Juniper Reviews

This is a real Gem on Cesar Chavez. I hosted a party of 22 with very diverse tastes. We had a course menu. First off, the burrata cheese! This is always a gamble but it was the best I have had in years. Carnivores raved about the steak. The pasta dishes ( with truffle) were tasty, light enough for a multi course dinner. The wine list won’t disappoint but be prepared to lay out a few $. Let me finish with the architecture. The restaurant is beautiful.tall ceilings, stark concrete but softened with large windows and nice lighting. Stunning. Last... try their G&T Hendricks gin and fever tree tonic. In fact, start there.

We tried the prix fixe menu for brunch and loved the creative options. Fabulous tasting food with elegant presentations. We also loved the ambiance of this restaurant. We were there for a celebration, and we were able to leisurely enjoy each course without being rushed. The only negative was that we had been told on the phone before we arrived that we could not bring our own non-alcohol sparkling wine but there would be several mocktails available. That was definitely not the case. Their idea of a mocktail was sparkling water with fruit juice. Incredibly uncreative and tasted horrible. They had no NA sparkling wine, so no options for diners who didn't want a daytime buzz. If not for this omission from their menu, I would give Juniper five stars.

I’ve been meaning to write this review for a couple of weeks, but my goodness I’m so glad we finally tried this restaurant. There’s nothing like fresh pasta to make a meal. And just as impressive as the food was the service we received from Rachel. She was delightful and so thoughtful. Three of us we’re trying to decide what to order(everything sounded so good), and my husband really couldn’t make up his mind on his entree. He was torn between 2 pasta dishes. He finally decided on one, and when our food came to the table, Rachel brought both pastas he was considering, and the 2nd one was complimentary. The food was amazing, we’ll definitely dine at Juniper again, and you can bet we’ll request Rachel. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Well.. us being guys we didn't make reservations, but fortunately one of the two mini tables at the entrance were available for the quoted 45 min wait. The hostess was kind and welcoming. Within a few minutes we had waters and our cocktails ordered. We were handed a "while you wait small bites menu" and ordered the chicken liver, two orders of the wagyu bites, and the ridiculously awesome puffy potatoes! The bites were on point! A few of the wagyu bites were lack luster and dry, but the other sets were tender and juicy! The cocktails were crafted generously in terms of flavor and complexity. They're sip worthy! The hostess checked on us throughout the evening and when a few spots became available at the open kitchen/bar we were shown to our great seats! JC took over from here. He was knowledgable and provided us with solid service. His recommendations were on point and we enjoyed the warmed winter greens, pappardelle, lamb, and rye gnocchi. See this is what makes a restaurant great. It's about encompassing a certain type of atmosphere and having all the pieces sync together fluidly in unison. The team was supportive and attentive, but not aggressive. The timing was off on a few of the courses, but they acknowledged the issue and addressed it accordingly. I definitely recommend Juniper! Enjoy!

You leave the eclectic Austin neighborhood where this restaurant is located and step into another world. Sleek, elegant, amazing looking restaurant with a huge open kitchen. We opted for the Chef's table in front of the open kitchen, and that's the way to go. Right up front where one gets to watch Juniper's culinary creations come together. All of the food was fabulous; I highly recommend the tasting menu. Juniper's is the perfect choice for celebrating a special occasion.

The Concierge at the Fairmont recommended this hotel as it was easy to get to and had an early reservation. Also, there is a very nice selection of vegetarian options. Really nice service, they explained every dish. Timing was good and desserts were original and delicious. Half price wine on Mondays was a perfect surprise! A really nice wine list also. Only thing that some of my hungrier colleagues thought the portions could be a touch bigger, or at least warn us next time :).

First I'll admit that Juniper had the best greens salad that I've had in a very long time, but that's basically where the positive review ends. Our server stopped us from ordering additional dishes (who does this) as he said we'd be too full. He said that timing is important at Juniper, but it was totally random when meals came out and they weren't hot when served. The WORST part was he served a grouper dish with an embarassingly small piece of fish and said, "This is a small piece. Would you guys like a discount on the dish or would you like to wait for the chef to make another small piece?" That right there says it all about Juniper. There isn't a nice restaurant in the world that will serve you a smaller portion and ask if you want a discount. It's simply insulting and dumb.

Located in an "emerging" East Austin neighborhood, where the "complimentary valet parking (remember to tip well)" is probably necessary, this place was really busy on a recent weekday evening. The small plates (noted on the menu) are good to very good, as are the wine selections, but the prices are very high for these small portions, and glasses of wine are generally $13-15, pricey by any East Coast standard. Conversation (if you don't know sign language) is almost impossible. Consider visiting if you want to see and be seen, but if you're looking for comfort, let alone, comfort food, this isn't the place.

Regrettably we have to give two thumbs down. The space is nice - with both indoor and outdoor seating - and the service is very good. But let’s face it, cold pasta and dry fish (the snapper, which was the one fish of the day) are a turn off. And when the pasta (the one with the ox ragu) was replaced with a warm one, it was quite disappointing.

The food really was excellent. The staff were keen. However I don’t think I’ve ever waited so long for my cocktail - at least 20 minutes! The “sommelier” only recommended the most expensive wines, and with limited knowledge. But again the food was great. I would try it again and hope the service was better.

We tried the brunch pre fixe menu and it definitely has been the best restaurant we have visited in Austin. Very few diners which was unfortunate but I think it may be that the hours list the restaurant as “closed” which needs to be edited.

Delicious halibut w truffles and lobster risotto, Chianti, but service slow from Being seated to drinks to app to food to Check ..just slow, a little pretentious we felt and no parking which is annoying. Not a great elated on east side so parking or valet is a must. Wouldn’t run back, because so many options in Austin.. but perfectly prepared and tasting meal w good portion size.

