The Carillon

My husband and I wanted to eat somewhere other than our usual Saturday night places, and stumbled upon this gem. We were a little weary of the «hotel restaurant» location — which we didn’t even realize until our über dropped us off — but it far exceeded our expectations. Both food and service were impeccable. Our waiter, Oscar, was very knowledgeable, attentive, and had great recommendations. Every course was beautifully presented and tasted as good as it looked. As we devoured our meals, we kept wondering why this place wasn’t packed! It’s also worth mentioning that they have an open kitchen, (which we love) so you can watch these talented chefs delicately prepare every detail of your meal. We will definitely be back!

Establishment went over and above to see my wife and I had a wonderful New Years dinner. The wine and cocktail pairings were spot on. The grouper was well seared with a crispy skin and the short rib was plentiful.

The food:
The taste was exquisite. Food here is served in courses, you get to pick how many. Many of the portions are small, so don’t come too hungry but the pork chop was an exception as it was hearty. The choices were wide in range although not a large menu. Very well done, all our guests were pleased.
The drink:
The wine was surprisingly affordable compared to other upscale restaurants. The cocktail I had (sidecar) was very tasty as well, the bartender clearly knows what he is doing.
The service:
Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly. The food is presented which is nice. We were first to arrive at the restaurant so we had the undivided attention of the staff immediately. Throughout the dinner service was punctual yet not intrusive. Bravo.
The valet:
The valet upon arrival was very attentive, opened up the doors, even took the stroller out of the trunk. I wish I had tipped them instead of the latter because the valet upon leaving was cold and simply handed us the key. He seemed preoccupied talking to some other gentlemen, possibly the hospitality manager of the hotel? I sure hope not, but the gent was nicely dressed yet felt like he belonged at the hotel.

We absolutely loved everything we ate here. From the time we talked in we were warmly greeted and sat in front of the chef preparing food. That was fun to watch everyone in action. Macy was our server and she was totally on point and so sweet. We decided to do the 5 course meal and had such a good time tasting all of the fun flavors. Loved it, we will be back!

My girlfriend and I came here on a whim, before seeing some theeaaaatre at UT. We had a lovely early dinner, a 4 course meal with wine pairing at 545! Oscar was a great waiter/​impromptu sommelier, regaling us with pertinent info about the wines, and how they would relate to and improve our dishes. An excellent experience.

A classic Austin situation: inventive, delicious food and terrible service. At this price point, wine should arrive before the amuse bouche, especially when the wine order’s been in for 15 – 20 minutes already. People who request olive oil and more bread shouldn’t have to wait 15 – 20 minutes more, especially when there are hardly any other customers and several waiters and bussers milling about. I wish I’d been able to leave a tip instead of it being included in the bill so I could communicate this that way.

Staying at the hotel, we wanted a quick drink and some apps before heading upstairs to get dressed. We popped it quite early and sat at the bar. Service was very quick and friendly. We ordered a variety of cocktails, the one the Bees Knees, I had was excellent. We also had the cheese plate which was excellent and a variety of other appetizers. Alll were very good.
If staying here again, I would def. come back in for a full dinner.

The food was great! I did 4 course meal, hishimi, shrimps, scallops and mero, wonderful! The server, Macy was a sweetheart, very professional and very nice. They need more than her. The only points maybe if I have to say any recommendation would be, the shrimps were a little salties and the veggies in the mero were a little too spicy for me, but my spicy level is reallyyyyy low. Overall, loved the flavored and the quality :)

I never thought I would get the opportunity to review a swanky restaurant. I honestly don’t know how to.
My boyfriend and wanted a fancy date night and he chose this restaurant. We arrived close to 8pm and were greeted with a big smile.
The customer service for one was always on point. Everyone that checked on us wanted to make sure we were doing just fine. They were also friendly. I really enjoyed our server. The dining area was clean and softly lit.
Now, when it comes to the food… We had no idea what to expect. We gave the chefs free reign so we could have more of an interesting experience. And that we had.
I’ve been fairly sheltered and picky my whole life when it comes to a lot of things, especially trying new foods. So I can’t attest to much. But I can appreciate the experience and thoughts that cross your mind while trying something new.
I can’t even remember the names of the plates we had. But it was seafood themed with raw fish, shrimp, and some other grilled fish. There included a very interesting salad with really good ricotta goat cheese. We also got to try an interesting sample of honeydew that had a Japanese spice, I believe. Anyway, the dessert was my favorite.
I honestly didn’t know what to think while experiencing all of these new and wild flavors. But I can definitely appreciate the fact that they use fresh and fine ingredients, have chefs that show effort into the presentation of their food, and staff who want to please. While trying all of these new and creative dishes, it makes you think about how people eat in general. Many people just indulge to make that hungry feeling go away instead of eating to experience and truly appreciate the care and patience it took to create your single plate.
So, we thank you.

