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- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Ambience:
- Touristy
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
57 reviews for Aura
Review Highlights
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"Great happy hour selection and prices." In 8 reviews -
"I am a big fan of the filet mignon." In 4 reviews -
"I found this place thanks to restaurant." In 3 reviews
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57 reviews in English
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Review from cheryl s.
Sacramento, CA
12/29/2010
I obtained a coupon from http://Restaurant.com so I had to try it. First I looked up their website, which was taken down. When I called the person on the other line was not enthusiastic about having clients, but since I got a confirmation they were open, I brought my partner and another friend. It was Dec. 24th, around dinner time. No one there in the dining room, and only three folks at the bar. The bartender is really friendly and he was attentive until after dinner when the place was more crowded and he might have been the only one working the front of the house. Great happy hour selection and prices.
We had the duck skewer appetizers which come on a plate of four with a nice sauce. The duck has jalapeno and is wrapped in bacon. Tasty, but no skewer, just pieces, and two of them were charred, edible, but charred. The chef knew it too, because later when he came out to the dining room and asked about our entrees he said he knew the duck was charred when he pulled them off the grill - if he wants to be more professional, he will need to act on his quality control.
We were all craving the filet mignon they offer, 7 oz of fine beef. Two medium rare and one medium well. They were all medium rare but delicious - the wine reduction that tops them is great and the crust the chef gets on those filets is terrific. The filet comes with mashed potatoes (they were very good) and a seasonal veggie. The only down side would be the yellow squash next to the white potatoes - a colorless presentation on the plate. The squash was grilled, cut big (or is that called a rustic presentation?) but not really exciting enough to make room for - not with that great filet and yummy potatoes.
I'll come back for the filet or apps and happy hour. The chef Paul is a nice fella and I appreciate he is using family recipes so perhaps we'll try his other offerings. -
Review from Estevan D.
Sacramento, CA
2/23/2011
Please note that I've only been to Aura late night, and have not tried their food. This review is based, solely, on their night club.
If neck tattoos, rude bartenders, and a feeling of an impending shanking is your idea of a good time, then this is the place for you! :) -
Review from Angela R.
Sacramento, CA
9/17/2010
When your money is green, but your skin is brown... beware, they have trouble looking past skin color.
Bottom line, this place is great if your into being around douches and being discriminated against. -
Review from Jon M.
Sacramento, CA
8/31/2010
This place saddens me. On one hand you have a trendy venue and a nice restaurant on Sacramento's busiest street with two bars and a very nice loft. On the other hand, this place is too small to be a club AND a restaurant AND trendy bar all at the same time. You can't get a drink downstairs unless you're willing to wait twenty minutes... so instead, you head upstairs to the smaller bar where the bartender pours the weakest alcoholic beverages this side of the Mississippi. They allow far too many people in and aren't able to accommodate them.
This last weekend, Aura hosted a two-room event (hip-hop downstairs and house music upstairs) and it was absolutely heaving. We hung out upstairs for the majority of the night as the music and crowd were better. Unfortunately, right around midnight, some folks from downstairs came upstairs to jump another guy standing at the bar. The tiny bartender ran downstairs to get help while four or five guys beat the snot out of the other. Who runs upstairs to assist? Two more bartenders. Where was security? Nonexistent. The only security I saw were standing out front, not allowing anyone else in because of the fight.
It's shit like this that reminds me how little these places care about the safety of their patrons. They're willing to pack people in, well beyond legal capacity, but aren't willing to shell out a few hundred dollars extra for ample security. This guy was getting his ass beat for what seemed like five minutes while two bartenders tried to pull the meatheads off of him. I felt sorry for the bartenders actually. Who would have saved them?
Once again I've been let down by another of Sacramento's 'hot spots'. It's such a nice looking place with what I hear is a decent menu, good wine selection, and a prime location. No disrespect to those promoting at Aura but the term 'polished turd' comes to mind. I'm done with it.Listed in: Night Moves
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Review from Olivia L.
Sacramento, CA
4/4/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I think this place is a forgotten gem. Beautiful venue, good food. Good bartender and a great happy hour!
