Arlo Grey by Kristen Kish
4.0 ★ average from 5 reviews
Modern, airy lakeside stop from a Top Chef offering French & Italian-inspired plates & cocktails.
Location
Hours
- fri
- 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- sat
- 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- sun
- 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- thu
- 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- wed
- 5:00 – 10:00 PM
Photos
Recent reviews
- ★★★★★Stacie Gutierrez
I could never put into words how special this evening was, and how my birthday dinner was the BEST I have had in 41 years in Austin. The service was more impressive than the sports coat establishment I have dined at multiple times in NOLA, and that’s saying a lot, because you can’t even take sips of water without your 4 servers watching to fill your cup. But this was different. This was a kind of attentiveness that was intentional. It wasn’t overbearing and outright in your face and basically dining with you, Arlo Grey found the right balance. Letting us have our family birthday dinner in such a welcome and intimate atmosphere, tending to our needs at the right moments, it truly made me feel all the feels. Nothing could have topped the night off, other than of course Kristen herself handing me a copy of her signed book, but, the chef is busy making history in the culinary world, so, no complaints here! I have to highlight one special person, because never in my life have I seen someone present food like David Garcia. They made tonight’s dining experience truly unforgettable. The presentation of the food was precise, passionate, and incredibly thoughtful. You could tell David genuinely cared about every detail, and the enthusiasm elevated the entire evening beyond what I could have imagined. Exceptional service like this is rare, and it absolutely deserves recognition. Thank you, David, for making the experience so memorable. I will be back a thousand time over, and I will send everyone I know here. This not only exceeded all expectations, it put Arlo Grey in a whole different spectrum of a dining experience. Thank you, to everyone for making my birthday the best one yet!
- ★☆☆☆☆Anna She
This was honestly the worst restaurant experience I’ve had in Austin. I came here about a year ago and remembered this place as something special, so today I brought my friend to show her what I thought was a great restaurant. Instead, we were extremely disappointed. The restaurant was almost empty — maybe 4 or 5 tables occupied, with plenty of open tables — yet the hostess was incredibly rude and told us we had to wait another 15 minutes for a table. She offered absolutely no alternatives, even after we explained that we were very hungry and were happy to sit at the bar. Only after another host stepped in while seating other guests were we finally offered seats at the bar. The service only got worse from there. I ordered a duck salad, and without any warning they brought me a salad with fish instead. Nobody mentioned that the dish had been changed. They replaced it eventually, but by then the time was wasted and the mood was already ruined. I also specifically asked whether the rabbit pasta was spicy because I cannot eat spicy food. I was assured it was not spicy at all. It turned out to be extremely spicy, and now my stomach literally hurts because of it. To make the evening even worse, valet service was a disaster. My car was not brought back to the proper pickup area — I had to retrieve it myself near the gate. While trying to leave, other guests from the restaurant started aggressively honking at me instead of letting me merge safely into traffic. The entire experience felt chaotic, unprofessional, and unpleasant from beginning to end. Rude staff, poor communication, careless service, and an overall uncomfortable atmosphere. I will never come back and absolutely would not recommend this place to anyone.
- ★★★★★Silvia “Silvinka”
Little late in posting this review but I had to share the great experience we had. Nice location- downtown, fun decor with over sized shell casings as lights, great cozy atmosphere for an evening out. ( there was a booth with kids and it was late so the kids were not happy- this did put a dent in the date night mood.) Loved the fresh spin on traditional foods- the fried rice cake- and dumpling soup and so much more. It was all delicious and fun to take foods we know and love one way and see them in a new light. Great food! Loved the fun twists on the food. Compliments to the chef!!
- ★★★★☆Stephanie Lovell
Started with the AG Grilled Sourdough (crushed green olive, TX olive oil, aleppo, feta: so simple, so good), the Fried Steamed Buns with charred broccoli & white cheddar sauce, and moved into the mains with the Crispy Rice topped with crab, bacon & saffron aioli. The crispy rice was my favourite dish of the night. The Confit Duck Ravioli in hazelnut brodo with hedgehog mushrooms was genuinely the highlight of the night for JR— rich, silky perfection. For dessert, the Toasted Sourdough Ice Cream with cocoa nib & white chocolate crumble hit every note. And a sweet gesture from the kitchen; a complimentary Lime Sorbet with yuzu espuma & pink peppercorn 🍋 Service was a little slow, but thoughtful touches like that go a long way.
- ★★★★★Adam Motter
Outstanding experience on all levels. Kevin, or server, and the food runner on the evening of February 15th were wonderful. Each time our dishes were delivered, we received a polished and detailed description.