We had been to Juniper when they first opened and I remember liking it so we decided to go again this week. From what I understand they have changed hands a time or two and I'm not sure what all the changes have been but now it's on my list of restaurants to not go back to. Austin has changed over the years and the trend has become restaurants that don't give you a lot but charge you a lot. This whole "sharing" idea has perpetuated the justification for giving you small portions but charging you for big portions. Starting with my wine, I would have sworn that I got a 4-oz glass. Then when we decided to only order mains our waiter scoffed at the idea that we were not following their suggestion of an appetizer, a first and second course. We persisted. My husband's chicken ($28) was good but tiny. My steak ($37) was also small and it was pretty chewy despite the fact that it was medium rare. For one drink each and a main it was already $95, before tip. We are used to spending that much or more, but we are also used to getting more for our money. So I would not return - although they have plenty of people who are willing to pay the prices for the food. It wouldn't cost them much to give their patrons a little more for their money.

We came here for dinner with my in-laws who were visiting from out of town and sat out on the patio. All of the food was delicious and they had great vegetarian options. The service was great as well! My only complaint was we were close to the speaker and it felt like we were having to talk over to music to hear one another across the table.

Not sure why it took us 4 years to find this place but we are glad we did. Eclectic atmosphere. Incredible service. Outstanding meal. What else could you ask for from a restaurant. Well ok one minor item. Slow down the service between courses. A bit too fast but once we tasted the food we forgot that issue. And don’t forget desserts. They are fabulous. Try the donuts. You won’t be disappointed with Juniper.

I was pretty happy with the quality of food here and the ambience. Also decent wine list. I would definitely go back.

We took friends to try the new Juniper. This was not a good experience. First we tried to order cocktails. The were out of multiple simple, standard ingredients - example, could not make a Manhattan. Then we tried to order a bottle of Cotes du Rhone - the wine list was 8 wines(?) and they did not have them all. So how's that for the start of a Friday night out with good friends? Next came a young and brash server who in essence rudely told us "look, I can't promise you when I will bring what dishes out so you can't say bring us a pate', then a warm salad, then a meat or seafood dish - it's all small plates and we will serve you what we want when we feel like it." How would you feel about that? Other places in town serve tapa size plates and even serve multiple dishes at the same time and often it works OK for the customer. But when we were at Juniper - with no good wines to consider, many drinks not available and 'whatever they feel like serving when they feel like it', then suffice to say it doesn't matter how nice the valet or hostess is if the rest of the experience is unremarkable or negative. Too bad because half the food was pleasant - but we left with a very negative taste in our mouth for sure.

We enjoyed the decor and vibe of Juniper on our visit this weekend. The service was excellent and friendly. The food however was disappointing. The meatball appetizer, two pastas were good, but not at the level one can get elsewhere in Austin. The lamb confit was very good, but the small portion was pricey. With all the excellent Italian food in Austin (Red Ash, La Traviata) it’s unlikely we will return soon.

We dined here in March to celebrate my parents 80th birthdays. All of us were impressed by the wonderful food and service, my mother even told us that it was the best meal she's ever had, very high praise. Our lovely waitress (Laura?) greeted us with complementary glasses of Prosecco to toast our parents. She was very helpful in making selections on how much and what to order for the table. We selected several appetizers (puffy potato was our fav!), 3 pastas, and 2 mains (salmon and the NY Strip) to share. It was more than enough food and everything was delicious. We were there for quite some time, but never felt rushed, in fact, the service was one of the highlights. Everyone from the hostess greeting us to the bussers clearing plates were great. We don't live locally, but if we did, Juniper would be our go-to for special occasions.

This place was fantastic! The little lettuces are fantastic, the stuffed pasta is glorious!!! The cannoli desert was incredible! The service was excellent. The atmosphere is perfection!!!

Not impressed. The food was good but was not impressed with the service. The waitress could not explain how the menu worked, tapas style, which we suggested but why she didn't just explain it that way, we never figured out. It took us 15 minutes to understand how we should order our meal. We also ordered drinks that came on four different trays even though we ordered them at the same time, and took awhile to get. The restaurant was crowded but I would not go back, too expensive for the amount of food you have to order to get enough food.

Went with some friends from Austin. one was a vegetarian and there was plenty in the menu for them. Dishes were quite interesting but to enjoy this place you have to like lots of small plates and sharing . Service was attentive and had the place had a nice ambiance .

Everything we had was delicious. The wine list is slim and eclectic,and Italy based. I recommend going by the glass and experimenting. The service is excellent, smooth and unobtrusive. A VERY good restaurant in the making, and ripe for expansion. Again, strongly advise against dropping in.You may have a long wait, which will not help you enjoy this gem of an eatery.

Everyone from the valet gentleman to the host to the waiters and waitresses to the chefs , EVERYONE acknowledged you and greeted you with a smile! the appetizers were out of this world along with the entrees! SOOOOOO FRESH AND FLAVORFUL...inserts a GIF of a happy dance....I wish i could rate this place a ten! I highly recommend this cute quaint yet chic and modern space to EVERYONE!

Celebrated my adult children's' birthdays at Juniper. The initial table service was pretty slow (drink and order taking) but once the food started coming the pace was very good. We enjoyed the meatballs and house mozzarella for appetizers. The pastas, pappardelle oxtail ragu, and especially the cacio de peppe were cooked to perfection and tasty. We split an order of osso buco that was fall off the bone tender. Ice cream for dessert finished a wonderful meal.

