Laurel Restaurant

My wife and I stayed at Hotel Viata for our anniversary. We decided to just stay in and eat at Laurel since it was at the hotel and convenient. We were so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meal and the excellent service. Simo, our waiter, made our evening so memorable. He was kind, accommodating, and just an all around delight. The food was outstanding and the Nebbiolo wine was amazing. We shared a Filet, the mashed potatoes, and broccolini. The locally sourced steak was cooked to perfection (medium-rare of course), full of flavor, and incredibly tender. The sides were wonderful and very generous. They even brought us a complimentary dessert that was delicious. What a beautiful special dinner at the Laurel.

The restaurant has a beautiful design, but the service was very disappointing for what is supposed to be an upscale restaurant. I was staying at the hotel and came down for breakfast. The restaurant was empty, yet there was no one available to seat me. After walking around for several minutes to find someone, a staff member finally appeared and seemed visibly annoyed, making me feel like an inconvenience. They took my order, but later another server approached without realizing I had already ordered. After waiting several more minutes, my tea still hadn’t arrived and I had to remind them. Also they didn't even have teas listed on the menu. The oatmeal portion was quite big but bit watery and had less fruit than I would expect for the price. Overall, the service and food quality fell well below what I would expect from an upscale restaurant and hotel.

We came in with a party of four on a Thursday at peak dinner time and there was virtually no one here! Our waiter, Hari, was an absolutely fun and excellent gentleman who saw to every detail, even going out of his way to help get a meal quicker for half our party that had to leave early! The food was absolutely delicious and the prices, while somewhat expensive, were well worth it. The only mild downside is the cocktail prices, even then the drinks were strong and delectable. Will absolutely be returning.

Great restaurant with beautiful indoor and outdoor setting. The happy hour is bomb and highly suggested however you won't really pay "HH" price.. at happy hour you would end up paying what you would pay during normal hours at any other restaurant for the kind of food and drinks you get. At non happy hour time they charged me $20 for a ranch water (with espolón)... yeah.. $16 for the espolón and $4 to make it "ranch". That's a bit excessive. Their mixed cocktails are no less than $18 a piece, and they are good, but they are nothing super special. I get a bit of a greedy vibe from this place possibly because is part of a bougie hotel. I will give credit to the food, everything we got was pretty yummy.

Atmosphere is very posh and nature-y. It feels like you could be in the Italian wine country. Service - waitress was very friendly and kind. - Sizeable appetizers - burrata needs olive oil, more salt, and black pepper. - Calamari and shrimp could be crispier. also needs a lemon and more salt - Beef tenderloin was medium rare but kind of dry - Chilean Salmon was tasty - The pistachio cake was delicious and not too sweet - The donuts were good as well The pistachio cake was my favorite dish.

The Laurel Restaurant is meticulously designed/decorated with very comfortable seating and lovely views of the hilltop landscape. The restaurant staff is engaging, friendly and attentive. The menu offers diverse and delicious selections for the vegan as well as the meat lovers ….And there is a robust wine menu. Yum! Thank you, Chef Rodriguez, Sinu, Luis, Jorge, George, JR, Troy and the entire Laurel staff….for several exceptional dining experiences! Your gracious hospitality is sincerely appreciated. Highly recommended!

My girlfriend and I were stayed at Hotel Viata for 5 nights. This restaurant was our favorite part of it. We got breakfast twice, lunch and dinner. The food was delicious. Our server Caden was very kind and attentive. Would highly recommend eating here.

The restaurant is so pretty and service was excellent, they have nice live music at night and the dinner ambiance was chill. The food was not spectacular though, for that price you can definitely go to other places in Austin with much better food.

This review is regarding brunch. The lemon ricotta pancakes were outstanding, fluffy pillows of delight topped with berries and the delectable bourbon maple syrup. The "Vista Brunch Burger" was also very good, the burger is on a buttered brioche bun and is topped with crisp maple pepper bacon, an egg-your-way (I opted for over-medium), cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and sliced pickles. The fried have a nice crispy, seasoned coating. The drip coffee is really good and refills were at the ready. We were a larger group and service was good. They had a nice long table set up for us in front of a window. The grounds are beautiful; going in mid-December the trees surrounding the property were in all their Fall glory.

