Aioli Bodega Espanola

Our food came out on time and was prepared just right. I would recommend this place to a hungry person the portions are huge! Service as ok but the food made up for it! I more

Had a great time here this weekend! The food was delicious, the servers were friendly, and the art was beautiful. What more could we have asked for? Thank you Davis. more

The other day, I met a business client at Aioli?s for lunch and had their steak sandwich with a glass of exceptional red wine, which had cherry undertones. My client and I had lunch on the back patio, which was very enjoyable under the coliseum of trees. The deal was sealed. In general, Aioli?s is a great place to conduct business, as it is frequented by business folk and California law makers alike. It seems every time I come in here, someone is making a deal at the table beside me. Reda Bellarbi, the owner, is at the heart of all of this action, connecting the people of Sacramento with one another. He has on several occasions connected me to CEOs, other leading business figures, and business networks in Sacramento, and is also well known for his philanthropic network around town. His restaurants and wine bars support a large number faith and community charities, which have likely resulted in his extensive professional network. Yes, I recommend this place for food, service, and decor, but the networking potential of this place can not be overlooked. Pros: Sophisticated French Bartender, Free Parking more

I treated myself to dinner the other night and decided that downtown Sacramento was the place to be. Naturally, I came to Aioli Bodega Espanola Restaurant, a.k.a., Aioli?s, as I have come to know the owner, Reda, and many of the long-time servers by their first names, and they have always made me feel like I?m part of a big Mediterranean family. Living thousands of miles away from home, and away from your oldest and best friends, people who treat you like family tend to readily grow on you, and so I come back on a regular basis. This is a family of chefs, sommeliers, philosophers, and kings. Pros: Great Atmosphere more

The atmosphere is one of sheer Mediterranean beauty. Arrive early and have a glass of wine at the bar. Describing the food as outstanding does not do it justice. When making the reservations, they inquired if this was a special occasion and made our 5th Anniversary very special. All told, it was about a two hour dining experience, so there were plenty of opportunities to gaze into each others eyes in between courses, naturally. We soaked up the art, the music, the food, and the wine. A perfect evening indeed?we will definitely come back for more. Pros: Superb Evening more

This is one of the most intimate, romantic restaurants I have been too. Opt for dining room seating. There are a lot of beautiful, dim, hand-crafted brass lights (to go along with the hand-pounded brass bar), very rustic/Tuscan villa style. The service was excellent and the owner, ?Reda?, came by during our meal to ensure that everything was exceptional, and everything was exceptional. He was very gracious and hospitable and held the door open for my husband and I as we departed, something you just don?t see any more? a class act. Menu ?must tries? include the steak in a glazed sauce with anchovies, Galician style steamed octopus in adobo sauce with potato puree, and mussels in a garlic, sherry wine cream sauce. As for the wine, leave it to the experts?ask the waiters?and remember red wine with red meats and white wine with wine meats! This place is all about intimacy and mood lighting. more

Aioli Bodega Espanola serves amazing food in a beautiful ambiance. While it's better known as a fine dining spot, I love to go here for lunch. As a big eater, I usually go for the paella for 2 people, and still have plenty to take home with me for next day?s breakfast. I very much like that the menu changes with the seasons, allowing for new fish and vegetable dishes, and the food is always very fresh. My husband regularly orders the pan seared salmon, encrusted with hazelnuts in a fresh herb sauce, along with the scallops pan sauteed in a garlic beluga lentil anchovy sauce, his favorite. I'm not the biggest fan of scallops and even I love them! We've been here about a dozen times, 11 of them for lunch, and have never had a less than exceptional experience. Pros: Stellar Experience more

