Fino Restaurant Patio & Bar

We decided to try Fino a few weeks ago and I'm so glad we did: dinner at Fino was a blast and the food was great. They serve Mediterranean food, and have small plates and big plates to choose from, which makes dinner a lot of fun, because you can sample a variety of dishes and try new things. The service, atmosphere, and food and drinks were all wonderful. We left Fino very happy and very full. Overall, our dinner was wonderful and we are looking forward to going back. more

Fino put a disclaimer on my review. I wrote the review several months after going to the restaurant, but the review is accurate. more

I try to go to Fino any chance I get and my parents always insist on eating here when they come to town. The tapas are great, lots of variety, seasonally changing menu, always delightful. The wine list is extensive and compliments the menu well. I've been here many times and have only had one less than great meal - our steaks came out cold. We sent them back to be put on the grill again and they comped all three of them for us - really can't complain about that. While the service can be a little slow during peak times the food makes up for it. I recommend Fino for the wine and the tapas - and definitely try the goat cheese! Pros: patio, ambience, food, wine list Cons: service not as great when it's really busy - but not bad more

We went to this restaurant looking for good Mediterranean food in an outdoor patio setting. The patio setting was comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, save the view of the parking lot. The appetizers were imaginative and flavorful. Good dessert. Entrees -- just OK. In fact, the risotto dish was bland and undercooked, and the chicken with green olives was reasonably flavorful, but also slightly greasy. Service -- passable. To their credit, they removed the risotto from our bill with no complaint. To sum up, FINO delivers on a few points, but does not provide a superlative dining experience. Pros: Appetizers, atmosphere Cons: Entres, limited menu, higher price more

I visited Fino last night and it was probably the best dining experience I?ve had in Austin! Everything was well done, from the decor to the drinks. My date and I started with some Scotch and Bourbon (they have a great selection), and then we shared a ?small plate? of Middle Eastern dips and grilled pita bread. The bread was delicious and apparently made in the restaurant. We then each had an entree: I had the risotto with wild mushrooms and shaved cheese, while she had the trout with almonds and capers. Both of them were done perfectly and not over-cooked at all. With out dinner we shared a half-bottle (good selection) of a Lebanese wine that our waiter recommended. Seriously, where else in Austin can you find a Lebanese wine? It was the perfect recommendation. Really, everything was wonderful, but the service was by far the strongest point. Our waiter made both me and my date feel really comfortable trying things (like that wine) that we had not had before. We never once felt rushed, just the opposite ? and this was in the middle of a Friday night. Among the best service I have ever had, in Austin or otherwise! At one point we spoke a little to the people seated next to us, and they too had a wonderful experience with both food and service. I will absolutely be back, and soon too! Pros: Amazing service, delicious food, huge wine and drink list Cons: None that I can see more

I did not honestly think FINO was awful, but if I paying to eat at fine dining type of resaurant I want to receive great food as well. The scallops that I had were paired with a not so delicious mexican type of salad and the scallops were not seared, but more so just burned. The dessert was frozen and not very tasty. I did enjoy the espresso martini and the pinot noir, but overall I thought the food was not up to par for the prices. I will say that the service was great. Pros: Great cocktails and wine Cons: Burned scallops, frozen desserts, expensive bad food more

Passion is the word that comes to mind when we dined at Fino on this past Saturday night. From the return call to confirm the reservation, to being greeted at the door, to the fantastic wait staff, to the die for food, and to the hospitality of Brian. We can't thank you enough for exactly what we were looking for a special place to celebrate a special night. When going out, which we do often, it's not only the attention to detail, but the passion in which it is given. Fino did not dissapoint!!! Pros: patio (wish it wasn't raining), service, food more

There's this thing in the service industry we call ""customer recovery."" It is the title we give the efforts to sway a patron back in love with our businesses when we have committed some heinous error. Being in the service industry myself, I know to what extent a place CAN go to win a customer back...and FINO went 10 steps further. Saturday night, my husband and I were TREATED to a chef's table with wine pairings at FINO. For two and a half hours, we were served some of the finest dishes I have ever eaten. The chef, Brian, our wait staff, and the host wowed us. It was an impeccable, flawless, unforgettable experience that has me giving FINO a 5-star rating! Thank you FINO for winning me back! I will be back many more times and I will share my fabulous experience with many more people! Pros: Food, wine, service, ambience more

The ever-changing menu at FINO is always a pleasure, along with the wonderful atmosphere and excellent service from Brian, Josh and crew. To those who said the portions are small - that's why they're called Small Plates! The Large Plate (Hangar Steak) was enough for three of us to share (after a couple Small Plates), but we do tend to prefer sampling several of the tapas-style small plates. Our family favorites are the marcona almonds, pork pinchitos, and serrano ham flatbread. Pros: Delicious, innovative, changing menu Cons: None! more