We went to Juniper for our 29th wedding anniversary. When making the reservations we were asked if we were coming for a special occasion and I explained yes. They suggested we sit at the chef's counter and experience a tasting menu rather than sit in the restaurant and order form the standard menu. Sure, why not?! When we arrived the host wished us a happy anniversary and guided us to our seats. We were introduced to Mark who was to take care of us for the evening. As we settled in we took a look at the menus already at our place settings. They were personalized with 29th anniversary wishes at the top! What a thoughtful touch, but that we just the beginning. Mark returned with a couple glasses of prosecco to toast the event. Josh introduced himself from the kitchen an proceeded to explain the menu to us. He was kind, frienly and answered all of our questions. As Josh produced dish after dish of artistry, we were in heaven with every bite. When the meat dish appeared, Mark produced another complementary wine paired for us. This was beyond expected and matched beautifully wilth the nuances of the food. As the meal winded down, we were preparing to end our adventure when Josh again surprised us with a tasting of home made cookies hot from the oven and a mlilk/honey/vanilla concoction to dip them in. OH MY GOD!!! Again, we were over the moon with the attention, service and FABULOUS food. While dipping our cookies, another staff member asked for our valet ticket so she could request that our car be pulled araound and we would not have to wait. By this time we were in a daze with the entire culinary experience but it did not end there! Mark was back one more time with a parting gift with a personalized card, a menu signed by all of the staff, dried pasta, candied popcorn, a tin of herbs and freash baked biscotti. AND, then the chef owner Nicholas Yanes came over and wished us well!!!!! We will remember this meal and this experience for ever. THANK YOU Juniper!

and we got the MISS! We went for Mother's day brunch. Beautiful space in East Austin, free valet. That was where the hit ended. Place was busy, but not slammed. Took almost 45 minutes to deliver COLD eggs and lukewarm sausage to the table - I guess they were ready after 30 minutes and sat for 15.! For that, they had the audacity to chage EIGHTEEN DOLLRS!!!! Are you kidding me? Even two perfectly cooked eggs with a couple of sides in New York City is less than 10 bucks. A lot of mixed reviews of this place.... so be fore warned and aware.

Overpriced. The pasta is good, but mostly just noodles and sauce. Potato puffs were good and so was the bread. Pasta lacks imagination and the sides didn’t compliment the pasta dishes at all. I wouldn’t go back.

From arrival to departure this restaurant is pure class. Valet parking with a smile Beautiful large patio Gorgeous contemporary interior Fabulous food Superior service My favorite dish of the night was "Sunchoke". Oh, baby. Get it! Get two! Exquisite blue crab served with fresh Sunchoke, warm meyer lemon sauce and fragrant arugula in a china dish. I would be happy as a pig in mud with a couple orders of the Sunchoke and a Cappuccino. See, I can be a simple girl after all.

This place is paradoxical in my book. Food was prepared and presented well. Service was decent, everyone was fairly friendly. Atmosphere was nice. All in all I did enjoy the meal. However all is not perfect in paradise so to speak. From the beginning, you need to know that parking is a premium here, there basically isn't any, so valet, while not required, is almost a necessity. Secondly, most Tapas style places have courses you can share, and while that is technically feasible, the portions are extremely small when compared to other places that serve tapas. Thus it would be wise to assume in general that they are sized as individual regardless of what you are told (thus the price will go up). Also regretfully this is one of those places that want to determine what is good for you, regardless of what you can eat. For example they have no sugar substitution, so if you have an issue with sugar intake you are basically screwed. You can't even get a cup of coffee without using real sugar. This probably isn't a big deal for most people, however if it is important for you, just don't go, they can't accommodate. If you want to go, bring your own. Was good to try. Probably won't be back.

We loved our experience at Juniper. They made sure we had everything we needed all night to have an incredible evening. Great atmosphere, food, service and drinks.

Must've been an off night in the kitchen as our entres were lukewarm to cold. Place was busy! Atmosphere was lively and loud at times. Did enjoy the cocktails and wine though. As long as it took to receive our meals, we didn't want to return the entres for warm/hot remake. Will try again and hopefully be a better dining experience.

Our best meal in a year, and that includes recent trips to bordeaux and tuscany. Enjoyed several courses with business colleagues and was pleasantly surprised, seated at the counter overlooking the kitchen work stations and interacting with some of the sous chef staff. Every item was well-prepared, delicately flavored, and pleasant to the eyes and all senses. Standouts included the puffy potato, hiramasa sashimi, stracciatella, little lettuce (an ATBE salad preparation), and halibut. Our server was excellent, the staff seemed to work well together, and we enjoyed chatting with the owner/managing partner towards the end of our meal. About 2 miiles frmo the "heart" of hotel-central Austin and well-worth the drive. Will certainly return when next in the area.

Courses, water, wine, dessert menus, check. Restaurant wasn't full, but service proved otherwise. Sampled 8 share plates.Puffy potatoes were steaming hot and soft inside, with a mousse of Dijon mustard. Great lettuces salad. All pasta dishes served Italian style: homemade, delicately combined ingredients and hot. Desserts are a meh...lots of dairy. Decor gets the highest mark: exquisite oversized embellishments, unique finishes and smack spicy lighting. Lowest mark: bringing out a braised pig's head with teeth showing and a drowsy look in its eyes. Then setting it on full display on a table in the open kitchen. Garish and shocking. Not all who dine out want to meet the body parts of there meal in such an offputting way.

The ambience, the food, and the service are all terrific. The wait staff even wiped our cozy tabletop between the beautiful meal courses. We were celebrating my birthday and I was presented the appealing menu with "happy birthday" printed on it.. My name was even spelled correctly which is very unusual.. After dinner, the waiter gave me a copy of the menu with happy birthday signatures from the staff and a darling gift bag filled with tasty treats. Thank you Juniper for all the extras you do to make your restaurant outstanding!

We ate at Juniper for dinner before a concert nearby. We did not know that the dishes are similar to tapas - small, shareable plates. We ordered the amberjack, cauliflower, quail, gnocchi, and zeppoli. The food was impressive, the service was exceptional, and the portions were small. My favorite was the amberjack (aka hamachi). The balance of the dish was incredible and the combination of ingredients was surprising. My boyfriend really loved the cauliflower. We are both still wondering how cauliflower could have been so surprising and delicious. It had chopped pecans on it and the pickled onion with it was a perfect match. My boyfriend also really enjoyed the quail - his first time eating quail - so much so that he forgot to offer me a second bite! I highly recommend Juniper for an exceptional dinner!