Looking for a spot that combines cute Instagram aesthetics with a side of culinary disaster? Look no further! My cappuccino was the shining star - hot, frothy, and actually tasty. Now, onto the lemon ricotta pancakes saga - the first attempt tasted like a regrettable encounter with lemon-scented cleaning supplies. I summoned the bravery to have my husband try it, and it was a unanimous "nope." As I awaited my pancake rescue mission, I engaged in a full-on fruit fly battle. Those little buggers were on a mission to conquer every crumb in the joint. After an agonizing 25 minutes, a lone pancake emerged. At this point, my patience was thinner than the pancakes, especially since there were only 3 other souls in the entire restaurant. I questioned the space-time continuum that allowed a half-hour pancake reconstruction for a grand total of one pancake when it was meant to be two! Summoning the manager involved a time warp of its own - 5 minutes to emerge from the abyss of the kitchen. Frustration peaked, especially considering the customer-to-table ratio was astoundingly low. We decided to make a swift exit, and the waitress, sensing the impending disaster, offered not to charge for the pancakes. My retort? "I wouldn't pay for them anyway." The manager, fashionably late, apologized and acknowledged the pancake mishap. He insisted on boxing up the lonely pancake, but at that point, I was more interested in escaping than embracing a to-go tragedy. I would never ever go back here, nor would I recommend it. For a completely empty brunch place on a Sunday morning, the service sucked, the food was DISGUSTING, and the flies were plentiful.

Atmosphere is very posh and nature-y. It feels like you could be in the Italian wine country. Service - waitress was very friendly and kind. - Sizeable appetizers - burrata needs olive oil, more salt, and black pepper. - Calamari and shrimp could be crispier. also needs a lemon and more salt - Beef tenderloin was medium rare but kind of dry - Chilean Salmon was tasty - The pistachio cake was delicious and not too sweet - The donuts were good as well The pistachio cake was my favorite dish.

We went to Laurel (inside Hotel Viata) to change things up a bit! It was around 11am on Sunday and we were expecting a hustle and bustle post-church crowd and were pleasantly surprised at how many people WEREN'T here. It was pretty quiet and felt like we were on vacation far away from home. We cozied up to the bar which was super comfortable. There was one bartender who gave us waters and took our drink order. I ordered one of the juices (carrot) and my guy ordered their signature award-winning Bloody Mary. We put in our food order and sat there with our waters for a good 10 minutes... had no idea where the bartender went, but finally he came around the corner with both of our drinks. We almost left. We just assumed there must've been another bar around the corner of the restaurant where he made our drinks. He told us our food would be out promptly and it was, so that eased our mind a little. Food was great!! I had the Barbacoa hash and was in heaven. Boyfriend ordered the bagel with lox which is the entire reason we went here. We also got 10% off our bill for checking in on Yelp. We'd come back for sure!

Lovely restaurant in a beautiful location. The food was good yet nothing truly exceptional but the atmosphere really takes it to the next level. We did a brunch here, for my friend's birthday, and they gave her an extra portion of these delicious fried balls filled with custard, with a candle. I had purchased a Travelzoo certificate which really made it worthwhile. Laurel Restaurant is located at the Hotel Viata which is up in the hills along 360. It's a truly beautiful location. Plenty of parking attached to the hotel. Good service and not too busy or noisy on a Sunday morning. Reservations through Open Table were quick and easy. Will likely go back again.

This has got to be one of the worst meals I've had in a long time. If you stay at this Hotel, don't mess with the restaurant. And if you do, do not order the carbonara. I repeat, do not order. The carbonara. The breakfast was alright. It's hard to mess up breakfast. I'm sure they could do it but we didn't order anything complex enough to give them the chance...They have the good sausages. You know what I'm talking bout. Potatoes were burnt but still kinda good, still ate them.

