More like 3.5 stars than 4 stars. Arrived on Friday night around 9pm, half of the restaurant was only filled. Ambience of the place is nice. Waitress was very nice, got drink order quickly but then took like 10 minutes for her to come back to take the food order and it wasn't that busy. It happened to be restaurant week, they're offering a 4 course tasting menu for $60. Not great but it had. Arancini was the best appetizer out of the three we got (arancini, beets and chicken liver mousse). The grilled Caesar and Bibb salad was fine, it's a salad. Halibut entree was good except for the aioli sauce and the crouton underneath became soggy real quick. Meatballs was solid but the sauce that comes with it was just mid, nothing special. The gnocchi lamb was the best entree of the three we ordered. We were excited for the dessert, tiramisu and the pistachio cheesecake. The cheesecake slice was tiny!! The tiramisu was decent size but it was meh not the best tiramisu we've had. Overall, another mid place in Austin that's overpriced for what it is. And suggested tips 20 - 30% ...outrageous. Would come back to try another pasta on the menu though. read more

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I'm screaming. Screaming with joy and a belly full of happiness as I write this review. I came here for a brunch date and shared our tapas styled plates. We ordered the Arancini, Tagliatelle, and the Blue Crab Cake. As soon as we took our first bites of the Arancini, we became mute. We were so engrossed in the delicious food that we ended up eating probably more than we did talking. The tagliatelle was perfectly al dente and drenched in a velvety sauce. The Arancini, *chefs kiss* our favorite dish, was unlike anything we've ever had. The outside had the perfect crisp, while inside was warm and creamy. I'm not typically a fan of lamb, but felt it elevated the ragu sauce. We couldn't get enough of our dishes! We also saw they had Tuna Carpaccio and Risotto, but both dishes are only served during dinner-- which we'll have to [happily] return for. Plates are quite pricey averaging around $23/item, but so worth it! For dessert, I recommend stopping at Poeta's gelato truck out front. Vegan and gluten free options available. read more

Poeta - Arancini for Brunch - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love this new space - the vibes are cosy yet chic. The food and drinks are delicious and I'm definitely excited to come back and try this spot for brunch one weekend. Love this area of e 11th where you can still find parking easily too. Food we tried: - trittole pesto pasta - so good but a bit strong for me and not that unique flavor wise - beef filet - really enjoyed this dish and so well seasoned - arancini - good but nothing unique read more

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Parlour like room to the left for a cozy nook to sit. Piano player between the nook and the main seating/bar area. Mozzarella anti pasta - really good with the mushrooms and garlic. Came with a few toasted baguette bites. Tuna Carpaccio - really nice flavors but could have done with about only a third of the toppings. It was slightly overwhelming for how thinly sliced the tuna was. Once we scrapped much of the toppings off it was really good. Roasted Pork Chop - braised beans, kale and salsa verde. A sizable pork chop cooked medium (if you're squeamish about this you might want to let them know you'd like it to be a bit more done). Beans were a great compliment in this dish. Cappelletti - blue crab stuffed pasta topped with a brown butter, preserved lemon sauce and fennel. Wonderful flavors - but as it goes - you're always left wanting a little more! Tiramisu - a heft cut of a tiramisu dusted with cocoa. Wonderful end to the meal. read more

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Cute Italian restaurant located in East Austin! We started off with tuna carpaccio and arancini. The tuna carpaccio was a delicate dance of flavors and textures. The thinly sliced tuna melted on the tongue. I love arancini but this one lacked flavor. For drinks, I ordered a carajillo, the espresso with liquor was a perfectly balanced. For mains, my friends and I shared four pastas: tagliatelle, cappelletti, spaghetti, and trottole. All pastas were cooked to perfection. The umami from the mushrooms, freshness from the arugula and creaminess from the Parmesan made tagliatelle one of my favorite pasta dishes. You can never go wrong with pesto pasta but it was a bit salty. I wasn't sure what shape cappelletti was, but they are cute! They are like little dumplings. The freshness from lemon provides a great contrast to the richness from the sweet, delicate crab and brown butter. The spaghetti carbonara is a classic, it was creamy and delicious. I want to point out the service; it was incredible! The spaghetti and tagliatelle took a bit of time. While waiting, our server brought out beet salad as a courtesy. It was delicious! Throughout our dining experience, the service was attentive and knowledgeable, enhancing our enjoyment of each dish. I would recommend this spot whether it's for a date or with friends! read more

