EMRE Restaurant

The quail last night was over the top. The smoky flavor was so lovely. The tartar was yummy too Let's talk dessert! We had the deconstructed cheese cake, my favorite so delicious and different. Beautiful presentation. My husband really enjoyed the olive oil cake so much I only got a taste. We didn't have room for the octopus so if possible order it. Overall, every dish we've ordered has been delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant. Service is excellent! From walking in the door to being seated every single person is attentive to your every needs.

We dined at EMRE when they were only about a week into service. First impressions: decor is lovely. Very bright (almost too bright), very open floor plan and interesting seating configurations. The staff was friendly and the bussers were attentive to refilling water and other needs. Our waitress was new to the restaurant biz and had a lovely and approachable demeanor. Overall, the food was very good. I think that the zaalouk needed a lot more acid/salt. The kefta was as good as it gets. We shared two skewers, one chicken and one prawn. Delicious. While I give EMRE grace for their newness, I will point out that ordering everything at the same time is off-putting and IMO unnecessary. I didn't realize that in the time it took to get our beverages (20+ minutes) that our waitress hadn't even put in our appetizers yet. While we were not in any rush, I thought this concept was strange considering almost every other restaurant I've ever dined at has no problem putting apps and entrees in separately. I think this menu is fabulous for Paso Robles. I was initially worried when I heard about another Mediterranean restaurant coming to come. EMRE is a completely different place. I will return soon, especially for the kefta.

Emre has a modern vibe that is not often seen in Paso but goes with the hotel. Staff is friendly and attentive although some were less familiar with the menu than others, maybe because this restaurant is so new. Food is fresh and delicious. The hummus blew me away and is one of my favorite hummuses ever. It was smooth and creamy with airy crisp chickpeas on top. I don't know what else they put in their hummus or maybe it was the roasted garlic but it was like crack. I would've eaten another order of it. The pita it's served with is a fluffy version. The octopus appetizer was another winner - very tender and flavorful. Keeping with the seafood theme, I had the Etto fettuccine which was a umami bomb with the crab, prawn butter, and bottarga. Highly recommend Emre if you're looking for a restaurant with fresh quality ingredients and flavors.

Excellent service and ambience; we throroughly enjoyed ourselves and will visit again but will be hoping a few dishes may be tweaked (place had only been open a couple weeks). Specifically, crispy smashed potatoes a bit too salty, not much octopus in the octopus salad, and the eggplant spread could have had a bit more flavor. The pita were lovely, and we enjoyed the duck pate. Fun cocktails, too!

Such a great experience!! The interior is just stunning. My friends and I walked in on a weekday and our service was impeccable. I can't wait to come back to EMRE!!!

Hi, our first time eating at this nice new restaurant in Paso. Everything was modern and fresh and very hip. The first thing we noticed when coming in from the back parking area is their bar (very cool!) but was SO brightly lit--for a bar! If they could only turn the lights down a bit, it would be more fun to relax and have a drink there because right now it is so very bright that it almost feels like an interrogation area, as opposed to a bar feel. Next, the restaurant is nice and comfy and the new staff are friendly and getting settled in. We had a reservation and got seated right away. We all enjoyed the food. We had hummus, babaganoush and pita bread (which we had to ask for-guess it's not included?). My Emre salad was good, and our friends shared a beet salad which they liked but was very small. We all immediately noticed how super loud the music was--and bad, thumping techno music. That's OK if you like that kind of thing in a club for 20-somethings, but was so loud and difficult to talk to each other, we mentioned it and they turned it down a bit. No one needs that when they are trying to eat dinner. So in general, we like Mediterranean food and besides the good stuff at Emre, we always recommend "Mediterranean Spice" restaurant which is just a couple blocks off the downtown park for super good, fresh grilled items and so generous and reasonably priced. It's very casual (unlike Emre) with terrific prices, and an extensive sauces bar included with whatever you order. Look along the side wall and help yourself (tahina, garlic sauce, onions, etc.) Sorry this review is so long!