Wink Restaurant

We wanted to love Wink. We really did. We'd looked forward to going there for months and had scheduled a sitter for our daughter so we could go. Almost from the beginning it was a disappointment. The server was rude, the salad order was wrong...twice. Then it was overly oily. The soup seemed almost like pure cream and made my husband and I feel ill. Our meat was good, but under-done, but we were afraid to complain at this point because our server was so harsh. Our creme brulees were burnt beyond recognition, we didn't even finish them. And yes, we know what they are supposed to look like. After that we just wanted to get out of there so we paid the overpriced bill and something scurry past our feet as we opened the door to leave the building. We won't be back.\r \r To the Wink employees or owners who are obviously coming to this site to post rebuttals to unhappy costumers: If you'd spend as much time and energy in your restaurant making sure your costumers are happy as you do 'fixing' comments on this site and loading in false '5 Star' ratings you'd have a much better restaurant. Just a thought. more

This place is utterly amazing. Whether you are having the pefectly seared scallops, foie gras or duck- you are guaranteed a meal that will make you say wow. I've been here several times and everytime I have been impressed. They have an overwhelming wine selection that you can pair up with every dish you get. The service is very nice as well, the server was very informative and I never poured my own wine or water. I must say my favorite dish here is the foie gras that the Chef prepared as a french toast dish with honeycomb. It was so delightful. I suggest when coming here to just share 4-5 appetizers with someone that way you get to try so many different things. Pros: Ambience, Food, Wine Cons: Cheese plate was very small more

My mother and I ordered a number of courses at Wink for my birthday and the meal went from bad to worse to unbelievable horrible. The delicate baby romaine of the ceasar was completely overwhelmed by the salt, garlic and anchovy slop it was soaked in. I love salt, but my main course so salty that it left me nearly nauseous and later completely nauseous. My mother who orders all her meat rare to medium rare found her meat to be underdone. When she expressed this to the wait staff, they patronized her and told her she was wrong. Neither of us could eat our dinner, yet we still foolishly hoped that the dessert would improve. While waiting for almost half an hour we heard someone in the kitchen yell ?The creme brulee is on fire!? When it came to the table it was covered in berries, which we scraped off to reveal a crust that was charred beyond all recognition. When we complained to our waiter yet again, he simply walked away. After this horrific experience we expected some kind of apology, but instead the chef himself came out of the kitchen to stand towering above us at and started yelling. He literally screamed that we were wrong, that everything had been perfect and refused to take anything off our bill. While the whole restaurant looked on in shock I felt more than a little bit afraid and insulted. Not only was this the worst experience I have ever had in a restaurant, but it was also worse than I imagined possible. If you are ever given a choice between a meal at Wink and excruciating pain, I would hands down choose the pain. Because either way you are going to be tortured, but at Wink they charge you obscene amounts of money at the end. To add injury to insult I spent the night and much of the next day clinging to the toilet bowl like it was the last object between me and hell. Wink made this the worst birthday of my life. Pros: It did not last forever Cons: Everything more

I've had the pleasure of dining at Wink twice in the last 6 months. Overall, Wink's service, wine list and elegantly presented cuisine transcends 99% of the restaurants in Austin and in many other big cities as well! The combination of ingredients on most of Wink's dishes is so skillful and delicious that I felt like was living in San Francisco again!\r \r If you don't do the wine pairings, the staff does a great job of suggesting wonderful wines with each of the dishes you select anyway, so you really can't go wrong. The only area where I think Wink needs to improve is on the salad front. The cold salads should be passed over in favor of other more exotic and complex dishes. Surefire choices include a seared bison starter that is like carpaccio on steroids - awesome - and any foie gras that is on the menu - the best we've had anywhere, anytime and a generous portion as well . We had a fabulous lamb chop the first time. During our second visit we ordered lamb loin as our entree - mine was just a wee bit overseasoned but was cooked to a perfect temperature. The desserts - AMAZING! You can get an individual dessert or do the Wink Sampler if you want a bit of a few different desserts. I am not normally a fan of any lemony desserts, and I typically hate creme brulee, but at Wink, I've swooned over the lemon dessert and the creme brulee made me rethink why I normally hate it! :)\r \r On our last visit which was on 9/28/07, we were there for my birthday and not only did the server give us a free Wink sampler for dessert, he provided me a copy of the entire day's menu and had it signed by all of the cooks in the kitchen and put it in a nice envelope with my name on it. The details make Wink a fabulous experience, even when some of the dishes may not be 100% spot on. We will go back again and again. Oh, and don't forget the wine bar - another great place to try Wink's food without having to fight for one of the few tables in the restaurant! Pros: Sophisticated, beautiful, fresh cuisine. Great wine list, great staff. Cons: Salads are bit uninspired. more