Juniper has a lot of great things going for it. Lovely space, "free" valet parking (please always tip really well when it is "free"), good menu, wine list, decent service, liked the music that was playing, interesting chef's table......... But....... Now here is the big BUT......Austin has so many great places to go, there was nothing about Juniper that would make me go a second a time. Especially since it is so far from the main part of downtown on the Eastside. Don't get us wrong. The food was good to very good. The puffy potatoes were highly recommended by everyone from the valet to both servers....they were OK....basically fancy tater tots with a dijon mayonnaise. Too salty for us to ever order them again. The blue crab was very good...loved the celeriac. But at $14, I doubt i would order it again. The broccolini was great but that wouldn't bring me back. The stuffed pasta with cauliflower was interesting but we had a better cauliflower dish at Geraldine's last week and it is much closer to other things we would be likely to do downtown....whether movies, plays, visiting friends, music venues, etc. We really liked Juniper. Just not enough to likely ever go back. We know the east side is all the rage but this spot just isn't special enough to bring us back. We do suggest you try it once....

Traffic was bad so we decided to just stop in. The nicest people. From the valet to the bar manager, the waiter, the food. I will return. You guys get it.

We had made reservations for a Saturday night, met a few people for drinks and food. Were asked to sit out on their patio, which we gladly did. It was a bit before a waiter to order drinks and then waited some more.. Our table was ready before our drinks came and we were asked again to order before our original order arrived. They advertise small plates of food, which we had expected, so no surprise there. It wasn't anything I would go back and order a second time and we probably would rather go elsewhere. Austin has so many great restaurants!

They advertise vegan and vegetarian friendly But No they have ugly rotten carats as only choice and prices are 5 star I will never recommend anyone !!

Italian restaurant who overcook a risotto is for me a big disappointment unfortunately. And we had 2 of them on the table. After I told the Manager, you would think they could have taken something off the check.... nope, $300 for 3 people. Restaurant looks nice. But I will not go again.

Maybe they've made some improvements from the previous reviews... Came here twice in August. The first time was a spur of the moment stop. I was taking my sister to the airport when she got a notice that her flight was delayed. A quick search in the area for quick/small bites lead us to Juniper. It was before 6PM, so we sat at the bar for our quick impromptu stop. The bartender/server was attentive and gave us a few recommendations. We had 3 things... the chicken liver mousse (pictured) being 1 of them... very rich and tasty. We loved it! I came back 2 weeks (or more) later with my girlfriends (we do a monthly happy hour and pick a different spot each time) because I remembered wanting to try more things. We picked an assortment and enjoyed everything (including the milk & honey dessert pictured)... but I will say some items were not what you would expect and might be an acquired taste for some. They were extremely accommodating! Here's why... One of our girlfriends had just started the Whole 30 Diet. She told our server all of the restrictions on this diet, and they tweaked some of their plates to accommodate her. He came back with a menu where they had written their revisions to certain dishes. The Austin restaurant game is STRONG! So I can tell they've probably had to make improvements in order to stay in the game. Hang in there, Juniper! People, give it a try!

Went here to celebrate Mother's Day on Saturday evening. We had reservations, and glad we did, the place was very crowded and busy. The wait staff was very helpful, Ryan was our waiter, and he did an excellent job of describing the food and the style of dining. He also staggered our orders so we could all enjoy each one. There were 4 of us, and total we ordered 8 different dishes, which we all shared. To be clear, the dishes are small, more like tapas then meals.... so when I say we shared, we each got 1 or 2 bites. The taste was there. We really enjoyed the rib eye, the artichoke dish, the shaped pasta, the risotto and the lamb. Definitely worth a visit on a special occasion as it is pricey... but the food was definitely good.

Really enjoyed the Juniper. The architecture is beautiful, very modern and creative. Great staff and loved the open kitchen. Our server was friendly and well informed. He walked us through the wine list and menu with detail and style. Each dish was unique and delicious. We especially loved the pastas. Great wine list. Our only complaint was the desert. It was great however the descriptions did not match the product served. Over all I would highly recommend and will return in the future.

We had such high hopes for Juniper, since the death of LaV we have been searching for a worthy successor, with good service, stylish presentation and imaginative food. Unfortunately Juniper is not that heir. In our 1st visit, the chicken liver mousse was a very pleasant surprise, the drinks tasty and the osobucco outstanding. We raved to our friends and went a 2nd time, and encountered Mr Hyde. We arrived 5 minutes before or reservation time and were told that our table was occupied by people slowly eating dessert and would we like to order drinks (was this just a ploy to pump bar sales?) 30 minutes later we were taken to the table and given menus. Drinks were ordered as were 3 orders of the chicken liver mousse while waiting for that we were talking up the osobucco which resulted in three people ordering it. At this point our very hard working waiter Michael tells us that the last mousse was just sold now they are out. He further informs us there is no osobucco, fish or pork chop our drinks arrive and the genius of love cocktail is served in a rocks glass which emphasizes the 3 oz portion. By this time I opt out and order spaghetti, unfortunately our friends order the steak with chimichurri and the roasted chicken. The pastas arrive and they are excellent fostering the false hope that the meal can be salvaged.( maybe the pasta chef should be promoted?)The steak arrives and the best thing to do with it would be to send it back. 20 minutes later the chicken arrives and I have only one word...Costco. No, I insult Costco with the comparison but if you want better chicken you know where to find it. By this time Michael,our energetic waiter is offering dessert while just want to exit. Most restaurant people seek interesting places to eat and are willing to shower money on the ones that can execute with consistency. Juniper has the pieces to be such a place and they certainly charge like they are but lack consistency. The management and the chef de cuisine seem to choose flashes of brilliance over the hard work of consistent excellence