Aioli Bodega has to be one of my favorite restaurants in the city of Sacramento- and believe me when I say, I go to A LOT of great restaurants. Let me first say, this is no taco bell. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but this is true authentic Spanish Food. The food is EXCELLENT, the staff are friendly, quick, helpful- I am always greeted with a smile when I walk in the door and always seated very quickly. The restaurant is cozy- make sure to make reservations. It is always a pretty full house, which speaks to its popularity among food lovers. For an upscale restaurant, I think the price is right- REMEMBER, this is not a taco and burrito joint, but a restaurant for ""in the know"" diners. Try any of the fabulous weekly specials- there is always something for everyone to enjoy. If you are a wine person- they have one of the best lists in town. Ask recommendations from the very friendly sommelier. Top food picks for me are the rabbit marinated and cooked in rioja wine with celery roots, mushrooms & olives, grilled lamb sausage with coca bread, and pork spareribs in a caramelized onions, tomatoes and garbanzo compote. Get ready for an excellent dining experience!!! Believe me, you won't be disappointed!! Pros: Tasty Food, Nice Servers, and Incredible Decor more

I've been to Aioli?s several times now and each time has been great. First time was on a Tuesday and I ate at the bar. I asked about the music and the waiter mentioned there is music on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Last night (Saturday) I went at 9:30 and ate inside at a table with some friends. They had an awesome classical guitarist playing Flamenco guitar and latin beats. The food was great and the music was awesome. I definitely recommend checking it out. It also looks like a family run place. All of the people there were happy?always good to see. Good change from the ""Dine here because we're the newest fancy place downtown"", but leaving the place with only bragging rights of having been there. Pros: Nice experience, easy parking more

My husband and I recently went to Aioli Bodega Espanola on the advice of a friend who is always raving about it. The location is right in the mix of the downtown action and has a really genuine Euro kind of feel. It did not feel like a fake attempt at creating atmosphere like one might find in a Tex-Mex place with sombreros and pi?atas hanging from the walls. It felt legit and they even had a Spanish guitarist playing music in the background! However, we did not go here to listen to the music. We came here to eat and? and boy did we eat well! We started with an order of portobello mushrooms sauteed with sherry and garlic and scallops pan sauteed in a garlic beluga lentil anchovie sauce in a garlic. These dishes were so awesome and very well presented. For the entree, we had rabbit marinated and cooked in rioja wine with celery roots, mushrooms and olives as well as seared duck breast, medium rare, in a glaze of old red wine vinegar with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne pepper, equally scrumptious!! After enjoying a hard to find bottle of Spanish wine, we split an order of sponge cake layered with fresh fruit & pastry cream, imbibed with malaga wine. The coffee was very tasty and not watered down. Throughout the entire meal, the service was professional and attentive, even though the place seemed very busy. Pros: Real European Dining Experience more

I took my girlfriend out here recently because I had heard about this tapa restaurant before, and I was pleasantly surprised! The restaurant had a dim-lighted romantic feel to it to help woo the date. They also included some live Spanish music to help add to the overall experience. The tapa selection was large, but our waiter helped us pick some of the favorites at the restaurant along with some great red vino. The food was tasty, I think more tasty than other tapa places I have been to in Sacramento. Afterwards, you can take your date down two streets to The Grand Wine Bar for an after minute drink and then onto the rose gardens at the Capitol for the perfect date. Overall, I recommend coming here if you get a chance, and if you live farther west than mid-town Sacramento, there is also an Aioli?s in Davis. Bon appetite! Pros: Very romantic, free parking!!! more

First of all, let me say that Aioli has the best service. Their servers were friendly and attentive. Also, I was promptly seated. The wine list was extraordinary. I sat at the bar, which was well kept, lively and clean. I ate the award winning paella. It was excellent. I indulged in a chocolate soup for desert. This is one of the most incredible restaurant experiences that I have had in Sacramento (It was like dining in Spain!) I frequent 4 and 5 star restaurants, and I am so impressed with this place in comparison to the other places I've had dinner. I am recommending it to all of my friends and family. You must go. Pros: Food, service, old world wines, and free parking more

This restaurant so charmed me on a first visit with some ladies who lunch this spring, that I returned 4 more times over the next few weeks with my husband who agrees it is a great place for tapas. I'm not a big fan of paella, and previously hadn't found a tapas restaurant in Sacramento that I would return to. I had grilled prime rib eye steak in a glazed sauce with anchovies and it was OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!!!! I did, in fact, swoon an evening I ordered the grilled baby lamb chops. And then there was the lunch when I ordered the grilled double breast of chicken with red pepper flakes in a Pros: Really delicious food, great service, and beautiful decor. more

