I'm staying at the hotel, so I've had the opportunity to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner at AYA, and every meal has been truly incredible. The food is exceptional, the service has been outstanding, and the entire experience has exceeded my expectations. For dinner on my first night, I had the pork chop with peaches, and it was phenomenal. My husband had the steak and had absolutely no complaints. For breakfast, we both ordered the fish and grits. The grits were cooked to perfection, and the fish was just as good. I had mine blackened, while my husband chose fried. He is NOT a catfish person, and when I tell you there was no catfish left on that plate--that says everything! Beyond the food, the ambiance is breathtaking. The bathrooms are stunning, the artwork throughout the space is beautiful, and every detail feels intentional. What Elevation has created here in Montgomery feels like an ode to Black brilliance, to Black food, Black music, Black art, and simply the majesty of Black people. It's a beautiful celebration of culture that you can see, feel, and taste throughout the entire experience. I will gladly come back again and again for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. AYA is truly a must-visit if you're in Montgomery! read more

Unfortunately, this was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in years. I made a reservation a week in advance, so we were expecting a pleasant evening. When we arrived, we had to wait about 20 minutes past our reservation time to be seated, This was a glimpse to how the evening would play out. It meant nothing that we had reservations. However, once we were seated, the service quickly became extremely disappointing. There was already water on the table, but it took more than 30 minutes for anyone to come over and take our drink order. Someone had recommended the Arnold Palmer, so we all ordered it. Unfortunately, it was terrible. The hostess realized that it had been made incorrectly with unsweetened tea and took it back to have it remade. The remake was just OK. While we were waiting, we noticed that people at other tables who had arrived after us, were being served and were already eating. We continued to wait and eventually had to ask the hostess if someone had been assigned to our table. Even after that, it took another 10 minutes before someone finally came over to take our food order. There was no apology or acknowledgment of how long we had been waiting. By this point, we were extremely hungry and becoming understandably frustrated because we felt completely overlooked. The hostess offered to bring us an appetizer on the house as an apology. More than 10 minutes later, the appetizer finally arrived. The rolls were actually very good, but there were seven people in our party and they only brought six rolls. At that point, we were so hungry and disappointed with the lack of service that we decided we wanted to leave. We waved down the hostess and told her we needed our bill. We were prepared to pay for our beverages and leave to find somewhere else to have dinner. The manager eventually came to our table and explained that our food was almost ready and offered to comp the entire meal. By then, half of our party no longer wanted to stay because we were so frustrated. However, since the manager offered to compensate us for the meal, we decided to stay. Unfortunately, the food was just as disappointing as the service. Of the seven meals, only two were what we would consider decent. The others had significant issues. Some portions of the meals were cold, some lacked flavor, the steak was overcooked, the chicken was undercooked, and the grits had virtually no flavor. Overall, the quality of the food was extremely disappointing. This experience was especially disappointing because we came from out of town and genuinely wanted to support this Black-owned institution. After visiting the Legacy Museum, we thought having dinner here would be a wonderful way to end the day and support a place with such significance. Instead, the evening ended in frustration, disappointment, and embarrassment. We came in with high hopes and were prepared to enjoy the experience, but unfortunately, the service and food fell far short of what we expected. I rated the restaurant a 1 star because it was pretty and the ambience was nice. I hate to say I will not be going back and would not encourage anyone else to. read more

Aya is a beautiful restaurant. Tables overlook the Montgomery downtown or a lovely garden. It's a peaceful place. We were warmly welcomed by the staff. We had a lovely matcha based cocktail, and started with delicious small flaky biscuits, with 3 spreads. I had Creole Shrimp with crispy fritters made with grits. The sauce was nicely spicy. The entire dish was excellent. I highly recommend this recent entry to the Montgomery dining scene. read more

