Brown Bar   

Adjoined to Gumbo's restaurant, Brown Bar is perhaps the most prominent watering hole for impeccably dressed lobbyists, lawyers, reporters, people the reporters report on and yuppies on the prowl (who are usually the best-dressed of them all). The political types tend to hang around at all hours of the day, but they really start to file in for happy hour, which runs 4-7PM. The decor is something out of the Northeast, with a polished marble bar top and subtle lighting schemes. As you'd imagine, prices are steep -- for Austin, anyway -- with a single drink going for something around $6; save your lunch money and check out the chocolate martinis. -- Barrett Brown