The place was a bit empty, so maybe they will start marketing to a new clientele and breathe some new life into the joint. With all of the new, great restaurants popping up around town, I'm sure it's hard to compete.
Oh, and I learned about NOHO here. It's the No Hangover drink that apparently doesn't work and tastes like cough medicine. I tried it. It tasted like Red Bull. I did some moderate drinking that evening and did not wake up wanting to smother my head in my nice down pillow. Yay. But I'm positive it's just because I'm accustomed to drinking. (Insert your hilarious comments here.) -
Review from Elif F.
2/28/2010
I was dragged here one night on a second Saturday. It was packed full, expensive drinks that you have to wait for (literally I timed it) 30 minutes to order and another 30 minutes to received said drinks. Then you have to fight your way through a wild miasmic jungle of people to get back to where you are sitting on the patio. This place is just not for me. I might have liked it 10 years about when I was 21 and just starting out on the night scene. It's all about appearances there just like any other night club and their associated clubbers really. Looks nice and posh on the surface but look deeper and you see something a bit more sinister.
No thanks. I ended up leaving with about half my group who were not amused either and when to my house, where I whipped up a great Mediterranean meal, fired up the hookah, and we chatted the night away on the balcony.....
Oh yea and if you like getting punched in the face while walking next to the empty dance floor to get to the craptastical one stall bathroom....this is the place for you! -
Review from Sarah G.
12/29/2008
Well....well...well....I was really REALLY torn between 2 and 3 stars for this place, so it should be getting a 2.5 but I decided to round down and here is why....
1. It takes an hour to get a drink here and I am girl, and not really an ugly one either!! ha
2. The bar tender makes eye contact with you about 25 times and even waves hello to you while you are waiting to get a drink yet never serves you
3. It is so crowded by the bar you can barely breathe, let alone have room to actually drink your drink without spilling it on someone else nearby
4. The girls here are all kinda dumb and definitely give the stare down as much as humanly possible (and yes, I know boys, you make actually list dumb girls as a plus, but I don't!! ha)
5. My friend went to go use the restroom and there is only one for girls!! That is just ludicrous. Even good old Club 2me, the best dive bar in sacramento, has two stalls!! come on!!!
6. To top it off, that one bathroom was overflowing with back up!!! GROSS AND UNSANITARY so all of the girls and guys were all trying to use the guy's room....simply awful in a nut shell
That said, the decor is decent here, it is easier for guys to get in here than GV Hurley's next door, and they actually have some decent music playing here that is actually danceable, but there really weren't too many people dancing when we were here...I think if I went back here and was maybe more drunk before I got here, I would have rounded up, but since I was still sober....sorry Aura....better luck next time! -
Review from chris c.
San Jose, CA
1/27/2009
This is my kinda place. No cover charge, the doorman was hella chill. What I like about this place is that they have seats. You can sip and chill all night if you want. Music is mainly top 40 and pop which gets girls movin. I prefer downstairs but I moved around because the have 2 extra bathrooms and a small bar thats never crowded upstairs. I wish I met a cool chick that night. I would have loved to get on those big comfy couches and get my cupcake on.
Unfortunately lots of couples out tonight. Not good if you wanna scope the ladies. The ladies that were out looked good, too bad they were with their BFs who looked like they belonged in the UFC. I am not a small guy 5'10" 180lbs but for the first time I felt small, seriously I could not see across the bar. I see I finally found a place that isn't perpetually asian night with a splash of ghetto. I only had to drive 2hrs to get there. The crowd and place overall reminds me of the marina minus the audis and pretentious attitude.
Oh yeah whats up with the police parked right in front vip style? Two officers inside posted up by the DJ booth eating while on duty I guess. Thats a first. -
Review from Kara K.
Sacramento, CA
9/3/2008
What an amazing find... My friends and I went to g.v. hurley's for drinks last Friday - but when we walked up, I noticed "Aura." The name immediately intrigued me (there's a nightclub in the East Bay that I used to frequent with the same name) and then I saw the masses of beautiful people. I was caught up. Struck by Aura's aura. So I convince our group to take a chance on this beauty.
Wow.
