I pass by Aviary all the time on my way to Queen Spa and finally decided to give them a try. It is super cute inside and I love the music! They have awesome specials on bottles of wine as well as great deals on food and wine for Happy Hour from 4-6. We arrived at 5:30 and ordered wine, oysters, and crispy potatoes from the HH menu as well as their bread with miso butter (not on HH). The food was delicious and for two people we are quite full. The only issue was that usually, when you partake in the HH menu, the waiter almost always, inquires if you would like anything else BEFORE the time expires. Unfortunately, by the time Haley A decided to check on us, we did not realize that it was 6:05 and we were not happy about it and she said she could not ring the wine under the HH prices. We did see her chatting with the table next to us but in an effort to not be rude, we did not interrupt her. I cannot stand that some restaurants add health & wellness to the bill. I too work in and around people everyday all day as I am a flight attendant and we do not add health and wellness for the flight crew to airline tickets. When I am made aware of this charge, the tip definitely reflects the difference and it was my bad, that I gave Haley my standard 20% in addition to her 3.5% so she received 23.5% tip for average service. I will definitely go back, but I will make sure that I am more cognizant of the time if it is during happy hour as well as the additions to the check.
GalleySlave
If you are in Austin, please do not miss eating at this restaurant! Every morsel was spectacularly delicious! Everything was prepared with such care and attention to detail. The staff was warm and attentive. Please go! You won't be disappointed! You will be delighted!
Manny
The flavors of every menu item are amazing and the wine pairings and suggestions are phenomenal. They have a very unique, bespoke wine list to explore, not beholden to big distributors, and they will expertly walk you through it step by step. The experience of the whole evening was fantastic.
Renee
Attended a private event and everything was great. The plancha shrimp was the absolute best! The pork broth was more of a veloute, though. Regardless, it was fantastic! Great job all the way around from beginning to end.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Buttross
One of the most amazing dining experiences I’ve ever had I highly recommend this place the owner and the team are first class and really know their
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
CindyK
If you're looking for a REAL wine bar in Austin with wonderful choices of exceptional and unusual wines and complimentary cuisine in perfect pairings - Aviary is the place. The staff were friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and obviously loved where they work. Each dish was fresh, prepared perfectly, creative and delicious. I've got to say, don't miss the amazing Tulsi and Thai basil ice cream with the olive oil cake for dessert. The Palo Santo ice cream was also quite a unique treat, but the serving could've been bigger to share. Charmng, colorful, upbeat, non pretentious, moderately quiet with good acoustics thoughout so we could enjoy our conversation without raising our voices. Thank you Aviary for making our celebration special. A great experience!
Rohit Punj
The eggplant and scallops were wonderful! And great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
SpeedCzech
There's nothing wrong with aviary but it just didn't really work for me. I prefer places that give you a sense of privacy at your table and aviary is small and very brightly lit so you're basically in a tiny cafeteria. The service was great and the food was all prepared very well but we weren't fans of a couple of the dishes out of the five that we ordered (the cucumber dish is literally just wedges of cucumber with garlic and cilantro on top. That's barely even a salad for $15). When we made reservations we got a response that said they had a five minute window on being late. We ran into traffic and tried to call multiple times but their phones weren't accepting calls or voicemails so we ended up exactly 5 minutes late but the place was mostly empty anyhow so it didn't end up being an issue. It just didn't sit well that before we'd even gotten there it felt rather contentious to only give a five minute window where most places give 15, their phone works, and they give alternate options to contact them. Give the place a try if you've got plenty of money and no traffic. 
The happy hour was tight, amazing farm forward food, and friendly staff who helped us pick some great happy hour wines. Would definitely come back, sounds like the menu rotates based on whatever is in season / whatever they can source from the local farms.
mgmadian
Cannot recommend Aviary anymore. The menu has shrunk by at least 50%, and prices have gone up significantly, since the last time I was here. Outside tables are noisy given the traffic on S Lamar. Our server pulled a disappearing act, we had to track down his colleagues inside to get refills and check on appetizer order. Total bill was well north of $200, for a modest meal for two incl two half flights of decent tho not notable wine.
Almost hate to write the review because I love this place and want to keep getting a seat. Very interesting wine selection with a knowledgeable staff. Not the usual suspects in a very good way. They do beets and carrots so many ways and some of the best I've ever tasted. It's a place to over order so you can try it all then have a great lunch with the leftovers. Vegetables over protein here and the pasta is often fantastic.
Annon
Food is good, but I was very disappointed that my Diver Scallops came with only two scallops. Two scallops for an entree?? I guess the diver was not very good at finding said scallops. I basically paid $38 for rice. Outrageous.
corneroffice
This is our favorite neighborhood restaurant. With a knowledgeable and friendly staff and great food and even better wine, Aviary always feels like a special occasion without ever feeling stuffy.
Marissa Vetter
Sad to see the burger taken off the menu with new management. That was one of the things that brought us back here almost weekly. Really hope they bring it back :(.