I will not be returning to this Restaraunt. First, the water they bring you is $7.00!!!!! The risotto was barely eatable as it was not fresh. The carbonara was about the same quality. The cost of this Restaraunt is wasted with so many great places to have dinner in Austin. We live in the city and know tons of places that we love to visit. Laurel is not a place we would ever return to. Spend your money elsewhere.

Went to Laurel restaurant recently. We are vegetarian and the appetizer salad was fresh and tasty. Ordered Margherita pizza and eggplant cachiatore which were really yummy ! The ambience was lovely and the service was great ! They found out what we were celebrating and gave a free dessert on the house. Definitely plan to go back again and recommend this restaurant!

Had a little staycation at Hotel Viata and dined once for Happy Hour and twice for lunch. We are not vegan, but heard the Impossible Meatballs were delicious...annnd they were! A little on the salty side, but with the bread and sauce flavor they were amazing. I will say though we had them during Happy Hour for $12, then had to have them again for lunch for $19 and were served 4 meatballs for HH and 3 for lunch. Not sure what happened there. The Meats by Linz Steakhouse Burger was pretty good and included bacon. Fries were nice and crispy. The Pepperoni and Sopressata Pizza $21 was alright. We added ricotta. Nothing special. The sauce has a good flavor. The Crispy Brussel Sprouts $15 were absolutely delicious!!! The Tuscan Salad $16 was absolutely amazing!!! So fresh and just plain delicious. Although I was a little annoyed with myself that I didn't read the menu correctly on pricing and adding the salmon was an extra $19....sooo that was a $35 salad!!!! A little steep for my liking, but it was totally worth it in the moment. I ate every last bite of that salad! Next time though the salad is sufficient enough with flavor and filling without the salmon. I would give the restaurant 5 stars, but have 4 stars because although the decor of the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous and staff very friendly the wait time for our food and a few ordering mistakes were made. It was really slow when we went to eat during the week. I'm not sure if perhaps they were understaffed, but the wait time for our food made no sense with there not being many guests. Once that improves I would be glad to give 5 stars!

Talk about date night ambiance! We ate here during a getaway honeymoon without a reservation. Simo provided perhaps the best service we received while in Austin. He was so attentive and even brought roses to our table. The food was so delicious! The portion sizes and flavors were brilliant. The kitchen even gifted a slice of cake and macaroons to celebrate us!

Overall the food was fairly good. The service was great. Very attentive. Beautiful decor. Food: Broccolini - good Sausage and pepper pizza - good Salmon - good Affogato - good

I highly recommend Simo as your waiter when you visit Lauren restaurant. He truly went above and beyond to make our anniversary night special. From the moment we were seated, Simo was attentive and took care of our every need. He made sure our drinks were always filled and checked on us frequently to ensure we were enjoying our meal.l. We left feeling pampered, satisfied, and grateful for his outstanding attention to detail. If you're looking for a memorable dining experience, be sure to ask for Simo as your waiter.

The ambiance is gorgeous, like something out of a French movie. But they did have the fire going outside when it was already over 100 degrees The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived. There was 1 large party and 2 other small ones, we all had the same server. The food took a while to come out & I assumed it was because of the larger party that was also there. We started with the burrita appetizer and one piece of the arugula salad was extremely salty, like they sprinkled salt only right there. Other than that, it was delicious. I ordered the salmon, it was cooked to perfection and so tasty. My brother tried to order the chicken & goat cheese ravioli but they were out, at 730PM, when the restaurant was empty. The server said that it's popular and the kitchen has a hard time keeping up... so he got the sausage pasta instead and it was nothing to write home about. My mom had very strict dietary restrictions and had to order something gluten, dairy and nut free. She decided on the potatoes, but the server suggested she not get the sauce due to her restrictions, after completing the meal we researched pistou & I'm almost positive she could have had that, which would've added more flavor to the food. Overall, it was a beautiful restaurant with delicious options.