The food at Aya was delectably delicious! I had the Creamy Root Bisque. It tickled my tastebuds in that I've never tasted anything like this before. It was different, yet delicious at the same time. For my entree I had the Fish & Grits. The blackened fish was seasoned very well and served over grits and surprisingly smoky braised greens! It was a dish, I didn't know I needed. The grits and greens paired perfectly with the different flavors. I also had a South For The Holidays. It was very smooth and tasty. The service and experience was great! The atmosphere here was very warm and welcoming, from valet to the hostess and waitress that helped me! Kudos Aya! I will definitely have to make another trip here! read more

Aya Soulful Dining - Fish and Grits - Southern Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

Came in one day just before close. After getting off the road for a few hours this was a great place to have dinner. The food was delicious, the wine was amazing, and the service was great. Very calm atmosphere and the weight staff was wonderful. read more

Aya Soulful Dining - Menu - Southern Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

The biscuits with 3 different butters are amazing. I chose to get the 3 wings with the sweet potatoe hash and it was also great! Also, the service was impeccable. The view and the atmosphere felt like I was at a high end restaurant but with food that warmed your soul. I enjoyed it very much. read more

Aya Soulful Dining - Steak and sweet potatoe hash with egg. I ended up swapping the steak for the wings. - Southern Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

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I had such a pleasant experience. The staff made the experience amazing with their optimistic, friendly, and welcoming attitudes. The food, and drink was delicious. The ambiance was definitely a nice vibe. It's definitely even prettier if you're by the window in the evening. read more

Aya Soulful Dining - Burger and Chips - Southern Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

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Beautiful restaurant, great server. Food was not that great. I had the fried chicken and the chicken was fried entirely too high, crust was coming off the breast and thigh. Mom had the smothered chicken and it was very pungent and off. She sent it back for the short rib which was better. Looking at another person review it seems to be a habit to overcharge someone's card and then recharge.. Leaving a person charged twice. The waitress said she made a mistake and charged the card for the wrong table then re charged. Is there not an option to charge reverse the difference inserted of charging someone double plus. This is very disappointing. Not sure if I'll eat here again read more

Staying at the adjoining hotel, and with wifey off participating in a conference I went solo at Aya. Oh my!! First up - Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned was top notch! (Had 2 to be sure!) Ms Edna's Biscuits as an appetizer then Creole Shrimp and Grit Fritters for the entree - honestly one of the best meals I've had in ages!! Simply delicious - with amazing service and views to boot. Will definitely be back!! read more

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I! Give a 10!! From the valet parking fr ont desk!!the food was very nice as well give shoutout to Courtney! My wife and I enjoyed her help!with the menu thanks you.again 5 out of 5 stars read more

Absolutely a Beautiful space!!! And the prices are Decent. But they need to revamp the menus or get Better cooks. It seems like everything on the menu had that Over doing it extra which took the Soul out of the experience. And someone should understand I come to eat and have conversation not Sing Motown songs with a Mouthful of food. It's not a club put the music on conversation. Not TURN UP. I LOVE THE AMBIANCE. and service is respectful. read more

I just did a show with Nate Smith at the Peace and Justice Memorial Center, and had the absolute PRIVILEGE of dining at this restaurant during our stay (staying at the Elevation hotel). The food was unbelievable, I can speak for everyone in the touring party on that. Out of this world, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'd also like so shout out the staff and hospitality, everyone was so kind and accommodating we felt right at home. I'd like to specifically shout out a server I had multiple times during my stay, Anita. She was just the sweetest. OUTSTANDING service and genuinely wonderful and thoughtful person. The whole vibe was fantastic. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation, I can't recommend this place enough. 11/10 read more

We went on Saturday night for a surprise party. It was my first ever time at this restaurant and it won't be my last! The restaurant and hotel are beautiful and have just a calm atmosphere. The service was fantastic from the hostess to the servers. The food was phenomenal. We had Edna's biscuits and I had the Shrimp and Grits. They need more reviews because more people should be visiting this establishment!! read more

Aya Soulful Dining - Shrimp and Grits - Southern Near Me - Montgomery, Alabama

Very tasty soul food tried the shrimp and grits and tasted the chicken and waffles. Try the biscuits! Very good service and so clean!