First off, dance/house/electronic/whatever-you-want-to-call-i t music is RARE in Sacramento, and this place knows how to handle it! My heart and ears were so excited to hear the latest house hits especially among these beautiful and classy people. After grabbing a few slightly overpriced drinks, we hit the non-crowded, well-ventilated dance floor. The vibe, the scene, the dance floor, the music - all an A+ in my book.
I was in love. Absolutely in love. Where had this gem of an ultra lounge been hiding all my life?!
But, once the clock struck midnight, the little princess Aura turned into a pumpkin. Not a cute pumpkin, a nasty, ugly baggy-jeans-wearing, backwards hat, thug, collar-poppin', trashy, ghetto, hip-hop blasting ugly pumpkin.
What a shame. 5 stars for anything before midnight, 0 stars for anything after midnight.
Please Aura, keep the house and the beautiful people and I promise to love you forever.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from noc f.
Sacramento, CA
11/26/2008
Unprofessional people answering the phone.
Double check you rreservation coz the may just have lost your reservations or moved it up without you knowing...lol
Food came in 1.5 hrs too late..and it was cold.
Too pricey for what your really getting.
I say skip this one -
Review from Stephanie L.
Sacramento, CA
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Review from Mymy N.
4/11/2010
Top 5 Reasons I like Aura:
1.) No cover.
2.) Strong ass drinks (Patron and pineapple=Patron on the rocks with a splash of pineapple juice)
3.) DJ plays Hip Hop
4.) Dancing is usually involved.
5.) NO COVER
Hope it doesn't turn into the next Parlare. -
Review from Rob L.
10/9/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Went here with some of my classmates for happy hour before class.
I didn't remember until I sat down that I was here about a year ago for a private party.
We got there around 5:30, and there were only 2 other people there. There were 4 of us. They had $2 bud lights on tap and 1/2 priced appetizers.
The chicken quesadillas were pretty good, the tortillas were nice and crispy, and they came with a side of sour cream and fresh guac.
We also got coconut shrimp, they were just OK, kinda like the ones you can get in the freezer section.
The chicken skewers were more of the same...Costco freezer section food.
The bartender was super friendly and attentive.
As we were leaving 2 really hot chicks rolled in, so needless to say, we went too early...or did they come in too late?
All in all, OK, good for happy hour...4-5 dollar appetizers and 2 dollar beers. -
Review from Raymond K.
West Sacramento, CA
2/7/2011
I came here on 2/5/11
I found this place thanks to http://restaurant.com. This is the 2nd time I've been here and from the looks of it they are catering more to their bar and club scene more than the food.
The menu seems to be all over the place considering it's Italian why would you have quesadillas and not have anitpasta.
The food took what seemed like forever to come out which was surprising because they were not busy especially on a Saturday night.
The decor/atmosphere seems to have gone down. At their higher than the average meals you would of thought they would have artwork, decoration or something besides a ghastly man's face on the wall. Anyways like I said it seems more like a lounge now because upstairs is where the club happens later.
I wouldn't recommend this place because of the high price, long wait and shoddy service. We weren't even offered a wine list and most of the items on the menu were no longer offered. Stay away! Still searching a romantic Italian restaurant in Sac. -
Review from Micah R.
1/29/2010
3.5 if I could.
FIX YOUR WEBSITE ALREADY!!!
OK... with that out of the way.
We came here last night for dinner out. When you walk into the place it's hard to tell if it's trying to be a restaurant or a bar. Yeah, it seems like they are trying to do both, which kind of gets in the way of doing a restaurant REALLY well.
We had their first chicken dish, something wrapped in a dough and the Filet Mignon. I ordered my steak medium rare, and it came to me mooing. I cut into it and heard the poor thing scream, so I asked the waiter to come by, and showed him the injury I caused to my steak. His response was 'Oh.. so you wanted it more of the medium side.'
I even hear him all the way across the empty restaurant tell the chef: "He wants it more on the medium side."
Um... no buddy... I want it how I ordered it.
Attitude and first try on the steak aside... the food was fantastic. The service was attentive, and the food came out quick. (boy I hope so that place was dead).
It's unfortunate the place was laid out to make the bar such a central point. The food is great, menu enticing and the dining room looks beautiful. I think they could make this place a hot spot for dinner if they just brought in an architect to redesign the place and make the dining room a little bigger and shut out the view and noise from the bar.
