Had reserved this restaurant a month before visiting Austin. Had chosen this spot after some…read moreresearch for hip, high end restaurants with great food and ambiance. This restaurant was everything I could of asked for. Probably the best restaurant we tried in all of Austin. I'm from Los Angeles, and have been to many high end and hip restaurants, this was definitely up there with some of the best restaurants. Food: Crab tagliatelle is a must! This dish was delicious and everything you can ask for from a pasta. Gnocchi special with Peas and Asperagus is a must. This creamy and feather light dish was packed with so much flavour. Lobster scalloping was very good as well and so was the filet mignon. But best of all were the side of carrots, pear and endive salad and the Cho salad. My drink was the basil cocktail was was phenomenal. Everything was just so so very good. Our waitress Tiagna was an absolute delight in every way. Thank you so much!!!

This was my first dining experience at Red Ash and it was for my friends birthday dinner. We had a…read moreparty of seven and were seated at the high top in the front of the restaurant by the hostess counter. I had a great view of everybody walking by the restaurant outside :) Our server was fantastic! He was super friendly and attentive. We arrived at 8:00 p.m. and left a little after 10:00 p.m. The food was delicious. My man absolutely loved his seafood pasta dish! He doesn't even eat pasta but he scraped that plate dry. I highly recommend ordering family style for the table but make sure your whole party is on board with splitting the check evenly because the restaurant does not break up the check according to diners only split evenly, I believe up to four ways. Example: Our check was $822 (included gratuities) for seven people and we were only able to split evenly four ways. Roughly $118 each. It is what it is but I didn't even get a main course. Just a glass of wine, a half of a piece of bruschetta, some of the Caesar salad and a small portion of the gnocchi (all shared) I'm glad I got to experience Red Ash, but now that I've checked that off my list, I'm good.

My little son and I came for dinner here on Monday night…read more Firstly I will say parking is a bit hard to come here so I pre booked a spot in Vincent lot just so I didnt have to deal with circling around and it was only a 5 min walk away The restaurant as you approach it is so cozy and definitely gives you that ethereal lush feel The restaurant was buzzing and full on a Monday night. We had a reservation and the host sat us down immediately and was so friendly. Our server was there right away. Her service was just perfect ... friendly and not over the top. She was knowledgeable about the dishes and gave us suggestions. We had a mockingbird mocktail and my son a soda. The drink was perfect. We ordered the whipped feta, falafel and beef Lamb kefta. Everything came out really quickly. The falafel was absolutely delicious. The whipped feta was a hit with my son. The kefta was a little disappointing. A little bland and dry. I ordered the pannacotta my son the chocolate chocolate cake. I absolutely loved mine with the sorbet on top. My son loved his cake. Atmosphere wise the restaurant is beautiful and cozy and grand but the only complaint would be the music was too loud and it was hard to hold a conversation. For me it doesn't match a nice restaurant but rather a bar concept I would say it was great service and great food

Good food as always, but pretty mid service. My wife and I have been here a number of times and…read morealways really enjoy our meal at Aba. But this most recent time we came for lunch left us with a bit of a sour taste in our mouth. Everything started out strong, the waitress was super engaging, and attentive. Food was really tasty (as always), and came out quickly. As we started to get to the middle and end of our meal thats when things started to go down hill. The waitress didn't come by to refill our waters, I had to ask the staff. And then we were sitting around for about 30 minutes to ask for boxes, and even the check. I am not entirely sure what happened to the server, maybe they got distracted or got busy. But Aba is an expensive meal, and I expect more from this kind of establishment.

My cousin is in town with her sister-in-law & daughter…read more They selected Truluck's for dinner. I was a little apprehensive for a couple of reasons: 1-I don't eat seafood. 2-I'm often leery of corporate/chain-style places. *Yes, I go to them but often times not good experiences. Let me tell you something, my concerns vanished almost as soon as we walked in. My cousin made reservations and we were sat immediately. They were pretty busy however, we had such a lovely time that we shut the place down. We were there for almost four hours! It's easy to get lost in conversation with a good glass of wine (or a bottle + several glasses after that lol), good company, food, and a place with great ambiance. The ambiance was spot on. The decor and lighting are exquisite. I can see why so many people choose Truluck's for a special occasion or date night. It's upscale & magical. Truly a premium dinner destination. Service was incredible. Talk about premium...we were treated like royalty. Curtis went above and beyond for us. Such a nice & sweet guy. Even at the end of the evening when we shut the place down, the manager took pics of us on our behalf and chatted with us as well. He didn't make us feel rushed or that we weren't wanted there any longer. Food: We had sides for the table that included asparagus, truffle fries, Lyonnaise potatoes, and Parker House-style rolls. All delicious. I had the tomato salad (minus dressing) with black pepper & it was perfect as a summer main. It paired wonderfully with the asparagus & bread. My cousin had the filet mignon cooked at medium. I had a couple of bites and that was one delicious steak. Her daughter had the Ora King Salmon and she absolutely loved it. She said it was tender, juicy, and full of flavor. My boyfriend and my cousin's sister-in-law had the lobster bisque and they were in heaven. They couldn't stop talking about how good it was. Must have been because it had a strong lobster smell (remember, I don't do seafood). My boyfriend loves a good wedge salad so he had one with his soup. He was definitely jiving on its goodness. The sister-in-law had the jumbo lump crab cake and raved about the texture and flavor. As I mentioned earlier, the wine was flowing. However, I opted for still water with orange & lemon slices. We all had still with either citrus or cucumber slices. My boyfriend and I kind of shared a mini-Manhattan. By kind of I mean I had three sips. That was a proper Manhattan. Cheers to the incredible mixologists on staff. We rounded the evening out with two desserts for the table, Baked Alaska (see vids) & Key Lime Pie. Holy sugar were they good! I was pleasantly surprised by this experience and look forward to going back again. It's nice to be able to spend time with family in such a luxurious setting. Impeccable all around.

