SOLEIL

Gorgeous view of the lake and sunset, great live jazz band ok Wednesdays night, stellar service, and excellent food. We had the oysters, strawberry and goat cheese salad, pitcher of sangria, salmon, halibut, and strawberry pie. So romantic, will definitely go back again!

What a douchey establishment!
An extra star for nice, ambient live jazz music and the non-​plastic utensils and cups (as opposed to the red-​headed stepchild next door).
Now, the rest was just plain offensive. Topped off with the ransom-​your-​mother bill.
Let me start off by concurring with Shani S. in saying that dirty glasses and flies in their alcohol are not a one-​time occurrence. I had exact same experience.
I generally try to stay away from The Oasis. But since my hubby wanted to eat there, I decided to be proactive and pick a nicer venue, with lower chances of bad service and bad food. Soleil, with their $$$ score looked like the only available option. So we went there.
For the premier prices they charge, one would think the quality of the food and service would be up to par. Unfortunately, no such luck. Glasses and silverware were dirty and dust-​covered (I guess, they don’t sell as much wine as one would expect — nor do they clean up the glasses, when they do sell some.), the service was snotty and sub-​standard even for the Oasis. And the food… Let’s just say, I’ve had fish and asparagus fresher and better prepared at Chili’s. Also, I am having some serious second thoughts about the raw oysters I consumed at Soleil. They did smell a bit off. Mind you, this is not my first time eating oysters. And the ones at Soleil were some gunky-​looking, funky-​smelling ones.
The server never bothered to bring an ordered glass of wine and never apologized for not bringing it. Nice touch.
Honestly, after this offensive experience, Mr. Theriot would have to pay me to eat there.
P. S. If you want to eat a sumptuous, delectable meal, and don’t mind dropping a bit of money, don’t waste it on Soleil. Try out TRIO at the Four Seasons. There, they know the meaning of an unforgettable dining experience.

I think there was a one week period a few years ago where the Oasis food was … dare I say… edible. But, alas it didn’t last long.
So, it was with much caution that I ventured over to Soleil.
And…(drum roll please)… it was yummy!
I’ve been twice now (it is a bit of a drive of course) and both times I found nothing to complain about. Well, I’m sure dinner conversation involved some complaints about the state of the world in general, but… re: the restaurant… all was good. :)
Food: GF /​DF Options: Well educated regarding needing to prepare gluten free and dairy free meals. And, I wasn’t even relegated to bland food. Whatever substitutions they made were delicious.
Drinks: Creative and delicious.
View: Lovely
Staff: Lovely
Would I go again: Yes’m!

We hadn’t originally intended to stop at Soleil as the prices were a bit more expensive on the menu than Oasis. We had walked through the Oasis and couldn’t find a seat, and didn’t want to wait in line for the formal dining area, so we headed over to Soleil. The view was just as good from the balcony, the live Jazz music that started at 7:00pm was great, and the service was very friendly even though we didn’t have a reservation. The inside décor was ocean meats Texas. Which is fitting as this is a Seafood restaurant.
We enjoyed the fantastic view of lake Travis from the outdoor terrace while sampling a variety of appetizers and some mojitos. There mojitos were great, several different flavors to choose from, and loved that they were actually not too sweet! The misting fans blowing on us definitely helped cut the heat.
We had ordered the crab cakes, truffle frites (fries), and shrimp tacos. The fries were freshly cut w/​the skins still visible, definitely good. The shrimp tacos were OK, a bit more cabbage than I prefer, as I am not a cabbage fan. My favorite by far were the crab cakes. They were packed with fresh delicious crab, and were batter free. Hands down some of the best crab cakes I have had.
Definitely a bit on the pricey side, but fantastic view, service, good drinks and overall OK appetizers.

Loove this place! We’re always seated promptly. I always sit outside with the view of Lake Travis. We usually go an hour before the sunset. Amazing view especially with Austin’s perfect weather.
Food has always been tasty (it better be for the price) and service excellent. Definitely a place to take out of town guests!

We waited 20 minutes for a glass we asked for 3 times for our wine we had ordered. Finally ended up grabbing a glass from another table.
Mark’s beer glass had food covered finger smears and lipstick on it.
Really nice glass of Scotch had a giant (and by giant I mean huge giant horsefly size) fly in it that had obviously been soaking in the bottle itself, as it was quite pickled.
Calamari was perfect and fried goat cheese was yummy.
There were two oysters that smelled so bad, we didn’t touch them.
The manager never came by to apologize for the glass or the scotch with the bug in it or the oysters.
We’ll never go back.

