Gina's on Congress
Restaurant · Downtown ·
French-Italian bistro serving homemade pastas, steak tartare, wine
French-Italian bistro serving homemade pastas, steak tartare, wine
"Of course it was a gay man who dedicated this charming Congress bistro to Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren, two Italian film legends celebrated for their glamor. Gina’s isn’t quite as fancy as its figureheads, but it does have an old-school Italy-meets-France feel. It was one of our favorite new restaurants of 2024, with nice takes on those two countries' dishes. The mussels come with a towering pile of shoestring fries, there are several Negroni variations on the menu (all of them good), and the pasta is worthy of any grande dame who walks through the doors." - matthew jacobs
"From the team that brought us a mini-empire of Mediterranean restaurants in Rosedale (Gusto and Gracia) comes a Franco-Italian bistro on Congress Avenue that’s more impressive than it needs to be.. Gina’s on Congress’s exposed stone walls and lively bar make it a great choice for date nights or happy hours with your favorite colleagues. Menu-wise, Gina’s offers homemade pastas, escargot, steak tartare, and our dark-horse pick for Austin’s best Caesar salad. Negroni fans will enjoy four different variations, while wine enthusiasts can treat themselves to varieties from France and Italy." - Taylor Tobin
"Gina’s is the type of pocket-sized neighborhood bistro you might expect to find on a quiet corner in a much older, larger city. The building feels like it holds some history in its bones, even if the tables and walls are sporting pristine white tablecloths and shiny new coats of paint. The menu blends classic Italian and French flavors—with handmade pastas and larger entrees that are well worth a full meal—but we like to just sit at the bar and order a bunch of snacks and drinks. Show up during nightly happy hour and you can even get those snacks and cocktails for half the price (including a whole section with Negroni variations)." - nicolai mccrary
"Gina’s is a pocket-sized neighborhood bistro you might expect to find on a quiet corner in a much older, larger city. The building feels like it holds some history in its bones, even if it's sporting pristine white tablecloths and shiny new coats of paint. The menu blends Italian and French flavors, with handmade pastas and larger entrees that are well worth a full meal. When we want something light but filling, we order the mussels. They come swimming in a pool of rich and creamy sauce, and they're topped with a mound of shoestring fries that are incredibly satisfying by the forkful." - matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary
"Gina’s is the type of pocket-sized neighborhood bistro you might expect to find on a quiet corner of a bustling downtown in a much older, larger city. The building feels like it holds some history in its bones, even if the tables and walls are sporting pristine white tablecloths and shiny new coats of paint. The menu blends classic Italian and French flavors, with a handful of handmade pastas and larger entrees that are great for sharing. Pop in for a bite before catching a show at The Paramount up the street—especially if you’re all dressed up already—or plan your next date night around an order of mussels and shoestring fries that you won’t stop thinking about anytime soon." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion