Alyssa F.

Excellent dinner date option! This is a swanky place near Cathedral Square. The entrance is a huge wooden door that leads to small(ish) dining space with bar seating and some tall buys by the kitchen. Make a reservation otherwise you may have to wait. There are floor to ceiling windows with blinds that they roll down if the sun gets too intense. There are so many elevated details like the chandelier, ceiling-high tree inside (could be fake), wait staff in emerald green uniforms, moist hand towels to freshen up before you eat and your choice of a complimentary stuffed date at the end of your meal which the resultant manager offered to us. The aesthetic is eye-catching but not in an overwhelming way. It's all very on theme. As for the food we loved the flavors and how so many dishes were made to be shared. The mezze plater is an absolute must. It comes with one piece of fluffy pita per person and you will need more. There aren't many vegetarian mains on the menu but there's plenty of small plates to bite from. We loved the grilled asparagus as an add on vegetable. When it comes to dessert we don't typically have room for something sweet but we decided to try the kunafa. It was divine! It was our first time trying this and we both loved it. It was just so unique, delicate and satisfying. Definitely will return for this and to try the Lotus Biscoff Cookie. Quick note on parking because it can be tricky. There aren't a lot of readily available street spots (which are metered) so be prepared to circle a few times or park and walk. There's also a Hop stop out directly outside the restaurant.

Carly S.

My friends and I had a lovely time sharing dishes and having cocktails at Aya! The restaurant is decorated very well, making it a great vibe for a date night or girls night. Our server was so kind and friendly, and was the perfect amount of attentive while also letting us chill and chat. The cocktails and wine we had were delicious. We shared a hummus, sampler, lamb kebab, and sticky toffee pudding. I loved the variety of the items in the sampler and the sticky toffee pudding was amazing, I definitely recommend those items. The other items were good, but for the price were just a little disappointing, but everything else more than made up for it. Overall, it was a unique and fun experience.

Sam S.

Can't say enough how much I love Aya! My first visit was opening week (in February) and I had to run it back a few weeks later (in March)! The front door alone lets you know you're in for an experience and the interior design was curated perfectly! Both visits, the staff were wonderful! Even with a short wait before our reservation we were seated in their lounge by the bar for pre-dinner cocktails! The food is the star of the show - the flavors, portions and even presentation! Aya is definitely a must try!

Shivani P.

Had the pleasure of visiting Aya this last week. I was there for a work event so I will preface by stating it was not a traditional dinner type visit for a small group. Interior of the restaurant is beautiful! Loved the decor and color scheme. Very boujie and elevated! It does get quite loud as the evening goes on and it gets busy Food was tasty! Ingredients seemed high quality and the medley of flavors in the dishes were unique and really nice. Got the beet salad as an appetizer which was fresh and light. If you like beets I highly recommend! Table shared the seafood tower which was loaded with so many different sea apps including meaty and nice sized lobster tails. For dinner I had the chicken and it was tender and delicious. The rice is super flavorful and the sauce that goes with the dish was smooth and a perfect pairing. Several desserts were shared by the table and all of them were good. My favorite was the cheesecake! Service was a little slow but I'm not sure if that's because of the nature of the event (there was a presentation and not sure if the waiters didn't want to interrupt too often) The waitress was super sweet and receptive. Our water ran out several times and there definitely could have been more bottles on the table for sharing (there was only 1 voss bottle at a time for 6 people) and not refilled fast enough. Dishes are pretty pricey so it feels like more of a special occasion type place than one I'd be itching to go back to often as it can get expensive real Quick. Food was good but I'm not itching to go back to spend such a hefty amount for what we had.

Lico J.

Came back for a second visit and was truly impressed by the service team, who recognized me by my reservation name - honestly not common in Milwaukee at all. Love, love, love that hospitality spirit! As for the food, we got the lamb chops, halloumi, and oyster mushrooms as appetizers; the chicken and rice with roasted cauliflower for the entrée; and the kunafa plus mango baklava for dessert - and truly enjoyed every single dish. Highlights for us were the incredibly flavorful and beautifully cooked lamb chops and oyster mushrooms, the creamy kunafa dessert, the refreshing mango baklava, and especially the deliciously fragrant rice in the chicken entrée (our picky toddler ate half of the rice). If we had to pick on one thing that they could improve would be the chicken in the entree - a bit dryer than we like in in our experience. Overall, we will definitely be back!

