Aioli Restaurant in Staunton - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

A reservation is recommended in order to eat at this small gem of a place. We were seated right away, and our server came promptly to our table to take drink and appetizer orders. We were informed of the specials of the night as well. Our meals came out in a timely manner, and each dish was beautifully presented and delicious. I got the tuna, and it was perfectly cooked with a delicious sauce. My husband got the steak, also cooked to perfection with a truffle sauce. Very yummy. I gave it 4 stars because the parking can be a challenge. It's right downtown, which is so quaint and unique, but could be a challenge for anyone who is handicapped. It is a pricey menu so be prepared to spend some money. I would not recommend bringing children. The atmosphere and menu are not really kid friendly.

Less bang and flavor for your buck (or credit card.) From its website, Aioli appeared to be a place offering a pleasant atmosphere and tasty cuisine worth its price. It only delivered on the atmosphere. The servings were small for the pork dish. The Tomato fennel soup had no fennel taste whatsoever. So change the name of the soup so as not to disappoint or deceive customers. Take it or leave it.

If you’re younger, and asian with different hair color, do not come here. DO NOT GO! HUGE WASTE of money!! What separates a restaurant from the rest is the service. EXTREMELY POOR SERVICE!! We have to wait 35 mins. for just salad and soup. Also, if you look at their menu, the food options are very limited. The style, presentation, texture IS NOT MEDDITERANEAN! Do not go! We were here 4/30/24, Sunset time, who ever was scheduled at the front desk and the server, it was a guy, I told him its my husband’s birthday, the 2 tables sitting right next to us left and right had a surprise candle, and he didn’t do this for our table. He even said Happy Birthday to our table right after we paid for the check. Very discriminating as well. The charcuterie board that we ordered and waited for 45 mins. has 4 pieces of crackers, 2 slices of goat cheese, one tiny portion of chutney for $28 not worth it!! Also, the server didn’t even bother to check us in between while we were having dinner while he checks the tables around us. Racist, ageist!! we are young and minority, but we don’t deserve to be treated that way. We are DEFINITELY NOT COMING BACK TO THIS PLACE! WORST RESTAURANT IN STAUNTON, VA!!

Cozy, clean tasteful atmosphere, delicious food and efficient waitstaff!

The food is always amazing! My family comes a couple times a year to visit me and always requires us to come to Aioli. This time my parents were here my dad got the steak which was perfectly cooked to his order my mom got the risotto I got the special because I went to the bathroom to check out the food others were eating and decided on the special. I never ever order salmon out because it is never cooked to a proper med rare but this was perfection serious. I had leftovers and we ate it like lox the next day with the marinated veggies from mom’s risotto on the Blackburn deck where my parents always stay since I live at the apartments.

Astonishing food, great help, but loud.

We met friends at this cozy restaurant in downtown Staunton. Outstanding food from start to finish! Small plates, big plates - it was all outstanding! Great service too.

I really enjoyed the tapas and our waiter was really nice! Definitely worth a visit if you're in Staunton.

Excellent service, meal and music. Worth the 3 hour drive.

I spoke with a now retired health inspector who said Aioli had the cleanest kitchen she had ever seen in the state. This place takes pride in its food, service, and cleanliness. None better.

Such a lovely, cozy restaurant with a nice vibe on Augusta St. The stone fruit whisky sour and bruschetta trio are great starters! My pork tenderloin dish was flat-out amazing! Most tender pork, mingled with a peppercorn cream sauce and perfect potatoes over brussel sprouts with bacon. So good, it was unreal. Can't wait to go back and try more! Get your reservations ahead of time, like a week or more if you're smart :)

I enjoyed the duck and risotto dish. Looking forward to coming back for another visit.

The best combination of service, food, and setting that I’ve ever experienced. The flavors and service are one of a kind.

Top tier service. Always polite and quick. The food meets expectations consistently. Perfect portions. Fresh ingredients made to order. Aioli is always the perfect place when you need a little treat.