i had such an amazing graduation dinner at truluck's! the interior is stunning, and they welcomed…read moreus to the table with a super sweet signed card which made the night feel extra special. our waiter, darius, was also incredibly attentive and gave us great recommendations throughout the meal. the crab cake was definitely the highlight of the night! soooo tender, rich, and decadent. the lobster bisque leaned a little salty, but it was still super creamy and flavorful. the shrimp cocktail was also really fresh, with huge plump shrimp. for the entrees, the seabass and redfish were our favorites. both were super tender and cooked beautifully. the crab fried rice with the seabass was a little bland on its own, but the crawfish and shrimp in the creole sauce with redfish were outstanding. unfortunately, the ora king salmon and seared tuna were disappointing...the texture was oddly mushy and didn't feel very appetizing. we did love the desserts though. the carrot cake and chocolate cake were both rich and satisfying without being overly sweet. overall, despite a couple misses, the service and atmosphere made this such a memorable place to celebrate a special occasion!

Great service. Our waitress was Kitty and she is a treasure. Clearly on top of all aspects of the…read morerestaurant. Her recommendations were spot on and she was attentive to every possible need. Thank you for a good time.

I'm actually kind of sad that I haven't tried this place out yet. It's been on my list for quite…read moresome time as I drive by every single weekend. finally decided to pop in and was able to grab a seat at the bar. The bar definitely had plenty of TVs, so if you're sports person. You could easily catch a game while here. One of the Table tents, notified guest of a happy hour for oysters, which I'm not an oyster fan, but hey to each their own. Had to try out the clam chowder and it was one of the best clam chowder I've had quite some time. You could easily taste the clams at a really nice consistency not too thin, not too thick and I didn't even have to add any salt to it. It was just really tasty. When the clam trotter was delivered, I happened to look at what other plates were on the serving tray ready to go out in one of them happen to be this phenomenal salmon dish. I asked the gentleman what it was and he said it was his favorite dish on the menu, so of course had to try it the salmon dish absolutely out of this world the glaze on it side. It came with it. Everything just fit really well together and y'all that plate was clean by the time it went back. This place is definitely on my shortlist as I really would like to try some of their other plates again that salmon and the clam chowder really made an impression and highly rate this place if you're looking for a good seafood place in Austin. The vibe of the restaurant was laid-back, but also very open, clean setting clean lines plenty of light and they even had really clean restrooms. The staff also was very pleasant and friendly with every one I interacted with.

Clark's is one of those go-to spots for my fiancé and me…read more The martini happy hour is a good excuse to stop in -- a properly cold martini and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay a little longer than planned. The Oysters Rockefeller are the standout. Rich, savory, perfectly baked, and just indulgent enough without feeling overdone. Clark's feels polished without being pretentious. Great seafood, good drinks, and a vibe that makes even a quick stop feel like a night out. Five stars. The martini was a good idea. The oysters were the better one.

A friend and I wanted to get some drinks and oysters before we headed to dinner--we were able to…read moregrab seats at the bar and were served by Clay. He was very attentive and checked in throughout, ensuring we had enough water and beverages. After being sat, we were immediately met with sourdough bread with butter and sea salt. We ordered oysters including 4 that were dressed--very fresh, tasty and I'd return for the oyster happy hour which is Monday to Friday from 3pm-5pm (they are a bit pricey) The star of the show was the octopus--I've had octopus across the US and globe and honestly one of the best I have had, so glad we ordered in. Definitely try it out.

I will start by saying my taste buds are a bit biased as I'm married to a Spaniard and frequent…read moreSpain. We ordered the bravas, seafood paella, tortilla, and jamón croquetas. The croquetas and bravas are the best in Austin - better than Kalimotxo, San Gines, and El Raval. They were extremely delicious and the perfect texture and size. The paella was about as good as you could expect from a food truck. The tortilla was our least favorite - taste was good, but wasn't as liquidy as you'd expect in Spain. Overall, the food was great. We would definitely go back! Thank you for keeping this Spanish food authentic.

I was in town and decided to venture to the Morte Subtle for some Belgian beers. This place…read moreprovided food so I decided to grab Spanish food. Beef bombas and jamon. Oh my moth were absolutely delicious.

