Watertrade

"The hidden South Congress Hotel bar is an intimate space with a Japanese bent, offering Japanese whiskies, sake, and cocktails. The space is designed with an aesthetic of clean lines and no frills. Drinking at Watertrade also gives you access to bites from sibling spot Otoko, the high-end sushi restaurant next door." - Erin Russell

"Accompanying the very tiny Japanese omakase restaurant Otoko within the South Congress Hotel in Travis Heights is this adjacent cocktail bar that’s just as intimate and expertly run. Japanese whisky and sake figure prominently, where the spirits are combined with seasonal ingredients to make balanced and engaging drinks that pair with the ever-changing bar bites menu created by the Otoko team." - Taylor Tobin

"Technically not a speakeasy, the South Congress Hotel bar is still definitely off the beaten path. Attached to omakase restaurant Otoko, which is tucked away in the courtyard of the compact Japanese cocktail bar is open to the public, as well as Otoko diners before their dinner. Make a reservation or take a chance at a walk-in opening. A limited izakaya-style menu featuring bar bites is also available. Reservations can be booked online. There are indoor dine-in areas." - Darcie Duttweiler

"And then Travis Heights hotel bar Watertrade within the South Congress Hotel was named as one of its best bars in the country at number 16 and had its own profile highlighting its Kanpachi Dirty cocktail." - Nadia Chaudhury

"Widely revered among the Austin cocktail cognoscenti, WaterTrade is a watering hole of global significance. The intimate, Japanese-inspired tachinomi (standing bar, from the Japanese words for 'stand' and 'drink') is adjacent to Otoko — one of the city’s premiere omakase destinations with the same ownership. Like its neighbor, it offers up a transcendent tasting menu. Only here, of course, it’s all presented in liquid form." - Brad Japhe