Such a unique place. The food was absolutely delicious. The risotto was my favorite, everyone must try it! This is one of my most favorite restaurants ❤️

We still love to come to Staunton, and always stop here to dine. But must downgrade my review from 3 years ago. I live in Richmond but this is my second visit over the past two months. On the previous visit, my entrée of choice had just sold out. So I made the mistake of ordering the Paella. The seafood was so overcooked that I ate very little of it... Tonight my filet was meh. We could not understand why our martinis took so long to come out. Plenty of staff members were working and the restaurant was not busy at the time. Also, we noticed the glasses were significantly smaller than before. Disappointing. Lastly but quite important is that the wine list is not good, at all. Why only offer cheap wines?! When this region of the country offers so many amazing selections, starting with Barboursville.

Driving through from Nashville. Found this restaurant and thought we’d try it. Best decision hands down. Great atmosphere food and service. All impecable. I had the bisque tomatoe soup and the paella just delightful. My husband had the soup too and the pork tenderloin dish. It was amazing. The dessert was a shared pecan pie which we couldn’t resist it was amazing. Great service by our waiter Brian. Overall 10/10 experience!!!!!

First off, I have zero complaints about the service. My husband and I had a reservation at 6 before seeing A Christmas Carol at the theater. We were seated right away and our server was very friendly and attentive. The overall vibe of the restaurant was nice, though you would think they would at least have tablecloths given the price point of the food. Speaking of the price point, it's way too expensive for what you get. We started off with bread and the charcuterie board. The bread was good, but the charcuterie board made zero sense. 6 good sized slices of cheese with 6 small crackers in total. Not nearly enough for the amount of cheese. The only thing to pair with the cheese was jelly and then there were loose grapes and nuts that just looked awkwardly placed. Just not a fine dining charcuterie board. We also had the bacon wrapped quail which was one of the reasons why we chose to eat here. Quail is a favorite of my husband and I and we were pretty disappointed. It seemed like it was prepared and heated up, the flavor was okay but the way the meat was cooked knocked it down a peg. For our entrees, I ordered the paella and my husband ordered the duck breast. Our food came out quickly, but too quickly for what we ordered considering a proper paella and the risotto with the duck breast take time. The paella was NOT paella. It was more like red rice with a side of sauce and seafood just placed on top. The scallops were improperly seared on only one side, the shrimp was undercooked, and one of the muscles were dead and I couldn't eat anymore after experiencing that horrible taste. My husband ordered his duck breast medium rare, and it came out medium well. The skin of the duck was either taken off or the duck wasn't sliced properly. It was dry and didn't have much flavor since it was overcooked. The risotto was also not properly cooked. We actually had to reread the menu to see what it was because it was so soupy we thought it was a purée of some type. Given the way our experience was going, we decided to just get the check and not stick around for dessert. We were very disappointed given all the positive reviews. Way overpriced and just low quality overall. Excellent service and nice ambiance, but we won't be back based on the food alone.

We enjoyed everything about our evening here - food, service, ambience. Just right!

Delightful dining experience in every way! Food and service are top-notch. Will recommend to family and friends.

Nice ambiance, live music, good food and sensitive to a gluten free diner. Good wine list also. Very small so it was good they weren’t very busy.

We had a great dinner. Both ordered the blackened yellowfin tuna special, which was a wonderful, large piece of fish, perfectly cooked, and served on fingerling potatoes & green beans. The pumpkin soup & caesar salad apps were fine, and the bread was too. The country-style room, with some red brick walls was charming. Service was very good. Wine list was not extensive, but there were good choices at very reasonable prices. It's located in the center of town, and a 5-minute walk to Blackfriars. We really liked Aioli, and will return when in Staunton.

Ambience and service got all the stars. Meal: I got two appetizers and a dessert. Dessert was apple crisp and it was miserable: in a small cup tasteless slices of apples in gooey sauce with a thin layer of gooey oats with a small spoon of ice cream on top, which I was told was homemade and was definitely not. Appetizers: mushroom: sauteed, hot , and mixed with mixed greens served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This is something you can make at home with the same result but maybe better, - not a pinch of creativity or interesting twist, just hot mushroom (fresh, thanks) and fresh greens, no more no less. Lox was supposed to come with blini, which waitress highlighted as buckwheat (she did tell the portion is small. ). Small is fine with me always, HOWEVER, no 'blini' but one pancake, and, no buckwheat in it. Lots of capers though and pickled something on top (reddish? cucumber?) - way oversalted, in addition to be wrongly presented. Luckily, didn't order main course. Disappointment.

