Alta’s Cafe

Quiche was okay but coffee had a bad taste. However, the location right on the lake, away from the traffic, was fantastic.

Great spot for a quiet Sunday morning Kombucha

Got the cheese platter, iced vanilla chai, and GF muffin. All were great! And you can’t beat the view of lady bird lake… Very relaxing.
Will be back on the next trip to Austin. We stayed at a nearby hotel so it was easy to walk to also!

We stopped here after a vigorous walk along the river. Many great alternatives… my friend had a chai tea latte with hazel nut milk. I had an iced coffee and a beet and goat cheese sandwich on a crunchy (sourdough?) roll. It was devine, but I clearly love beets. It came with potato chips. Everything was fresh and all-​natural.

Easily my favorite café in Austin. Love the view. Love the location. Other than parking being a little difficult, I have nothing negative to say about this place. Everything I’ve ordered off the menu has been exquisite. While I wouldn’t come here solely to eat, the café style food is still delish.
Mainly I come here to drink (which is my excuse to go to both places as I border alcoholism). Their happy hour prices for wine are fantastic and they have a great selection. They are generous on filling up your cup to the brim, but the even BETTER time to come here is on the first Saturday of the month. On first Saturdays, enjoy live music and SIX DOLLAR BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS until 2pm.
Six. Dollars.
Easily the BEST priced mimosas in town. And this champagne is not your cheap champagne like some places (ahem, The Park). It has become my first Saturday ritual and I have brought any friend that likes mimosas and wants to have a lovely Saturday afternoon on the patio with a beautiful view. Even their coffee drinks are fantastic. This is a MUST GO place in Austin if you are visiting and would be a great location to take a gal on a super casual date.

Came here while I was in town for a conference and went for a run on the lake. I conveniently ran into this place while I was looking for a breakfast spot and they had a nice view overlooking the lake.
It’s a very peaceful spot to sit, especially if you’re travelling alone and don’t feel like being in a busy restaurant. Only reason I’m not giving it two stars is for the food. I got an everything bagel and it was well over salted and the smoothie was average for the price. To be fair, I went to a café and didn’t order coffee so I’m probably not the best person to rate it as café food.

Supporting local businesses is very important to me. I work equidistant from Alta’s Café and a Starbucks. I always go with Alta’s and I’m never disappointed. Located right on Ladybird Lake, you’re greeted with a friendly staff, a fantastic view, and ample seating outside on their deck. Did I mention Wi-​fi? My co-​worker and I frequent here late afternoons during the week when that 2:30 lull starts to creep in. The coffee is great, beer and wine is also available. There’s some delicious healthy food options too. Nothing beats sitting on the water with a drink and a cheeseboard. Definitely one of Austin’s best kept secrets when it comes to cafes.

This café is tucked at the Waller boathouse area. Park at the MACC center on Rainey street, the trail will take you straight to Alta’s. I’m not too sure if they have free wifi.

Located right off of the hike and bike trail I’ve passed this place quite a few times without pokinng my head in. Rectified that a little while ago and wasn’t disappointed. Sandwiches and healthy blended drinks can be enjoyed on the patio out back overlooking the river. This is a nice spot to chill and watch the sun set after a bike ride or jog. Pet friendly patio with a clean restroom. Yaay a restroom!

This is pretty good but all of the food is pre-​made and just heated through which is a little bit of a turn off. My grilled cheese with prosciutto was nicely toasted on the outside but the cheese was not melted in this center and I need melted cheeses in a grilled cheese.
Nice view of lake LBJ on the deck!

Set your expectations to come to a café and don’t expect a Michelin star restaurant and Alta’s is a treat.
What more can you want from a small, no bs café overlooking the lake? It’s got impeccable views, friendly staff, and ample seating. I don’t expect parking when I come downtown, so I can’t dock them for not providing it.
I had the Prosciutto Grilled Cheese and it was great. The bread was fresh and toasted well, the cheese was tight, and the price was fantastic for downtown. My only gripe was the prosciutto could’ve made a more prominent appearance, but prosciutto is my jam.
There aren’t many Austin spots that I would consider «hidden gems» to quote an overused cliché, but this is one. No fuss, great café food and stellar views that you can’t get anywhere else.

5 stars for the patio and the view, 3 for the overall food and drink. If you’re in downtown and can walk here, it’s a great place to take in some sun and watch the rowers paddling by on the water.
The first Saturday’s of the month they also have live music and endless mimosas (until 2pm when we went for around $ 7) which was a great way to spend the first part of our day with the parents visiting. Just go and relax and don’t be in a hurry because no one seems to know exactly when the music is good to start :)

It’s cool. Don’t want to type more. Go figure it out.

What a gem. I almost don’t want to write this review because I want to keep this place to myself.
Great coffee, definitely one of the better cappuccinos I’ve had in town. Nice patio and awesome view of the river, better than that of Mozart’s in my opinion, quieter and less crowded too. They also offer smoothies, beer, and wine. Haven’t tried their food yet but I am hopeful of its quality.
I’m surprised to see quite a few bad reviews for what I think are silly/​unfair reasons:
— Because of parking: it’s downtown, it’s by the lake, it’s going to be hard to find parking, but not more so than any other establishments in the same area.
— Because of slow service/​small food menu: it’s a coffee shop with a view and it’s got a laid back vibe. It’s not a great place for brunch or grabbing a quick cup of coffee with bagel, but it’s a great place in it’s own right.