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Delicious! The gnocchi is wonderful. For some reason Yelp thinks it's permanently closed, but was just there a couple weeks ago. read more

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Cute interior. Pasta was yummy. Great for date nights or a girls night out. Service was super friendly and helpful. read more

Poeta - Tuna carpaccio - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

The food was so delicious! Can't wait to try more of the entrees. Our service was fantastic, there was absolutely zero service issues! Best service I've had in a while. My waiter and the rest of the staff were amazing. The vibe is Italian meets French boutique vibes. Tres chic read more

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Cute place with excellent service! The food was 10/10. Everything we had was so good and rich in flavor! Definitely would recommend ! read more

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Poeta is the sister restaurant to Intero, and I have to say I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it! I even like it more than Intero Food: 10/10 Tuna Carpaccio: Very fresh, tender pieces of tuna. Slight sour, acidity factor that was refreshing! Good portion size too! Cappeletti: My favorite dish of the meal! Crab stuffed pasta almost like raviol. The crab was so well seasoned and tender. The dish was perfectly balanced in terms of flavors and texture. The sauce added depth because of the brown butter and the slight squeeze of lemon balanced the dish. Chicken Milanese: This one I didn't really care for so I would skip this one. The chicken was not tender and almost hard to chew or cut into. It was salty and lightly breaded. Tiramisu: Standard tiramisu Service: Great service! Our waiter was very nice and helpful. Ambiance: I love the vibes. It was cozy and perfect for a date or casual hangout. The lighting was also slightly dimmed and made a very nice mood. Overall, so far poeta is my favorite Italian restaurant in austin. I would recommend! read more

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Wow, I am in love with this cute little spot. The decor and ambiance was perfect quiet girls night or date night. The wine menu was phenomenal and all the food we had was scrumptious. Came here with 4 of my gfs and we were able to try a lot of their pasta dishes. The pistachio cream penne and the roast pork spaghetti was *chefs kiss* though every single thing was amazing. read more

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This was honestly one of the best meals I've had in a while. In the words of Beyonce, "Ten, ten, ten across the board", when it comes to the food, anyway. Passed Poeta while going to Paperboy last weekend and then was looking for a meal before going out for the night and Poeta popped up again so we gave it a try and boy am I glad we did. When you walk into the restaurant, it is sort of split into two sides, one of which is in front of the bar and the other which is a tad more secluded. The decor is to die for and will catch your eye as soon as you enter. The details add even more to the homey feel of this place. Perfectly dim lighting where you don't feel as if you have to pull out your phone flashlight to read the menu. When we first arrived, we were waiting on one more so not sure if that's why our server paid little attention to us, but he walked by at least twice checking on every table in our section except ours. We even had to have another worker get him for us so that we could at least place a drink order. The food came out fast and he became more attentive as the night went on. I started off with the 11th street daquiri which is a hibiscus daquiri. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the drink wasn't too sweet or too strong. We got the Arancini with pine nut ragu and parmesan to start. It was a different appetizer and I'm still not really sure how to describe it but it was pretty good! The sauce that it comes a top was flavorful and added a lot to what's essentially a pretty basic rice ball! For my main meal, I had the gnocchi and i fell in LOVE. It had lamb confit, tomato butter, crispy onions, and marjoram. I will say it was my first time having gnocchi so I don't have anything to compare it to, but this meal gave me high hopes. The flavor from the lamb, the crunchiness of the onions, my plate was wiped clean!!!! Overall, I was beyond impressed, and Poeta has definitely found a returning customer in me. read more

