me - duck fat potatoes - not crispy , don't recommend

Validated valet parking. Service was friendly. The whipped chèvre spread was AMAZING!! The space was beautiful and had a great ambiance.

We were first introduced to Serenade on 12/23 when we stayed at the W for our daughter's 8 y/o birthday. Conveniently adjoined to the hotel and open at 11am, it made for the perfect brunch spot. The staff were so nice and accommodating. The manager even came to speak to us and brought us a plate of sugar and gingerbread cookies because they heard it was her birthday. The food was excellent! I LOVED my beet salad and the grilled shrimp were cooked to perfection. My husband ordered the duck confit hash and it was so flavorful! Our 12 y/o ordered the pancakes and they were to die for! The birthday girl ordered a grilled cheese and fruit - not on the menu but the chef accommodated us. She was so happy! As if the meal, service and ambience weren't enough, they also sent us "home" with another box of cookies to continue celebrating her birthday! Fast forward to 2/1/25, we came back to the W because we were going to see a show at ACL. This time, it was closer to an early dinner service (about 430ish pm). They provided us with the dinner menu, but then changed it out with the brunch menu because the chef said they had not set up the dinner line yet. While that was OK for the (now) 13 y/o, husband and I didn't want breakfast-y kinda food. So we ordered the kids food first, then waited about 15min to place our dinner menu order. The seafood board was interesting. Love the crab claws, ceviche and the oysters. Did NOT enjoy the mussels. They had a weird aftertaste. I ordered the cauliflower steak. The veggies tasted good but it was not a "steak." It was more like purple cauli florets and a piece of the cauli stem. Not a problem but I was mentally prepared for it to be a knife and fork situation. There was also a purée of sorts underneath. Not a fan of that, so I'll omit that next time. Husband ordered the sea bass. The fish was a delicate texture but could have used some more seasoning. He didn't care for the green sauce, which one of the hostesses described as an onion flavor. The 13 y/o ordered French toast (decadent and so good!) and the 8 y/o repeated her grilled cheese. All in all, we will still come back to serenade. Just maybe stick to brunch time lol.

Had breakfast here twice during our stay and everything tasted great, staff was super nice too!

This was our first time dining at Serende, chosen for its proximity to the Deep in the Heart benefit concert at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, and the advertised perks--15% off with our concert tickets and validated valet parking. As three friends visiting from Waco for a girls' night out, we were excited to enjoy a relaxing meal before the show. The ambiance was stunning, and the frites were absolutely delicious--crispy, flavorful, and a highlight of the meal. We all opted for burgers, as the only steak option was a 12 oz. cut, which felt too large for our appetites. Two burgers came on brioche buns that unfortunately weren't fresh and crumbled easily, while mine was served over greens. We added bacon, avocado, and egg, and while the flavor was promising, all three burgers were undercooked. With the concert starting soon, we didn't have time to send them back, so we ate around them. The margaritas were good, though we weren't asked about our tequila preference on the first round--something we corrected the second time. Service was friendly, but checkout was a bit chaotic. Our server had to redo our tickets to apply the concert discount, and when retrieving our car, we were told we'd exceeded the three-hour valet limit and would be charged extra. Our valet ticket hadn't been stamped, and I had to show receipts and messages confirming full validation. Serende is a beautiful restaurant in a prime location, and we appreciated the partnership with the benefit concert. With a few tweaks to service consistency and communication, it could be a truly seamless experience. We hope to return again--with more time and fewer hiccups.

The interior of the restaurant is 5 stars, however, the food, drinks, and service was ok. The Seafood Board looked cute, but didn't deliver on taste. It was MEH. There was no ambience, as we were the only table inside.

Serenade is SUCH A VIBE I love the new restaurant so much. I honestly forgot to take photos of the food cause I just dug right in. I'm not usually a big fish fan but wow the sea bass is heavenly. So buttery and melt in your mouth good without being too heavy. Great selection of cocktails and who can resist a pit stop here pre or post ACL Live shows. It's the perfect spot!

The new W downstairs bar/restaurant space is absolutely gorgeous. A group of friends and I had drinks and dinner and the beef tartare, sea bass and duck, as well as a couple of delicious desserts. Staff was lovely. Love when a hotel has a great, spacious restaurant option!

I truly enjoyed my dinner here before an ACL Live show yesterday. Attentive and friendly service. The Sea Bass was far better than I expected, or have found locally in Austin in several years. Summary no flaws, fantastic food and wonderful staff team. Nothing I would change. Very well done Serenade!

Had an amazing breakfast at the new W Hotel restaurant. Space is beautiful and really nice for a business meeting or brunch with friends. Highlights were the pancakes (some of the best I've had in Austin) and the crab benedict. Service was excellent too. Can't wait to try it for dinner soon!

The space is gorgeous. We had a drink at the bar before dinner, and it is such a lovely place to enjoy a cocktail. I recommend the Cantar cocktail. Dinner was also a great experience. The service was outstanding, and the food was 1) beautiful and 2) so, so good. My #1 recommendation is the Pan-Roasted Sea Bass. It was my absolute favorite of all the dishes we ordered. Duck Confit was great, as was the crudo of the day and Cheese Selection. Overall, it was a great experience, and I highly recommend Serenade.

Don't Go ! The food was marginal and the Service was Pathertic. My eggs Benedict had no flavor and came with a miniscual 1/2 inch dot of hollandaise on it. The server was no where to be found and never checked in and never refilled our coffees or waters. We waited twenty Five minutes before finally walking up to the front and getting our own check because we had to be somewhere.

It was pretty "meh" for the price. We went on a Saturday night and it was empty- bad sign. We started with the cheese board and it was fine, but nothing special. 3 cheeses and 3 jams/spreads on a white plate for $24. We asked for a few pieces of extra grilled bread and they charged us for the bread. We ordered the duck- very undercooked Brussels sprouts, unflavored potato puree, and a small portion. We got the apple tart for dessert and only ate a few bites and left the rest. Service was surprisingly weak for a restaurant with those prices. Perhaps he was a new server but we were constantly looking for him. He brought over our bottle of wine after we had finished our meal. The ambiance would be fine for a breakfast or lunch but was lacking for a dinner date. There are so many great restaurants in Austin with the same price point, and they are much better than this one. If you're staying at the W on an expense account, I'm sure it would be fine for a breakfast or lunch.

Food was average for the price and the service! So many better restaurants with better food and cheaper....

The food is not good. We had their mocktail and that was really yummy. If you know what's good for you do not order the cauliflower steak. HUGE disappointment.

The vibes were perfect!! Food was amazing and the management team kept checking in on us to ensure we were satisfied highly recommend.