Ally S.

Highlights 1) Beautiful Restaurant 2) Flavorful Food 3) Fun Drinks Aya has been at the TOP of my want to try list for so long! You absolutely need a reservation. We came on a Wednesday night with a 7pm reservation and it was completely packed. We were seated at the bar to wait for our table. The cocktail list is fun and the wine list (even wine by the glass!) is great. We were seated about 10 minutes after our reservation, Per our servers recommendation, we ordered a bunch of dishes and shared everything. We did a maze platter, lamb kebabs, chicken, halloumi, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. From start to finish service was great and food and drinks were flavorful! Looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu!

Michael W.

Aya is the newest addition to an already incredible food scene in Milwaukee. They specialize in elevated Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cuisine in a vibrant, elegant atmosphere. Since it opened it has already become a popular must stop for any foodie. It is the same owners of Saffron, and they draw on the influences that has made that restaurant a smash on the Milwaukee dining scene. This is another home run and one of the most unique dining experiences in the city. We tried many plates: the mezze sampler platter, Wagyu Shish Taouk, Lamb Shish Kebab, and Oyster Mushrooms. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the presentation was spectacular. Our standouts were the Wagu and Oyster mushrooms. You must try them! Them mezze sampler was also incredible. The cocktails we ordered were also fantastic. The atmosphere and presentation of everyone was beautiful and elegant. Besides the amazing food, the service was also top-notch, friendly and attentive. If you are lucky enough to snag a reservation, don't pass it up. Go now!

Kushal D.

We came into aya to celebrate a birthday and had a great time! The staff was so attentive and kind, the restaurant beautiful and the drinks were quite creative. The menu had something for everyone - we opted to share a bunch of mezzes including the sampler, halloumi, skewers, and Muhammara. The muhammara and the baba were our favorite dips, and the halloumi and falafel were delish! The skewers were the star - chicken was so flavorful and juicy. I didn't try the venison or lamb but was told they were good. I would say Aya can be quite pricey - we spent almost $400 between three of us, and another couple spent $300. While the food was delicious, the portions were small for the price. Likewise - they only provide one pita with a dip, and extra pita is $5 for a single pc. Having been to several similar restaurants in other cities like Chicago, phx, dc, nyc...pita refills are usually provided for free or at minimum each person is provided with an individual pita. This wasn't the case which made it difficult to finish the mezzes without ordering extra pita. We had a fantastic time and the food was high quality, and delicious. The service was great. We will come back, but with the price point it will likely be more of a special occasion spot.

Alexander D.

We decided to stop in to celebrate a special occasion and I appreciated being seated promptly. There is not great parking the area so be advised and I do think maybe a valet would have been a nice touch for a fine dining experience. The service was tremendous as the staff was super attentive we did have an earlier reservation but nonetheless they were on top of everything. The ambience is a nice elegant touch for a fine dining experience. I think they really thought through the decor and presentation of everything. The food my favorites were the lamb hummus and my branzino. Their version branzino had great flavor. Their version of a pide was a nice touch different than the Turkish pide I've had in the past. My wife got the chicken dish which was a little overcooked and dry unfortunately. Overall, worth checking out and giving a try.

Danielle P.

Such a solid new restaurant spot for the Milwaukee food scene the restaurant was fully booked for last Friday night, but we tested our luck around 6:45 hoping to snag a seat at the bar and we did! A couple others opened up after us too, so I would definitely encourage this approach as it's full-service and, honestly, probably the best seat in the house! I will say, the area of the restaurant is kind of random and parking will probably be a hit or miss. The bar area is stunning. With a huge marble accent wall, white quartz countertop and mid-century modern touches mixed with contemporary glam. The wait staff all wear suits as well which lends itself a certain elegance. The rest of the restaurant is spacious, tall ceilings. Not much architectural excitement happening in the building, but it's clean and pretty to look at. The drink menu is creative and bougie, many of the drinks having special touches to them that entailed bartender tricks. I got thee gin drink which resembled a pisco sour (a bit sweeter but really tasty) and my husband did a smoked bourbon drink. The food was outstanding! We chose to do a mix of tapas and honestly, every dish was better than the last. We tried the wagyu carpaccio, yellowtail (honestly the biggest pieces of sushi I've ever been served, huge portion), fattoush smash (this was a delightful surprise of a dish!!), spicy Muhammara (one of the best I've had!) with delicious naan, and the wagyu skewer. Had to finish off this 10/10 meal with dessert and opted for the tiramisu Everything was amazing and we can't wait to go back!

