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    aya

    4.2 (38 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM

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    Halloumi Small Plate
    Ally S.

    Highlights 1) Beautiful Restaurant 2) Flavorful Food 3) Fun Drinks Aya has been at the TOP of my want to try list for so long! You absolutely need a reservation. We came on a Wednesday night with a 7pm reservation and it was completely packed. We were seated at the bar to wait for our table. The cocktail list is fun and the wine list (even wine by the glass!) is great. We were seated about 10 minutes after our reservation, Per our servers recommendation, we ordered a bunch of dishes and shared everything. We did a maze platter, lamb kebabs, chicken, halloumi, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. From start to finish service was great and food and drinks were flavorful! Looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu!

    Michael W.

    Aya is the newest addition to an already incredible food scene in Milwaukee. They specialize in elevated Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cuisine in a vibrant, elegant atmosphere. Since it opened it has already become a popular must stop for any foodie. It is the same owners of Saffron, and they draw on the influences that has made that restaurant a smash on the Milwaukee dining scene. This is another home run and one of the most unique dining experiences in the city. We tried many plates: the mezze sampler platter, Wagyu Shish Taouk, Lamb Shish Kebab, and Oyster Mushrooms. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the presentation was spectacular. Our standouts were the Wagu and Oyster mushrooms. You must try them! Them mezze sampler was also incredible. The cocktails we ordered were also fantastic. The atmosphere and presentation of everyone was beautiful and elegant. Besides the amazing food, the service was also top-notch, friendly and attentive. If you are lucky enough to snag a reservation, don't pass it up. Go now!

    Kushal D.

    We came into aya to celebrate a birthday and had a great time! The staff was so attentive and kind, the restaurant beautiful and the drinks were quite creative. The menu had something for everyone - we opted to share a bunch of mezzes including the sampler, halloumi, skewers, and Muhammara. The muhammara and the baba were our favorite dips, and the halloumi and falafel were delish! The skewers were the star - chicken was so flavorful and juicy. I didn't try the venison or lamb but was told they were good. I would say Aya can be quite pricey - we spent almost $400 between three of us, and another couple spent $300. While the food was delicious, the portions were small for the price. Likewise - they only provide one pita with a dip, and extra pita is $5 for a single pc. Having been to several similar restaurants in other cities like Chicago, phx, dc, nyc...pita refills are usually provided for free or at minimum each person is provided with an individual pita. This wasn't the case which made it difficult to finish the mezzes without ordering extra pita. We had a fantastic time and the food was high quality, and delicious. The service was great. We will come back, but with the price point it will likely be more of a special occasion spot.

    Pide
    Alexander D.

    We decided to stop in to celebrate a special occasion and I appreciated being seated promptly. There is not great parking the area so be advised and I do think maybe a valet would have been a nice touch for a fine dining experience. The service was tremendous as the staff was super attentive we did have an earlier reservation but nonetheless they were on top of everything. The ambience is a nice elegant touch for a fine dining experience. I think they really thought through the decor and presentation of everything. The food my favorites were the lamb hummus and my branzino. Their version branzino had great flavor. Their version of a pide was a nice touch different than the Turkish pide I've had in the past. My wife got the chicken dish which was a little overcooked and dry unfortunately. Overall, worth checking out and giving a try.

    Danielle P.

    Such a solid new restaurant spot for the Milwaukee food scene the restaurant was fully booked for last Friday night, but we tested our luck around 6:45 hoping to snag a seat at the bar and we did! A couple others opened up after us too, so I would definitely encourage this approach as it's full-service and, honestly, probably the best seat in the house! I will say, the area of the restaurant is kind of random and parking will probably be a hit or miss. The bar area is stunning. With a huge marble accent wall, white quartz countertop and mid-century modern touches mixed with contemporary glam. The wait staff all wear suits as well which lends itself a certain elegance. The rest of the restaurant is spacious, tall ceilings. Not much architectural excitement happening in the building, but it's clean and pretty to look at. The drink menu is creative and bougie, many of the drinks having special touches to them that entailed bartender tricks. I got thee gin drink which resembled a pisco sour (a bit sweeter but really tasty) and my husband did a smoked bourbon drink. The food was outstanding! We chose to do a mix of tapas and honestly, every dish was better than the last. We tried the wagyu carpaccio, yellowtail (honestly the biggest pieces of sushi I've ever been served, huge portion), fattoush smash (this was a delightful surprise of a dish!!), spicy Muhammara (one of the best I've had!) with delicious naan, and the wagyu skewer. Had to finish off this 10/10 meal with dessert and opted for the tiramisu Everything was amazing and we can't wait to go back!

    Scott W.