Micah Shepard
This place is AMAZING. Food, wine, service. One of the most underrated spots in Austin. Eat here!
I pass by Aviary all the time on my way to Queen Spa and finally decided to give them a try. It is super cute inside and I love the music! They have awesome specials on bottles of wine as well as great deals on food and wine for Happy Hour from 4-6. We arrived at 5:30 and ordered wine, oysters, and crispy potatoes from the HH menu as well as their bread with miso butter (not on HH). The food was delicious and for two people we are quite full. The only issue was that usually, when you partake in the HH menu, the waiter almost always, inquires if you would like anything else BEFORE the time expires. Unfortunately, by the time Haley A decided to check on us, we did not realize that it was 6:05 and we were not happy about it and she said she could not ring the wine under the HH prices. We did see her chatting with the table next to us but in an effort to not be rude, we did not interrupt her. I cannot stand that some restaurants add health & wellness to the bill. I too work in and around people everyday all day as I am a flight attendant and we do not add health and wellness for the flight crew to airline tickets. When I am made aware of this charge, the tip definitely reflects the difference and it was my bad, that I gave Haley my standard 20% in addition to her 3.5% so she received 23.5% tip for average service. I will definitely go back, but I will make sure that I am more cognizant of the time if it is during happy hour as well as the additions to the check.
If you are in Austin, please do not miss eating at this restaurant! Every morsel was spectacularly delicious! Everything was prepared with such care and attention to detail. The staff was warm and attentive. Please go! You won't be disappointed! You will be delighted!
The flavors of every menu item are amazing and the wine pairings and suggestions are phenomenal. They have a very unique, bespoke wine list to explore, not beholden to big distributors, and they will expertly walk you through it step by step. The experience of the whole evening was fantastic.
Attended a private event and everything was great. The plancha shrimp was the absolute best! The pork broth was more of a veloute, though. Regardless, it was fantastic! Great job all the way around from beginning to end.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the most amazing dining experiences I’ve ever had I highly recommend this place the owner and the team are first class and really know their
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you're looking for a REAL wine bar in Austin with wonderful choices of exceptional and unusual wines and complimentary cuisine in perfect pairings - Aviary is the place. The staff were friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and obviously loved where they work. Each dish was fresh, prepared perfectly, creative and delicious. I've got to say, don't miss the amazing Tulsi and Thai basil ice cream with the olive oil cake for dessert. The Palo Santo ice cream was also quite a unique treat, but the serving could've been bigger to share. Charmng, colorful, upbeat, non pretentious, moderately quiet with good acoustics thoughout so we could enjoy our conversation without raising our voices. Thank you Aviary for making our celebration special. A great experience!
The eggplant and scallops were wonderful! And great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
There's nothing wrong with aviary but it just didn't really work for me. I prefer places that give you a sense of privacy at your table and aviary is small and very brightly lit so you're basically in a tiny cafeteria. The service was great and the food was all prepared very well but we weren't fans of a couple of the dishes out of the five that we ordered (the cucumber dish is literally just wedges of cucumber with garlic and cilantro on top. That's barely even a salad for $15). When we made reservations we got a response that said they had a five minute window on being late. We ran into traffic and tried to call multiple times but their phones weren't accepting calls or voicemails so we ended up exactly 5 minutes late but the place was mostly empty anyhow so it didn't end up being an issue. It just didn't sit well that before we'd even gotten there it felt rather contentious to only give a five minute window where most places give 15, their phone works, and they give alternate options to contact them. Give the place a try if you've got plenty of money and no traffic. 
The happy hour was tight, amazing farm forward food, and friendly staff who helped us pick some great happy hour wines. Would definitely come back, sounds like the menu rotates based on whatever is in season / whatever they can source from the local farms.
Cannot recommend Aviary anymore. The menu has shrunk by at least 50%, and prices have gone up significantly, since the last time I was here. Outside tables are noisy given the traffic on S Lamar. Our server pulled a disappearing act, we had to track down his colleagues inside to get refills and check on appetizer order. Total bill was well north of $200, for a modest meal for two incl two half flights of decent tho not notable wine.
Restaurantji Recommends
Almost hate to write the review because I love this place and want to keep getting a seat. Very interesting wine selection with a knowledgeable staff. Not the usual suspects in a very good way. They do beets and carrots so many ways and some of the best I've ever tasted. It's a place to over order so you can try it all then have a great lunch with the leftovers. Vegetables over protein here and the pasta is often fantastic.
Food is good, but I was very disappointed that my Diver Scallops came with only two scallops. Two scallops for an entree?? I guess the diver was not very good at finding said scallops. I basically paid $38 for rice. Outrageous.
This is our favorite neighborhood restaurant. With a knowledgeable and friendly staff and great food and even better wine, Aviary always feels like a special occasion without ever feeling stuffy.
Sad to see the burger taken off the menu with new management. That was one of the things that brought us back here almost weekly. Really hope they bring it back :(.
This place is AMAZING. Food, wine, service. One of the most underrated spots in Austin. Eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5