BigsnYets Quarles and Walsh

This place should have a James Beard award. Absolutely outstanding. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is very contemporary and beautiful. And the food, everything was SO delicious. That fish taco was maybe own of the best Baja style fish tacos of my life, and I have eaten fish tacos and dozens and dozens of restaurants across the US. The fish was so light, perfectly cooked, and delicious. I'll dream about that taco for a long time. The salsas were outstanding. And the ceviche was excellent too.

Olivia Petee

Vibes are high, great service, great food and beverages. We had the tuna tiradito, Camerones el ricas, lobster burrito, and the fried fish sandwich. The tuna tiradito and fried fish sandwich were the highlight, could’ve ordered another round once we finished. Great cocktails, we had the classic margarita and hoja en blanco perfect balance of booze and sweetness. I would definitely come here again, and recommend it to friends in town!

Alicia & Chanel (Vibesandines)

When I tell yall this was the BEST meal I had in #austin I’m not lying. So much so, I had to go back and bring my colleagues! EVERYTHING we had was delectable, and the service was impeccable. 🤌🏽 The non alcoholic drinks were some of the best mocktails I’ve had, the ceviche was divine, the wagyu taco… had to run that back! HIGHLY recommend you check @esteatx out!!! #austinfoodie #austinfoodstagram

Adam Jones

Este is an absolute gem. The ceviche? Unreal. The tuna appetizer? Spot on. Fish tacos? Perfect. And the halibut, good lord, that fish tasted like it had been baptized in butter and personally seasoned by Poseidon during spring break in Cancún. Straight 10/10. For my wife and her bestie though, the real showstopper was not the food, it was our waiter Alex, the blue-eyed Colombian legend himself. They were basically auditioning for The Bachelor: East Austin Seafood Edition. I have not felt that invisible since my kids discovered TikTok. Alex was casually dropping free shots, having us chase them with ceviche juice, and somehow making it feel classy. You can’t compete with that. Este will fill your stomach. Alex will fill your insecurities. Este is five stars. My confidence, two at best. Will be working out every day until my next visit. Thanks Alex! Seriously tho, amazing waiter and incredible restaurant.

+25

Tracey Phan

Exceptional drinks, food, and service. Liam was a great calm steady guide to help make decisions for our anniversary dinner. His help and positivity was very much appreciated. The drink Hoja en Blanco is now my favorite cocktail that I have ever had. Their Oyster Especial (favorite item of our dinner) made with bluefin tuna and tobiko was the tastiest flavorful unique oyster I have tried and I highly recommend. Their tamale was also unique as it has a strong licorice flavor which may not be everyone’s preferred flavor profile, but we enjoyed it and found it to be a pleasant dish. The toro tostadita was delicious and the ceviche was refreshing. The Lime Mezcal Pie was an excellent dessert with very balanced flavors. Overall, the service, ambience, and incredible food made this a wonderful place to celebrate our anniversary.

+2

We visited Este for Sunday lunch and came away with mixed but mostly positive impressions. On the food side, the kitchen is doing some excellent work. The shrimp aguachile negro was a standout, bright, punchy, and extremely well balanced. My pescado zarandeado was perfectly cooked and packed with flavor. From a seafood perspective, Este clearly knows what it is doing. That said, the vegetarian options were fairly limited, which was disappointing. Especially compared to their sister restaurant, Suerte, which offers a noticeably stronger vegetarian selection. Logistics and service were the weaker points of the experience. Parking is valet only, and the lot itself is very cramped. It filled up quickly even though the restaurant was not especially busy at Sunday lunch. The valet seemed visibly stressed, and I can only imagine how chaotic it gets during peak dinner hours. Inside, we were seated at a tight side table against the wall and felt somewhat forgotten throughout the meal. Service was slow, and I had to flag down staff multiple times. Overall, the food, particularly the seafood, is strong enough to recommend, but the parking setup and inconsistent service keep this from being a top-tier experience.

Ziare Rene Flagg (Ziarerene72)

Pescado Zarandeado was presented beautifully. It is a whole piece of fish that can be shared. The fish was fresh, flaky snd didn't have a strong flavor. It was served with cabbage slaw, black beans and pickled peppers and carrots. The meal itself was light where I felt full but not stuffed. My friend ordered the tuna taradito, she loved it. I am not a fan of raw fish but the presentation was really nice. We went during happy hour so my passion fruit margarita was $10 and delicious. Atmosphere was nice. It is a small place but I don't feel like we were on top of other tables. I think it would be a nice date night restaurant to try at least once.

