Wink Restaurant

There were 5 of us and everyone ordered something different and all of us were very happy. The menu offered interesting ingredients and flavor combinations that were very successful. more

I was very excited when I found WINK online and looked at the website. It was exactly what I was looking for; a nice restaurant for a special night I had planned, and not in the heart of downtown's SXSW madness. I called, made a reservation for 6:30pm, and planned my night accordingly. When we were running a little behind, I called and spoke to the hostess, who was exceptionally rude over the phone. We entered into the doors at 6:37. Our waitress, JoJo, was very nice and we liked her a lot, but that was the extent of my being impressed with the staff. It took 45 minutes for our entrees to be brought to us, making the rest of our plans a bust. We had a play that we were going to at 8pm and missed it because of the amount of time it took to get our food. With that said, I completely understand that this place prides itself on its ""slow dinning experience"", that's fine, BUT What ensued after we bought TWO bottles of expensive wine and dropped over $200, is ridiculous. We were by no means loitering about or trying to stay in that noisy over crowded restaurant any longer then absolutely necessary. Both my partner and I, have worked in food service. We know the importance of turn around, and what a pain it is when people are just sitting. We had JUST eaten the last of our dessert, ALREADY paid, and had HALF a glass of wine left that we were not leisurely sipping. We were told that there was another party who was becoming upset by the fact that they hadn't been seated yet, and this was some how OUR fault? Not to mention, the table to my right, was vacant. We chugged our glass standing up while the hostess stood there ushering us away. We were told if we wanted we could go to the wine bar. Okay, I'm in sales, I deal with people all of the time and the way this was presented and handled is not alright with me. I eat at fine dining restaurants regularly and spend a lot when doing so. I have NEVER been cleared out of a place like that. We are business professionals who enjoy dressing up and having a nice meal and I will never recommend this place to anyone. The food was really beautiful and delicious, so kudos to the chef, but the guest services knocks this place to sub zero. more

Best steak I've had in a really long time. Took my lady on a romantical date and boy were we pleased. We also tried the duck and it was amazing. Highly recommended. more

Alas, I have only twice had the pleasure of dining at Wink. The best part is that both times I was with companions who are very serious gourmands. I live in Austin; they don't. I was delighted to introduce them to a local restaurant that is truly special. I'm also a gourmand(e). If the food is not up to my high standards, I'd rather stay home. On both occasions, the food was superb. I am amazed at the creative combinations of flavors and more than willing to let the chefs at Wink tantalize my taste buds, without question. I despise liver in any form, but my companion's seared foie gras was surreal. He said it was the best thing he had ever tasted -- and that encompasses a lifetime of eating at the best restaurants in the world. Portion size seems to be an issue with many reviewers. Take your act to McDonald's, folks. Or to some cheap steakhouse. Please. I don't even want to be in the same room with you. Two courses were all I could eat. I managed to finish the last couple of bites of one of three giant scallops, and wished I had ordered the two-scallop portion. The complimentary dessert (an improbable-sounding foie gras chocolate mousse!) was to-die-for heavenly, but I really, sadly, did not have room for more than one bite of it. Service was friendly, attentive and well-versed in both menu and wine offerings. The wait staff never ""hovered,"" but seemed to appear in the wink ;-) of an eye, as if they had ESP. I know well the emphasis Wink places on fresh, seasonal ingredients because I often see the Wink chefs at the same local organic farm where I shop (the unparalleled Boggy Creek Farm). Altogether an outstanding gustatory delight. At least once a week, I check the menu of the day and drool, thinking of what I will try during my next meal there. The sooner the better!!! more

Was excited to visit. Unimpressed. I enjoy 4 and 5 star dining throughout the world. They have the prices but not the product. Looking for a special night of fine dining? Look elsewhere. more

