We're returning to Aiona! The second I walked in, I was blown away by the amount of detail put into creating a visually stunning backdrop for what turned into a memorable dining experience! The hospitality was on point. A smile goes a long way and the waiters were very attentive to making sure we were content. Every dish served was beautifully plated with vibrant pops of color that made it almost too pretty to eat. The flavors absolutely lived up to the presentation. Each bite was fresh, balanced, and full of depth. One of my favorite things on the menu was the hamachi crudo. The fish was incredibly delicate and melted in my mouth, paired with refreshing slices of charred citrus and thin-sliced chilis. The combination of flavors was bright, clean, and unforgettable. We also had the pleasure of enjoying roasted carrots, hummus, porchetta with strawberry and apple chutney, and wood-roasted branzino. Everything we ordered was exceptional! The wine selection is outstanding! Something that I also appreciate on the menu is non-alcoholic beverage options. I had the Righteous Odyssey, Ritual 'rum' ginger and lime. It was a lovely way to cheers in the night with my family. Overall, a delicious and beautifully curated Mediterranean meal that felt both elevated and heartfelt with the rustic accents from the open fire in the kitchen. I can't wait to go back with more friends and family! I appreciate all the options on your menu. I truly wish I could dine at your restaurant everyday. Thank you Aiona!!! read more

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Great vibe, great staff and amazing happy hour menu! Obie at the bar took great care of us.

The food, service and ambiance are all excellent! I would highly recommend Aiona . A wonderful experience! D. G.

Great restaurant in Downtown Sacramento. Food was delicious! Textures in all three of our dishes were perfect. Very impressed by the chef. The bucatini texture was perfect. Super tasty dish. Wished it was a bigger portion though. The rotisserie chicken was ridiculously good. Great blend of flavors. Surprised by how tasty the roasted grapes and onions were with the sauce. The papas bravas was the IDEAL potato texture. If I were ever to get home fries anywhere, I'd want it to have this crunchy, crispy, airy texture. Perfect. (Update: microwaved these potatoes in a hotel the next morning and the crunchiness shockingly held up - this is a five-star dish!) Outdoor patio was very nice. Ambient is cool and modern. Bonus for being pet-friendly! read more

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The menu was confusing, overly unique, and difficult to understand. The ambiance also felt inconsistent throughout the restaurant. The front areas appeared upscale and thoughtfully designed, but our family was seated in what felt like a separate "family section" with overly bright, cafeteria-style lighting, while other nearby areas had much nicer seating and atmosphere. This was especially disappointing since we had reservations for a special occasion. Unfortunately, the service was also lacking at the start of our meal. Our server seemed far more attentive to another table and took our drink and small plate orders, but never returned to take our entrée orders or check on us afterward. After waiting quite a while, I had to make obvious gestures with my menu before a manager finally noticed and came over to help us. As for the food, most dishes lacked flavor. The highlight of the meal was the date pudding dessert, which was excellent. Overall, the experience did not justify the price we paid. My family brought me here for an early Mother's Day celebration, so the disappointing experience made it even more unfortunate. I truly hope the restaurant improves both its service and food quality because it has potential, but our visit fell far short of expectations. read more

Had an incredibly wonderful experience with my wife and son at Aiona last night. If you've never had Live-Fire Mediterranean, I'd highly recommend. It's a completely unique and pleasurable experience. We had reservations at 6 pm on a Saturday and it was packed. The decor is amazing and fits in perfectly with the cuisine. Our waiter was Curtis, who was very attentive, and so were all the support team that accompanied him with food, water and clean up service. Our booth happened to be directly across from the exposition kitchen, so we had a front row seat in watching how most things were prepared. Everyone was consistently professional, working in teams and together, along with a conductor, Chef Lee Hinton, to lead the way. Craft drinks were delicious, then there was the food - wow! For small plates, my favorite was the Carpaccio. Coupled with the toast and cheese curd, the texture and taste were amazing. I've never had anything like it before. Felt like something you would only be able to taste in the Mediterranean, yet here we were being served this wonderful dish in the heart of Sacramento. For our main plates we had the Porchetta and Wood Roasted Branzino. Both excellent! The Porchetta was so unexpected with the sweet flavor of the strawberry and apple chutney. All so fresh. We had the pleasure of speaking to the owner Deneb Williams, who mentioned they plan to slightly change ingredients to match the freshness of each season, such as the Strawberry's to Peaches when ready. We asked more about the grill as well. It's a MIBRASA, custom made in Spain, they only make about 50 per year. He and his lead chef Lee, went to Spain to purchase as well as spend time to experience other Live-Fire Restaurants to come up with their own unique menu. I'd say job well done! Finally for deserts, we had the Crema Catalan and Date Pudding. The Catalan was like a mousse but with a very delicate and distinct flavor. We all liked it very much. The Date Pudding was totally unique, both hot and cold, with a sweet sticky toffee texture. It was our favorite! Hands down, a great place to dine! Wonderful atmosphere, service and food, can't wait to go back and experience more of this exceptional restaurant. read more