Wow. What a great experience! We decided on the Chef's Tasting Menu paired with the wine selections for each course. I'm still raving about it weeks later. It introduced us to a great experience and a bunch of great wines. I wish every restartant had this. Cons: a little difficult to find....needs better signage more

This is a rebuttal to the review written by rilmarie963 on 06/15/2007 \r I?m very bothered by the personal attack you put on the waitress at Wink. \r You called her: ?Blonde middle aged awful waitress?.\r If you were dissatisfied with the service, state just that and why; but to attack someone because of their looks seems more like a personal attack rather than a well informed criticism.\r You seem to be one of the very few people in Austin that doesn?t realize that that the beautiful blonde wine bartender at Wink is one of the most delightful, well informed servers this town has to offer.\r We?ve gone in several times, and each time she makes us feel genuinely welcome and knows exactly what to recommend and never misses.\r Yes Wink is expensive and at times the portions can be too small but over all it is an upscale fine dining experience, with food that?s unparalleled to any other in town.\r However we feel (and I?m sure many agree) that the real jewel of Wink is the beautiful knowledgeable blonde sommelier that charms the bar four times a week.\r \r Pros: Delightful blonde sommelier that charms the bar. Cons: At times the portions are too small more

We went to Wink after seeing a good review in an Austin dining guide. I understood the portions were small & a little pricey. I liked that they advertise using local ingredients. Since we were not that hungry & small portions seemed ideal, we thought we would give it a try. The menu did not look all that appealing or inspiring to justify the high prices & seemed very rich, but that may just be us - e.g. oxtail, buttered fish, etc. When the couple next to us asked details about the menu - ""how is the fish prepared"" kind of questions, the waiter did not seem to know. I really appreciate that they use local ingredients, however, there did not seem to be an emphasis on the meats being local. \r \r Our salads were good, but a little oily. I really hate to say this, but our soups made both of our stomachs ill. I don't think it was spoiled or anything, maybe just too rich?. It tasted like the main ingredient was heavy cream. (although, I have never been sick like that from eating a rich bisque?) (my husband asked me to write that the soup tasted like butter & salt.)\r \r The desserts did look tempting & I might come back just to give them a try. \r \r About portions & pricing - I had 3-4 slices of heirloom tomatoes w/ a basil puree. My husband says his salad was 1/8 - 1/4 of a cucumber & two approx. cup or so of soup, 2 glasses of wine + tip = $75\r \r I don't think it is to completely judge a place on only one visit - so I will try again, especially considering the is menu is suppose to continually change. Also, I noticed one of the tables was a repeat customer - which gives me hope. \r \r more

I was really hoping to love this place but unfortunately high chlorophyll taste of my greens, the... more

I was really hoping to love this place but unfortunately high chlorophyll taste of my greens, the microwaved taste of my potato and the stiffness o... more

The food was amazing, hard to get- but amazing. our waitress was rude, and after racking up a $250 dollar tab you would think that we would get decent service. The food was great, the service was haughty. Pros: Great Food and Wine Cons: Worst Service inAustin in the Bar side- Blonde middle aged awful waitress is to be avoided more

a negative reviewer on this site said this quote-unquote: ""They menu was not very appealing to the average person."" [ i didn't make that up]... so, i've been to many fine dining restaurants... 60% in my opinion are not worth it and survive on the price-based buzz-factor alone. the staff of Wink, however, actually be very involved with they thing. some may say ""They menu was not very appealing to the average person."", and this person, who's English is about as good as me Latin, is speaking da truth, but that's the point. if you be want Austin cuisine, goto Taco Cabana. if you want a break from the realm of the ""keep Austin Tex-Mex"" idiots then enjoy some attention to detail, creative preparations, attentive service, a well-tweaked wine selection -- most offered by the glass, and the best fine desserts in town, then git yer junk to Wink. i'm not saying it's perfect, but what it be is good beeotch. more

The way to do Wink for a couple's date night: go to the wine bar - it's intimate and low-key, yet fancy enough for a special evening - order 2 items from the app menu then 2 or 3 items from the regular menu - you get to sample each other's delicious gourmet food. We tried the seared, chilled lamb (amazing!) and braised veal cheek (to die for). Also, the chicken liver pate was so rich we ate it slowly and savored it, but ate every bite. This is a high class resaurant - Austin is lucky to have it. You must try it. Pros: Fancy time out more

Oh the Brie burgers!! Go between 5-7pm and enjoy lovely food, half price in a great bar. The wine selection has been carefully chosen and the service is GREAT. Pros: Food, ambiance, service, wine menu Cons: Bar is a little too small!!! more