We had a Living Social deal. I have been to many places on the lake and food is always subpar, so I wasn’t expecting very much here. I was pleasantly surprised! The décor is beautiful! It’s like you are under water… I had a mango frozen drink thingie, it was amaaaaazing… We got a crab cake which was excellent, I loved the sauce it came with. Hubby didn’t care much for the oysters, a little dry, he said (he got Gulf and North oysters). Oh, and the crab cake came with a yummy slaw…
I got the red fish with lump crab (golden raisins, toasted pine nuts, brown butter sauce, sweet potato mash and wilted spinach.) Yum.
For dessert I got the key lime cheesecake. It was good but I prefer Hula Hut/​Chuys key lime pie so much more. Hubs got a cherry red velvet cake. It was delish… but what I liked was the chocolate whipped cream it came with! they had a dessert with fruit and chocolate whipped cream (almost like a mousse). I wish I would have got that instead…
I think when it cools off a little we will come here for a drink or two, some crab cakes, and dessert (hopefully the choc whipped crm and fruit!) & mosey on over to the Oasis for more drinks and sunset. Oh, this place is a little $$$, FYI.

Overpriced. Noisy. Uncomfortable Chairs
Whatever you do, do not order the Shrimp
Burger! Calamari Appetizer portion was so small compared to other restaurants and about $ 4.00. more and my Clam Linguine was a joke!!! We will never go back

I’ve been here a number of times and really loved it at first. I purchased a discount deal for dinner which is what drew me in. I really like the décor and the live jazz music is a nice touch. The first two times I went, the service was great and the manager is always friendly and remembers me.
The third time I went, it was during the week and not very busy, yet our service was very slow and the manager had to come by to clear our plates and take our dessert order. The food wasn’t as impressive as the first 2 times I went and it’s really not a lot of food for the price. The cocktails are really good, but also pretty pricey.
For two people, two entrees, four cocktails and dessert, our bill was $ 117 (plus tip). It’s great if you go when you have a discount deal (Groupon)… but otherwise, it’s just overpriced for what you get. The drive is pretty far out of the way from Austin as well.

Every Saturday at 10 am Synergy hosts a free bootcamp on the deck of Soleil. Afterwards you can have a brunch. Their setting is really nice and quite fancy for my tastes. Luckily I changed out of my sweaty clothes and looked somewhat presentable.
So after a workout, I get hungry which is common if you ever worked out. The menu looked good and I wanted to order everything. But I had to show restraint since I was around people. I ordered the fish tacos which was pretty good. I know it was weird to have coffee with fish tacos but I had to have coffee. Oh to be a coffee addict!
Service was good and the view was nice. Soleil is one of those restaurants to take your parents when they are in town to visit you.

We had guests in town again — and sure enough we took them up to the Oasis. Haven’t been since we took guests previously, of course. I mean… we love the lake but we never go unless we have guests.
So, in my previous review I was elated because there was a new chef at Soleil. Well, I think things have slid a little down hill since when the new chef started working. But most of my issues are not with the chef.
There was a half hour wait at the Oasis, (even though there were five waiters standing around up front chatting, and they had half their decks closed??) — and Billy’s was closed… on a Tuesday. I guess they had to close on Tuesdays because they still don’t have a lot of customers and they can’t figure out why no one wants really bad barbecue… but anyways… so we went over to Soleil and there wasn’t a wait. Apparently, Tuesdays are Happy Hour all day. But… that’s only if you sit in the breezeway or in the lounge at the front of the restaurant away from the windows. If you want to sit on the deck or get a table with a view… it is magically no longer Happy Hour. This is pretty lame. And I’m just going to make sure to mention here — they were not busy at all. The deck was pretty full, but on the inside, only two of their 10 or so lake view seats were taken when we walked in. So… why not extend Happy Hour to those seats? The rest of the restaurant/​lounge/​breezeway had no one sitting in it at all either… hmm.
So, we chose a seat indoors by the window and were seated immediately which was nice. Our waiter was excellent all night and the food was pretty good — not as good as it has been in the past but it was good. Our guests enjoyed their burger and fries, and their salad. My husband ordered their on special entrée which was steak and lobster tail. He said that the lobster tail tasted kind of old and it was definitely clear why it was on special. I had the crusted salmon with arugula salad which was pretty good. Our guests enjoyed their blueberry mojito as well as the strawberry kiss. My husband ordered the sangria and was pretty pleased with it. I, however, ordered a raspberry mojito. I commend the bar for not sending out bad raspberries — the bartender apparently didn’t like the look of the raspberries so he/​she sent out a strawberry mojito instead. It was alright. The mint didn’t look very good, and there were so many strawberry chunks it was hard to drink my mojito through a straw. It was meh at best.
So anyways, I’m knocking down a star for the lame issues… we paid a lot for dinner and I really think it could have been better. And let me be clear, either it’s Happy Hour, or it’s not Happy Hour. There’s no better way to tick off your patrons than to have «Happy Hour Zones» that do not include a view of the only reason you’re there — to show guests the lake. I suggest that Soleil changes this policy ASAP.