Aura pulls me one way to just love it and want to come back, then it makes me feel like it's the wrong place to go if I want to sit down to a nice restaurant.
I'd go back if it was someone else's decision, and I'd be excited about it, but I can't see myself itching to go back. (Maybe for that chicken.) -
Review from Tram T.
6/23/2010
Pros:
1) No Cover!
2) Good sized dancefloors (first and second floors)
3) Doesn't take too long to get a drink
4) Good music
5) Usually a fun/interesting crowd
Cons:
1) Since there is no cover, the crowd can get a little ghetto...definitely happened a couple of weekends ago when a big girl fight broke out on the stairs. Please, let's not be the next Parlare (per Mymy's wish as well!) -
Review from Chris S.
Sacramento, CA
3/26/2009
Last night I went to dinner with my wife and a friend before going to our friends party. We decided to try Aura because the event was being held there later in the night. With our house only 10 blocks from the establishment we chose to ride our bikes. With the weather being nice we rode up to the front and parked our bikes. from out front the place looked pretty nice, but we ended up sitting on the patio because the weather permitted it. Our waiter was a cool 20 something year old guy that was very helpful and very attentive to our needs. We laughed and joked with him every time he came to our table. From the outside we could see the decor inside and we thought it was cool as ice. It was a fancy little joint with an awesome upstairs area to match.
Back to the food. I ordered the skirt steak meal which came with three generous slices of steak, a fairly large pile of smashed mashed potatoes and some perfectly cooked squash. Out of the three things on my plate, there was not one that was not to my liking. Success.
My wife ordered the chicken pastry which is exactly as it sounds. A chicken breast cooked in a pastry. I had a small bite and thought that it was pretty good. My wife did not have any complaints regarding her meal, which I will assume makes her equally as happy with her decision.
Our friend ordered the lasagna, but I only had a small bite and did not really have an opinion.
As we finished dinner and our bottle of wine we headed inside from the patio where they were setting up for the show that was to start shortly. We only stayed for a little bit, but enjoyed the DJs that were playing and the overall atmosphere. It was amazing for a Wednesday night. As we listened to the DJs we walked around the small upstairs area and checked out a number of interesting art pieces. Overall I was impressed on so many levels and plan to come back to Aura. Thank you Aura for a great experience and allowing the drum and bass crowd to take over your venue for a night. I had a great time and overall was quite impressed.
Side Note: Looked like they have a good happy hour as well.
also: an extra 1/2 star for allowing Drum 'n' Bass. -
Review from Pritika C.
Sacramento, CA
6/14/2010
I had been here on a Friday and Monday night...
Good atmosphere on a Friday night. Music is A-OK...not much of a dance floor...but it will do.
Been here on a Monday night after kickball...tons of fun. The traffic may be a little slow, but there's nothing better than a bunch of XOSO kickballers packed in playing flip cup and beer pong.
Definitely a better league bar than Sofia's.
Check...it...out. -
Review from robert b.
San Francisco, CA
3/29/2009
I have yet to eat at the restaurant, but this review is for the bar/club section of Aura. I have been here twice so far, and each time seems to be better than the last.. The bartenders, the drinks, and the security here is chill. The price of the drinks definitely makes for a good time and the crowd can be a hit or miss. When they do have a DJ, the music and crowd are on point and its packed.
If you get hungry, go to the Pizza join right next door. Just get there early because once the clubs on the street close, it will be a line out the door. -
Review from Pia V.
2/27/2009
First walking into the place the bar area was very busy and crowded, but once you walked onto the other side of the pillars you have a bunch of booths and an entire dance floor to yourself. The downstairs music I didn't really care for ... it was a bunch of house type music, so we made our way upstairs. When we got upstairs there was another bar and it was WAY less crowded, but a bit more ghetto since they had a large boombox playing the music -- and if someone jumped to hard near it, it would skip or make sound =\. Regardless of this, I liked the upstairs better, it had a very chill feel and, like the downstairs, had plenty of seating. I had to wait a while to get drinks both upstairs and downstairs, the bartenders looked very interested with the conversations they were in. Plus the drinks were pretty pricey. ack!