I recently went to Wink with my mother and some friends. Now, mind you...my mother and I eat out frequently at fine dining establishments both at home and while traveling. We knew that Wink was a trendy and pricey restaurant. \r The portions were tiny. tiny. I couldn't believe it. $18 for a plate with three scallops. Be willing to spend about $60 per person, and maybe, just maybe you will get enough to eat. By the way, I am a small woman, and a light eater.\r The food was good, but nothing out of this world. \r The waitstaff was pretentious.\r I will never go back, nor would ever recommend Wink. Cons: tiny portions, HUGE prices more

I have worked in the fine dining industry for years. Rarely have I experienced dining out that exceeded my expectations in every aspect. Last night I was wowed. My boyfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary. After being seated promptly, we decided to try the chef's tasting menu. There were too many tempting things on the menu not to sample more than one. I had several eye-rolling back moments during the meal. My boyfriend couldn't stop talking about the seared scallops and I'm still having mouth watering memory moments of the hanger steak with port gastrique. Everything was superbly fresh and interestingly combined. Wine was perfectly paired with every dish. \r Our server Debra was a magician. Everything we required appeared just as we wanted it. She and the rest of the staff were warm, welcoming and very knowledgable. Our cab home (after all the lovely wine we went the safe route) was running late so, Mark offered us glasses of a lovely sparkling wine while we waited! We left so happy and satisfied we are still riding a wave of euphoria. A fantastic group of people make Wink my new favorite restaurant! Pros: The food, the service, the wine Cons: A small intimate spot, you will need reservations on weekends. more

The seared foie gras here is amazing. Our waiter recommended a wine to go with it, and it really made it one of the most outstanding things I've had in Austin. Their entree menu is a bit too heavy on the seafood side for me (I'm not a seafood eater) and their portions are on the small side. But every vegetable I've had here is amazing too. I didn't know beets could taste so good! Pros: Amazing appetizers Cons: Too-heavy seafood entree list more

I had heard about this restaurant hrew a friend. They said that it was an ok place. They said the highlight was the dessert. Man were they right! First of all we called and didn't know that you had to make reservations, and the guy who answered didn't ask. We drove there and were basically told that we don't open until 6, and our wine bar opens at 5. We had an hour and a half to waste. We went back to the restaurant. They menu was not very appealing to the average person. It took me almost 15-20 mins to decide on what to eat. It was more for the ritzy-snooty people. The portions for the prices were so not equal! I think I got a quarter of a peice of steak. I was extremely upset! The only thing that saved the meal was the dessert! I had the trio it was heavenly. The chocolate soup was not at all good. Also we did not leave there without spending under $100 for two people. That is like almost 2 meals for 2 people at a normal restaurant. So I just wanted to tell those who think that this is a place for you SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: dessert Cons: portions, service more

I first reviewed this place in 02 and thought it was great then. Now I live in Dallas, but went back recently. The review stands. This place rocks! If you are planning on overeating and looking for a cheap source of artery clogging and waistline increasing fat, go elsewhere. This restaurant still offers the best high end dining experience in Austin though the prices are much higher than a few years ago. The menu still changes and the ingredients are still fresh. My girlfriend and I had the Baramundi (Australian fish) that was otherworldly. It was much better than one she had recently at TeiTei in Dallas. Our waitress was good, thought not exceptional. If you want a good taste/calorie ratio, come here. If you want to get fat for cheap, there is always McDonalds and Tex Mex. Also check out their Wine Bar next door! Pros: Novel food/wine, Beautiful atmosphere, Great service Cons: Limited seating, May have to wait, Smaller portions more

Whoa, I have never been more shocked by a dining experience. First, the restaurant is very small. Second, the food is OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive. Third, though tasty, if I were planning an expensive dinner out, I'd much rather someplace other than Wink. The food is good, but basically your ""entree,"" and every other course that the snooty waitstaff expect you to eat, is just a sampling of what a dinner might look like. Definitely not worth it, save yourselves! Pros: taste of the food Cons: small restaurant, miniscule portions, expensive!!! more

Although the food was delicious, the portions were extremely small and overpriced. The service, from the hostess to the waitperson was terrible. The hostess was rude and unwelcoming. Our waitperson was condescending and unhelpful. We were even presented with an appetitzer that the ""chef decided you should have"" instead of what we ordered. If you're not very hungry, have money to burn, and are interested in a taste of delicious food in a pompous atmosphere, you'll definitely enjoy Wink. Pros: fantastic food, nice setting Cons: expensive, pretentious, loud more