EMRE @ The Ava Hotel

We LOVE a restaurant that is unique yet still hits the mark when it comes to taste and service. This is not your typical faire and each dish is well prepared and presented well. The atmosphere is chic and fun, fancy but not snobby! The drinks are OFF THE HOOK (bartender Jillian is a master crafter!) and the wine list is impressive. The service is impeccible. If you are a person who appreciates the little details you will love this experience! Everything from how they serve the beverages and food, to caring for your utensils and napkins- its above and beyond. This is a place that strives for unreasobale hospitality and we will be back! Thank you to all the staff we had tonight, Kerby, Bella, and Jillian!

Enjoyed EMRE last nite for the first time. The Atmosphere, wine and most of the food was outstanding. The exception was the Etto Lump Crab pasta.....it was one of the worst dishes I've had. First, there was little if any crab meat and second its taste was of old dish-water. I immediately sent it back thinking it would be removed from my bill.....wrong on my part to assume, because it wasn't. It's my fault that I didn't review the bill until this morning. In addition, it being our first time their I would have thought our server (who was very polite) would have guided us in the amount of food we should order. We had the Roasted Baby Beet salad (the best I've ever had), the Prawn Souvlakis (amazing), then the catch of the day (delicious) and the Etto Fettuccini Lump Crab pasta. Before our server submitted the order, we asked if we had ordered properly and was it too much? They responded, no....well it was enough food to serve 6 to 8 vs. just the two of us. Would I be back, yes.....

We went to Emre at The Ava Hotel for the first time last night, New Year's Eve, and had an outstanding experience. All four of us loved everything. (Background note: Both couples moved to Paso over ten years ago specifically for its rural location and the wine country vibe, so this type of restaurant is right in our wheelhouse). Firstly, the hotel and restaurant are beautiful in a elegant and spare style, not fussy or ostentatiously ornate. The large lobby was packed with folks out on the town for New Year's Eve - too bad the rain put a damper on the bonfire in the park. We were quickly seated and our drinks arrived in only moments. We had both a server and an assistant server wait on us. Both were charming and very knowledgeable about the food choices and the amount to order. This was helpful due to the abundance small plates and food for the table that may have otherwise been confusing. Between the four of us we ordered the lamb kefka, the charred octopus, Moroccan carrots, crispy potatoes, whole branzino, and the Souvlakis with beef and prawn skewers. The only thing I didn't personally try was the branzino, but was assured by our friends that it was excellent too. The kefka, octopus, carrots, branzino, and Souvlakis were all grilled over a wood fire giving them a smoky charred flavor. All the items I ate were spicy in both senses of meaning - highly seasoned with wonderful complex Middle Eastern flavors and fairly hot spicy too. This was surprising as I had not experienced hot spicy in Middle Eastern food before. I love how the chef made this rather bold choice in seasoning and hope this trend continues in the future should the menu evolve over time. The background noise and lighting were both spot on. Even though there are lots of hard surfaces to reflect noise, you could describe it as lively and not excessive. All four of us could converse easily. The lighting was similarly dialed in properly - subdued, but no one felt the need to light up a menu with a phone. Emre is an excellent destination for fine dining. Certainly unique in Paso Robles, I'm pretty sure nothing quite like it (food-wise) is available in either San Francisco or LA. If you like different assertive flavors, this is the place for you.

I wanted to like this place so badly. First bad experience was when we showed up at 7:50 pm on a Saturday to have a night cap in the bar and they turned us way because they were “done serving.” What a way to leave a bad taste in a local’s mouth. They’re new though so we thought we’d give them another try with a reservation. We went on a Thursday and the food and vibes were good. Service was ok. Lighting was changing every few minutes (again, I blamed it on being new). But then, we made the massive mistake of bringing my parents and family here for Christmas Eve. Without going too far into the details, the hostess was rude, the server was rude and absent, the manager was careless and it took 2 hours to get our food. The kitchen was a disaster and putting out no food. We have two very polite and patient children who sat for hours and then their pasta with butter dish was forgotten when our food finally arrived. One of my kids fell asleep at the table because we had been waiting so long. The table next to us said it took 15 minutes to get a menu. It was a horrible experience and I don’t have any desire to go back. Save yourself hundreds of dollars on a mediocre experience with rude staff and go visit one of the 10 other wonderful downtown restaurants with servers and staff who care one bit about you.

I hate leaving bad reviews, but you deserve to be warned off of this one. Ambiance:0 Food:2 Service:-5 Prices:0 Integrity:-10 First off, the background music was so loud we couldn't hear each other talk across a table for two. The food was bland. My Etto pasta dish tasted like they just threw pasta on a plate straight out of the pot and slopped some butter on it. The best part was a pretty basic endive salad. The service was horrible. The restaurant wasn't even half full when we got there, and it was only about 60% full by the time we left. We ordered a second round of drinks just before they brought our main course, and they didn't arrive until after we were done. Parmessan wasn't even offered with my Etto pasta dish, and when I asked for it they acted like they'd never heard of parmessan on pasta. I didn't want to eat my main course cold, so after waiting a while I just started eating without the parmessan. By the time they brought it I was more than 3/4 done. The prices started out a bit high for a restaurant like this. Then, we ordered an upgrade from a single shot of well tequilla to top shelf tequilla. When the bill came, they had charged us $22 on a $12 drink just for the upgrade. There was no mention that they were going to almost TRIPLE THE PRICE for that little upgrade. They took full advantage of us without any warning. All in all, I have to say that this is the worst restaurant experience in Paso Robles.

Phenomenal dinner!!!! The food was perfect and atmosphere incredible. One of the best spots in SLO county and I go out often! We will be back often!!!

Wonderful dinner! We had the lamb kefta hummus, carrots, jidori chicken, and the octopus. Everything was delicious. I absolutely loved the hummus! Our server Maisy was so sweet and so attentive.

Maizey was so incredibly kind and sweet! We loved every minute of our dining experience, from the food to the atmosphere. The manager checked in and was so attentive, wish we got his name! We will be back again in December, if not sooner. Fantastic food, kind staff and such a beautiful restaurant in a wonderful setting.

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!