There was a great deal of potential for Juniper to have been a much better experience than it actually was. From the moment we were seated minutes after the restaurant opened, our server made us feel inconvenient. She was not only haughty, but condescending, and when we requested specific condiments to accompany the puffy potato appetizer, she coldly informed us that "This is not the kind of place that has condiments or sauces lying around." Things of this nature carried on throughout the entire evening there. I am a lover of all specialty olive oils -but it is not appealing to dip it unseasoned with plain bread, so I requested butter from the kitchen. She found that to be over reaching and responded "we just do not do that here." My dining pal is vegetarian, so obviously certain adjustments were requested if possible by the kitchen, but our server rolled her eyes and sighed whenever a question was posed as to the kitchen's flexibility. At one point my companion said "why don't we just close out and go. This server obviously dislikes her job and our presence here." But I would be remiss, if I said that select items on the menu were not very good. They were. Should you decide to give Juniper a try - just keep in mind that while the presentation is sometimes lacking and the timing of our service excruciatingly slow, the taste of some of the food was actually pretty good. The design of the restaurant is very nice. I was pleasantly surprised by the cocktail menu - which was superbly varied and I could not fault a single custom beverage that was served to me. I had very high hopes that Juniper would wow me on multiple levels, and I did enjoy some of the menu, but quite simply would never return due to the service we received, and the overall inconsistency. We are seasoned diners and have happily experienced some of the nicest establishments all over the world. The way we were treated by this server was completely inexcusable, and will permanently keep us from ever dining at Juniper again.

I have to confess- I really don't like to go to nice restaurants. I love great food and I love beautifully designed surroundings. And I love to see people dressed to the nines. BUT I just hate the fussy snooty-boots attitude of fancy places. (I mean, get over yourselves.) Juniper is my dream restaurant. It's a beautiful, contemporary, and Austin-comfortable place. It even has an outdoor fire pit to sit around. We sat at the bar for drinks and "snacks" (ha! Snacks- we ate more than I usually do for dinner). I'm partial to really cold dry martinis with personality. The bartender took that order to heart and had me sniffing different gins while he shared their stories of creation and provenance. I ended up with a very junipery gin called Barr Hill made in small batches in Vermont by a Scotsman. SO good! Then we had several plates, including their beautifully made pastas from their home ground grains and a delicious salad to cap it off. If we had room, we had agreed to have another round of their dreamy tater tots ("puffy potatoes"), but no dice. Do Not miss them-trust me! We left happily stuffed and looking forward to seeing Chris (bartender) and Nathan (wait staff) again soon!

A foodie friend told me she was going to Juniper for her birthday. Later that week, my husband was in charge of picking a restaurant for our dinner on a Saturday night and by mistake he picked a restaurant we had gone to previously and didn't love. So we drove around trying to find an alternate. We decided to try Juniper. Although we didn't have a reservation, they had seats available at a bar-like area facing the kitchen, where you can eat and watch the cooks make everything. It was very comfortable and still intimate and part of the restaurant. The menu was described as typically for "sharing" which truthfully, I hate. I hate this new trend of ordering multiple dishes and never getting anything to eat. It was different at Juniper. We started with a wedge of goat cheese and crackers and a tomato garnish. Very nice and plenty for 2. Then we had a salad that was $9 and quite large and a house made foccocia bread. Plenty to share for 2. Delicious. Finally we shared 2 pasta dishes, which we could see the pasta chef making from our seats. They were both interesting and unusual (one gnocci with peaches and pecans and the other a thin pasta with shrimp and pine nuts). With a great glass of wine each, we were full and the total was under $100 ($92 We had a delicious, leisurely meal with great prices and we left pleasantly full and happy. It was a great night and we would go back!

I would have given a zero-star rating if that’s available. Here's my recent experience from a spoiled Friday dinner plan. I reserved a table over the phone for Friday dinner. I did well in advance (~2 weeks) and called multiple times to confirm the reservation. I invited my colleague and her husband to celebrate an occasion, so I wanted to make sure it is all set. Few hours before the reservation time, I got a call saying from Juniper that I was given a patio table and because of the bad weather forecast, they're going to give a bigger table inside. The table is available just for less than 2 hours. Firstly, I did not ask for a patio table nor did the person mentioned that I am reserving a patio table when I reserved. Given the continuous rainy weather in Austin recently, I would not have reserved a patio table. When the front desk called me about this situation, they had no empathy and gave me an option to cancel the reservation instead. Such a bad experience with their front-desk reservation. TIP: When you're calling to reserve a table, ask them to confirm if it is patio or inside.

First I will start by saying the food was excellent and the but is that the portions are minuscule! $15 for 2 bites of food? Hmmm. It is a shame about the portions because Juniper also has a lovely atmosphere. Unfortunately, they are taking the Austin trend of tapas (i.e. nice food, small portions, big prices) to extremes.

I came here on Valentine's Day with a group; they had a pre-fixe menu. Service was outstanding...only bump in the entire evening was the delay between the entree and dessert. We started with the charcuterie tray (blue cheese was amazing, along with the olives and onions). They served seasoned mushrooms served cold for me as the next dish (gluten free). They were OK...I wanted them to be warm. I had the risotto as my next plate, and it was very heavy with some interesting flavors (balsamic and crispy onions on top). I loved it, but could not finish it! Final dish was a small service of New York strip steak and potatoes seasoned with rosemary and sea salt. Delish! Dessert was a marscapone cheese with a hard shell. That was worth every bite! I loved the ambiance here; great date night place.

While we enjoyed the food at Juniper, we especially loved the service! Everyone was friendly, professional and full of foodie knowledge! Fred was our waiter and his wry smile and thoughtful suggestions made our impromptu evening out special. And the food was excellent too - we split the short rib entree’ and enjoyed every bite. Go! Now! And the restaurant itself is beautiful.