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Wow wow wow!! This is a fantastic choice for an intimate dinner or date. The venue is beautiful inside, and the finishing touches such as the silverware, candles, and green booths were perfect. Even the bathroom was very pretty. Definitely make a reservation, not sure if they have seating otherwise. Parking in this area isn't the most convenient: there isn't a designated lot but they did try to provide options on their website which was helpful. I had the grapefruit spritz (mocktail) which was very yummy and refreshing. I actually don't like grapefruit, but this had the perfect ratio of sweet and sour. We started off with the beef tartare, which was impeccable. I would absolutely get this every time I visit. They gave us a couple complimentary salads, which was a very kind gesture. Everyone in my party enjoyed our main dishes. Flavors were good, albeit they leaned towards being on the oversalted side. The rigatoni was my favorite. We ordered a few desserts and they were tasty as well. I enjoyed the cheesecake with the compote the most. If you had to order one, I would say go with the olive oil cake, which was the most noteworthy. Overall, I would say that prices are very reasonable especially for downtown (drinks ~$10, entrees $20-30, desserts ~$8) and I was satisfied by the portion sizes. Service was extremely attentive and checked in on our table more than a multiple times. The hospitality manager introduced himself to us and let us know about the option to host parties here. The venue itself is pretty small (most tables only seat 2-3) so I wonder if you have to rent out a space there if you're going to have a large gathering. read more

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This is such a hidden gem. If you are looking for some good Italian then add this to your list! Their menu selection was solid, having a large amount of dishes to pick from. We had the mortadella, arancini, and the ceasar salad (so good!) Honestly the best ceasar salad I've had in Austin. For mains, we got the rigatoni and the carbonara which were both absolutely delicious and fresh. I would also like to highlight the service! We were very taken care of the entire dinner and the servers were very attentive. Anthony was great! Highly recommend coming here! read more

Poeta is a quaint Italian restaurant in East Austin. Rounding up to 4/5 stars. I opted for the Brasato Panini. It proved to be a messy experience! It wasn't life changing, but I liked it enough. The meat was tender and the peppers were prepared perfectly. I ordered wafflegato for dessert. That was fun! Not overly sweet and an amazing balance of textures. At Poeta, the interior design is the true standout. That said, I liked it enough to book a dinner reservation so I can try out a pasta dish! read more

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Nothing but good things to say about Poeta. The ambiance is beautiful, warm, and inviting. The staff was kind and helpful with both food and drink selection, and the location is in a location that was in dire need of something fresh, new, and hip. Highly recommend the braised shoulder and the beets. We also had the gnocchi which was fantastic with their tomato butter. All in, a wonderful neighborhood joint and a huge welcome to them... we look forward to many returns! read more

I wanted to love Poeta, but it fell flat on a few aspects. I'll talk about the positives first. It's a pretty small restaurant, but the interior is quite nice. They were able to accommodate for my friend and I to sit at a more brightly lit table, which was really nice of them! They just opened, so I would also take my review with a grain of salt. Service is...pretty mid. I feel like we were chasing down our waitress the entire time, and she would also walk by our table without giving us a glance most of the time. We waited a long time to order and also waited an even longer time to ask for/get our check. My friend and I also commented on how long it took for our food to arrive, especially with the restaurant not even being half full. The food itself is definitely nothing to write home about. We ordered the arancini, salad with prosciutto, and the crab cake. I liked the crab cake the best out of all three dishes. It had a hearty amount of crab, and the flavor was good. The arancini was just okay, and I didn't finish because the texture was slightly off. The salad was decent, and I liked the salad dressing. I also ordered a vanilla latte because we were told they make their syrup in-house. It was pretty decent and very creamy! We probably made a mistake of coming for brunch because it seems like most people fall in love with their pasta entrees, but their brunch menu was...just okay. Lastly, they incorrectly charged my friend for our entire meal despite the fact that we split evenly and I was charged correctly. 4.5/10 experience, but I definitely want to come back to try their pasta and hopefully change my mind about my experience. read more

