This Tiny Town Is Called the 'Cotswolds of Texas,' Blending English Countryside Charm With Western Flair

Here's everything you need to know about visiting Round Top, Texas, including the best hotels, antique shops, and restaurants.

Pulling into Round Top, Texas (population 93) for the first time feels like discovering a hidden gem. The stylish small town appears almost suddenly after miles of country roads, a drive accented by white fences and sightings of longhorn cattle. Barely a square mile in size, Round Top is made up of a collection of historic buildings which house antique and vintage shopping, clothing boutiques, and even a cheese shop, a candy store, and a Hallmark-esque coffee and pie counter.

The New York Times deemed Round Top “the Cotswolds of Texas,” and a local was quoted in CultureMap San Antonio calling it “the next Jackson Hole.” Texas Monthly even gave it the title of “the Aspen of Texas.” But while there are touches of each affluent destination throughout Round Top — where the charm of the English countryside meets the Western flair and sky-high real estate prices found in the mountain towns — it has a distinct personality and appeal, even outside of the tri-annual Original Round Top Antiques Fair. Since the late 1960s, Round Top has played host to “The Show,” a multi-day extravaganza that has grown exorbitantly over the years. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors descend upon the town and the tents, barns, and hayfields along Highway 237 in hopes of finding or selling a variety of antique furniture, art, and textiles.

While antiquing may have put Round Top on the map and in the pages of many a magazine, there are a variety of other reasons to head to the tiny town — including a world-renowned musical institute, a historic dance hall, and an expertly designed boutique hotel with top-tier amenities and a wholly original story. Plus, there isn’t a chain restaurant in sight. Before you book your flight or clear your schedule, here’s what to know about visiting Round Top, Texas.

Related: 8 Best Small Towns in Texas

Best Hotels in Round Top, Texas

Opened in 2021, Hotel Lulu is relatively new on the scene, but its renovated and restored buildings – formerly known as Bybee Square — give it a strong sense of place, one that perfectly balances the forward-thinking mentality of its new owners. Cinda Murphy de Palacios and Armando Palacios of Texas-based hospitality group Palacios Murphy designed the 14-room property with the Italian phrase “il dolce far niente” as their North Star. Translated to “the sweetness of doing nothing,” it’s a message felt everywhere — from the luxurious bathrobes and Le Labo toiletries to the cozy “napping room” in the larger suites and the overall peace and quiet noticed the moment you arrive on site.

Hotel Lulu is spread across six 19th-century bungalows and three private cottages. In between buildings, you’ll find an herb garden, a formal garden, and a small pool, ideal for days when you need respite from the Texas heat. Leaving Hotel Lulu for sustenance is also optional. A breakfast basket filled with croissants, muffins, yogurt, and fresh berries can be delivered upon request, and the hotel restaurant, Lulu’s, and cocktail bar, Il Cuculo, are open seven days a week (a rarity in Round Top).

If Hotel Lulu is booked up on your chosen dates, Round Top has several other unique properties to choose from. The Frenchie is a made-for-girls-trips type of hotel, and Rancho Pillow’s eclectic nature was brought to life by owner and designer Sheila Youngblood. You can have an entire cottage to yourself at The Vintage Round Top, or snag one of the rooms at Wander Inn, the boutique hotel run by the owners of Junk Gypsy.

Best Things to Do in Round Top, Texas

Antique shopping tends to be the most talked-about activity in Round Top — and there’s no shortage of well-stocked rooms and expansive venues to browse for a wooden kitchen table from the 1800s or a well-worn pair of cowboy boots. Market Hill, Round Top Ranch Antiques, White Barn, 550 Market, and Round Top Antiques and Design Center are open outside of the festival season for visitors to peruse their goods. Houston designer Courtney Barton, Curate by Stash, Wimberly, and the two-story Townsend Provisions offer more modern takes on the Texas shopping experience. If you’re looking for artwork, specifically, you’ll find original pieces at both Humble Donkey Studio and The Gallery at Round Top.

Round Top isn’t all shopping and hunting down the best finds, though. If you head about a mile outside of town and turn left on Jaster Street, you’ll come across the Round Top Festival Institute. Set on over 200 acres of green space, the institute — founded in 1971 by internationally renowned concert pianist James Dick — is centered around its 1,000-seat Festival Concert Hall, an acoustic and visual wonder. Outside of a calendar of live music performances and master classes, the campus offers a collection of thoughtful additions that are open to the public, from a museum room where you can explore the personal effects of David W. Guion (the famed composer who arranged cowboy tune “Home on the Range” as sheet music) to walking trails, gardens, lakes, and a restored chapel from the 1800s. You can visit on your own, or schedule a guided walking tour with one of the institute’s knowledgeable staff.

With music still on the mind, cap off your visit to Round Top with some country tunes and line dancing at The Stone Cellar, a true Texas honkytonk.

Best Restaurants in Round Top, Texas

For a town as small as Round Top, it’s surprisingly full of culinary delights and charming places to grab a drink — alcoholic or otherwise. The Palacios Murphy brand expands to Lulu’s, the rustic Italian eatery within the hotel of the same name; Il Cuculo, a cocktail bar with Instagram-worthy murals painted by artist Andrea Condara; fast-casual Popi Burger; and Tex-Mex spot Mandito’s, where a bowl of guacamole and a cold margarita await after a long day of shopping.

Family-owned Royers Round Top Cafe, as well as its sister business, Royers Pie Haven, beckon visitors with their old-school charm and famous concoctions (try the Texas Trash Pie). Grab-and-go breakfast tacos, baked goods, and a variety of caffeinated beverages from Round Top Coffee Shop are perfect for an early start, and a mid-afternoon salad-and-sandwich pitstop at The Garden Co. is key for keeping your energy up. At the end of the day, wind down with a glass of cold sauvignon blanc and a slice of margherita pizza on the outdoor patio at Prost on Block 29.

Best Time to Visit

If you want to experience Round Top at its height of popularity, your trip should fall during the winter, spring, or autumn antique fair. The fair’s March and October dates occur at the same time as the famed Marburger Farm Antique Show — so you’re pretty much guaranteed to not return home empty-handed. Travelers who don’t care to battle with thousands of other tourists for hotel availability, parking space, or restaurant tables can time their visit to occur outside of the height of antique shopping. Most retailers are open year round, but many close their doors on Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan accordingly.

Getting There

Round Top is just about halfway between Austin and Houston — 73 and 96 miles away, respectively. If you’re flying into either Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) or George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (IAH), you’ll need to rent a car to get to Round Top and explore the surrounding area.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.