Popped in to Juniper with my partner for a Sunday brunch, and have a mixed review to report. First, parking. Easy. They have a valet, which helps a lot. The restaurant itself is beautiful. Even though it was full when we were there, it was not loud, and in the day, has nice natural light in very pleasant surroundings. A+ there - from an interior design perspective, loved it. Tables a little close together, but not bothersome. From a drink perspective, I loved the cocktail menu, and my drinks were tasty. I ordered a sbagliato but the server brought a macchiato... for which he apologize and gave me the coffee "on the house" while the restaurant made my drink. So far, so good. Cocktails, also creative and good. Tried the puffy potatoes which I liked a lot (my partner wanted "condiments" but I'd read the other reviews on here and decided to talk her out of it :) ), and the whipped Dijon was creative. For brunch mains, I had the lasagna (good, but not great), and she had the baked eggs, which I thought were yummy. At the end of the meal, the waiter, unrequested, brought us an order of bombolini, which we enjoyed. His service was cheerful and pleasant throughout. My only complaint is when we got the bill, it included the unordered bombolini and the mistaken macchiato. I don't actually impute mal-intent here, but it's sloppy. As it was less than ten bucks or so extra, I shrugged it off, but if it happened again, I'd be annoyed. So... will go for dinner and see how it all is. All in all, could be excellent, but needs a little tightening up.

First I was struck by the construction and atmosphere. It's mostly concrete construction, but feels warm, inviting and mysterious with cool lighting, color and is uncluttered and spacious. Cool patio too. We sat at a long table in the center and just behind us was the fully exposed kitchen. Staff was very friendly, unpretentious and enthusiastic about the cuisine. We had just about everything on the menu. I started with a 'chester copperpot' cocktail with rye and averna and some other choice ingredients. Nice wine selection, 4-5 well chosen beers on tap. Food is plated in smaller portions encouraging sharing. The oyster, puffy potatoes, crispy chicken, bolognese, and the zucchini... yes the zucchini were all very delicious and creative. Desserts are delicious as well. We had the "after dinner mint" and the cannolis washed down with some good ol' Fernet Branca. Complimentary Valet or parking lot and street parking nearby in this quickly changing part of East Austin.

Got a last minute reservation. Had a great waitress and overall service. Had a great antipasto platter. Only criticism is that it could have used a little more jam or honey and maybe some nuts. Portion was big, especially the thin sliced prosciutto which was perfect. We each had a pasta dish that was homemade and wonderful. A sweet potato gnocchi with a kale pesto, pecans, raisins, and crispy kale. It was wonderful. Thought it might be too sweet but it was the perfect balance. Also had tagliatelle with a short rib bolognese type sauce. It was great. The only criticism of both pastas is that they could be hotter. Flavors were awesome. The grilled carrots sids also excellent. Split a hot mini donut dessert with mascarpone and nuts which my wife said were the best donuts she ever had. Enjoy.

Had our anniversary dinner at Juniper after reading a glowing review in the local paper. The concept is small plates, so you get to try a lot of different food. In theory Italian, many of the dishes felt more international than regional. Loved the shrimp with salsa verde and black garlic as well as the crispy potatoes. I could eat those by the bucket! Definitely one of Austin's best restaurants. The cocktails are tasty and the wine list is compact with some very unusual choices. Did you know Turkey produced shiraz? Well, now you do! :) My only complaint would be the pacing of the food. We had some plates come out at the same time and we waited 15 minutes between other plates. Hopefully they'll fix this going forward, but we will definitely be back.

Only a brief two years after opening, this place just excels at everything from innovative dishes to excellent service. Yes, it’s a beautiful place and the valet parking makes this busy downtown area even more accessible. A happening place with a touch of class. Perfect for an evening with friends for Happy Hour or dinner. Maybe both??

Loved this gem of a place! The food was amazing and the portions generous. We went as a group of 15 and the service was amazing for such a large group.

We sat at the chef's counter for dinner last night. The place is beautiful and seeing the food being prepared is an added treat. However, the food speaks for itself. The chef, Nick, has a keen understanding of salt and sauces that border on soup. The Sunchoke with crab, meyer lemon and arugula kicked our taste buds into overdrive with delicate flavors of the sea in a broth that was almost a chowder. The crisp puffy potatoes with whipped dijon was what potato puffs always wanted to be. We followed with the broccolini and the gulf shrimp which were cooked just past medium rare to blend wonderfully with the salsa verde and black garlic. Next came some of the best pork belly I have had the pleasure to eat. Sweet and suffused with the white beans in a sauce that was like a Northern Italian White Bean Soup. Then came the shaped pasta with pickled mushrooms and a pine nut brittle that ended with a kick of red pepper. We ended the meal with the Pistachio Cannoli. The cannoli was a caramlized chestnut roll filled with pistachio cream and dipped in nuts, candied orange and chocolate. A really memorable meal.

Second visit to Juniper and we were not disappointed! We had eaten brunch here on our last visit to Austin. This time we went for dinner. Our table was ready at the appointed time. The restaurant has an elegant yet relaxed decor that feels like dining in a friend's home. We were assisted by the perfectly attentive waiter in choosing a lovely wine and a variety of dishes that were served in a timely succession, which allowed us to appreciate each dish. We were not disappointed, as each dish was better than the one before. Our meal was topped off by some truly special desserts. This is fine dining at its best, while managing to be affordable and relaxed. Juniper is in the up and coming east side of Austin, off the tourist path. An amazing meal, well worth a little effort to get here!

Portions are a joke for the money. hello hello hello hello hello read on only living more words than pricy and over price what a waste only a matter of time this place will not last.

The menus for brunch and dinner are completely different, each original and diverse. Moderately priced. This space was designed by the well-known designer, Mark Cravotta, and it is handsome and not noisy. Service professional. Meat and fish dishes well prepared. Fine drinks. Moderately priced. A winner.

We had a fantastic evening at Juniper. We tried items from the different courses. They were consistently flavorful and creative. I recommend the puffy potatoes, mafaldini pasta, red snapper and dessert. The pistachio gelato is unbelievable. The wines are also very good. A must try!

We let our waiter take the wheel for our party of 8 - several tasting courses plus wine pairings. Every course was more wonderful than the last! Beautiful presentation and creative preparation. Perfect for a special occasion!