Such a cool, trendy place to eat inside the Hotel Viata. Cool music, cool furniture, cool decor. We ordered a bacon burger, side of fruit, & the Almafi Salad plus grilled shrimp. Absolutely delicious! & beautiful presentation. High-qualify items. I love that the fries that come with the burger are the kinda well-seasoned crispy fries. The Almafi salad is huge, and they're very generous with their ingredient components. Loaded with olives, artichokes, chunks of soft cheese, capers, & tomatoes. Loved it. The Shrimp were the best ever too: seasoned to perfection with some sort of herb mix. Very happy with our food & experience. Great service too from Troy.

We originally met out bartender JR at the pool earlier in the day and he was great! We then came to see him at the bar at Laurel for dinner. I got the Italian side of Austin to drink w\tajin rim and it was so good! I also got their fettuccine lemon with shrimp for dinner and it did not disappoint. We then found out they had homemade chicharrones and ordered them as well. We were overall pleased with food and service!

Food quality was not good and so very over priced. The waiter was not as attentive as he should've been and the restaurant was only 30% full. The waiter brought bottled water to the table without asking if that is what we wanted at $7 a bottle (Ridiculous). The ambiance was good but the food was just so, so.

We had dinner here last night and the service was great. From the moment we arrived the valet was very accommodating and let us know where to go. We were given menus and our server Hari was also 5 star, his son also is a food runner and was amazing as well. The food was great and seasoned well, everything was ate was wonderful. We will definitely go back there

While the environment is nice, the service needs to be much better ...especially for the high ticket price of their small dishes. Tonight, I ordered a salad and added a side of chicken. I received a chicken with a few leafy lettuces. I had to chase the waiter/ bartender and ask where is the salad. He took back the dish only to return with 2-3 more leafy greens. The guy sitting next to me at bar thought I was being pranked. I couldn't get the bartender back to ask if this is a joke, so I left. Very disappointing!

Amazing place, amazing food and even better service!!! Simo was great!! Love this place and will def come back.

Delicious food and wonderful atmosphere. I highly recommend the Risotto and the Chicken dish. Our waiter, Simo, was the best.

Amazing service and food was cooked to perfection our server was hari an he was exceptionally attentive!!!

Food delicious but healthy. My server, Simo, was wonderful- gracious, helpful and made a great recommendation for dessert. An exceptional server.

Simo was our waiter and he was fantastic! And the food was fantastic! The only real issue is the temp of the fridge. 3 days in a row the wine was on the warm side. Our waiter Simo was quick to put a bottle on ice for us.

At dinner in Laurel Restaurant on the first night of a family reunion in Hotel Viata, a foreign object in my vegetarian eggplant entrée snapped one of my front teeth in half. When the restaurant manager (Chef?) was informed of what had occurred, he was confrontational, repeatedly insisting that he only orders non-pitted olives? I had to walk away from this guy to prevent things from getting ugly. The following week, I wrote the hotel manager - recounting the event and outlining the subsequent $6,600 of dental work it created. Not once did I receive so much as an apology. I've attended these family reunions for 30 years, (60-70 people), and we always vote on whether the venue will be one that we will return to for another reunion. Hotel Viata received the lowest score in the history of these events. Patronize this place at your own risk. I've no doubt it will change hands and have a different name/owner within 24 months.

My mom and I were staying at the Hotel Viata for vacation and kept hearing how wonderful this restaurant was. Our server Simo was absolutely perfect. He was hilarious and provided great recommendations. The food was delicious, the ambiance was relaxing. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant.

Amazing flavor! I had the spaghetti with impossible meatballs and my husband had the sausage and peppers pizza . Then for dessert the bombaloni. Service was awesome. Enjoying our vacation day 1

The food was definitely nothing to get excited about. I've never had a filet mignon with a bone in it until this dining experience. It was cooked perfectly, but the sauce and brown mashed concoction on the bottom of the plate was so heavy in balsamic it overpowered the entire steak. The dessert tasted like a store bought desert, if that good. It was also over sauced and covered in mounds of whip cream. Service was outstanding I must say. That was the best part of the meal. The decor was very commercial and plain. The tree in the center of the room was nice, but that the only thing that helped the ambiance. I also really didn't like the glass sweat all over the table. No coasters! Up your game guys. For the price it should be fantastic. 3.5 stars if it was possible, but not worth 4.