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My friend and I had a brunch reservation on a Sunday for 11am that I made without a problem a week in advance! So glad we came at this time since the restaurant was packed around 12:30 when we were leaving. They have a cute little patio and the interior is breathtaking. Loved the ambiance, perfect for brunch, date night, really anything! Our entrées were incredible and definitely worth the price. I loved the unique flavors and texture in my dish, the arancini with lamb and poached eggs. The tomato butter sauce was divine and everything in the dish was perfectly cooked! My friend got the meatball sub which came open faced with a little salad and she said it was good. but wished they had noted it was open faced since it was listed under the panini section and she was hoping for a sandwich. Finally, We ordered the bomboline of the "sweets" section for brunch and they came out and it was not what we expected after looking at the Instagram and website of the dessert. We decided to dig in any way but were disappointed. It was too heavy and lacked an element of diverse texture or temperature change. Luckily for us, the manager was very attentive and came over promptly after we sent our dessert back. He chatted with us about how we were correct that the bomboline was pictures incorrectly on the website and he apologized and said it's confused (he said he's been asking management to take it down and I agree!) He kindly and promptly sent us a new dessert on the house and "comped" us the other. Our main server was a unwelcoming but it didn't ruin the experience. I will be back since the food was so good and I'll hopefully get a different server next time. read more

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Came here during restaurant week as I've heard great things about this place and their offerings looked like a great value. Wow, was I wrong. Here's everything we ordered: - Arancini: No flavor. It wasn't crispy as it probably sat on the eggplant ragu for quite some time. - Chicken Liver Mousse: The proportions were off here. There were only 3 pieces of toast to cover an entire block that was rich and fatty. The mostarda did add a subtle sweetness to offset the heavy liver taste. - Bibb Salad: Nothing remarkable here. - Grilled Caesar Salad: This was drowning in dressing and the croutons were stale. - Halibut: The fish was overcooked and dry. The puttanesca sauce had a small kick to it and the croutons felt out of place. Very disappointing! The fennel salad was the only edible thing on the plate with its balanced acidity. - Gnocchi/Lamb Confit: Also disappointing. There was hardly any lamb in it, the gnocchi was too soft and mushy, the sauce had a weird aftertaste, and the crispy onions did nothing for the dish overall. - Tiramisu: Holy cavities, this was too sweet! The coffee was very bitter, and for a dish that should be moist, it was very dry. - Chocolate Sorbet: Also very sweet, but it had the consistency of ice cream. Our server was attentive and the ambiance was nice. There's also a sorbet truck outside for even more sweet cravings. Unfortunately, the food fell so flat for me. read more

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Poeta Poeta was phenomenal! I got a resy a couple weeks in advance and was so excited to try it out. It is Intero's sister restaurant so it carry's a big name - and lives up to it! We had the Arancini app, it was so creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The pine nut ragu is incredible. You also get 5 large arancini so this is a good value! The Caesar salad was also very large and was perfectly split amongst 4 of us. The dressing was so fresh and the lemon made everything snap - amazing! For the main dishes, we had the cappelletti (incredible!!), tagliatelle , and risotto. The cappelletti was so creamy and packed with crab. The sauce was so comforting but did not overpower the crab flavor. You get 6 massive pockets of pasta and is perfect to share with a group. The tagliatelle was also amazing, creamy and comforting with the mushrooms being so bold was amazing and different from the cappelletti. The risotto was a unique concoction that was so incredible with flavor. The prosciutto crispy and salty, the rice having hints of apple and the broth being rich in flavor - this was also just amazing. The desserts were also incredible. The cheery compote for the cheesecake was like childhood memories. Perfection. The olive oil cake with lemon meringue sauce was to dieeee for. Intero has their brown butter cake and now Poeta has their olive oil cake! Do not take this off the menu! Overall, the food, atmosphere, and service were the perfect combination for a fantastic night out. The prices were super solid for the amount of food you get. I can not wait to come back!! read more

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3.75 stars for me, and here's why. The pluses: - Parking is the first plus - they have two parking lots with specific directions on the site, and if you're coming during the off-hours, you'll be able to find street parking right out front, which was what we did. - The place is super cute and old-timey - Desserts! They were all very good, especially the cinnamon gelato, cheesecake, and tiramisu. Citrus cake was good, but I was expecting more flavor, so not the best I've had. - Smaller plates: beef tartare was great, then carpaccio, then octopus The so-so's: (honestly there are no minuses really, but for the price tag, so-so's = minuses-ish) - Sadly, the pastas were decent, but nothing to write home about, especially for a place that's a sister restaurant of one of the best new-Italian spots in town... and for the price. - Service was okay, but took time. We had to remind our server about our drinks on multiple occasions before they were brought out. We were there for two hours (!!) because things were slow at times between courses. This could be a one-off incident since most of everyone else who left a review was happy with the service they received. Overall, we may be back, but there are so many places to try here in ATX, so it might be a while! read more

