Aviary Wine Kitchen - Austin

We wanted to like Aviary, but they really need to try harder to create a menu and a space/place/ambiance that people respond to. As a wine bar, it has a tiny and not very interesting selection of wines by the glass. The menu was scanty and unappealing, and did not have even basic things like charcuterie boards that are featured on the menu posted on the website. Everything was pickled/fermented, and I mean everything. That would be fine if that's how they marketed Aviary, but there is nothing to to indicate that until you start to order and can't find anything not pickled. The service was friendly but desultory. They didn't really care if the menu was not as advertised and just floated away. It didn't really seem like anyone cared. The whole experience was kind of depressing.

The wife and I really enjoyed sitting at the bar at Aviary. Had excellent service and advice on what wines to try based on our preferences.We like to restaurant bar hop on date night and this was our first stop and I wish we would tried more than just the seared scallops, which were beyond excellent AND we got to watch the chef prepare them! This was my favorite out of the other 3 places we tried.Very cozy atmosphere and the wine we tried was great. We aren't big wine drinkers, so we tried the lesser expensive ones, but we were very happy with our choices. Ready to go back very soon!

Food was delicious. Wine was good and reasonably priced. Wait staff was excellent.

Great food, wine and staff. Overall great experience!

If you're looking for an extensive wine list you'll love the adventure here! The menu is small, simple, fresh and absolutely delicious. The service was attentive and help guide us through every step of the way. I'll definitely be back!