Ann Serg

Enjoy our family dinner for my mom’s birthday here. They accommodated us with special seating request pretty fast even though the restaurant was full. The server was knowledgeable and efficient. The food was interesting, every dish had variety of spices, which left me craving the same food the next day. The only small plate we were not big fans of was with smoked fish, but still worth a try. Grilled shell-on shrimp was okay, I would definitely never eat it with the shell, as they recommend. You’d have to be a dog/cat to enjoy that:)) Didn’t appreciate them not having the phone number to speak to a person, but they were fast to reply via text. Very loud inside, but patio would be perfect if the weather permits. Overall, good experience, would come back Park across the street if not willing not pay valet. Liked the desert we ordered. The other small cake they presented as a Birthday compliment

Brad Collard

The restaurant, as the waiter described is a Moriscos-style kitchen offering coastal Mexican seafood. He encouraged sharing with a recommendation of 3-5 dishes. Dishes discussed and ordered included: - Shrimp: Available in half (5 shrimp) or full (10 shrimp) orders, served with the shell on, described the shell as edible and "messiest" . These were also referred to as "Camarones El Ricas." - Cachetada Tacos: the ribeye tacos were my wife's favorite and "really good." - Pescado Zarandeado (Sea Bass): A "delicious" fish dish with tortillas. - Guacamole: Ordered with chips and salsa was really outstanding. - Salsas: Included mild fresno hot sauce and tomatillo salsa, and a spicy habanero pequine "on fire" sauce. Better than most high-end Mexican restaurants. - ChocoFlan: A dessert combining chocolate cake and flan. - Drinks: Sombra and Classica margaritas were ordered - no short pours here, you get more of what you paid for. The restaurant does not offer Cafe de Olla, we believe after a large meal, that would have been satisfying with a churro. The food was good, almost earned a 5th star with fresh fish, great salsas, and guacamole. Service was also good. The atmosphere would be 5 stars if not for the cramped conditions. The main issue was the small table size, which became crowded with the ample dishes, and the close proximity of other parties, causing discomfort when waiters were near, like butts almost touching our table while we ate. Go and enjoy Este, the food and service is good to great. Just know you will likely be sitting closer to others than you may want. A single ribeye taco costs $15, before tax, and the overall bill for two people was $250.

+5

Na Tasha

Our waiter was amazing - very genuine and down to earth. Perfect amount of checkin. The guacamole is very fresh and unique due to the use of sesame oil. Fish tacos were okay. I’d skip the crispy tuna tacos as well - very meh. The chocolate flan dessert is a must if you like chocolate cake - it’s not at all like a flan, very decadent and very delicious. The coffee comes with a tiny chocolate biscuit too that’s actually really really good

+2

Cathy

Well-executed concept. I was expecting more seafood and less Mexican influence, but I still felt the dishes were nice, just not for me. Much messier than I expected. Although the lobster was pre-cracked, getting a nutcracker for the pieces that weren’t cracked completely would’ve been nice. (We requested one and were told they didn’t have any.) The seating design is kind of weird. We sat at the counter and (technically) faced the chefs, but I felt like I was just facing a stone wall, since the stone slab between you and the kitchen is fairly high.

+3

swaroop krothapalli

Having heard about this spot from Michelin's recommended list, I decided to check it out. Their unique take on chips and salsa was a definite highlight, and the cocktails truly packed a punch. The tacos were also fantastic. I particularly appreciated the convenience of their valet parking. However, I was quite let down by the dessert menu; both the quality and options didn't live up to the excellence of their main dishes

+1

Cheyenne 7

The food was underwhelming and did not live up to expectations - 2 appetizers were both a bit over salted. 2 Entrees were just ok, but over-priced. Desert was a disaster - definitely came from a box (frozen) and half defrosted when served. Service was good. If it's not for trying to use up the credit card credit from Chase, would not be eating here.

+1

Priscilla Hon

Beautiful building and atmosphere but the food was kind of mid. The tuna tacos tasted fishy and dry, almost like tuna jerky in a taco. We heard the swordfish tacos were good, they looked like fish and chips- battered and fried. We got the guacamole which wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The pineapple margarita was nice. The grilled shrimp camarones were good, we were told you could eat the shell but that was not for me. There was maybe 3 or 4 shrimp in the half portion. Finally we got the cochinita pi bill wrapped in a banana leaf. Sadly that was somewhat dry too. The highlights were the sesserts- we got the basil cake and the chocolate cake, both were excellent but the basil took the leading edge. Our server was great.

+4