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Poeta, the sister restaurant of Intero, has a beautifully designed interior with rich, dark floral wallpaper that creates a dramatic, inviting atmosphere. The outdoor patio is light and airy but I would recommend the inside for more moody atmosphere. I started with the oak-grilled snow peas, which had a lovely smoky depth that contrasted with the peas' fresh crunch. Next was an impressively generous portion of chicken liver pâté--smooth, buttery, and served with bread. So kind of them to give extra toasted bread! Their house-made pastas were a highlight, especially the rigatoni, which had a perfect texture and was expertly prepared. The mushroom tagliatelle was also warm and inviting, rich with earthy flavors. For something unique, we tried the gnocchi with tomato butter and crispy onions. While I appreciated the creativity, it wasn't my favorite of the evening. Overall, it was an impressive and satisfying meal in a beautifully designed space. The service could be better, but we were sitting outside so that makes sense. read more

Nothing warms me up better than a good pasta! So Poeta was the first on my list. The ambiance was so cute, a very cozy vibe. Our server was quick, efficient, and all around lovely! An amazing way to spend an 20° day read more

Poeta - Tagliatelle - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Poeta will check all of the cliché Austin brunch boxes with an Italian twist but prepare for your wallet to cry a little in the process. The interior is ridiculously cute and aesthetically pleasing, the workers were welcoming, service was quick, and the food was tasty but it's so pricey and just doesn't seem worth it. I had high hopes for Poeta and wanted to love it as much as Intero but I left feeling like it's incredibly overhyped. I made a reservation for brunch on a Saturday at 12:30 pm. I arrived a few minutes early but got seated right away. FAST FACTS: * Parking - There's street parking around and a map with dedicated lot options on their website * Reservations - Available through OpenTable * Brunch - Saturday & Sunday from 10-3 * Happy Hour - Daily from 3-5 * Dog friendly front patio SERVICE - Fantastic! The workers were all very personable and had smiles on their faces! Our server spaced out our order into three courses and all the items came out quickly. PRICING - This is my biggest gripe... the value just isn't there. I'm all for paying high dollar for elevated meals but I didn't feel like the portion size and/or food quality matched the prices. The total was $81.18 after tax and before tip for a cappuccino, benedict, arancini, prosciutto panini, and wafflegato. Considering the portion sizes are pretty small, my wallet and stomach were both a little grumpy after! CAPPUCCINO (8/10) - Not listed on the menu but they do offer espresso based drinks. Honestly, this was one of the best items we got value-wise since it was only $5 and a pretty decent size. It was tasty for a basic cappuccino. ARANCINI (6/10) - This dish was delicious but I just can't justify $24 for 4 arancini. They come in a tomato butter sauce with two poached eggs and "roasted lamb" (I use quotes because you have to dig around to find any... I forgot it was even part of the dish because there was so little of it). I would never order this again because it isn't worth the price. BENEDICT (6/10) - Kind of a similar story... it was very good but overpriced for the small portion size. Half the plate is just a garnish of frisée (curled endive). It has a béarnaise instead of a traditional hollandaise which I really liked but it wasn't worth $18. PROSCIUTTO PANINI (6.5/10) - I really liked the flavors in this... the prosciutto and fig jam compliment each other well and the ricotta has a great taste but the two pieces you get are pretty small (like 3-4 bites) and it doesn't really classify as a panini. The small bibb salad that comes on the side (let's be honest... it takes up a majority of the plate) is just some lettuce with a basic lemon vinaigrette. It's light and tasty but it isn't going to fill you up by any means. WAFFLEGATO (7/10) - This was definitely the star and my favorite item! The maple gelato is SUPER cold and doesn't melt right away which is fantastic and the espresso butter poured overtop is delicious! You obviously get that standard coffee taste but the richness and slight saltiness of the butter flavor takes it to the next level. The waffle is basic... I think an additional texture like some crunchy pecans or something similar on top would elevate this dish! But, this is one of the few things I would order again and felt worth the price. Maybe it's better for dinner but Poeta's brunch just falls short of expectations, especially considering other brunch options in town. The brunch menu definitely leans into lunch more than breakfast so some people may enjoy that but it isn't my preference. I don't think I'll hurry back here as there are many other places I'd rather go for brunch (and I'd probably pay less too). read more