I have been to Fino before and thought it would be the perfect place for my Birthday dinner on a Monday night... not so great after all. It began with an akward waiter that asked if he could store the b-day cake my friends brought me in the fridge. Dinner went well, then he brings out the cake... and then the bill. We were charge at $10 ""plating fee"" for cutting our cake and 18% gratuity for 5 people. When i told the waiter i thought this was ridiculous and we thought this should have been disclosed when he took the cake the waiter responded ""i don't think its so ridculous... but anways (rolling eyes)."" We asked to speak to the manager he gave us some lame excuse trying to justify the plating fee and we called out the waiter out for ""grating"" us. He said that the waiter shouldn't have done that and sorry about his attitude. All in all, I know no other resturant that makes you PAY for a ""plating fee"" or that try to get away with grating 5 people. I was disappointed in the manager who didnt even offer to take a meal or wine off the price for the awful and rude service. Either way FINO needs to realize that customer service should be taken more serisouly and... I will cut my own damn cake and eat it too next time! more

Awesome happy hour and great patio (white modern lounge chairs, black laquer tables and bamboo accents).... more

Awesome happy hour and great patio (white modern lounge chairs, black laquer tables and bamboo accents). Fried goat cheese and the pork skewers are... more

dear cooks: when competing with other chefs for presentation of food, small portions are better because they are easier to make look attractive on the plate. when charging people for food, they dont fly unless you are in a huge city with expensive customers. that's not austin - get a clue. understand your market. Pros: well prepared. Cons: portion size-to-price more

My wife and I had dinner at FINO for the first time last week and we liked it so much that we have been back twice since then (she went once with a friend for happy hour, and I went for a business lunch). First of all, the food is great. You might think that some items are a little overpriced, but when you taste them you realize that only the best ingredients are used: organic and local for some stuff, always fresh seafood and tender meats. We loved the sauteed asparagus with egg and porcini oil, the roasted shrimp with feta, the scallop ceviche, the skewers of grilled pork and the friend olives with anchovies: everything was cooked perfectly and presented beutifully. The chef is not famous or anything, but he knows his stuff. The Provencal sea bass entre was out of this world and the duck was just wonderful. At lunch they do a shrimp thing similar to the sea bass that is great, and the sandwiches are awesome. The best part of this restaurant though (even better than the food) is the service. Our waiter the first time was the best we've ever had. When we ordered something that came out not quite right, he immediately agreed with us and brought us another one without the mistake. He answered all our questions with real knowledge and honesty -- what he liked, and what he didn't. Also, he suggested a wine that was cheaper than the one we wanted but that was so much better!!! Finally, for dessert he was honest enough to tell us that he didn't like them very much and to skip the sweets and go for the cheese plate with some desert wine whose name I forgot (it was a king of Madeira) that was absolutely amazing. My wife raved about the happy hour, and my business lunch we great (with another great server). We now consider ourselves regulars even though we've only known the place for two weeks or so. Really the best restaurant in town. Pros: Best service, great food, nice atmosphere more

We have been to Fino twice now, and will sure come again - either for special occasions or in a group. The waiters are knowledgable and attentive, and above all the food quality is excellent. I like the fact that they serve food that you probably will not be able to replicate at home - the desserts are very creative. I like how you can adjust the amount you can eat and choose a variety according to how full you feel, and their menu has some regulars but others that change so you will have plenty of choice. If you prefer quantity over quality, this is not the place, but I really really really hope Fino does not sacrifice its quality for quantity! I feel that with the atmosphere, the tapas choices, and the creative and high quality food, it is a very unique restaurant in Austin - I cannot think of some other place that could replace Fino, and that's what makes it special. Pros: ambiance, service, high quality food more

Went to Fino last Friday during Happy Hour time, love the outdoor seating area, it was ambient and romantic. Great for date or just chill with friends sitting at the sofas available. The place packed up quickly after 7pm. The servers tried to recommend us food whenever we ordered drinks/food and they usually turned out as disappointments. My advice is to order Happy Hour appertisers, they are much cheaper and are in a more reasonable portions. The food are a little pricey for its tiny little portion. The drinks they made wasnt too fancy either. Will probably not go back again since there are so many other places to go to in Austin. Pros: Atmosphere, Happy Hour Appertizers Cons: Expensive, not great for value to money more

I had no idea this place was there, but it is tucked at the back of West Campus, and was a pleasant surprise. I had the grilled eggplant sandwich and my mom had the grilled shrimp and they were both great. But what topped it off was the pistachio baklava. It was fantastic! Pros: Food, Ambience, Service more

the portions are so tiny as to be laughable. My friends and I have re-named our one night there as the night of the supermodels' buffet. more

Great place to go for 4 or more people. Food was very good and worth the money. service was very good as well. more

Hey, this place is very unusual --- second floor outside dining with a great menu and wine list. The food is good and the portions won't choke you. Funny sometimes I want great big portions and sometimes I want small portions. Comfort food v tasty food? Pros: Great setting, food, wine list Cons: Small portions of great food more