I had heard mixed opinions about Juniper and last night I finally gave it a try. Very impressive service all around and a lovely atmosphere. That was a good start and though I kept my mind open, there was little to no excitement about the dishes we tried. The Chicken Liver "mousse" was too dense and the jar presentation is unworthy. The 44 Farms Bavette steak was the biggest disappointment, tough -clearly low quality- and to add to the insult it was fatty and cold... inedible!

My husband read a review in a Texas magazine and since we were visiting, we reserved a table Sat night. We were graciously greeted and after waiting a few minutes, told that a couple had cancelled and we could have chef's table seats. These were right in front of the action. We received great suggestions from the bartender for our gin cocktails and our waiter gave us assistance when needed. We had 2 smaller plates and 2 larger. One larger would have been enough for me! The highlight was the squid ink pasta with squid. The attached photo shows all the good stuff in this dish as well as its beauty! We each had a glass of wine with the entrees. Menu and wines are attached. The king salmon was disappointing, for it was too dry and the string beans on top did nothing for me. And it's$35 price was totally ridiculous. So stay away from this choice but do get the chicken liver, buffalo cheese and the squid pasta and reserve the chef's table!

had a special dinner for 5 on Saturday night. A restaurant greeter called me the day of to confirm the reservation and also find out if this was a special event. Very nice touch. When we arrived a bit early, we were seated immediately and the special service began. Yummy drinks, wines and taste treats began to arrive. This is small plate shared service and the food is exceptional. presentation fun to admire. The service people were friendly while allowing us to enjoy our guests. I was totally pleased with my server and the food. Like most of the new places, it gets loud in the restaurant....but we were in the mood for frivolity to we probably upped the noise a bit with our party of 5. I like the place and will return again!

Juniper is the type of creative restaurant that designs a thoughtful, balanced menu; carefully composes the dishes to satisfy all of your taste buds; and serves it up by a well-trained, attentive but not disruptive staff. The drinks, oysters, pastas, main dishes, sides and desserts were all first rate, as was the service and the setting. While most restaurants in Italy serve pasta, it is rarely the only thing they serve, nor does it usually have red sauce and/or gobs of cheese. When Juniper does use red sauce and cheese in a dish, they are used to flavor it, not define it.

Excellent service surrounded by a super hip interior in East Austin. Fluffy potatoes, Kobe meatballs, pistachio cannoli...all were delicious paired with a gorgeous Pinot Noir.

I went with my daughter at her recommendation. We had the gnocchi and pappardelle. The former was good and not as sweet as I was afraid, an interesting combination of flavors. The pappardelle was platter licking good. It was matched with a perfect wine recommended by Mark, the very knowledgable bar manager. Service was courteous and engaged with a wait staff that seemed to genuinely enjoy being there. The prices are reasonable for the environment and meal. We will certainly go again on my next visit.

We don't get to this area of town very often but finally made it. Glad we did! Superb food! Probably the most cohesive tasing menu I have had. Beautiful restaurant. Very good to excellent service. A great experience and highly recommended. We ordered the tasting menu and it was brilliant. We thought the Texas Corn, Caccio e Pepe, and Gnocchi Sardi were exceptional. Highly recommended!

Juniper checks all the boxes. Atmosphere, service, food, attitude all excellence. Service par excellance.

If you want to pay outrageous prices and yet leave a restaurant hungry, this is the place for you. Tiny portions of allegedly "splitable" small plates left me and my companions horribly disappointed. Save your money and dine elsewhere!

I was very impressed with the food. We had the meatballs, puffy potatoes, seafood pasta, Brussels sprouts and ricotta donuts. The pasta dish was on the smaller side but there was so much flavor in each dish that by the end of the meal we were full. Loved the atmosphere and the vibe of the restaurant. Sexy blue booths in a modern building, must I say more.

We had dinner with friends at Juniper on a Wednesday evening, the house was empty at 6.30 but by 7.30 it was mostly filled. The tomato salad was luscious, the pastas were prepared perfectly. We all enjoyed our entire meals and would definitely recommend a visit.

Short reading: do not go. Juniper is among this new trend of small plates where you have to spend a lot to get food in your stomach. At first glance your look at the menu and you are positively surprise by the price. Then the waiter guides you to the reality of small portions telling you have to order several plates to have a full meal. The food is not great except the shrimps. The chicken and the meat had a love affair with the salt good for them bad for us. So you make the remark to the manager who said she is sorry but you get charge for the full price even though you ate half of it. Lastly stay away from the sparkling wine unless you like sweet wine. Conclusion I will not go back.

This restaurant had been recommended to us by a business associate. We are in the 55+ range and probably the oldest diners there. We enjoy dining out and this was a different experience. You order small courses and they are well spaced for arrival during dinner. There were three of us and we ordered 7 dishes. Food was around $100 + drinks. Of the seven dishes, if we were reordering we would eliminate three of them. The white lasagna was very good and the little lettuces nice. Everyone recommended the puffy potatoes. Think mashed potatoes inside a larger size tater tot. Chicken liver pate/spread again would not be a repeat. Please don't misunderstand--nothing wrong with the dish, only not something we would care to have again. Portions are small for the price. The lasagna was about a 4x2 piece for $20. Restaurant has a trendy, upscale vibe and was packed on a Friday night. I would suggest reservations.

We had the prix fixe menu and chose different dishes for each course. Started with the hamachi crudo and the puffy potato, cacio e pepe and risotto and for main - the roast salmon and grilled beef and finished with the spiced pumpkin and zeppole. Good presentation for each dish. puffy potato was just OK as the hamachi crudo. Cacio e pepe was way over past al dente and salty. The grilled beef was rare - we asked for medium rare. Salmon is good but nothing to write home about. Desert was just OK. Solid but not a wow experience. Good price point for prix fixe. Staff was very good

Juniper is rising to the top of my list of restaurants in Austin. It is a sharing type of restaurant so know the people you are with and make sure they like to share. Wide breadth of choices of flavor explosions and the staff never rushes you during the entire meal. The gnocci were like eating clouds they were so light and the crudo was sublime.