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I can't say enough good things about this place. From the outstanding customer service to the exquisite dishes, our experience at Poeta was excellent. Staff took good care of us, menu was concise but so creative, ambiance was beautiful, and the bill wasn't outrageous although I would've paid more for that meal! read more

Poeta - Malfaldine and Spaghetti Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Check their website FAQ for parking information! The service here is great! We felt really taken care of as different servers came and filled our water/asked us how the food is. We got to meet the hospitality manager, Andrew, too. They gave us complimentary salads as we waited for our food! Beef tartare appetizer: shareable, really delicious. Make sure to get a little of everything on the bread Hibiscus soda-sweet and tasty, refreshing Entrees: Rigatoni-meat is salty but if you eat with the pasta, they go well together. Love the plating! Risotto-creamy but oily Octopus-too salty Gnocchi-pretty good Ask for the dessert menu! Desserts: Olive oil cake-the best! Fluffy and delicious!! Torte with amaretto gelato-torte is great, love the gelato. Amaretto is Italian liquor Cheesecake-great! Love the cherries read more

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Very great meal. The lasagna was fantastic. Service was great as well. Highly recommend this place. I am a food snob so listen to me. read more

Poeta - Lasagna, amazing, my st try. - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Your host was not kind at all. We were there for the hotel pool & were told we could order drinks inside at the bar. (There is an outside bar but obviously isn't open so it leaves the restaurant bar) First time was fine, second time we came in, in a towel and made sure we weren't dripping water but she felt the need to come up and say we needed to be more covered if we entered the restaurant. I'm kinda just confused how a towel isn't covered compared to some cover ups? The way she was talking like we could upset the hotel guests was so awkward, when it's like well it obviously upset you. For Poeta - you should get a cocktail server or use one of your bartenders/bar backs and have them run drinks if this is really a rule people are supposed to follow. This would also mean more money for your staff and better tips - there were 4 people standing at the bar so I know you have the staff for it. Also when we left the host told the guy coming in to replace her or maybe the manager that she had something to tell him and said and I quote "I'll tell you in a second" obviously talking about us. There's way better places to spend money, where you don't get judged and mean looks and comments about your body which is INSANE. before this interaction we all were thinking of having a big group meeting there but nope not any more! Hope you train your staff to not be so rude next time read more

Went to poeta for their restaurant weeks and had a pretty average experience. I liked the pate but they didn't give enough bread for the pate. The gnocchi was pretty underwhelming. Their pastas are all made in house. They have street parking nearby. They also have a cute gelato stall outside the restaurant. read more

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The cauliflower app was really good but the gf carbonara tasted like beef stroganoff. It was underwhelming. The meatballs were fine but not amazing. The other thing that was strange was that I came for my birthday- they ask ahead of time "are celebrating anything" and I said my birthday- and they acknowledged it at the door, but no offer of "free" dessert or decoration at all and no "happy birthday " when the waitress said goodbye which I've never experienced before on my birthday. Why ask what you are celebrating if you aren't going to do anything to make the person feel special? The hostess and waitress were super nice, but it wasn't worth the 170 we spent for my birthday celebration. read more

I have been meaning to come to Poeta because the interior is just so beautiful! I ended up coming here for restaurant week for brunch and had a really great time. We ordered the pesto pasta, mozzarella, and potatoes, ham and eggs. The pesto pasta tastes like a summer pasta. Really fresh and bright sauce with a little bit of citrus flavor. I think I enjoyed this the most. The potatoes had a really good seasoning, but I felt like the ham was too thick and oily for my liking. Their mozzarella is house made but I wish it came with bread or something since it came out just on its own with some mushrooms. Overall a great place for a low key date or maybe drinks with the girls. read more