Aiona is a new live fire restaurant next to the IMAX theater by the same head chef that operates Allora. The atmosphere and food were amazing! The only tip off that they are a new restaurant is that there was a little bit of a wait for our reservation (about 10 minutes), but other than that, the service was very smooth and professional. They were packed, and it's only week 2, so all considered, this was a great experience. To start, we ordered the tahini old fashioned and a glass of moscato. The lamb souvlaki appetizer was amazing! I hope they add a lamb souvlaki plate as an entree offering in the future because that was my favorite dish all night! The salad we ordered was a nice, light complement to offset the richness of the other dishes we ordered. My husband and I split the risotto and the porchetta for our entrees. They were both incredible! The flavors were amazing. I don't think the porchetta needed the fruit chutney it was served with, but my husband enjoyed it. For dessert, we ordered the date pudding and a glass of Hungarian dessert wine recommended by the sommelier. Those were also amazing. Such a unique combination of flavors. Highly recommend both! We were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and I'm so glad we took a chance on a new restaurant! I hope we'll be back at Aiona for more special occasions in the future. read more

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Every single morsel of food was delicious. The wine list and the cocktail list are perfect. I had the sauv blanc and a martini as my drinks. The starters of crudo, focaccia, and lamb/steak skewers were amazing. The Romesco and the tatami sauces for the starters were equally delicious.The roasted half chicken was mouth watering. Michael was my server and he was fantastic. The ambiance is all things in one, brunch, elegant dinner vibes, business dinner, date night, and group night, rolled all into one! I'm going back in a week!! read more

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So cool to see this place come together. It's got an old-Hollywood-meets-Greece ambience, which I love. Got served by Brett at the bar, who evidently developed the opening cocktail menu (slam dunk, sir). We came for the happy hour specials and everyone was VERY happy with their drinks. In particular, I loved that the Kind of a Big Dill cocktail is rimmed with sugary, ground dehydrated orange that makes the curaçao pop. The sliced cucumber ribbon not only looks chic, but adds a delicious, fresh essence to the whole thing. 10/10 For food we ordered the papas bravas (if you like paprika, order these now!) and the calamari. Potatoes were delish. Calamari wasn't cooked in hot enough oil and was more soggy than crispy. Brett noticed we were avoiding them and asked if there was anything wrong. I sheepishly told him the issue and he was quick to correct it. Excellent service. We felt taken care of. Only word of caution, it smells amazing to be in here-- I think there's a wood burning stove or something that infuses the whole place with a rich woody aroma-- but you will also be infused with this scent. Not quite "campfire" level, but your clothes will smell edible when you leave. Lol read more

Aiona - Mediterranean Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Food Some great items here. My top 3: 1. Hummus! Oh my, I think it was our favorite item on the menu. What a surprise! Super soft and warm handmade pita with hummus topped with a chili-garlic type sauce and some crispy garbanzo beans. Excellent. 2. 72 Hr. Short Rib was wonderfully tender and served with one of my favorite things... labneh!(Warning: May look a little fatty and raw, but this is slow cooking perfection!) 3. Fire Roasted Beets. Charred to perfection on one edge and tender the rest of the way. I think it also had a white sauce (labneh?) and some nice great toppings like pistachios and grapefruit pieces. Items that we would not order again: - The bucatini came with these amazing looking prawns, but even after being remade, just too raw for our taste. It was like eating it sashimi style (which I love with fish, but not with prawns). You might love it, but not something we would choose, again. - Papas Bravas. We wondered what great chefs could do with fries... this was NOT IT. Definitely the most disappointing thing we ordered. Ambience The wife put it like this: much nicer than the pictures. I would describe it as similar style as Allora (same owners, I think), but "pink instead of green" and a bit some casual. Service Mimi was great and very helpful with our Bucatini issue. Overall service was nearly perfect (except we were asked twice if we wanted more pita, but it never came until we asked for it directly (third request). read more