I would've given the club 2 stars based on my experience, but I gave it that one more due to the food I did try of theirs. I attended "The Best of Sacramento" and they were there passing out portions of their lasagna and etc -- which were all absolutely delicious!! It was a bit hard to eat a lasagna out of a styrofoam cup, but still good once I was able to get the hang of it =). So 3 stars -- that is until I go back next weekend to have dinner there and try their food. The prices seem a bit steep, so I'm expecting the same great quality I got at the event I attended. Then I'll update my review (hopefully for the better).Listed in: Sacramento blames it on the…
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Review from Keith W.
Boston, MA
7/17/2009
Mediocre food. Good ambiance. Decent prices. But I'd rather pay higher prices for good food.
My girlfriend and I came here looking for a nice wine and dine meal.
The ambiance of the restaurant is nice. Lights are dim, good deco.
The table was covered with a vinyl, dull cement colored table cloth with a white paper table cloth over it. VERY TACKY! Why not just go with a white tablecloth? It'd go good with the look of the restaurant.
Appetizer: Caprese Salad
The presentation is a little different from what I'm used to. There are chopped lettuce which I've never had in a caprese and the basil is chopped when I'm used to it being served whole. Tomatoes didn't look as red as it could be. Mozzarella cheese was fresh, the way it should be. Presentation could of been better.
My meal: Prawns Diablo
HORRIBLE! It looked like a pasta bowl you'd get from Chili's or Applebee's. The shrimp was small and way overcooked, when I hear prawns I think of bigger sized shrimp. The sauce was bland. The server told me it would be spicy which it wasn't. I sent it back to get retossed which didn't really help because I didn't like the taste of the sauce in the first place.
Girlfriend's dish: Salmon platter, forgot name
It was quite delicious. Cooked perfectly. I think it came over a bed of polenta which was pretty good.
Dessert: Creme Brulee
Thought it was too eggy tasting. No one wants a eggy tasting dessert.
We had two glasses of red wine. Forgot what it was. Mediocre I think it was.
Overall, not a bad place. Decently priced. Dishes seem simple and bland. Salmon was great. I have a feeling most of their other dishes are not. -
Review from Nguyet D.
2/8/2011
I been here before about a year ago and dinner was great. This time I came for my birthday, this past Saturday night. The place totally changed, it look like a lounge area and not very decorated either. (-1/2 star)
The restaurant wasn't full. They only had another dinner group in the restaurant, which they were celebrating a birthday too.
The food took a long time after we ordered. I ordered lasagna and my bf got a pasta dish with chicken & mushrooms. The food was just okay. Both dishes came with seasonal veggies which comprise of a piece of squash and three pieces of green beans... wasn't much. This place was suppose to be considered a higher end restaurant. (-1 star)
We basically only saw the waiter four times. When we seated us, took our order, bought us the order and to bring us the check. We had to ask to get our water filled. While waiting for our dinner, there was no bread... nothing at all. (-1 star)
Since it was my birthday and I'm a big chocolate fan. I wanted to order the chocolate cake. The waiter said they didn't have any and that item been taken off the menu. Basically they need to print new menus (-1 star)... I DO NOT recommend this place!!! -
Review from Mike J.
Sacramento, CA
6/22/2010
Nice group that runs this joint. I love the location and having a patio facing North is a good thing in my opinion. Sacramento sun can beat you up and facing the other way is a good thing!
Drinks are priced well and I really do like the staff. Everyone is nice and friendly.
Haven't tried the food yet. -
Review from Candy A.
Elk Grove, CA
3/5/2011
Bartenders are great but the atmosphere wasn't so awesome, lots of girls giving dirty looks and dudes just standing on the sides looking for a chick to take home.
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Review from Ivy L.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2009
I had a http://restaurant.com certificate and came here for the first time. the experience was wonderful. the ambiance was romantic, but food was decent. Came here with friends. I had the flank steak with mashed potatoes and squash. the steak was cooked the way I liked it...medium, but it was kind of bland. both my friends thought the food was good. One had the lasagna and they other had some pasta dish that I can't remember.