Garden salad is wonderful and very fresh Quail is amazing with the cheese Mushroom is loved by everyone But the scollops from seafood paella is not fresh and we almost throw up this is why the 4 stars

Our visit to Aioli restaurant in downtown Staunton, Virginia off of Main Street, was a wonderfully calm and peaceful dining experience. Something about the atmosphere of this fine dining experience is soothing while also somewhat elegant. I have the parmesan truffle risotto with roasted vegetables why my partner had the pan seared duck breast with butternut squash and sauteed vegetables. We split a side of mushrooms crimini. All of the food was absolutely delicious and the staff was polite and courteous. Be sure to call ahead for a reservation as seating is limited. This restaurant is LGBTQ friendly and welcoming.

Service was exceptional! Food was absolutely amazing. Presentation is first rate!!!! Reservations needed.

Everything was so good! The cream of mushroom soup tasted like it was made with portobello and perhaps other mushrooms, not just white! The cocktails were off the charts! I had a pomegranate martini. The parmesan truffle risotto with roasted vegetables was out of this world! And the desserts were delicious! We shared three - blood orange sorbet, tiramisu, and bourbon chocolate pecan pie.

My wife and I had a wonderful evening at Aioli. I checked about getting a table at 5:15 and they were already quite busy. The server Brian informed us they were fully booked that night but Brian amazingly managed to squeeze us in around 7:30 and we had a fabulous time! The food was delicious, and the duck was cooked perfectly. Also spot on service from Brian. We think it is our favorite night out so far this year. We will be back! If you are thinking about dining here though, don't walk in, make a reservation instead!

My wife and I have been coming here for almost three years and have never been disappointed. It's also the only restaurant where we requested to meet the chef to thank him for his hard work. Quite possibly the best place for a date night in the valley.

Driving up to Staunton from Charlottesville, my companion and I were hoping for a good meal at Aioli. To our delight, it was delicious - right from the mushroom appetizer to the salmon which was cooked to perfection to a silky crème brûlée…Even the espresso was excellent. Add to that Samantha’s personable service which made it all an experience to remember and to repeat. Congratulations to chef/owner Said Rhafiri!

It was so delicious !! Everything the food and the drinks and desserts!! The lavande lemonade delicious and pan seared salmon was excellent!! Service was very kind all the time

There was a very large party of us visiting Staunton and the staff at Aoili went above and beyond to accommodate us. The food was great, the service great, and they took our pictures! I would highly recommend.

MORE PLEASE! Tomato and Fennell soup, incredible Friendly, beautiful atmosphere. Going back for dinner tonight

Celebrated my engagement here with my now fiancé. Staff went above and beyond to make it a wonderful experience and made us feel celebrated. The food was wonderful as well- we had the parmesan truffle risotto. Next time I am in Virginia I will be back!

Amazing experience! Husband and I had the bacon wrapped quail, bruschetta and the bread with cracked pepper in the olive oil (didn’t get a chance to get photos of the tapas- they didn’t last that long!) he got the filet mignon and I got the special of blackened chicken breast risotto and veggies, all of which were above expectations! What a wonderful way to celebrate our two years of marriage! Will certainly be back again!

Ambiance, good food and service, reasonable prices

We had 'date night' Friday night and went to Aioli. What a treat! We had wonderful service from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. Hubby ordered the tuna special and it was wonderful and I was going to order the seafood dish but was told it might be to spicy for me so I had the duck. Also perfection. We ordered bread and the field greens salad. When the salad arrived I loved it and didn't realize it was more of a spinach salad with no apples. I didn't care because it was so great!!! Would recommend this restaurant to anybody who wants good food and a special night out!!

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary there and it was amazing! Brian our server helped with our meal and wine choices. We both had the duck with squash and polenta. So very good. We shared a bottle of Tempranillo that was perfect with the duck. We also had pecan bourbon chocolate pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Amazing food! Absolutely amazing. We had the bacon wrapped quail, the salmon on a pancake tapas, which were beyond delicious. The risotto with truffle has deep flavors that are complement by the veggies. When a tomato bursts in your mouth surrounded by the risotto, your mouth is filled with joy. Highly recommend.