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Pretty disappointing follow up visit. After a great first experience shared with some friends and after happy hour being advertised as 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm made pre-show dinner plans to come back, only to be told happy hour ended time had changed and ended at 5:00 pm (less than 10 days from being advertised - and post is still up) read more

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5/5 interior and decor Located next to a parking garage near the Wells Fargo building I believe it was. The doors were a bit tricky to get here. 4/5 Service - very sweet front desk staff. Food took a bit to come out during lunch hour. 3.5/5 Risotto well presented but lacked some flavor 3.5/Waygu burger with side salad The decor looked beautiful but for the price I was a bit disappointed in the food flavors. read more

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We planned our visit around happy hour at Aiona, only to find out the hours had changed without any notice. What was advertised as 3-6 PM is now 2:30-4:50 PM pretty significant difference, and one they made just one week after announcing happy hour. The ambiance of the place is modern but warm, and loved the murals. The drinks and food was delicious. Both the cocktail for dirty martini and gin and tonic was very well balanced and the presentation was beautiful. Burger was delicious! Definitely tasted the wood fired char, and the meat was thick and hearty. I thought the house made giardinera really complemented the dish. House salad was simple, but very fresh and unfussy with the ingredient and loved the shaved vegetables & fruit. With that being said, the service was just horrible experience. One of the worst I've ever had. After our initial order, we were completely ignored the entire time. We had to grab our server's attention multiple times just to get one cup of water. They never once checked in to ask if we wanted to order more drinks or food. We wanted to order more of delicious cocktails... but since we were ignored, we never got the opportunity. When it was time to pay, I tried to get the server's attention repeatedly and got nowhere. I held my credit card out hoping they would notice. Still nothing. I ended up having to wave my hand with my credit card in the air before the manager finally came over to settle the bill. Just comical experience... It was a really disappointing experience because Aiona has so much going for it. The ambiance is beautiful, the food is delicious, and the drinks are outstanding. But the service completely overshadowed all of that. I really hope they improve and wish them the best of luck. Will I be back? Probably not after being ignored multiple times. read more

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Last night we ate at a new restaurant on its first-ever Saturday night, and it was absolutely poppin! Man, am I glad I made a reservation. We came here to celebrate a friend's birthday, and I'm so happy we did. Right away, I loved the menu. It was easy to read, beautifully laid out, and had such a perfect balance where everything sounded delicious. We started with the Kalamari, followed by the Brutus Savoy Cabbage Salad with tahini, parmesan, boquerones, and egg. I was a little nervous about the anchovies, but they were surprisingly light and honestly delicious. For dinner, my friend and I ordered the 72 Hr. Short Rib with labneh, spice fried onion, and chermoula. It was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. But then my husband ordered the Porchetta with strawberry & apple chutney and mustard demi, and WOW. I instantly had food envy. My short rib was great, but that porchetta is the dish I'll be telling people about. We also ordered the Roasted Carrots with hazelnut sesame dukkah and white balsamic, and they were the perfect side to round out the meal. We finished with two desserts, and while I didn't grab a photo of the dessert menu, they were a great ending to the night. Beyond the food, I loved the interior. The colors, furniture, and overall vibe were so warm and welcoming. I also loved the communal bathrooms. We sat in a booth near the runner station, so we got to watch the kitchen and team in action, which honestly made the experience even more fun. It was a little smoky, and we definitely left smelling like a campfire, but I didn't even mind. Watching the team work through their first big Saturday night, support each other, and keep pushing out dishes was such a cool part of the experience. Overall, this was such a fun dinner and a strong first Saturday showing. I'm excited to see this place grow, and I'll definitely be back especially for that porchetta. read more