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If you asked me a year ago, this was my favorite restaurant. I've spent so many special nights at the original location: my birthday, little memorial meals, date nights. I would recommend Poeta to everyone. Now, I'm not so sure. The opening of a new location was a highly anticipated moment for me. I'm typically not a fan of a prefix menu, but I've never had a bad meal at Poeta, so I figured this would be a menu I loved. It was not. For the price, this is probably one of the worst meals I have had in Austin. The best part of the meal was the little sampler they brought out before the meal: pistachio sandy with a mortadella whip, a lettuce bundle of sorts, and a shishito stuffed with goat cheese. Little did I know the good meal would stop there. The first course was beef tartare, previously a favorite item of mine. Scaled down to a tasting menu size, this was awful. The mince on the beef texturally was off. The flavor was salty and resembled nothing but the crispy onions it was topped with. I'm assuming this was prepped way in advance based on the color of the beef alone. The second course was grilled potatoes. I will say, the sauce on the potatoes was fantastic, I could have eaten a bowl of that alone. The potatoes were cold and chewy. The third course was, believe it or not, where I began to lose hope over this meal. The duck confit ravioli was so awful I'm having trouble finding the words to describe it. The ravioli itself was dry and the flavors did not work for me. The apple and mint garnish were fine. The broth/sauce substance that the ravioli was in was reminiscent of concentrated bouillon mixed with a minimal amount of water. I took one bite, which I had to force myself to swallow. The mint garnish really served as a palate cleanser because the flavor of this dish was not something I wanted lingering in my mouth. Fourth was the seared swordfish, another dish I could not finish. The fennel, olive, and tarragon slaw on top of the swordfish ruined the dish for me. These three strong flavor profiles together were just so much, and the flavor completely overpowered and saturated the fish. The tomato and saffron reduction was good, but hard to enjoy with the other flavors. I also found the sear on the swordfish to be a bit soggy. Lastly was the olive oil cake. This was fine. I would suggest that the size of the cake be larger than the serving of whipped ricotta it is served with, but after this meal, I needed something to mask the taste in my mouth. I will probably never come back to Poeta or recommend it so long as they have a prefix menu. read more

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went here to celebrate a girlfriends birthday and we ordered: - arancini - tagliatelle pasta - braised wagyu arancini was surprisingly a great appetizer to start with. steak plate was to die for!!! and you really can't go wrong with any of the pastas. definitely want to check out their cute gelato truck next time after dinner read more

Poeta - steak - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great place to eat! I've been there for both brunch and lunch and food has always been amazing. Great service and well tough and delivered plates. read more

Poeta - Crespelle - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

I had a good time. Great vibe for a nice date with your partner. Food is phenomenal Every bite had it all. I'd definitely be back and recommend 10/10 read more

Poeta - Pistacho cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Several of us met here for dinner yesterday evening. We called about a reservation a quarter to 4 and the only table for 4 was on the outdoor covered patio. While this is a cute space with fans, the fans were pointed in such a way that any air movement wasn't felt by anyone sitting on the patio. I would not recommend the outdoor patio unless you aren't bothered by heat & humidity. They also use small round tables which are pushed together for seating of more than two. The tables are just big enough for two but made sharing plates among the 4 of a us a little challenging. One of our party had eaten at Poeta for brunch but dinner was new for everyone. We opted to share plates so we could try several things. We started with the Arancini. I wasn't sure what to expect from the pine nut ragu but I ended up wishing there was a little more. 3 out of 4 us enjoyed these a lot. Next was the Grilled Caesar salad. Everyone really enjoyed this. The cheesy croutons were a manageable size and plentiful enough that we all got to enjoy the crunch. Our mains were the Cappelletti (blue crab filled pasta), Spaghetti (carbonara with grilled pork), and the House-made Meatballs (served on polenta). All three dishes were a hit but I think the Capelletti was the favorite with its prevalent crab and bright lemon flavors. One of our members isn't a fan of pancetta so she usually avoids carbonara but she really enjoyed Poeta's spin on it. Half of us were too full for dessert but the other half couldn't pass up trying the Tiramisu. All of us had a taste and agrees that it was very espresso forward. That said the 2 who wanted to try it did finish the whole thing. If you're an espresso loving Tiramisu fan, you'll want to try it. The service was great. Our waiter, Alec, was attentive without hovering. He provided very descriptive information on the drink and food menu. And monitoring our table was a team sport. We had different people delivering plates and refilling our glasses with the water bottles on the table. I recommend Poeta but suggest trying to get a table inside during our hot, humid Texas days. And give their gelato a try as they're opening a gelato truck (out front) which will provide gelato and sorbet for the restaurant as well. It's on my list for next time. read more