    I don't normally try a new restaurant until it has had some time to settle into a rhythm. The issues that we had might resolve themselves over time. We had 7:15 reservations on a Wednesday night. It was busy, about 3/4 full. Food: We started with a couple of their specialty cocktails. My wife got the Smoke Thyme Manhattan, and I got the Fig. This is not something that I usually say, but for me the best part of the meal was the Fig cocktail. It was expertly made, a bit like a latte, with nice foam and some stenciled artwork. For starters we got the Classic Hummus. It was nicely textured, not overly creamy, with good flavor and some roasted chickpeas on top. The pita was super puffy and still warm from the oven. For shareables we got the Beets, Grilled Octopus, and the Wagyu Shish Taouk. The beets are multi-colored and sit atop a bit of ricotta and champagne vinaigrette. The beets were nicely chilled and the flavors were good, but they were a bit overcooked and soft. The Wagyu was good, cooked to medium, and had decent flavor, but it was not as tender as you would expect. The grilled octopus was a disappointment. It was nicely charred, had good flavor, and the pea purée was tasty. Unfortunately, it was overcooked and the inside was actually a bit "mushy." Probably the worst piece of grilled octopus that I have had. We wanted to leave on a high note, so we ordered a couple of desserts: the Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Mango Baklava. Both of these were made in a very unconventional manner. The sticky pudding cake was dry (as opposed to being soaked with the syrup) and sitting in a bowl of date compote and caramel syrup. The baklava had layers of dry phyllo pastry and could have benefited from more mango filling. They were both good, but not great. Service: Service got off to a slow start and was spotty throughout the 1.5-hour meal. When we were seated it took about 10 minutes for our server to arrive, so we sat there with empty water glasses as hurried servers passed our table. When our server arrived they were extremely pleasant and friendly. However, they were not very helpful with some of our menu questions ("Sorry, I haven't tried that," or "No, I haven't heard much about that.") We specifically told them that we weren't in a hurry and wanted to pace the meal. No problem, they said they would submit the tickets to make that happen. The hummus came out first, and then while we were still finishing that, the other three items arrived. It made for a very crowded table. I mentioned that to the food runner and got literally a blank stare. There were also other small things, like having to ask for more water. One more note on the staff. This is one of the few places where the staff wear uniforms. While I don't think that is necessarily a bad idea, they should probably ensure that the uniforms they assign fit properly. I think they could use a good tailor. Atmosphere: It's a beautiful place. The furnishings and design have a high-end feel. When we arrived I thought it was very noisy, and it was, but the table that we had was built for two and it was relatively easy to have a conversation. As I mentioned earlier, they are just getting started and I would expect things to improve. In the meantime, I will dine at some of the other excellent Mediterranean restaurants that Milwaukee has to offer.

    Flan
    Allie G.

    Wow! This place is beautiful!!! My friend and I had such a great dinner at Aya the other night. We split the mezze sampler, which is the only thing we got besides the flan. It was more than enough food for both of us. It is on the pricier side, but I would say it's worth it given the portions and display. This is definitely an experience, so remember that when dining! The sampler was delicious!! All of the dips, potato's, veggies, falafel.. just amazing with flavor. I got the espresso martini, which was not my favorite but I could see how some may like it. I loved the Levant cocktail, beautiful and delicious. The flan was to die for!! Omg I could go back and eat so much more of that. Service was amazing. Highly recommend this spot!

    Dukka crusted prawns
    Anna R.

    So exciting to try a new place, walking in is like stepping into the Mediterranean, with classic finishes and olive trees. The big windows overlook the city in a nice way. The menu is large with familiar options and Mediterranean and indian fusion flavors. The cocktail and drink menu features many fun options. Out waitress provided some great recommendations and was able to help guide us to our choices. We got the Manakeesh Za'tar pita to start, followed by Batata Harra, and our entrees Kharouf Shank, and Dukka Crusted Prawns paired with a glass of Syrah and Petra Mocktail. Everything was delicious the pita was fresh and warm, the batata was delicious and had a hint of spice, and the lamb shank just fell off the bone. The combination of flavors was great with a nod to multiple cultures. I wish we had saved some room for dessert! Overall, beautiful restaurant and great menu with so many delicious sounding options, we are already taking about what we would like to try next time we stop in.

    Aliya M.

    Came here to celebrate with a friend. It's a beautiful restaurant, very attentive staff, you can tell they've put a lot of thought and love into the space. We tried a few different dishes as well as entrees. The highlights were the lamb ragú hummus and the truffle fries both flavored very well! We all enjoyed the other dishes over the entrees. My chicken was dry and the shank needed a little more flavor. For the price we were hoping for a bit more. Overall, enjoyed the dinner, will definitely come back for drinks and small dishes!