Unbelievably tasty food at this hotel restaurant. I'm a foodie and the fish tacos yesterday at lunch, pizza last night and the avocado/egg toast breakfast this morning were nothing short of perfection. Excellent waitstaff too. If you are in the Austin area or staying at the Hotel Viata, eat here. Mixed drinks menu served poolside are fabulous too.

The ambiance is great. The service is friendly. Prepare to take your time. The meal is very slowly paced, which we like on vacation. The food was a 6 out of ten. The dessert was 10/10 though.

Simo was wonderful hosting us. He talked to us like we were his family. All the staff are super friendly, and courteous. The food was excellent. I highly recommend.

Karla was an amazing waitress. She handled the entire floor by herself with a smile. Food was amazing. Great place. But yes a special tip of the hat toward Karla an amazing professional and waitress.!!!

Great breakfast!!!! Service was fantastic! Breakfast was simple and filling. Very healthy options, and the Cleanse juice was terrific! A bit pricey for the options but overall a great experience with the scenery, soft music and awesome coffee!

This is such a beautiful place. The drinks were absolutely fantastic and the good was amazing. The service was great, our server Hari was very friendly and funny. The patio had nice views and overall has an awesome atmosphere. I will be back and I highly recommend!!!

I'm not leaving a review on the food or the cost, because I don't think those are what gives this place it's highest value. The service we get from Hari every time we eat here is amazing! He remembers us from past visits and always has a smile to share. This is why I give this restaurant a 5! See ya soon, Hari!

We got to the restaurant at 8:00 pm, we sat down and ordered wine and beer, it took 20 minutes just to get our drinks. We ordered the calamari and our food (steak and pizza and at this point there were only 2 other couples there who had already gotten their food) about 20 minutes later our calamari came, and then our food finally came 55 minutes after we ordered. There was a man there who seemed like the manager and we tried getting his attention multiple times while waiting for our food to ask the status and he never came over and just hung out at the bar the entire time talking to customers sitting at the bar. We tried to cancel our order and were told that we could not and to just wait a second. While the food was ok, it was not worth $180, will not be returning. Overall, it took over an hour and a half to get out food and we were the only people at the restaurant waiting. The manager never came over to talk to us or offer us anything even when we had talked to our waiter about canceling. At the beginning of us getting there, the couple next to us had an issue with their order and the manager and wait staff profusely apologized and was quick to help them out, however, they did not do the same for us.

Service by Simo is wonderful and attentive. I had a pilot grigio wine alongside the airline chicken. Very tasty without being too heavy. Ambiance is relaxing in the evening. Hope they expand the menu for GF options. Add the chocolate Torte for dessert options.

Happy to have another restaurant in the Westlake area! Service was on point - checking in often and making sure we were happy with everything. The food was paced out well and it all tasted amazing. Highly recommend the Pistachio Sponge Cake! They also have a great happy hour in the bar area from 3-5pm!

WOW! What a cool place to have so close to town. Feels like you're in a mountainous, sophisticated & peaceful countryside. Ambience was great, food was great, service was great, the coffee was great! We loved it here. We got the salmon BLT on a bagel, lemon pancakes w/sausage links on the side, croissant with jam and everything was delicious. So glad we went here!

Terrible service. The entire staff had a bad attitude. We had been sitting for 30 minutes before physically getting up ourselves to hunt down someone to take our order. The waitress proceeded to disappear and not provide any help. Do not waste your time here!

Absolutely HORRIBLE service. If I could give this place zero stars, I would. We got up and left before even placing our food order. Our waitress was intentionally ignoring us and made our experience so frustrating. We had such high hopes for this place because it's really beautiful inside.