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OUTSTANDING!!! 10/10!Delicious pasta and great service! The tuna was incredible!Will definitely be back!

Had a business lunch here today. Luckily I found a spot to park nearby after just one turn around the block. Food choices were unique. I had the arancini (bit too salty for my taste and I like salt) and hibiscus tea. read more

Poeta - Arancini with lamb and poached eggs - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We came here to celebrate our anniversary and are so happy that we did!! We felt so special and welcomed as they had a sign at our table and gave a glass of champagne to toast to the celebration. The setting is extremely romantic as it is dark interior but also offers natural street light. Decorated extremely cute. All the food was exceptional however the whipped beans are so unique I highly recommend trying! I will definitely be back! read more

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Intero has long been one of my favorite restaurants in Austin, so I was super excited to hear that their team was opening a new spot. I was finally able to make it out for dinner. Had a reservation and so getting seated was no problem. Our waitress was friendly and on first impressions it was a pretty nice spot. We ordered a couple of cocktails to start...I can't remember the names but they were both fine, a little pricey. For food, we had the chicken liver mousse, the arancini, the beet salad, the cappelletti, and the pork chop. The mousse came first and the arancini shortly after. The mousse was really tasty and had a great smooth texture. The saltiness of the mousse was offset very well by the golden raisin mostarda that came with it. I also appreciated that the waitress offered us more bread without us having to ask, as it comes with only 3 half slices of ciabatta for a fairly good portion of mousse. The arancini came next, and this was also a success. They were fried really well, not greasy, and were not too big so that you got a good ratio of crispy outside to rice inside. The pine nut ragu was a really nice accompaniment. At this point is when things started to go downhill. We waited for quite awhile before any more food came out. At first I thought, "maybe they're coursing the two mains and beet salad together so the salad is kind of a side dish." But no, after what felt like a good 20 minutes the beet salad finally came out alone. It was tasty but unremarkable. Somewhere during this time we had also ordered another drink which by the time the salad had been basically finished, had not arrived. The waitress came to check on us and asked if we needed anything and I asked about the cocktail. Turns out she forgot to put in the order so she comped it for us, which was nice. Again another fairly decent wait for the mains. At this point the restaurant seemed pretty busy. It made me think that the kitchen was probably understaffed/in the weeds. We noticed the tables around us were waiting for quite awhile to get food as well. Finally the pork chop and cappelletti arrived. The good news first, the cappelletti was fantastic. It was very generously filled with crab and super flavorful. Definitely the better of the two mains. The pork chop on the other hand tasted like it had been brined too long...it was really salty and the texture of the meat was unpleasantly kind of mushy (probably from being brined too long). It was also overcooked and served almost room temp like it had sat on the pass for awhile before being served. For dessert, we had the coconut sorbet. And again, we had to wait for what felt like a really long time. We actually were about to tell them not to bother and just give us the check, but it finally did come. It was pretty good, not too sweet. It tasted like it could have been a Thai-style dessert. We finally got our check. Our sorbet had been comped too, I assume because they realized how long it took for it to get served? But no one mentioned anything to us. Finally, the place is REALLY loud when it's busy. I could barely hear my own conversation, and could clearly hear the convos of the two tables sitting on either side of me. The acoustics of the place just aren't the best if you're looking for a quite or intimate night out. If you are, I'd suggest somewhere else. Overall I have to say I was disappointed. I LOVE Intero, so I wanted this place to be an extension of that. As it stands I'd go back to try their lunch/brunch menu, but if it comes to dinner, I'd rather just go to Intero. read more