Great experience! I highly recommend the duck. From the atmosphere, the food, and the service…. Everything was perfect.

Best restaurant in Staunton BY FAR. Better than Zynadoa and less expensive too. Do make reservations ahead of time. My goodness we got tapas, entrees, drinks and desserts and it was all cooked well with good flavor. The time in between courses did not take long and the presentation was beautiful. The chef is a fantastic cook and the food and environment were very clean. Our server was very helpful and kind. It's hard to notice this place or find because it's tucked away, but now that I found it, I will definitely be coming back here a lot more in the future.

"BEWARE OF JUST SHOWING UP" Unfortunately posted on their website that they are open till 9 p.m. I drove 35 minutes to get there and I was there at 8:06 p.m. a lady came out to the front from behind the bar and said that they were CLOSED. She said they closed early when they don't have a lot of tables come in. They are only open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. that 4-hour window and yet they close in a 3 hour window. We were really looking forward to eating at your restaurant. However I will not drive 35 minutes again to only be told I have to find another restaurant. Unfortunately you are not giving your business enough time to become a success. Best of luck!

Visited Staunton over the weekend and popped into Aioli about an hour and a half before they closed. There were several open tables. The hostess turned us away because we didn't have a reservation and stated they were fully booked. I've worked as a hostess and get how stressful it can be managing walk ins and reservations. In this case they very clearly weren't fully booked. No new reservations were going to magically materialize 1hr+ before close. No mention of reservation requirement on their website either. No outbound links for Resy or OpenTable. Fortunately didn't have a problem getting a table at another restaurant a couple blocks away. Aioli seemed like a really great restaurant but as an out-of-town visitor I was definitely turned off by their reservation-only dining service.

Great service from Brian. Food was excellent. We had two of the specials...seared salmon and blackened tuna. Salads first..great as well. Good cocktails and wine.

It's really good and I like everything on the menu, but as someone from the area it would be nice if the menu changed sometimes. The specials on the board are always blackened fish, some sort of vegeteble puree or bisque, and a fruity variation on a popular cocktail like a pomegranate manhattan. A seasonal menu that changes as different local ingredients can be sourced at different times of year would help modernize and renergize this place for sure.

Aioli Restaurant is, without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in the area. Wonderful, intimate setting with flavorful food. The service is not only friendly but they make you feel like you’re royalty. For example they knew it was our anniversary so we were each given a complimentary glass of exquisite bubbly to toast our occasion. Many will say Aioli is pricey and the menu may read that way but to put it in perspective, we recently went to a burger chain and spent about 1/2 as much as tonight’s bill was, but the food was just…burgers and fries. Tonight we had delightful pork cutlets, seafood and dessert that almost made us cry it was so good - definitely worth the price when compared to the “cheaper” burger joint! If you want a cozy setting, with top-notch service and a meal to tell your friends about, head straight to Aioli Restaurant. Call for reservations as there is rarely an empty table in the house.

Great little gem for dinner. Reservations are suggested, although we did not have any, but ate at 5. They were turning away at least 8 couples who did not have reservations. Appetizers and dinner were out standing. Wine list not vast, but generous. Would recommend.

Staunton is not a big town and the dining experiences are somewhat limited. However, Aioli was a pleasant surprise. Our meal was outstanding. Everything was cooked to perfection and the combination of flavors was spot on! We ordered the daily specials that included grilled peach salad, summer squash soup, and grilled salmon. Would definitely go back again!

We were in Staunton for an anniversary trip and ate at Aioli. Outstanding food, great servers, and convenient to our downtown hotel. Highly recommend.

My wife and I planned to eat here on our anniversary weekend. When we arrived, we were turned away because the host said a reservation was required. Their website did not indicate that a reservation was required or I would have made one weeks ago when we picked this place. The majority of the tables in the room, that you can see from the door, were empty. Overall a disappointing experience.

5 Star Experience! Refreshing decor, easy parking and hands down the best food and service in Staunton. The pork dish was divine and the appetizers wonderful. Kudos to the chef and management as well as Ailoi’s delightful wait staff: Bethany, Ellen, Shane, Brian and Brie. They’ve got a following so make a reservation!

