Aura

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! :)

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. (–½ 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!!!

I came here on 2÷5÷11
I found this place thanks to
. This is the 2^nd 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 décor/​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.

I obtained a coupon from
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. 24^th, 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 jalapeño 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.

We paid $ 200 for a booth and bottle service. Our waitress was terrible, she took forever to bring us our bottle and mixers and never checked on us once, I had to go find her.
We went to the upstairs area for awhile and when we went back down to our booth people were in it, apparently the club sold the booth to them cause they thought we left, «even though our purses were still there».
I asked to see the manger who was very rude and kept swearing at us, they would not even give us a refund just for the included gratuity which they did not deserve. The mangers only comment was that they do not baby sit booths. I say this place is awful go some where else.

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 ½ 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.

Food is phenomenal! We have gone twice and plan to return again and again. Everything we have tried on the menu is excellent. I am a big fan of the filet mignon. My husband has tried two chicken dishes. Both were incredible.
I just wish more people knew how great this restaurant is. Both times we were there the restaurant was close to empty and the bar seemed pretty busy. I think the word has not yet spread about the wonderful food and service. I am telling all of my friends and family to please give it a try. I know you will not be disappointed.

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.

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.

Decent food. Good service. Great venue/​décor. Parking is and can be a little crazy but you find parking 1 – 2 blocks away. I went here for a promtional event related to work… and the staff took great care of us. I paid for my beverage using cash but the bartender gave me too much change back. I believe in karma so I returned the extra money back to her. In the words of Arnold, «I’ll be back!»

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!)

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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!

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.)

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).

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.

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 décor 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!