10/20/09

Great evening - food, drinks and service

by austin visitor

I found Fino online while searching for a restaurant to bring a group of our important clients to while in Austin for a conference; it was important that the quality of the food, beverages and service be 5 stars we were also looking for a relaxed ambience for the final evening of the event.

When I booked our reservation about a month out the vast majority of online reviews were very positive - a few days before hosting the dinner I went back online and was very surprised to see several very critical reviews. Rather than embarrass myself in front of my boss and our clients my first thought was to cancel the reservation - but I had no guarantee that the next restaurant would be any better; so I phoned Fino and spoke with the General Manager who assured me that there had been no major staff turnover and I could be confident in my choice.

The restaurant was perfect for our occasion – we were all arriving by taxi – by the time the 4th cab arrived and everyone had a drink the selection of tapas and small plates I ordered were on the table. Everyone could relax with a drink and a tasty nibble – every plate was a hit.

Our waiter was contentious but not the least bit intrusive – a true professional; dinner orders were taken and variations and recommendations made for the vegetarians and those with allergies in the group.

As it worked out, everyone had a different main course – the depth of menu selection offered something for every palate. Everything arrived hot, and well presented and timely.

Although we were all exhausted by the weeks activities the great food and service at Fino Restaurant made it easy for us to linger of coffee, dessert and after dinner drinks.

When it was time for the check the waiter offered to call for taxi’s knowing that is how we arrived – only needing to know how many we would like.

We left not only well fed but feeling well cared for as well. I recommend Fino Restaurant without hesitation and look forward to returning my next trip to Austin.

• Pros: Excellent for our group of 9
• Cons: not easy to find for out of town guests

09/04/09

Dining experience from Thurs, 9/3/09

by Aaron Flores

Dined at Fino for the first time. Not thrilled with my choice. Ordered the chicken entree, with garbanzo beans and spinach (very salty), did not have the wine choice I requested, alternate white wine was good. My dining companion ordered the Halibut, he was pleased with his selection. We noticed there was really no ambiance, or substance to this restaurant. Nothing really stood out about the restaurant, except it being a bit pricey. Dinner for 2 was around $80. Review: 1 star. I will not return or recommend.

• Pros: Lots of Parking and Seating
• Cons: Food not all that appetizing

07/25/09

I am NOT returning to Fino!

by foodpicky

Just to be concise, we went to Fino today, July 25, 2009. We were sitted in the bar, because apparently we did not make reservations for the main dininig area. The waiter was not particularly interested in us and rather indifferent to our presence in his restaurant?! The main thing is food of course, and it was merely not enough. Risotto as the only vegetarian choice was probably 1/4 of a cup, not more. There was also barely cooked zuccini/squash and something else in it which I could not recognize. Bread pudding was $9 for a tiny piece! The manager of both Fino and Asti came by, and I told him that the portions were to laugh about. He tried to expIain that usually people get full by ordering tapas.... HOw pretentious and how not European at all. BTW, if you visited Italy nowadays, the portions in their restaurants are now big, trying to satisfy us, Americans. The way to go and be happy. I left very angry and hungry. Would not recommend at all! The customer who weighs only 115 lbs, but still likes to eat and enjoys loads of best food!

• Pros: Quite expensive but rather miniscule portions

06/01/09

Don't understand what the appeal is here . . .

by customer51

Fino must think it's a tapas bar, but it's not really touted that way so it's confusing. Granted, the appetizers are pretty good - but when our risotto entre arrived with no more than 1/4 cup of the risotto rice, we felt gyped. Asking the waiter about it, he said that most people fill up on the tapas so they keep the entrees small. Hmmm. . . we didn't get the memo, and that's no ok with us! The crab and avocado bruchetta didn't taste like anything, the jambalaya was way over salted, and as I said-the risotto was almost non existent on the plate (the scallops were good). We would not go back - it's our second time and both times we were disappointed.

• Pros: Big porch for drinks before dinner, creative cocktails
• Cons: Don't think the food is very good, portions too small

04/30/09

What's the Rave All About?

by drtyhwn

We went Fino for our two year anniversary dinner, hearing great things about this restaurant. We ordered some appetizers to start things off. We ordered a variety of dipping sauces to go along with some pita bread. We had smelt that something was burning in the kitchen. Well they actually delivered whatever was burning in the kitchen to our table. It was the pita bread. Bread is the staple of a restaurant and they delivered it burnt! The stuffed mushroom caps were nothing to write home about. Our entrees we ordered the paella which was very wet and runny. I know this a mediterranen fusion restaurant but come on with the paella!! There was no twist or fusion with the paella, it was just plain horrible. For our $100 tab for our dinner we were very dissapointed. I don't know how this restaurant got the reviews that it did. We will never go back to Fino again. Also, the service lacked something to be desired.

• Pros: Atmosphere
• Cons: Food & Service

04/28/09

Good food, but how big was my tip?

by Tomtexas

We used to like eating at Fino's. After a recent visit, we noticed the wrong tip amount was on our cc bill. It took three phone calls with the increasingly snooty management to get it corrected. Errors (?) happen, but admitting them and correcting them is part of good management. No more Fino's for us...

• Pros: Good food, pleasant outdoor seating
• Cons: O.K. service, snooty management

04/14/09

great bar! great ambiance!

by austinfooddork

gorgeous restaurant with a menu that sometimes sounds better on paper than they can actually pull off.

best for half price champagne and fried olives, not to mention their specialty cocktails. fun wine list and great patio.

highly reccomended.

• Pros: awesome bartender
• Cons: occasionally underwhelming food

03/27/09

great paella

by InTheRed

this place has great tapas and paella. Their patio is really fun on a beautiful afternoon with friends.

• Pros: really nice atmosphere and surprising patio
• Cons: strange location

10/12/08

Great bar for meeting friends

by rine1967

Love this bar! The inside and outside. The outside patio balcony has comfortable sofas and lots of room to spread out with a lovely tree top view of central Austin. There are happy hour drink specials every night, which is why I am usually there after work. My champagne drinking friends and I like the 1/2 off sparkling wine special every day from 5-7. I highly recommend the fried goat cheese appetizer.

08/29/08

Overpriced and annoying

by Choirguy64

I hate this restaurant. I went with a group of 8 friends on a friday night at 8pm, and can't really say I enjoyed any part of it. The tapas style items worked well for our large group, but everything was so absurdly overpriced we could hardly afford to pass things around. The ambiance and decor inside, described so majestically on this site's homepage, was like a Macaroni Grill. Plain green walls, one decorative carving on a center wall, and a few dim, square light fixtures. Oh, and the bathrooms (which are plain and public school-ish) are hidden by large cloud-grey curtains. So artsy!

There was nothing about the atmosphere or the service that could have justified their outrageous prices. My girlfriend ordered, as her meal, an endive and apple salad, which listed 3 or 4 other ingredients and cost $9. When it arrived, I almost yelled. It consisted of 5 individual endive leaves (about 2-3 inches long), and what looked like 1/4 of a granny smith apple run through a french fry cutter, and drizzled in olive oil. No exaggeration. It took her about 4 bites to consume the entire $9, bland and boring plate.

Our waitress was kind and attentive, but on an extremely mild night (about 5 or 6 other parties in the room) it took about 30 minutes for our main courses to come out (and only 3 of us could afford to order main courses).

Skip this one, for sure.

• Pros: parking garage
• Cons: overpriced, average flavors, slow, boring