We've been to Bill's a few times now and it's definitely in our top five in Austin for both lunch…read moreor dinner! Here's what we have tried: Burger - 10/10. May be my favorite burger in Austin. It's delicious! Fries - 10/10. Perfectly thin and crispy. Get the caviar ranch! Fried Green Tomatoes - 10/10. We ordered these expecting just a normal appetizer but they were so much better than that! We returned with my parents who agreed they were phenomenal. Tuna Tartar - 9/10. Super flavorful and the wontons provide a good crunch. Mozzarella Sticks - I give them a 8/10 but my husband gives them a 10/10. Lobster roll - this was just fine to us and not worth $40 in our opinion, but we're also not huge lobster people. Cocktails - 7/10. I liked their central market martini a lot on another visit, but this recent time I got a regular dirty martini and it came out with so much ice. After some waiting I got it strained and it was much better. Ambiance is great too! Comfy place, and I love the paper on the tables.

Decided to try Bill's Oyster during happy hour from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Was walking around downtown…read moreAustin and saw the lovely patio area and decided to stop in. Went inside to check in and was seated on the patio without a reservation. They had a beer and a shot offer for $8 so I had a mezcal shot and added an oyster to it. Also had $10 martinis and I ordered a cocktail to enjoy as well. We ordered 18 of the $3 oysters and they were were fresh, clean, and well-shucked, exactly what you want when you're there for a classic oyster experience. The happy hour pricing made it even better, so it felt like a great value for the quality. Discovered they had $2 oysters from the gulf so we ordered 6 more of those. These were larger in size than the others and a bit more filling. The oysters were served with horseradish, cocktail and mignonette sauce for a fresh and flavorful bite. Service was friendly and attentive, and everything came out quickly. It's a great spot whether you're meeting friends or just stopping in for a casual bite and a drink. Definitely a great place to try oysters happy hour, would love to return and try items from their regular menu.

From start to finish we had an outstanding experience. We brought our young daughter and were…read morenervous being that this is a Michelin Star restaurant, but everyone was so kind from the second we walked in. All of the employees were warm and welcoming and we never felt like a burden. They were kind enough to give us a note signed by all the staff for our anniversary! Our server also gave us complementary champagne as well as a dessert. The restaurant itself is also very cozy. The kitchen is cool as the concept is an open flame cooking. Now the food was simply amazing. The halibut was melt in your mouth and I still am thinking about how good it was. The scallop was probably the best I've ever had, and I love scallops. I had one of their cocktails and it was also outstanding, and the ice cube even had an H on it! For the quality of food I felt the prices were very reasonable on the à la carte menu. If we lived in Austin we would be regulars here for all of our special events! Thank you Hestia team for making our trip so special!

It was a somewhat disappointing experience at Hestia, given the fact this place has 1 star…read moreMichelin, which I don't think they will keep it for long... We ordered: scallops, texas Wagyu bavette and halibut. The server recommended the bread so we ordered that too. When we received the bread, it was in a small basket and freshly out of the " oven ", which they seemed to be proud of serving very fresh bread. The bread was approximately 1/6 of the length of a regular baguette for $6 and a bit of unsalted butter. We split the bread in half and after eating a piece, immediately, it tasted gummy and very sour the inside part of the bread. I double checked if the sourness came from the butter, but the butter was fine. The sourness came from the center of the bread. I informed the server that the center was sour/gummy and felt undercooked. They took my piece and returned it to the kitchen and gave us a new piece of bread. But that bread had the same issue. Gummy and sour in the center. I had to peel away that part and just eat the outer parts. For the scallops, unfortunately the sauce did not meet expectations. You could tell the scallops were of high quality, but the sauce was too salty and too acid. What a disappointment. The entrées were fine. The halibut was good, maybe a bit dry, but the sauce saved it. The Wagyu bavette was initially a tad too salty, but then as I kept eating it tasted fine. But I realized I just slowly got used to the saltiness of the meal. This meal ended up being way too salty because I had to drink a huge amount of water and felt dehydrated after this meal (I didn't consume any alcohol!) I did give the feedback about the bread and scallops to the server, he stated that he will share it to the chef. Hopefully they can improve. They did comp the bread which was a nice gesture. I did look online what could cause the gumminess and sourness of the bread (as I was curious if I was the abnormal one) and here is what they say: " A gummy center combined with a very sour taste is the classic signature of an under-fermented loaf (often called "under-proofed").When dough does not spend enough time in the warm bulk fermentation phase, the yeast fails to create a strong, airy structure, leaving the center dense and wet. Concurrently, the bacteria keep producing acid without the yeast balancing it out, resulting in a highly sour, flat flavor. " Solutions to fix this is : " Extend Bulk Fermentation: Let your dough rise longer at room temperature until it increases in volume by 30% to 50% and feels full of air.Watch the Temperature: If your kitchen is cool (under 70°F / 21°C), move the dough to a warmer spot like an off oven with the light turned on.Cool Completely: Always wait at least 2 to 4 hours before slicing into a fresh loaf so the interior starches can finish setting as the steam escapes. " They should have definitely not served us the bread pipping hot and they should have allowed the bread to rise longer. Perhaps take out the bread of your menu if you don't have the time to let your bread rise longer or cool.....