I'm giving 3 stars for the food and an extra star for ambiance. The restaurant was dim and we were eating by candle light. This is a nice romantic spot for a date! -
Review from Daniel N.
North Highlands, CA
5/25/2011
Dead as a motha... Usually. This is like the back up back up backup plan F type place.
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Review from Lauren H.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2009
As a restaurant:
OK, I've been here 4 times now to eat. I realllly wanted to like this place. The best thing I can say about it was what one of my co-diners said "it was edible." First, the good is the nice, cute venue. It seems like it would be a cool restaurant. Key word "seems."
I've tried tons of stuff on the menu:
The appetizers are OK but are expensive for the amount of food you get. For example the roasted garlic and bread...4 little slices of crusty toast with a cold head of roasted garlic. The bruscetta was so-so but expensive also. The Caesar salad was wilted and lacking.
As for entrees: the flank steak is always overcooked because it's prepared in slices. There's no point in ordering "medium" because it will always be well done. The salmon on the other hand was undercooked and slightly fishy. The rice with it was just plain terrible and the vegetables "meh." The lasagna: we were told they were "out" of meat lasagna, so we ordered vegetarian. An hour later we were told that the kitchen accidentally made meat?! And in another 45 minutes or so...finally had the vegetarian. Strange indeed. The light at the end of the tunnel: the pizza. It's big and doughy. Compared to everything else it's amazing, but not perfect. However, $15 for that pizza? I might as well go to Hot Italian where it's cheaper and better.
The dessert is also nothing to write home about. Edible, yes. Satisfying? Worth the money? Decadently delicious? No. Doesn't taste homemade...or even pretend homemade.
Service is bumbling and slow...well-intentioned perhaps...but slow nonetheless. However, much of it seems to be the fault of the kitchen. It took them awhile to take our order and to bring water despite the lack of other customers at the time.
Probably better as a bar only. -
Review from Kristin T.
Sacramento, CA
8/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
First of all, we came here because we had a $50 certificate from http://sacamentohalfof... and wanted to try the place. On the coupon, it says "certificate may be used for alcohol". When we got there, the waiter said the certificate cannot be used for alcohol. He checked with management and they also said they will not honor it. The food was ok, but the hostess and servers were rude and we will not be going back.
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Review from lily c.
Sacramento, CA
11/25/2010
i have long been a fan of aura's half-off entrees on mondays. but i came back last monday to find that they don't DO it anymore! tears!! where else am i going to get a 8 oz espresso bean encrusted filet mignon in a red-wine reduction for $10?? luckily, the super nice waiter gave us a discount anyway. +1 star for service!
overall though, i think taking away 1/2 off mondays is a horrible move for business because the restaurant was completely empty except for our table. they still do 1/2 off appetizers and $2 beers on tap but it's not the same.
i've never been here for the bar, but i thought they did a great job with the yelp event so i might have to check that out. -
Review from K V.
Sacramento, CA
3/12/2009
Why aren't more people eating here?
I can only review the restaurant as we stopped by for happy hour on a Wednesday but it was such a great place.
We had wine, appetizers and dessert. Nearly everything was great. The bacon wrapped duck was delicious! Coconut shrimp was good, bruschetta was good, teriyaki chicken skewers were good. The Antipasti tray and roasted garlic were just OK but not bad. Creme brulee was a little on the sweet side but had a nice crust on top. Definitely big enough for 2.
Service was friendly and fast (admittedly we were one of 2 -4 parties in the place at any given time). When we finished our first bottle of wine and asked for recommendations on the second the chef came out and went over the wine list with us. Lots of great wines at pretty reasonable prices.
They've got a coupon on http://restaurant.com right now - that was nice!
We'll definitely be back! I hear they're packed on the weekends so I hope their weekday business picks up a little and they stick around for a while. -
Review from Eduardo C.
Sacramento, CA
Updated - 1/23/2010 ROTD 2/28/2010
On a seasonally wet evening a friend and I went to Aura. She was there on business. I was there for pleasure. Only two other customers were in Aura and they were eating what looked like a risotto and a salad on white square plates. I suspect they were a couple and were on a date. Ah yes, romance in an empty restaurant. I avoided any unavoidable eavesdropping.