My wife and I visited on our anniversary. We called in advance to notify them of our food allergies and were assured that accommodating us would not be a problem. We reminded the waitress upon sitting down, again when we ordered, then questioned her because the food tasted like the ingredients we told her we were allergic to. We were reassured that chef was well aware of our allergies and would not do such a thing. (Guess what?) We both ended up ill because we were served food we are allergic to. I wrote a very nice letter letting them know how much we had enjoyed the ambiance, but that we had become ill because of their oversight. Not only did we not receive a response, I mailed the letter again...to the same end. To be served with less attention to our needs than is available at the Whole Foods Deli counter is not acceptable, especially not for the $300.00+ I paid for the experience. I am terribly disappointed and will not visit again. more

I am usually fine paying considerably more for fine dining. Not this time. We have tried the regular entrees and the 5 course ""meal"". The portions were quite small, some of the food that should have been hot was cold and the flavors were not as well balanced as they bragged. The wine portions (2oz. each) and their prices were silly for fairly tasty selections. We mentioned our food sensitivities...which they promptly ignored. I don't expect to pay $300 to have them feed us exactly what we asked them not to. The price tag on the dishes and wines end up feeling insulting rather than appropriate for the product provided. Look for another restaurant. Pros: Flavorful food Cons: Expensive beyond justification, oily food, more

Good food great Wine list more

My husband, son and I went to dinner to celebrate my birthday and had a wonderful experience. From the moment we entered the door we felt welcome and cared for. We were greated by name and escorted to our table which had personalized menus waiting for us. Everything we ate was delicious, but I think I chose best with the seared foie gras and sweatbreads. I highly recommend Wink for a special dinner. Pros: great food and service more

We went there last night and really enjoyed it - despite some discussion of small portions, my husband and I shared a soup, salad and entr????e and hAd plenty more

My partner and I visited Wink for our Valentines Day dinner. Though it was smaller than we expected, the atmosphere was still intimate and energetic at the same time. We were greeted by name when we arrived and immediately shown to our table. Our server was informative about both the menu and the wine list. The wine she suggested not only played to our personal tastes but complimented our food as well.\r The food itself was amazing! Both of us tried to eat slower than usual because our meal was so good we didn't want it to end. I highly recommend the duck breast, it was spectacular! - as was the chocolate soup!\r This restaurant is perfect for someone in the mood for a relaxed but elegant meal. The wait staff was warm and helpful, the food was amazing in both presentation and flavor. One word of warning, if you plan to have wine with your dinner, be prepared to pay more than you would for an average dinner. Though it was a bit more expensive than what I'm used to, it was worth it. I loved this restaurant and I'm already planning to visit it again in the near future. Pros: Fresh well prepared food, good wine list and warm, friendly staff Cons: Location, parking, and smaller space than expected more

Moved here from Chicago last August- I had been underwhelmed and disappointed by the new American cuisine here in Austin- until Wink. The menu was a long list of seasonal small and large plates. We asked our server to bring out what she considered to be standout items until we were full. She did a great job of choosing dishes, pairing sets of dishes with wine and pacing our dinner over several hours. The most memorable plates included a homemade pasta with shaved truffle, antelope, braised pork belly and crispy snapper. The sauces and seasonings were not overdone and really helped highlight the primary ingredients. Thank you Wink for a wonderful meal! Pros: food, wine, atmosphere, helpful waitstaff more

My favorite restaurant EVER. Very unique, rich, succulent food. I had the grilled scallops over cheddar cauliflower. Amazing. All my friends and I could say while eating was ""mmmmmmm!"" , ""wow!"" ""oh my god! "" ""this is incredible!"" ""this is the best food i have ever had!"". therefor, if you wish to have intelligent conversation while eating, I do not recommend this restaurant. It is impossibel to formulate coherent thoughts while eating this fabulous food. Pros: the best food ever. and incredibly nice staff Cons: it's a small restaurant, you must make reservations or you will probably wait a long time. more

This restaurant is not capable of preparing bad food! I have eaten there twice and every bite has been better than the last. The wine list is wonderful and the dessert trio is to die for! Pros: Great food, intimate, great wine list more