Top notch, best restaurant in Staunton. High quality food prepared by skilled chef who truly cares about the taste of the food and the wonderful presentation.. good food takes time! We had an artisanal cheese plate, crab cakes, roast tenderloin pork, passion fruit ice cream. Excellent.

Bacon wrapped quail, blackened tuna and salmon dishes were quintessential in taste and presentation. Pomegranate martini was delicious as was the Bordeaux.

In a town that has a very picky and competitive restaurant scene, Aioli stands out with its tapas and Mediterranean fare in stylish surroundings. I took a good friend from out of town, and even though they were packed, a space at the bar was found for us. Staff hustle but friendly, and know their menu. Definitely a go-to if visiting, or native.

Fantastic food, ambiance, and an amazing team here!

Awesome Staff! Great food... ambiance... service. We are self proclaimed foodies and this is one of our go to places in Staunton.

I have enjoyed every meal that I have had the pleasure to share here. Don't pass on any chance to eat here as no one knows how much longer it will be open.

Friendly staff and amazing food! I highly recommend the Gravlax!! The flavor combination is one-of-a-kind!!

Hands down 5 star!!! Staff, chef. Atmosphere, Food quality, service, friendliness everything was absolutely perfect!!! I started with special cocktail, then soup of the day cauliflower soup, organic green salad, and salmon flax..perfect all of it! Must see and do in Staunton !

Excellent food and service. Filet is cooked to perfection. Awesome drinks. Never disappoints. Thank you, Bre!

It was nice. The ambience was good. Friendly staff. Decebt food

Cute space, delicious food, lovely and welcoming staff, highly recommend

So the food at this place is excellent - maybe the best in Staunton. The problem is with the ridiculously slow service! When one has experienced great dining events, you come to realize that timing of the overall dinner is pretty important, and Aioli just doesn’t have a clue. A 45 minute wait between appetizer and entree is simply unacceptable, and the excuse that “sorry, seems like your ticket got lost in the shuffle,” is really not worthy of a restaurant that prepares such fine dishes. Wish I could rate Aioli higher, but service that slow can ruin even the finest of dinners. (Sadly, we will not be returning!)

The food was absolutely excellent. Server was knowledgeable, friendly, and not overly chatty. Atmosphere was great even down to the art on the walls.

Just had the MOST DELICIOUS blackened tuna! It was cooked to perfection, fresh, with an amazing sauce! It was preceded by a roasted white peach with prosciutto, goat cheese, and two reduction sauces: balsamic and pesto. The Ox Eye Cab Franc was a perfect accompaniment. I wish I had room for the Chocolate bourbon pecan pie! I also wish we lived closer to this restaurant, but will definitely revisit when we return.

Wonderful cuisine from local ingredients with topnotch service. Great to see it coming back after the pandemic.

Unexpected gem. The food was tasty

We picked up dinner and desert for 3 so we could eat at our airbnb that had a beautiful view and watch the sunset. The restaurant was really cute but we were set on that sunset. All the food was spectacular! We will definitely do it again when in the area.

The best meal I've had in the area

Good service and food. Nice slow pace for fine dining.

FANTASTIC! My husband and I went for dinner (while visiting the area) and were blown away by quality of the food. He had the steak and I had a special (blackened yellowfish tuna). Both were OUTSTANDING. We shared the chocolate bourbon pecan pie with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was SO GOOD, we took our whole family to dinner the next night and ordered new things (but we again ordered the pie for dessert!). You will not be disappointed. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Wonderful meal. My girlfriend had the duck breast and I had the shrimp risotto special; both were outstanding. Also highly recommend The cucumber cosmopolitan (with gin, of course) ... refreshing in a hot day.

Great food, great atmosphere, and actual real tapas. I have been to a few tapas restaurants in this country, and most of them serve tapas that are main course-sized portions. Raised are supposed to be "little bites". Aioli understand this. Along with being little bites, the tapas are supposed to be authentic and tasty. Again, Aioli nails it. The pork skewers were amazing worth the spicy peanut sauce. My wife's Salmon Gravlax was excellent, and the Caesar salad did not disappoint. Although, it could have been a bit smaller and maybe a dollar out two cheaper. But this is a fancy place, and the prices are actually with what you get. We'll definitely be back.

Always perfection! Freshest fish and delicious seafood.