Scott W.

I don't normally try a new restaurant until it has had some time to settle into a rhythm. The issues that we had might resolve themselves over time. We had 7:15 reservations on a Wednesday night. It was busy, about 3/4 full. Food: We started with a couple of their specialty cocktails. My wife got the Smoke Thyme Manhattan, and I got the Fig. This is not something that I usually say, but for me the best part of the meal was the Fig cocktail. It was expertly made, a bit like a latte, with nice foam and some stenciled artwork. For starters we got the Classic Hummus. It was nicely textured, not overly creamy, with good flavor and some roasted chickpeas on top. The pita was super puffy and still warm from the oven. For shareables we got the Beets, Grilled Octopus, and the Wagyu Shish Taouk. The beets are multi-colored and sit atop a bit of ricotta and champagne vinaigrette. The beets were nicely chilled and the flavors were good, but they were a bit overcooked and soft. The Wagyu was good, cooked to medium, and had decent flavor, but it was not as tender as you would expect. The grilled octopus was a disappointment. It was nicely charred, had good flavor, and the pea purée was tasty. Unfortunately, it was overcooked and the inside was actually a bit "mushy." Probably the worst piece of grilled octopus that I have had. We wanted to leave on a high note, so we ordered a couple of desserts: the Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Mango Baklava. Both of these were made in a very unconventional manner. The sticky pudding cake was dry (as opposed to being soaked with the syrup) and sitting in a bowl of date compote and caramel syrup. The baklava had layers of dry phyllo pastry and could have benefited from more mango filling. They were both good, but not great. Service: Service got off to a slow start and was spotty throughout the 1.5-hour meal. When we were seated it took about 10 minutes for our server to arrive, so we sat there with empty water glasses as hurried servers passed our table. When our server arrived they were extremely pleasant and friendly. However, they were not very helpful with some of our menu questions ("Sorry, I haven't tried that," or "No, I haven't heard much about that.") We specifically told them that we weren't in a hurry and wanted to pace the meal. No problem, they said they would submit the tickets to make that happen. The hummus came out first, and then while we were still finishing that, the other three items arrived. It made for a very crowded table. I mentioned that to the food runner and got literally a blank stare. There were also other small things, like having to ask for more water. One more note on the staff. This is one of the few places where the staff wear uniforms. While I don't think that is necessarily a bad idea, they should probably ensure that the uniforms they assign fit properly. I think they could use a good tailor. Atmosphere: It's a beautiful place. The furnishings and design have a high-end feel. When we arrived I thought it was very noisy, and it was, but the table that we had was built for two and it was relatively easy to have a conversation. As I mentioned earlier, they are just getting started and I would expect things to improve. In the meantime, I will dine at some of the other excellent Mediterranean restaurants that Milwaukee has to offer.

Anna R.

So exciting to try a new place, walking in is like stepping into the Mediterranean, with classic finishes and olive trees. The big windows overlook the city in a nice way. The menu is large with familiar options and Mediterranean and indian fusion flavors. The cocktail and drink menu features many fun options. Out waitress provided some great recommendations and was able to help guide us to our choices. We got the Manakeesh Za'tar pita to start, followed by Batata Harra, and our entrees Kharouf Shank, and Dukka Crusted Prawns paired with a glass of Syrah and Petra Mocktail. Everything was delicious the pita was fresh and warm, the batata was delicious and had a hint of spice, and the lamb shank just fell off the bone. The combination of flavors was great with a nod to multiple cultures. I wish we had saved some room for dessert! Overall, beautiful restaurant and great menu with so many delicious sounding options, we are already taking about what we would like to try next time we stop in.

Abby C.

This place was so beautiful, we came here to celebrate our anniversary and it was a great choice. The service was amazing everyone was so attentive, our waiter was friendly gave suggestions for food and drinks as this was our first time there. We didn't feel rushed we got to really enjoy dinner. The food was fantastic, I am sure we will be back here very soon! (Had Prawns but we ate them before I could take a pic)