EMRE @ The Ava Hotel

I have dined here multiple times since they opened and it has instantly become a top-tier favorite dining experience anywhere. Their dining room itself is beautiful and comfortable, and the open concept to the kitchen is really cool, especially to be able to sit at the bar there and be near the action is very enjoyable. The food and drinks are fantastic, everything shows high talent and attention to detail in the execution and presentation, and it’s wonderful to go to a high-end and elegant restaurant like this, where you not only get a worthwhile experience in both food and service, but you can also feel comfortable and welcome with an approachable menu and staff. This is a wonderful dining experience that is very exciting, welcome and important for our area.

Amazing dinner! We were 1/3 local and 2/3 out of towners looking for high quality and healthy leaning dinner! This was the perfect spot! The salad was large and full of different flavors (feta, olives, radish, pomegranate, pistachios) and absolutely delicious! The hummus was incredible and I’m a bit snobby with hummus, since I make my own. Pita to go with it was warm and delicious and crudités were crispy and fresh. Octopus appetizer was delicious. Falafel was light and crispy and not overly dense. Carrots were lightly sweet and spicy and full of flavor. Potatoes were incredible with that delicious garlic tume. Cabbage vegetarian dish was wonderful, though a tad salty. Fettuccine with crab was also delicious. Everything was wonderful and I would order it all again. Large servings that are definitely good for sharing. Maisie was a wonderful server and really helped us with our choices and took great care of us! They were very accommodating to our dietary restrictions! We will definitely be back!

Something desperately needed in downtown Paso Robles. It definitely has a liveliness and a hipster crowd but very relaxed and friendly and not at all loud. The drinks were very very good and very reasonably priced compared to other cities in Northern California. Bartenders were willing to make unique drinks and even created something special. The location is inside a very beautiful hotel just about a half a block off of the main downtown square. This hotel should do well forever as it is very nice clean beautiful modern and interesting

This review is intended for the manager/chef. The food and atmosphere here are very good, and we genuinely enjoyed the quality of the dishes. Unfortunately, our overall experience was disappointing due to the service. Our food took approximately 50 minutes to arrive. During that time, we noticed several tables who were seated after us receive their meals / pay and leave while ours had still not come out. The table next to us, who sat down 5–10 minutes after we did, also experienced a long wait. When their food finally arrived (before ours), they spoke with the manager and mentioned that both their table and ours had been waiting an excessive amount of time. The manager acknowledged them and compensated their entire meal, but despite clearly seeing us and being aware of the situation, nothing was said or done for our table. To add to the frustration, when the check arrived, we were charged for three more coffees than we had ordered and had to ask for that to be corrected. We truly want this restaurant to succeed because the food was excellent. However, the management and service experience need improvement for the restaurant to retain customers long-term.

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.

A great addition to Paso Robles food scene! It has a lovely ambience for dining. A great beverage selection from wines, cocktails, to mocktails. But I have to highlight the food as I’m a foodie. So one great thing is that most of the menu is perfect for sharing, which I enjoy with a meal so you can talk about the dishes together. I think it’s a great spot for couples to groups of 6. •Starters• -A standout was the crudo! Oh my goodness, get the seasonal crudo. We got it when it was hamachi. I was only bummed that I had to share with the rest of the table. So well executed. -Love any of the dips with the fluffiest, puffiest pita. The hummus & baba ghanoush are creamy and flavorful. They put crispy elements on top like chickpeas on the hummus which break up the smooth texture. Love it! -The pea falafels are so yummy. Perfectly fried and served with a tzatziki and pickled onions. -Crispy potatoes are perfectly done also and the harissa sauce makes you go back for more. •Mains• -The souvlakis are seasoned and cooked wonderfully. I love that they grill it and it’s hard to pick a favorite, but the fantastic cook on the prawns and dipping with tzatziki was a happy place. -Beef Cheek Tagine is cozy, and a whole mood. The spices are perfect. The meat tender. And the couscous with the hint of lemon a great accompaniment. •Dessert• -If you save room, I loved the deconstructed cheesecake. The crispy kadaifi is such a smart idea to bring in a Mediterranean flare to the cheesecake instead of graham crackers. Also, they understand texture here and I really appreciate it. I highly recommend giving Emre an evening of your time to enjoy some classics refreshed with culinary vision. Chef Casey stopped to talk to us and he is such a genuine person, which translates to his food.

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!