by Garret Hampon on I had also purchased the Groupon a few weeks back for $25 worth of food at Spice Market. I have to agree with the previous review- I was a little underwhelmed and I'm not a restaurant snob at all- I promise. About parking- the restaurant website said that after a certain time parking was free in the garage on weekdays. Well, it wasn't. We would have been been better off using the hotel valet service. We made a reservation for a Thursday night, but there was no need to. The place was EMPTY! Our server was new- the host even introduced her as "our new server" I think they shouldn't do that as some people may take advantage. She was very sweet but nervous. The food was good but be ready for small portions. The meny is heavy on fish and spicy dishes. Some items, like the curried vegetables had a strange taste. My favorite thing was my drink, a cherry yuzu soda, non alcoholic. The decor is just weird. There are ropes hanging from the ceiling, which reminded me of someone hanging themselves! Our table overlooked the lobby of the W, which was also really empty. I get the feeling that this place may be losing it's vibe. I visited the hotel a year ago and the place was hopping. Not so much this time. I'm sure that Whiskey Park (the bar upstairs) may draw in late night business. I can't say we would go back. There was no "WOW" factor which the W likes to promote.
by Travis Weyrauch on Somewhat tipsy monday night a friend and I mosey into essr after some drinks and pool at liberty bar, which by the way, has HH until 9:00 on weeknights. So we sit down and hastily order a frambois flip and one of their famous old fashioned's. The flip was made with buffalo trace bourbon and, duh, framboise, and had a nice little layer of egg foam on top. Im not generally to fond of egg foam, however in this drink it cut the whiskey nicely and allowed me to taste the raspberry liquor. The old fashioned was awesome and really really strong. Just my style. We order the assortment of fromage, ours came with a very nice local bleu cheese, a local goat brie, and some of the best local chevre i've ever had. Each was paired with either a balsamic reduction or some candied and roasted pecans, and the whole dish was sublime. For the next course we had the braised short rib dish which was served on a soft polenta or grits, if you like, and was very delicious. The meat was very tender and flavorful, the grits were soft and wonderful, the only beef I had with the dish was the rather unimpressive au jus that was served all around the plate and made the grits a little runnier by the end of the meal than I would have liked. Also, as it was a monday, the gypsy band, I believe they're called That Damned Band, was playing and put on a great show for the almost packed restaurant. For their last song all the players moved around the room and stood on chairs and benches while they finished their solos. All in all a great experience. I did not experience all of the pretentiousness that other reviewers complain about, however maybe i'm just cooler than y'all. I can't really back that up with anything, but they do appreciate people who like good food and drink there. This is my second time here and I will definitely be going back. I said last night that this would be the best place to take a date in Austin, and I think I stand by that still. Time will tell.... Beauregardless
by Michelle T. on This is place is darn good. We went on a Saturday night celebrating 3 birthdays so I'm pretty sure it was busier than usual. It was a very diverse crowd which I REALLY like. And there is valet parking located right behind the place for $5 which is GREAT. Any place that has convenient parking is a good thing. The bartender did not make weak drinks. And the music both on the dance floor and bar area was AWESOME!! There's a little something for everybody -- pool tables, dance floor, or just sit at a bar table to talk. The only complaint that I have is that this place needs better air circulation. It was just way too hot and stuffy. We couldn't stay on the dance floor long because it was so muggy inside. But other than that, I had a great time and totally recommend it. Cover charge is $10 and you can get in free if its your birthday.