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I knew Aiona was a vibe from the moment we walked in. The hostesses were on top of it--welcoming, organized, and set the tone right away. The entire staff was friendly, and you can tell they work seamlessly as a team. I watched this place get built from scratch and waited a full year to finally dine here--and it was absolutely worth it. I'm not easy to impress, but Aiona made it look effortless. They clearly understood the assignment. We started with a dirty martini ($22), and honestly, it was one of the best I've ever had. From the eggplant to the lamb skewers, everything was exceptionally well-seasoned--flavorful and tender. The wild prawn bucatini was cooked perfectly al dente. Not a single flaw all night. We sat at the small tables across from the bar. Our server, Alexander was incredibly sweet, knowledgeable, and professional--you could tell he was properly trained, which made the experience even better. The overall execution here is top-notch. With the perfect combo of great food, excellent service, and standout cocktails, I don't have any reason not to come back--especially since it's so close. See you again soon, Aiona read more

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The restaurant opened less than a week ago. The interior was spacious with nice pink and green walls/ furniture. The mural is also a nice focal point. Outside seating is available as well. Parking can be tricky. There is some street parking a block or so over. I parked in the garage for convenience. Valet is also an option- $12. I was looking forward to their happy hour after looking at the menu online. After being seated at the bar and looking at the menu, I was disappointed. They had taken several items off the original menu that was posted. Honestly, I wouldn't have came if I knew this beforehand. I ended up ordering the calamari and carpaccio. To be fair, both of them were excellent. The calamari portion was quite big and the sauce was interesting. The carpaccio also came with a piece of fried feta, which was tasty. I'll have to come back and try more things in the future. read more

Aiona - Carpaccio - Mediterranean Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Amazing food and service! Everything came out fast and perfectly plated. We absolutely loved the freshness and unique flavors of every plate. Can't wait to try more. read more

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Great Ambience, craft cocktails and even better food. My mouth was watering as I was eating the hummus, it was delicious ! Looking forward to introducing friends to this new wonderful restaurant read more

Aiona - Mediterranean Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Sac really needs more date night, high ambiance spots and this is one of them now. The fries and beef were a tad oversalted but still tasty and the prices were reasonable for the overall package. The pasta seemed to be made from scratch so I'd recommend going with that. Honestly it's a bit cheaper than other places in its category, like Ella. read more

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Love the outside dinning and the live fire. Been twice with a large group outside. We did family style for the group and pre-selected several wines and dishes. Service was very good, finished plates were picked up and refreshed with the next plates. Favorite was the Calamari, the Maroulousalata Salad, (Romaine-Radicchio-Fennel-Pistachio-Citrus, and the 72 hour short rib, Valet parking also very convenient. read more

Aiona - Group of 28 outside patio - Mediterranean Near Me - Sacramento, California

I really wanted to like this place and give a higher review, but the service I received was downright disappointing. To start with the good: The food was delicious, and came out very quickly. Drinks too. If the review was just for food and drink, it would be 5 stars. Sadly, the service I received was very different than the quality of food/drink. The bad: My friend and I wanted to come check it out for happy hour. The restaurant posted on their instagram in the last week that happy hour is 3-6. I arrived at 4:45 and was told they could just squeeze me in before they cut off seating. I was sat at the bar, and the bartender immediately told me I would need to order food now if I wanted to get that order in. No mention of them changing their published happy hour times. After the 2 of us received 1 drink each and our food, the bartender never once checked on us or even said another word to us. We had to ask him multiple times for water (to be fair don't think he heard us, though we were sitting at eye level and trying to make eye contact). We were never asked if we wanted another drink, or any other food. The person sitting next to us left a plate of food, and a manager had to come over to bus it. In the entire time we were sat, the bartending did not say a single word to us after taking our initial order. We sat for 30 minutes trying to get the bartender's attention to ask for the check, and my friend had to hold his card in the air - only then did the manager come over to close out our check. The restaurant was bustling with staff, so it was not a lack of staffing issue. We felt treated less than other guests, and we assume it was due to ordering happy hour instead of the normal menu. We would have gladly ordered additional drinks at full price if anyone had checked on us. The happy hour prices were great, but do not justify us being treated so poorly. I am disappointed because I was excited for this restaurant, but in my experience it was just another chance to receive exceptionally poor service. I hope they take note and retrain their staff, because our experience was unacceptable. Also maybe let people know you've changed the happy hour times (a totally acceptable thing to do, but really not ok to make no mention of it on an active social media account). read more