A friend introduced me to Alta’s last year by virtue of a book club meeting. One would certainly never find it without a guide, trust me.
The first vibe I got was that it was Alta’s was a laid back – dare I say borderline «hippie-​vibe” – establishment, with a small selection of edibles alongside wine, beer, coffee, smoothies, and other drinkables.
I really didn’t think I’d be impressed because I was early for the book club, I was hungry, and it all looked like rabbit food. I was so very lucky to go for the rabbit food as it turned out.
Normally I expect when I buy a boxed salad from a refrigerated case in a place like this that they’ll just hand it over and you’re left to your own devices. But the «barista» added a really high touch. I left with my wine, and she said she’d bring out the salad in a few minutes.
When it arrived, it looked nothing like the lonely salad I’d seen in the display. It was presented on a large paper plate, fully dressed and fluffed. Ultimately, it looked as delicious as it tasted. OK, maybe she was actually salad fluffer and not a barista. Yes, you can now add «salad fluffer» to your vocabulary. That is, if it doesn’t mean something nasty in Urban Dictionary.
The only real downer of the night – and this could be a biggie – was at the time I visited, there was work going on below for what appeared to be a City of Austin retention pond or sewerage project. Either that, or they’d just dressed the grounds with sheep manure. I’m going to assume that, based on the gorgeous deck, this is not a persistent problem and just a fluke on the night I visited. But it was at least a distraction, possibly more, especially if you’re trying to eat. It smelled like a septic tank had backed up.
Also the bathrooms are a bit quirky. They’re outside of the establishment, which is OK since most of the seating is outside as well. But, in order to use them, you have to go inside to get a code first, which can be a unnecessary delay if there’s a line. I understand why they do this, with the number of runners, rowers, and vagrants in the area, but it’s just a little hassle. I guess the good side of this is that the restrooms are well-​maintained and not the nightmare they could be otherwise if controls weren’t in place.
Hits:
— Decent views of Lady Bird Lake
— Fantastic staff and service
— Food is quite good
— Relaxing
— Spotlessly clean
Misses:
— Malodorous (on my visit, at least)
— Limited lighting after dark
Definitely a place to kill an hour or two and chill. I’ll be back someday.

1) they lied about serving blue bottle coffee.
2) the girls who work here are dumb. I asked for a spinach and ricotta quiche. When it was ready she said «your sundried tomato quiche is ready» I told her I ordered the spinach one and she said «oh, yeah it’s the spinach one». When I got back to my hotel and started eating it, it was no doubt the sundried tomato! Wtf… They just seem disconnected and inattentive the whole time. They don’t seem like they do any work there… just hanging around.

Parking is horrible. Per their website– you can park on the top of the hill or at the Mexican American cultural center & it’s a 5 minute walk. Hah. With all the construction around, good luck finding the MACC … and finding street parking too.
Bathrooms– this pretty much ruined my first impression of this place. The men’s restroom was out of order & the women’s restroom was taken over by a kid with stomach issues. SO. They really need to fix bathrooms ASAP.
I can’t speak for the food or drinks or prices since we came for a cider tasting event & Texas Keepers cider was pretty good & reasonably priced for a bottle.
But what I do love about this place: The view over the water. The bats at sunset. The patio & live music. Umbrellas up during the day to shade you from the Sun. If you can find parking & find a seat, you’ll be in good hands.

My favorite thing about this café is its location, overlooking the water. Two things about that:
1. That looks like a river to me. People keep referring to it as a lake, and I don’t understand it because I’m 99% sure it’s the Colorado River.
2. Get a new name for your river. Colorado deserves priority here because they also named their entire state after THEIR Colorado River. I don’t appreciate having to specify which Colorado River I mean when I’m referring to rivers in the United States. Yes, it’s all about me.
In any case, there’s nothing not to like about Alta’s. It’s got free wi-​fi, tasty smoothies (although I’m not sure if the Flu Fighter really fights the flu), pastries, Blue Bottle coffee, breakfast tacos (the Jess Special is what’s good), and the aforementioned excellent view.

I strolled over to Alta’s based on a recommendation from another business to check out.
I was able to go around sunset, order a lovely glass of sryah-​cab blend, a cookie dough truffle, and sit out on the beautiful patio that overlooked a gorgeous body of water.
The rowing school below was closing up and cleaning their boats which was interesting and fun to watch and made me want to take up rowing or at least try it out sometime.
The individual who served me was a delight and suggested both items that I tried which were wonderful suggestions.
Definitely a nice spot to lounge, listen to music, and take in the scenery.

I love this hidden coffeeshop near the river. The space is beautiful and connected with other organizations, the heater was on full blast and warm on a chilly day, and they have a great selection of local goods to pick from, including energy bars, East Side Pies, chips, and Blue Bottle, as well as a few taps.
The atmosphere is quiet, and the seating inside isn’t exactly meant for large groups, making it a great place to study or work. I’m sure the patio is popular on beautiful days and overlooks a portion of the river (and at the moment, some construction). The bathrooms are outside of the coffeeshop and code-​protected, but tidy.
It’s right next to the trail that meets you at Trinity, which will take you down to Rainey and also to the portion that will bring you over the river to the Boardwalk – a great stop before or after a ride or run. The parking lot is small, but the location didn’t seem to be too busy on a Saturday afternoon. I would love to return!