I visited Aya for the first time for Mother's Day brunch. While the food wasn't great, I understood that quality often drops when restaurants try to serve at double capacity. The experience with my family was still nice, and I appreciated the small touches they added to make mothers feel acknowledged. However, the billing experience was completely unacceptable. My bill was charged incorrectly, and although they couldn't reverse it on the spot, they took my information and assured me I'd be contacted once the $60 refund was processed. Instead, the next day I was charged again, this time $460. No warning, no explanation, no communication. I had to email and call to even understand what happened. Only then was I told the second charge was because the original $516 would be reversed. Again, none of this was communicated beforehand. I was then told I'd need to wait 7 business days for the refund. This level of miscommunication and lack of professionalism is unacceptable. The customer service was careless, inconsiderate, and far below what any guest should experience. I will not be returning. read more

Aya's is located in the beautiful Elevation Hotel and the decor continues into the restaurant, with colorful artwork, comfortable chairs, and great music. The service was quick and extremely friendly. Our server was very knowledgable with the menu. The food was excellent, with a variety of options that will appeal to everyone. Everything was extremely flavorful and fresh. The menu was creative and had fun twists on classic dishes. We will be back next time we're in Montgomery! read more

Hidden Gem inside hotel!! Service was amazing and loved the management assisting his team at all times. At first I thought it was too good be true. Elevated dining with good prices in the of downtown Montgomery. A must visit for brunch!! read more

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Food was excellent Service excellent Ambiance excellent Waitress was extremely helpful and attentive. Her suggestions were on cue. It was our daughter birthday and she surprised her with a cupcake with a candle and everyone in the restaurant joined in singing her happy birthday read more

First off, if your goal is to take a first date to an overpriced but beautiful location with an okay meal and exceptional servers, then AYA is for you. There were 7 of us in our group. Our server, Quinn, was great. Very attentive. The food: I ordered the folded eggs (an omelette with a fancy name). I got it with conecuh sausage, swiss cheese & spinach. It's flavor was good but it came with 1 piece of toast cut in half and with my water to drink was nearly $18 after tax. 1 of the others got creole shrimp and grits which she said was good. 4 others got the Nashville Hot Fish Sandwich and no one thought it was "great". One rated it as an expensive underwhelming filet of fish from McD's, one said the water and chips were better, one said it tasted like a white man afraid of seasoning made it and the other just smiled and shrugged. The last person got the grilled okra, corn and tomato salad with a side of conecuh (all things she loves) and ate about 3 bites and didn't love it. My honest review is the building looks great, the restaurant is beautiful, the serice is great and the water is good. But save yourself money and go eat some place that puts more emphasis on flavor and less emphasis on the show. read more

The ambiance is perfect. Service was amazing! From Fatima the hostess to Shyla our server-- both were phenomenal. I had the Old Overtown cocktail and it was so good! For my appetizer I had the house Caesar salad-- the dressing was too light for me, but good portion size. My entree was the Smothered Chicken & Rice: large portion, good greens, chicken was fine but nothing spectacular, and the rice was not good to me. My husband had the Smoked Pork & Peaches and after I tried it I wished I had ordered that instead, lol. Everything is reasonably priced. Overall great experience and I'll be going back to try some of the other dinner selections! read more

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Finally, Fine Dining with flavor has arrived in the capital city! Amazing ambience from the view, music and art displayed. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed my experience at Aya Soulful Dining from the valet service on! Every staff member I interacted with was professional, courteous ,knowledgeable and helpful. A special acknowledgement for a wonderful host, Fatima, who was a breath of fresh air from the moment we arrived. Also excellent table service from Shyla who did an awesome job of explaining the menu and the origins of the restaurant. Everything we tasted was amazing and presented well from the Ms Edna's biscuits with the sweet potato praline and apple butters , sweet potato root bisque, the short rib , and the smothered chicken dish. Drinks were also delicious Will definitely be returning here every-time I'm in town. read more