We had the opportunity to dine at Aiona on 4/23/26. What a great addition to the Sacramento dining scene. Beautiful interiors and e velvet service all the way around. Some of the offerings that we indulged in were: Carpaccio, Foccacia, Hummus, Kalamari, Maroulosalata, the Chicken, the Short Rib and the Cauliflower. All were very tasty. The standouts were the Foccacia, Maroulosalata, the short rib and the Cauliflower. The service is exceptional and the wine selection is fantastic! We can't wait to return again and again. read more

Spot on! Def recommended! All around! Drinks, service, food and ambiance! Hit all the marks!

Everything was fantastic! Food was amazing, Michelin star beers, and a wine cellar that has it all. Don't miss out on the date pudding dessert. read more

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I have never written a negative review on Yelp ever before so this is the first Even though the restaurant was only about 50% full after waiting for about 10 minutes, we had to ask an employee for our server who looked like a homeless person to come to our table Once we ordered, they forgot to bring us our sides and then have to wait about 15 minutes for them at which time we eaten our entrées and they offered nothing for the delay The fish we ordered had a lot of bones in it, which was definitely not good and the flavor was not that great In summary was the worst service I can recall ever for a nicer restaurant read more

fresh and healthy options. The place is clean and has a bright, modern atmosphere. It is a good spot for a quick, nutritious meal

Enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Aiona just last evening.. the decor I beautiful, the service was gracious and professional, the food was outstanding. Will definitely be returning! read more

Lovely and welcomed new addition to the Sacramento foodie scene in an architecturally beautiful and prime location. It was a pleasant evening and will be something to look forward to sèeing its progress as they settle in. read more

I had dinner there last night and will definitely be back! The hostess asked if we wanted a more quiet table, which was lovely. Our server was great and the food was wonderful!! The branzino is outstanding and the focaccia is incredible! read more

This beautiful new restaurant has such a big city, lively downtown vibe. Service was amazing top to bottom. We started with the calamari appetizer, which was not only delicious, but enough for a party of six. The Maroulousalata salad was one of my favorite salad combinations ever. The half chicken and short ribs both had amazing flavors and a uniqueness of their own. Sorry, portions were huge so we had no room left for dessert. Definitely have an excuse to come back now. read more

Excited to be able to experience opening night! Our family is very happy to have finer dining available where we can bring our children. They are working on children's glasses and potentially a child's menu according to our server. I was honestly overwhelmed by the wine list and tend to be a red wine connoisseur. Our server openly admitted he is not the greatest with wine but tried to assist and all the wine by the glass we had were great! I wish the sommelier would have been able to come by and recommend some glasses or even a bottle; however, this was the first night open so I am sure things are still being figured out. The cocktails are also phenomenal, I hope they expand their cocktail options and rotate them like their sister restaurant, Allora. Food was great with exception to our most expensive menu item- 72 hr slow cooked short rib. This dish was significantly underwhelming. For the price point, it is just not worth it. We received 3 slices of meat that were at least each 1/3 fat which we don't eat. The hummus starter was amazing with a phenomenal olive oil. The mussels were good, but I have had a bit better mussels with chorizo. The gigantica beans are wonderful! The branzino was the highlight! It was phenomenal! Needless to say, they of course have a few things to iron out, but we will for certain be back. We will probably just avoid the short rib in the future. Also, the ambiance is impeccable. The remodel took time, but they sure did a great job. Please note, the restaurant is a bit loud. read more

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Nice new restaurant with a modern vibe. Food was fresh and tasty, especially the small plates. It can get a bit loud, but still a good spot for dinner. read more

This restaurant doesn't disappoint the decor is beautiful, the service superb and the food is amazing! I knew the Allora team would create a wonderful experience. Congratulations! read more

Great food, got to sit right in front of the kitchen. We had the Branzino, steak tartare and octopus .

stopped in solo and sat at the bar watching the cooks work the wood fire. the ajo blanco with scallops was bright and refreshing and the wood roasted cauliflower was charred and tender. read more