I have been here twice and both times were remarkable. The first time I came my fiancé and I splurged on the 7 course tasting with wine pairings. Absolutely phenomenal. Definitely worth the money and really generous portions of wine. This time we had the five course tasting menu with the wine pairings and once again were blown away. The chef here is very talented and innovative with his choice of flavors. We are foodies and have tried all the «gourmet» restaurants in town. This place blows Congress and The Driskill out of the water, and is also the fraction of the price. If you have not been here yet hurry and make a reservation, you are missing out!

YEAH!
There’s only one problem with Carillon. Well, it’s not really with Carillon itself but more with mankind; I hear the name mispronounced more often than I hear it pronounced correctly. There are only eight letters in it, only three vowels — it really isn’t that hard!
Now that we’ve covered that, this place is the best. Comparing to other multi-​course places in town:
–Infinitely more consistent than Barley Swine
–Far more choices than Lenoir
–Cheaper and easier to get to than Congress
–Better in every imaginable way than the horrible Eden East
The meat, fish, and poultry dishes are always among the best in town, with great and affordable wine pairings too. It’s always quiet, pretty inside, never too crowded, and with a great staff this is a must-​try restaurant.

Prelude to this review:
After I wrote my original review I read what other Unilocalers had to say.
People writing a long time ago wrote rave reviews.
More recent reviews note the executive chef who made the reputation of the place has left.
Whether he did not like management/​corporate changes — or he just left on his own account — that explains what I report below:
The Original Review
This is a rating of the lunch service — so the dinner service may be better.
The lunch at Carillon used to be five stars easily — one of the most elegant lunch buffets in Austin.
Food quality has plummeted since then.
The lunch service used to be packed.
Now the house is only ¹⁄₃ as full as it used to be.
I was with a prestigious guest and there are not other good options for «gracious» dining near campus — so we we were somewhat over a barrel.
An examination of the buffet showed significantly fewer and chintzier hot options
(shepherd’s pie — the standard mash-​potato filler of a house that wants to spend no money — no fish — standard pre-​processed thin sliced commercial ingredients on the salad buffet)
things got worse when i actually put the food in my mouth.
there was chintziness and limited attention to cooking in the kitchen.
Several dishes were tasteless.
Others tasted primarily of «convenience» ingredients.
The only strong execution was carmellized Brussels sprouts. Having only one good dish on a three table buffet is not what you want when eating upscale.
The price???
Lets just say I could have had a ten day hospitalization for less.
Given what they intend to charge you at this joint …
if you intend to go elegant,
it is more judicious to spend your money elsewhere.
.

Easter brunch 2015.
Well I actually wanted Trio but they were sold out. Carillon has high marks but their executive chef recently departed, so what gives?
Awkward service from start to finish. Only with the check did we find that service was automatically added at 20% of check. Well well well I might have tipped much lower considering the service and serve yourself buffet.
Empty plates sat on the table. At least 3 times starting with the first request was our champagne order forgotten. We went to the bartender after 10 minutes each time. Left with no silverware on multiple occasions, stole from nearby empty tables. They were not even sold out, several unused tables the whole time.
Food wise a step below Trio except: beef ribeye exceptional, tri-​tip blah. Fish also great. Oysters 2^nd rate, shrimp only ok.
It was not great but not terrible, solid 3 stars but no more. Not rushing back and nowhere near 4.5 stars.

I went for the first time and had a great experience. The service was great and we had our friendly server Oscar that made our experience even better. They have the option of tasting menus or a la carte. One party can order a la carte and the other party can order the tasting menu (as long as it is the 4 dishes choice). The food was creative and delicious with a nice presentation and fine ingredients. The NY steak was cooked with a sous vide method was sooo good. I highly recommend this place.