In the meantime, my pal discussed some matters with a representative of Aura in some corner of the restaurant while I sat at the bar and peeped at all the whisky/eys on their glassy shelves. I spied a Talisker whisky. The last time I had some Talisker was years ago at a friend's apartment in Boston, in Allston to be specific . . . one of the student ghettos and background to mumblecore. He was returning to California and needed to finish off his bottle of Talisker. As we gradually emptied the bottle we drunkenly reminisced about his time in Boston. Now in Aura, I ordered a Talisker, neat, to memorialize my time in Boston.
I am not one to uphold and enshrine tradition for tradition's sake. Progress is life and without it we would shrivel and die as a nation, as a culture, as a species. When I ordered the Talisker the bartender was not sure how much it cost and had to ask the man upstairs. It took five minutes to find out it cost $8. Then the man did not know how to serve a whisky neat and had to ask upstairs. When he returned I watched, bemused and curious, while he poured the whisky into a shaker filled with ice and after shaking it vigorously then pouring it into a martini glass. When I sipped the whisky I thought: "Christ on his throne! This is good." Americans serve their whisky/ey with ice. Outside of America people drink their whisky/ey without ice and at most two drops of water to activate it. Shaking this whisky in ice was a brilliant synthesis of the two styles. I don't know whether the bartender was oblivious or a genius, or perhaps I'm just behind on the times. Whatever the case, as I sipped the shaken Talisker I was in bliss and reminisced about Boston while wishing I had applied this process with the shaker during the time I was living in the Hub.
As I neared the end of drinking my beautiful whisky the couple eating dinner left and were promptly replaced by another couple who seemed to have wandered into Aura just as my pal finished her business. I finished my drink with more than a sip that filled my mouth with the delicious chill of the undiluted but activated Talisker. When I swallowed the whisky I felt regret. I wanted the experience to last longer. Such is life. Fortunately there'll be Talisker, and ice, and shakers in existence for the foreseeable future, unless, of course, Obama's bisexual Islamic death panels from Kenya and France declare them illegal along with freedom, bikinis, and the TV series Walker: Texas Ranger. Until then, we drink.Listed in: ROTDs
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/15/2009
I just popped in during the evening around the time people start dancing because a friend of mine… Read more »
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Review from Alison Z.
Sacramento, CA
10/12/2009
The absolute worst dining experience. It was almost comical. My friend and I decided to dine here for lunch last Sunday. We called first to make sure that they were still serving food. Someone answered the phone and was short with us then just hung up. That should have been our clue not to go there but we still did. Upon entering, we found the bartender and cook sitting outside smoking and drinking. They finally got up to help us and we sat at the bar since that seemed to be the only option. There was no wait staff on hand.
We sat down and looked at the menu which consisted of bar food. I turned the menu over to see if there was anything else and got yelled at by the bartender for even looking at the brunch menu which they were no longer serving. I said too bad since I love brunch. He asked me why he should be nice and let me order off of it.?? what?? really?? how about because you want to give good service? Umm, so i ordered a bloody mary and he made it and said I made it spicy because you are a spicy girl. Is that a compliment?! I hate spicy bloody mary's so that sucks. I didn't drink it and after 15 mins. he just threw my drink away and made me another, equally as spicy. Awesome. thanks. no garnish, no nothing. My friend ordered a Diet Coke which she drank and couldn't seem to get a refill on.
It was like the bartender had never served a day in his life. He was so unattentive and rude. BTW- there was only one other couple in the whole place. But there was a game on and that was priority over actually serving people. He also continued to answer the phone and discuss business matters right in front of us. Something about being part owner. . . we just laughed.
I'll spare you the rest of the details. But it was far from a good experience or even decent. I wouldn't go back there if you gave me all the free food and drink I could ever want. This was my fourth and last attemp at this place. Each time I said I wouldn't come back but kept giving it another chance, It shouldn't be long before they go out of business.
We actually wondered if we were on some hidden camera show. Dirty silverware. We got one napkin and one water for the two of us. Good thing we can look back and laugh at it. :-) -
Review from Catherine V.