    Lamb
    Demetri G.

    We had such an amazing dinner at Aya -- honestly the best restaurant experience we've had in ages. The space is gorgeous, the vibe is unmatched in Milwaukee, and the food... unreal. It was hard to even decide what to order because everything looked so good. The tuna tartare was stunning, the chicken skewer was incredibly tender, and the lamb chop blew us away. I loved my filet mignon -- perfectly seasoned and cooked exactly medium rare. And don't skip the truffle fries. Huge shoutout to our server, Jocelyn, who made the night even better with her friendly, upbeat energy. We're already excited to go back. Aya is the perfect spot for a celebration or a special date night.

    Chicken
    Suha M.

    What a gorgeous new restaurant! Sample street parking around the area. Hostess was nice. The food was delicious, but, coupled with the small servings, it was honestly not worth that price. Our waitress also disappeared many times, leaving us waiting 20+ minutes to order and without water refills most of the night.

    Flan
    Tim R.

    After having a great meal at Saffron, I was excited to try out Aya, their new Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant. First off, the place is lovely. High ceilings, nicely decorated, great staff. The overall experience was really great. Owing to Aya's prime location and beautiful environment, the price point here is also elevated. I took my father out for dinner, and we walked out with a $140 bill for a few beers, appetizers, and dessert. OK, that would be all good and fine if the food lived up to the price. While I really enjoyed the falafel (the added red pepper spice was a welcome treat), the hummus was not the best I've had. Lebnanni House still wins for that. Plus, there was only one light pita offered, albeit on a beautiful wooden tray with wheat accents. My father had the prawns, and that turned into a really messy affair. I also had the fattoush salad, which had so many ingredients in it that my brain didn't know where to go. It was fresh and tasty, but overwhelming. Lastly, the desserts were the most beautiful presentations but lacked in flavor. The mango baklava tasted like whipped cream on thin wafers. The flan was also gorgeous, but unfulfilling. I give a a four-star rating because I can see a lot of work went into this place and there is lots of potential. It just wasn't there yet.

    Kunafa
    Nidhi N.

    The lamb hummus was delicious, kebabs were like such low quantity for the price so could skip it to be honest and get something from mezze. The drinks were good with very cool presentations. I had one of the best pastas - Lobster Linguine. The dessert was unforgettable misinformed bc the kunafa was more like cheesecake. They were out of lamb shank which was disappointing, was hoping to try that but the lamb hummus made it better a little. Service was great!

    Bar area at Aya.

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    The wait staff was super attentive and friendly, and the food was delicious! Atmosphere is great as well!

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    Thank you so much, Brittany! Your review means so much to us.

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    Ask the Community - aya

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    Casablanca Brady Street has been a staple for my girlfriends and I for years even before the patio…read morewas built. We've always loved the happy hour, hookah, and food. We've enjoyed "sip and paints" here, New Year's Eve, when they offered brunch with crepes, and frequented when they had their vegetarian lunch buffet. Unfortunately, things have changed. 1. Atmosphere The décor hasn't changed. Still sleek, dimly lit, and romantic. The bathroom water wasn't working, and staff seemed aware of it when we mentioned it. How is that sanitary or up to code? Several of the chairs brought to our table were also broken, with bent legs a clear safety issue. It's typically packed on a Saturday like a dance club but it was nearly empty on a Saturday night which may be a reflection of our experience. 2. Service Our waitress was kind and attentive despite handling a large group, but the busboy was unprofessional. He started clearing plates while people were still eating and even asked my husband to reach across the table to hand over other guests' dishes. It made us feel rushed, even though the place wasn't busy. 3. Food My chicken shawarma was greasy, hard, sour, and unseasoned, almost as if the meat had gone bad. The potato balls were cut open which I've never seen and underwhelming. My husband and son's wings were over fried and tough, the spinach artichoke dip was clumpy and poorly blended, and others said the lamb chops were "okay." Honestly, the best thing I ate that night was the pita bread. 4. Overall Experience This used to be our go to for birthdays, Brady Street drag show viewing, and happy hour, but it's gone downhill. Between the sanitation issues, broken furniture, food quality, and rushed service, it no longer feels like "our spot". SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.... This was hard to write because I have so many great memories here and I wanted the experience to be better. Sadly, I won't be returning.

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    Inside
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Delivery & Take-Out:
11 AM - 1 AM
Bar & Dine-In:
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    Business Hours: Delivery & Take-Out: 11 AM - 1 AM Bar & Dine-In: 4 PM - 2 AM
    Business Hours:
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    Blue Star Cafe

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    aya - mideastern - Updated July 2026

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