This is my absolute favorite place to dine in Austin!
Carillions will never disappoint with an impeccable dining experience. There 4,5,and 6 course meals are a must try. If you want to elevate your taste buds, take advantage of the wine pairings. Every dish is cooked to perfection. My favorites are the duck, scallops and new yyork strip. You will also love the exceptional and special attention given by skilled and knowledgeable wait staff in a world class atmosphere. The chief will through in a few extra surprises to keep you coming ba k for more.
Try it soon_​you will love it!

We stayed at the AT&T Executive Center Hotel for business and stumbled in to the Carillon one night to have dinner when I was unexpectedly free. We were just looking for a quiet easy dinner, and perhaps should have gotten food from the restaurant on the other side of the hotel, as it is quite a bit cheaper. However, that restaurant is also a bar and our infant was with us, so we looked to the Carillon, which was empty.
Even though it was empty, the waiter asked if we had a reservation, and when we said we did not, asked for our names so that he might have «the pleasure of recording them.» I didn’t really understand the pomp and circumstance, until I sat down and saw the prices on the menu. Had we unwittingly stumbled into an upscale five star restaurant with our 10 month old? Yes. Did we get scared off and leave? No. We brazenly doubled down on our decision and ordered all the things.
Here is where the Carillon should get some credit. No one batted an eye when we brought our infant, asked for a high chair, allowed her to handle fancy food, etc. The wait staff and host were exceedingly nice, and spoke to us fondly about their own children.
We ordered some wine that had a description like «This is the Sonoma Valley wine you’ve been looking for!» I didn’t know that I was looking for a Sonoma Valley wine, but boy were they right! It was incredible and I was happy to pay $ 11 for another glass.
Before we got our appetizers, the chef sent an «amuse bouche» — a free taste of a spiced cauliflower purée soup with so many layers of flavor. We were impressed! We washed it down with our wine and our daughter gnawed on artisan bread.
The appetizers were beef tartar and thai cured hamachi. The beef tartar was perfectly molded into an upright cylinder, holding the yolk of an egg, accompanied by an herb salad. Perfectly done. The thai hamachi was adorned with puffed rice and cilantro. It was good, but I have to say that I’ve had better, fresher tasting hamachi appetizers. I was a little disappointed.
The entrees were crisp pork belly and new york strip. The crisp pork belly was incredible. The new york strip was good but forgettable. Literally. I have no recollection of what it tasted like.
We rounded out dinner with a goat cheesecake that was incredibly disappointing. I mean, I love goat cheese and I love cheesecake and I expected this to be the dessert of my dreams, but it missed the mark by a mile.
I also got the chance to eat at the breakfast and lunch buffets at the Carillon and found them quite enjoyable and varied.
So, in the end, the Carillon is a mixed bag. They offer dependably good service and wonderful buffets. The dinner items either soar to great heights or fall very flat. For the prices they charge, I cannot afford to be disappointed. Four stars.

Some friends of mine and I ate thanksgiving here instead of shopping/​stressing/​cooking/​cleaning, and it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. So this is just for the thanksgiving dinner.
Its $ 65 which to me was well worth it. tFirst, they have unlimited mimosas, bloody marys, bellinis, campears and other champagne drinks. The food was amazingly fresh and good. Much better than any buffet I’ve had (including Green Pastures and Trio brunches) They have brunch buffet choices: eggs benedict and omelettes to order. They have a cold buffet with creative salads, chacuterie, smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers and onions, tuna tartare, everything extremely fresh. All absolutely fantastic. Then, of course, they have the thanksgiving dinner line, which includes all the standards: turkey, potatoes, cornbread dressing, roast carrots. Their turkey, potatoes and gravy was honestly the best I’ve ever eaten, sincere apologies to all friends and family. The cornbread dressing was not my favorite dressing (aka STUFFING! weird southerners) but that’s ok.
The only downside is that you can’t go watch TV, take a nap and then eat dessert so I didn’t get to enjoy the extensive dessert bar, and no leftovers (no to go boxes which is understandable… they’d sell out by noon!). Still, fantastic.