My fiance and I have a tradition of having dinner at wink on our anniversary. Every time we go, we are greeted warmly upon entering and it gets us off to a great start. Our names and ""Happy Anniversary"" are printed on the menu and by the end of the night, our menus have been signed by the chefs. Every dish I've tried on my many visits is remarkable. I had never heard of skate wing before wink, and I hope to see it on the menu again someday. The flavors are always memorable: the bison, the melt-in-your-mouth fois gras, the tasty sauces... don't order the same thing as your date so you can share! My mouth is watering already. You should save room for dessert. Chevre cheesecake, creme brulee, the chocolate cake - yum! And although I'm no wine expert, I can say their selection is huge, and the staff very helpful when you have any questions. Pros: Ambience, the food!, Small size gives you a personal experience more

On our first visit to Austin - we asked a waiter at another restaurant what he would recommend for a special evening out (our anniversary). He suggested Wink, and we got lucky and were able to secure same day reservations, at which point they asked if the reservation was for any special occasion. When we arrived, Mark (whom we had never met) greeted us both by name, wished us a happy anniversary, and shook our hands and led us to the wine bar - suggesting some good champagnes to sample, and noted that our table would be waiting for us whenever we were ready. After our champagne prelude - we returned to our table to find customized menus - wishing us a happy anniversary (printed on the top of the menu!). The service was exquisite, the food was to die for. I can't say enough positive things about Wink. We will absolutely return whenever we are in Austin, and would recommend this restaurant highly to anyone else. Pros: Delicious food, exquisite service, warm atmosphere more

Really loved this place--recommended by a friend, and he was right! Delicious and tasty except the salads. I dont know what they have changed but lately the slads have been terrible., and the owner is very personable, warm and friendly! We'll be back! -GSR\r \r Pros: yum more

I ate at the wine bar the other nite and loved it. The house cured salmon and mussels were outstanding. Darci rocks Pros: Great wine by the glass, cool atmosphere, yummy apps Cons: Didn't see any more

It is kind of frustrating that someone would write a negative review about this place based only on someone else's experience rather than their own. I believe this is supposed to be a forum for informed people to share their experiences. That being said, it is disappointing to hear that Nadine1 did not have the same great time I have every time I go to Wink. It has been one of my favorite places since they opened. I think it is amazing that their chefs change the menu everyday. It seems like it would be hard to consistently make the food taste as good as it always does. And I commend them for supporting as many local farmers and gardens as they do. As a veteran diner of Wink I would like those who have not dinned there to keep this in mind. The place is very small and although you WILL have a good time, if you are looking for something very intimate and quite you might want to go someplace else. I'd also like to say to all the people who need groaning Texas size portions, go to Texas Land and Cattle, not Wink. Their portions are a lot smaller. As they should be. I am disgusted by the amount of food restaurants serve. It is no wonder everyone in America is getting so fat. If you are one of the people who complain about small portions you are probably one who need them the most. I encourage people who dine at Wink to become involved with the wait staff. They are always very nice to me. I feel like I can be completely ignorant and they will tell me everything they know. I had no idea what an elf mushroom was and my server explained that it looked like a small baseball mit. Realizing I still had no clue she walked away and came back with mushroom in hand and the chef who had just picked it up from a garden that day. I wish other restaurants in town would take as much time with me. Hopefully Nadine1 will try Wink again in the future. It's a shame when someone doesn't get to experience the same wonderful restaurant I always get. Pros: Great food, engaging staff, free parking, & fun wine bar Cons: Can be loud, and hard to get a reservation more

""Jeff"" and I have an anniversary coming up I wanted something romantic....I drive by this place everyday. I'm glad I read the reviews!! It sounds consistantly sh**y! how do you burn creme brule more than once, then go and yell at your customers!!! and undercook meat more than once and yell at your customers !!! It sounds like they have a hard headed chef and a coward of an owner. Grow a pair and kick that guys a** out of there......Or call GORDON RAMSEY!!!! you jack a**, by the way... Are you throwing away more money than you're making??? Get a clue!!!!! more