Lovely dinner. Great service. Thank you!

Crab cakes were very good, with excellent presentation and a variety of flavors on the plate. Deeply disappointing service though. At a restaurant at this level, I would expect trained staff. Our server was awful from the start, and continued throughout the entire meal culminating in a 10 minute delay from taking my credit card to returning the final bill. Inexcusable. We may have gotten a bad or new server, but with other as-good it better options available in town, I'm in no hurry to return and will take my business elsewhere.

Amazing food, relaxed atmosphere, waitstaff is professional and not "overly attentive". They leave you alone but know when you need something. My favorite restaurant downtown.

Elegant and soothing with a fulfilling courses, leaving you to take dessert home

Upper class very soothing and fulfilling.

Consistently amazing quality food and service! We never miss a chance to enjoy dinner here when we are in town!

Absolutely by far the BEST Mediterranean food anywhere around. Quiet, out of the way, romantic, and charming. The staff was friendly, polite and right on point when it came to service. Definitely a must "go to" when looking for something new and different.

Delicious food, great ambiance! Will be eating here again! I had a tuna steak with a pesto sauce and dijon aioli, the flavors intermingled so spectacularly, i was pleasantly shocked. My wife had a delicious pork loin and my mother in law had filet mignon, we still talk about how good this place is.

Absolutely amazing! Wonderful service very informative of the menu and drink selection food was delicious loved the atmosphere

Wonderful valentines day dinner

10 STARS!! Chef is a Culinary Mastermind! Now I’ve eaten in places across the US, but this place did not disappoint! Spectacular food that was creative, seasoned perfectly & just outstanding! Tomato fennel soup was so well balanced. Best hummus EVER! Parmesan Risotto was creamy & cooked perfectly! Blackened tuna was the best we’ve ever eaten! Bree our server was sweet, attentive & great! Would definitely recommend if looking for a fine dining experience! Absolutely Delicious from start to finish!

We got take-out last night. We ordered the charcuterie and the main dish filet of beef. The two of us shared the beef, and it was plenty of food for two. Best beef we ever ate, I think, and the gravy was wonderful. Fingerling potatoes and asparagus. All super! We will have the charcuterie tonight! Love this place.

Friendly and attentive service, will definitely return. Generous servings, esp. for tapas.

It's a nice place with an easy going atmosphere. The food is excellent and the service is very friendly, although a bit slow. I'd definitely go back.

Had a very nice dinner the other night. Had the quail appetizer and duck entree. Both done very well with good service!

Pretty decent place with a good selection of dishes and friendly service.

Excellent!! Four of us went for dinner and everyone had a fabulous meal. Service was great and our waitress was very knowledgeable and personable. The atmosphere was a real plus. Highly recommend! The next time we’re in Staunton we’ll certainly put Aioli at the top of our list!!

The food is phenomenal and the atmosphere is perfect for date night. Great for vegetarians too!

Excellent stop for dinner. Everything was so good!

The food and atmosphere was great. You have to go check this place out. The chef really knows how to pack a lot of flavor in the meals. The service is good too. All the food is high quality and fresh. I'm pretty sure they cook to order. Its not like the chain restraunts were all the food is frozen and warmed up. You have to try this place out I promise you won't regret it.

Nice restaurant with friendly staff and great food.

Small and intimate place, the atmosphere was very warm and cozy. The food was absolutely incredible, the chef really knows what he's doing in the back. We will definitely return in the future.

Absolutely fantastic restaurant!! The Tuna steak was incredible! They stayed open late for my wife and i... MUST VISIT!

Beautiful and luscious food! Sweet waitress

This was our 2nd time to this place. The food was ok. The service was not great. My husband ordered a Tuna Steak and Asked for it to be rare to medium. The waitress made a snide comment. "So medium rare." What my husband was trying to tell her was that he did not want a hunk of rare fish but a fish that was not to dry. I ordered a Martini and it was so strong that I took one sip and said I can't drink this. Then ordered a glass of wine. They still charged me for the Martini. I was a waitress for many years while in college and if my customer did not like something insure as hell did not make them pay for it.

Quiet, intimate atmosphere. Food is always wonderful. Service is second to none! Highly recommend! *making reservations is suggested strongly*