Sacramento, CA
2/20/2011
Anyone know where to get the pictures they take of you here?
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Review from Andrew H.
Sacramento, CA
1/16/2011
We went here on a whim and it turned out to be one of the best meals we have had in a long time. My steak was perfect, piping hot and really great. The potatoes and veggies were great too. Wife had lasagna it was great too.
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Review from Razza M.
Sacramento, CA
11/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
a strange place to eat. A stranger place for Happy Hour,
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Review from David K.
Fremont, CA
12/21/2008
Was expecting a cool place from their website, but I think the website pictures are from their "private party" upstairs.
So I ordered a martini to start the night off and wait for all of my friends to show up, but the martini was water downed.
We ordered the wings and drumettes, bruschetta with shrimp and caprese for appetizers, the wings were NOT cooked through, 4 pieces of brushetta to go around for 6 people. Not a good experience to start with.
3 of us ordered the flank steak, 2 of them are medium and 1 medium rare but the mediums came out looking like medium well and medium rare is like a medium. Not the way we ordered it.
You will have a lot of time to chat with your friends because it takes a long time to serve. I know it's not fast food but 20 minutes to bring me my appetizer and the chicken is not fully cooked? NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Overall, I tasted better food and better service else where. -
Review from Janice H.
Sacramento, CA
5/4/2009
If I could rate this place less than one star I would.
Always looking to try new places, I purchased a 1/2 off deal through the Fox40Frugal Friday promotion. I did check out the website before purchasing and thought the place looked ok and it seemed to have a nice menu.
The atmosphere was eh-eh. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since we went for an early dinner. We were the only diners, but there appeared to have been a large party shortly before us and there were still napkins on the table and floor, and chairs not tucked back under the table. It just made the empty place look so unkept.
We were greeted by the bartender who sat us in a front booth and offered us a drink. Both drinks seemed a bit watered down.
The menu did not have all of the offerings that their website shows. There was no chicken pastry. There was no salmon. There were 3 salads on the menu. Chop Salad, Caesar and Spinach. Neither of them were described on the menu like they are on their website. My husband ordered the spinach salad, which they were out of. We asked what the chop salad was and the bartender/host/server kind of remembered some of the ingredients.
Our food was served by a young man who appeared to come from the kitchen. He was wearing a sloppy looking t-shirt. I asked for pepper. He returned a few minutes later with a pepper grinder and ground a nice pile of pepper on my chicken picatta. Note to t-shirt boy...when you grind pepper you should move the grinder around so the pepper doesn't all fall in one pile.
The food was okay. The bill was $70 and I could have just as easily spent less somewhere else and had a good time.
I'll give this place one more try. Only because I have another one of those FrugalFriday gift certificates. I'll try the Sunday Brunch.
If you still really want to try this place, save yourself a little $ and go to http://Fox40.com and buy a half off certificate. They don't seem to be selling. -
Review from Jennifer W.
Auburn, CA
Updated - 3/8/2010
Website has been down for MONTHS!!!! I called and no answer. I know they are still open, but I'm not going to drive all the way down there just to get a question answered. Get an answering machine or fix the website.... total disappointment because they have really good food, but can't stand it when they neglect things as simple as the phone and website. How else are customers suppose to contact you????
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/29/2009
I'm giving them 5 stars because of the absolutely delisious food! My fiance and I went on a Monday… Read more »
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Review from Julie E.
5/31/2010
Inept, drunk bartenders who left my ATM card lying on the bar for 5 minutes before I just snatched it back... Plus they asked us our drink order at least three times and my friend's beer STILL never showed up! The place is pretty empty, so if you're looking for a chat with your friends it's nice for that, but for dancing, meeting people, etc it's not ideal! A bartender also said he hoped my friend got laid that night. Come on - we don't need that.
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Review from Amy F.
Sacramento, CA
5/29/2009
Not impressed. Last night my bf and I decided to try Aura. We heard this place was decent and we found a coupon. Overall, this place was just O.K. It took nearly 45 minutes to receive 2 entrees!! It didn't help that the food didn't taste great either. For that price I expect more. I doubt I'll go there again even with a coupon. I can't say anything about the drinks but it looks like there's a decent happy hour.