I was spoiled by first being introduced to tapas in SF. more

I love, love, LOVE this place! I probably eat here at least 5 times a month. The bartenders and waitresses are always helpful and happy! They also have subtle live Flamenco guitar towards the end of the week. You can't beat that! The atmosphere is great, the decor is tres chic and the bar's full of people to watch!! Great place!! Pros: Live Flamenco Music and Fresh Food more

Visited Aioli Bodega Espanola after being recommended by coworker with this exact phrase ""any dish in the menu will delight you"" and make sure you try one of their two paellas. So, we visited on Friday and i must say that the food, service and their Paella Valenciana (saffron rice with shrimp, seafood & chicken & pork sparerib) were amazing. Jason, our server, took his time to name the most popular dishes, a few of which we tried. Specifically, we tried Salmon con Accento Catalan, pan seared salmon, encrusted with hazelnuts in a fresh herb sauce Paella con Hungos, and saffron rice with truffled mushroom & dry aged Manchengo cheese. Their imported beers are also very goods. Make sure you visit this restaurant if you want to enjoy authentic Spanish food. Pros: Amazing Food, Service, and Free Parking more

Very good dinner choice! The menu includes among others Spanish and Mediterranean specialties. The service is great and the food is delicious. We had Zarzuela de Mariscos, a spicy opera of seafood in a garlic tomato sauce & coca bread, and Atun a las Canarias, seared ahi served rare topped with salsa fresca infused with pimento of espelette. Try to avoid showing up without a reservation, as this place is very popular, or show up early and get a table. I'd say more, but you better go and see for yourself... bon appetite!! Pros: Life music, warm ambience, nice outdoor patio more

I went to Aioli?s on a first date and things couldn't have been any better. With our reservation, we were seated immediately. The bar was very crowded (where I was waiting for my date to arrive) but I still was served a drink within seconds of standing in the crowd. Impressive! After ordering, our food came quickly, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway because the atmosphere was so fun. Live Latin Jazz! Everything I tasted was exquisite including the wine. The food was very fresh. We had grilled double breast of chicken with red pepper flakes in a wild mushroom & sweet sherry sauce and garbanzo puree. When we complimented the waiter on the food, he informed us that the food comes daily, always a plus! We ended up going back to Aioli?s on our second date with friends for drinks, and danced to the great music. So much fun, a must in Sacramento. I can't wait to go back again. Pros: Great food, location and atmosphere more

I used to really like aioli. I returned to Aioli week ago ,after several months absence and was greatly disappointed with both the food and the service. I've been to aioli at least a half dozen times since it opened. I work and live in Davis and most who do realize the shortage of decent restaurants in this town. I had a great meal there on the first visit, OK on the 2nd, and progressively downhill from there. Let me give credit where credit is due. The atmosphere is great, sometimes a bit loud, but decorated to the hilt. The service is average and the waitstaff are mostly not friendly ,college students. . The problem, the food is abysmally pathetic. I'm talking, somebody in that kitchen didn't attend a culinary class or worse yet, didn't take home-economics in junior high. Bland doesn't begin to describe it. Let's make one thing crystal clear. Salt is a chemical compound that enhances flavors in food. Pepper is used to open up the taste buds so that your tongue springs to life. If aioli's chef would just remember those basic two steps, their food would improve by at least 50%. . There is a difference between using salt to cook with and ""salty"" food. more

Hadn't tried this palce before but heard a lot of great reviews from friends and family about the food. They were right, the food is very good, as is the service. You feel like you are eating in a really fancy restaurant somewhere along the French or Italian Riviera. The staff, who really treat you great, including the owner and chef who came by each table to make sure everything was perfect, speak a number of different languages. We heard them relay messages in Spanish, French, and English. Truly an international experience worth having!!! The coffee is also very good. Pros: Delicious food, coffee, and exceptional, personal service. Cons: I don't live close enough to eat every meal here!!! more