The Carillon really wants to be a 5 star dining experience. So did I. They aren’t bad, they area actually quite good. However, when you charge a lot of dough for a very high end meal, you invite more criticism and nitpicking.
To be fair, I was here for a wedding rehearsal dinner. So, they were bringing out 30+ plates for each course and this may have affected the overall experience.
We had a choice of arugula salad or hamachi. I chose the hamachi, it was served with some black puffed rice and mint toppings and a sauce. The puffed rice was more stale than crunchy but this was a great appetizer.
The main course was NY strip w/​potatoes or Mero (bass) in a carrot reduction w/​mushrooms. I tried some of both. The Mero was great but the miso taste overwhelmed much of the flavor. The NY strip was delicious.
The dessert was chocolate ganache or goat cheesecake with beets. I tried both, I really hated the peppermint buttercream on the ganache. The cheesecake was great but the beet powder tasted too much like dirt.
The service took FOREVER. We were there from 6pm to past 10, there was an hour and a ton of downtime between each course. It sucked. I would give them a 3 for that, but am hoping there was some wedding personalities that complicated the delivery of the food, i’m giving them the benefit of doubt. I don’t know if this is a place I would visit again, if I’m going to spend that much money, I’d go with a sure bet or something more exciting.

Food:
We ordered the grilled romaine with radish, citrus, garlic croutons, and bacon powder. The portion was small. I went with Unilocalers’ recommendations on the mero and boy I was so happy I ordered it. The mero came with spinach, maitake mushrooms, and carrot-​apple-​ginger reduction. It was delicious! The sauce that it came with was just right because it made the fish so much tastier.
Service:
What can I say, it was excellent! They always had time to refill our waters and I remember always seeing at least one or two waiters near by to help us clean up plates, bring us bread, and such.
Parking:
We took the taxi here so we did not have to worry about finding parking. However, if you have a car, they do valet.
Ambiance:
This was a nice and quiet restaurant. Moreover, it was a huge place extending further to the back. If you want to take a date out, this is the restaurant to go to.

As we waltzed in for our girly dinner date, I mused to Melissa A. that «Why don’t places like this hand you a glass of champagne just for showing up?» Seriously. You’re not going to walk out of Carillon without spending at least a buck fifty, so they should commemorate your arrival with free champagne. Think about it, Carillon!!!
The atmosphere here is all cold and dark and marble and intellectual and cafeteria and hotel and big. The inscribed archway is so University of Texas. The open galley style kitchen isn’t my favorite and lends to the hotel lobby feeling of the whole place, but they do make up for it by somehow still making each table feel intimate, with attentive service, phenomenal food and cozy, dim lighting.
We each had tasting samples of four different courses, beginning with a cheese plate and some bread. The flavors were remarkable, they didn’t skimp on the bread. Each cheese was introduced to us (and promptly forgotten, but a local goat cheese and gouda are included) and was accompanied sesame croutons, fig moscardo and local honey.
Following that we had the Escolar Crudo (fresh, bright, citrus, clean and delicious) and the Tartare, topped with a quail egg. Both starters were eye-​rollers, both were incredible in flavor and texture and freshness — great raw protein dishes.
Blue Prawns followed, my least favorite dish of the meal, they were served with an interestingly sweet warm crème and toasted seeds. The flavors all went together fine, my issue was with the lukewarm temperature.
Our proteins were the Pork Belly (best I’ve had yet) and it was so phenomenal I can’t even remember what she ordered but I’m almost positive it was the scallops.
But the Pork Belly with Leek Custard, Fingerling Potatoes, a Tomato Jam and chive is just the most phenomenal dish. The pork was seared to a slightly crisp skin which breaks to give way to the decadent belly. It’s full of flavor. It’s full of «I shouldn’t but I must» and it’s perfectly paired and served. The plating is elegant, the dish is tantalizing. I would come back just to order this and a glass of Veuve and sit at the bar.
We finished with the Chocolate and Banana Terrine with Coconut Custard. Jaw-​dropping. It’s so rich, so dark, so flavorful, slightly bitter, perfectly sweet and with the custard, it’s heavenly.
*This portion is me omitting the review of the wine presentation and service.* ;-)