So when my foodie friend Michael suggested dining at Juniper for his birthday, i was a little concerned. Was this going to be a memorable experience with "juniper" like one can have with a great gin, or a memorable experience with juniper like one can have with a cedar (central Texas' juniper) fever attack. It was his deal, so away we went to East Austin, on a Tuesday night, with our wives/very significant others. For the impatient among you, let me just say that this was one of our top two Austin dining experiences in the past 3 years. And, I highly recommend Juniper to anyone who enjoys a variety of delicious, small plate offerings accommpanied by excellent (in both pairing and value) wines. For the less impatient, here are some details from our Juniper experience. After being greeted cordially and taken to our table, with a good view of most of the restaurant, inside and out, we ordered cocktails to enjoy while we studied the menu. The Mia Collega, 100% agave tequila based drink was an excellent alternative to a margarita, and the Cleto Chiarli Brut Rose was equally refreshing. We started with one or two plates each of Little Lettuces, Chicken Liver (more a mousse than a pate), Puffy Potatoes, and Gulf Shrimp. While the names of these plates are very simple, they only begin to describe the variety of flavors which are married to produce the final "plate". We shared everything and oohed and aahed over each bite. We also shared a bottle of the Abbazia di Novacella Kerner which paired nicely with all of these lighter dishes. We followed with the Gulf Snapper, Lamb, Veal Sweetbreads, and Wagyu plates, accompanied by a bottle of the 2012 Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco. another great pairing. The su vide cooked Wagyu was so juicy and tender and flavorful it really must be tried to be appreciated. We finished our meal with two plates of the dessert just called Chocolate. It more than held its own with the rest of the plates we had. Again, you gotta try this place. Whether you live in, or are just visiting, Austin you will not be disappointed. Oh yeah, I haven't even begun to talk about the extensive, high quality gin offerings on their Wine & Spirits menu . . . . Meant to mention, there is valet parking as well as random, lot and street parking near or behind the restaurant. Just be patient and look if you don't valet.

We sat at the bar and enjoyed watching all of the chefs prepare the plates with such care and passion. Amazing food and amazing service (thanks Eric)!

We celebrated a birthday here and it was fantastic. The service was great and the food was better. Take a minute and let them explain how the menu works. Otherwise you will be a doggy bag. Nice wine list.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner in a very nice ambiance! The service was attentive, the dishes of great class, Italian with a little twist here and there. Very tasteful!

Came in for dinner Saturday night & The prefixe menu is well worth the price! Our Server Markita was heavenly! Very knowledgeable & we are glad she told us about the wine pairing, it truly elevated our experience! They should record her voice & dish descriptions for the website. We could sit & listen to her talk all night. Ask for Markita & get the wine pairing. You will not be disappointed!

Modern Italian menu, prepared with careful expertise, great flavors and outstanding service. Diverse menu that covers all bases. Highly recommended for special occations.

Ok, everyone has an off night. I get it! But this was ridiculous and ended in miffed customers just leaving and going for great Italian food and wonderful service at Vespaio on S Congress. I have taken many friends and business people to Juniper, and though it is the kind of small plate place that forces you into an apres Taco Bell situation ( we all do it- get real), you appreciate the small and perfect dining experience with Chef Nick. Now, talented chefs have to be accompanied by service oriented,caring management and wait staff, or the dining experience is not complete. Not to be the case on the night we visited. Long and interminable waits for basics like water or a first drink. Water that was slammed on the table so hard that it splashed me. Yikes. Is someone angry that they did not get Memorial Day weekend off? Anyway. Left mid meal. Actually no meal arrived. They need to get their act together. Hope they do - austin is a tough competition city for fine dining.

If you are looking for mounds of pasta topped with canned tomato sauce and frozen protein, this is not the lace for you. Juniper serves simple northern Italian food In an artistic manner without being pompous. My date and I shared two appetizers, a main course and dessert. It was plenty of food without feeling like we were being gluttonous. Specialty cocktails were refreshing and paired well with the menu. Staff was helpful with menu description without the haughty attitude and overall very friendly. Place is on the smaller side (which I liked) so I recommend reservations. There is complimentary valet parking so that isn’t an issue with this location. Sign can be hard to see as it is as unassuming as the restaurant. When Maps says you have arrived, it will be on the North side of the street. Looking forward to going back.

Wife and I went to Juniper as a friend of my son is a chef there, so this was our first time. We started off a little rocky but the experience turned out to one of the finest dining experiences we've had. I rarely rate a restaurant with 5 stars but this place exceeded our expectations. We were seated at the counter, which i had requested, as we wanted to do the tasting. I missed the point that they needed 24hour notice for that. However, our waiter, Jack talked with the Executive Chef Amanda and we got a chef's choice four course meal. Sitting at the counter is highly recommended as you get to interact with the chefs as they cook. The setting becomes very intimate with the staff and the patron. Jack, our waitstaff, was great explaining what each course was and during the meal we met the General Manager Allison whom we interacted more with. The food was exceptional. It is difficult to describe how good each course was as there are so many different tastes. You would just have to experience it for yourself. The pasta is made fresh every morning with produce and meats local fare. We are planning a visit to the area later in the year and we will most certainly make a reservation for dinner.

We traveled to Austin for the F1 Race at COTA and made it a point to return to Juniper for dinner. Our dining experience this time was the chef’s table. Six courses were exquisite. So hard to explain as the flavors where complex and abundant. The service was beyond reproach. My wife has cancer and could not join in on the Chef’s table. After some questioning by staff they recommended several items from the traditional menu. Their suggestions were perfect for her. When in Austin, Juniper has become our go to restaurant.

We had a drink and snacks at the bar watching the food being prepared. Italian themed pasta p, quite delicious but a bit salty for our taste. Very helpful staff. Very pleasant bistro style dining. Enjoyed it.