(Waiter brings our table a gaggle of towering Mexican Maritinis) (sets on table) (take one sip) Helllooooooooooooooo Lover, where have you been all my life. It’s so good I can’t even believe it’s $ 5. Their Happy Hour is fantastic. The parmesean waffle chips and calamari were sooo good! I can’t get over how good the drinks were. Esp at happy hour prices. They didn’t cut corners just because they cut the prices. (like some places, you feel me). The bartender was fabulously attentive as well. He made my friend’s birthday so special. He really was what he claimed, «The Best In Austin»
Been here before as well on a date with my oh so handsome curly headed man and we sat on the deck and overlooked Lake Travis and munched on the fired pizza and delicious dessert. It was all fantastic and so romanitic.
P. S. I loooooooove their beachy décor. I always feel like I’m on vacation in another town when I dine here. Just perfect.

I just have to leave another stellar review. I love this place for Sunday Brunch on a nice fall day — it was breezy, not cold but not horrifically warm.
I went with my mom who was visiting town and my newly engaged sister. What a lovely girls outing.
Calamari — I looked forward to this the most. They come in sticks — that’s when you know its good! And served with three different dips.
Eggs Soleil — My mom adored this lump crab cakes. The easy over egg topped on top was the perfect addition. The flowing warm bright yellow yolk infused into the perfectly shaped cakes — oh goodness, what joy! With a side of potato hash too? Yes! Pick me!
This time, we ordered a dozen PERFECTLY HUGE and FRESH Gulf Oysters.
This morning couldn’t have been better.
Obviously the scenery is fantastic!
Service was rather slow. But that’s okay, the lovely coffee (Texas Roasters) and the stellar food made up for it.
I love you Soleil — I’ll be back soon!

Soleil is a welcome respite from the food at the Oasis.
(Please, dont get me wrong — I love the Oasis!!! But man does not live on love, alone…)
The food is upscale, and generally good. But I’m afraid I’ve been spoiled by some of the other restaurants in Austin. I will say, the goat cheese appetizer here is simply amazing — I’d come back and eat it again and again.
But from there, it got kind of normal. The calamari was good.
I got the short rib — the meat was tender and amazing, but the mashed potatoes it came with were really gritty. The veggies were a little too sweet, and oddly fishy after-​tasting. I fully expect that, perhaps, if I had gotten something else it may have been better.
My husband got some duck, which was well cooked, but I think they could have PUSHED the flavors a bit more. Maybe add some orange-​sriracha glaze? The sweet potato mash underneath was fairly good.
The décor was a little 90’s Miami for me — it kind of reminded me of a fine dining restaurant in ‘The Golden Girls.’ I’m guessing they were going for «eclectic» (at first glance, they have 3 different types of chairs), but I think they can really push this envelope and take it to «Austin, 2012». I may also just be prejudiced against wicker.
All in all — This place was good, great views, great service, slightly disappointing food.

Beautiful sunset views + lake breeze = The Oasis.
Beautiful sunset views + lake breeze + good food = SOLEIL.
My group had a great experience here after a long day of boating. Our waiter was super friendly and hands-​on, he even invited us out to drink with him that night… I’m pretty sure we were the youngest table he’s seen all year though.
This place was definitely more glamorous than The Oasis (HGTV would describe it as lakeside elegance), I felt a little uncomfortable rolling up in my swimsuit but they don’t judge.
The appetizers were good — the calamari came with fun dipping sauces and you can order raw oysters individually so you get the rare opportunity to ask for something like 17 oysters. A few of my friends got the duck breast and it was very good, I was quite jealous. My seared scallops were okay, the sriracha on the plate was overkill for me. The red velvet brownie was delightful and certainly enough to share.
I didn’t really have much sticker shock, I thought everything was reasonably priced considering the quality and the area, I would love to come back for a special occasion.

I felt like we were walking into Six Flags. We went for brunch & the place itself is cute once inside — feels very nautical. Service was ok (felt like they were trying to be fancy– pants) which is fine but the food was just simply awful.
*My suggestion is: go for drinks and a sunset. My favorite drink was Fire & Ice

Throw out your preconceived notions of Soleil. Hell, throw out most of the pre-​2012 reviews, Soleil has been revitalized, and it’s way more than lip service.
I took wifey here for the Valentine’s Day menu, and we left thoroughly impressed.
We started with the house potato chips, which are waffle cut, delicately crispy, and have lightly coated with a lovely truffle infused oil. This is one of those insidiously addictive appetizers that you don’t realize you love until they’re all gone.
Super bonus points for the cheese selection, Humbolt fog will always and forever be an easy way into my heart. Their bleu was also very tasty, though I can’t remember the name of it to save my life. It’s also nice that Chef David’s strawberry & avocado salad seems to have made its way over from Apetite café.
I started off with the duck diablo, which had just enough heat, and was reminiscent of a dish called firecracker duck I had in Szechuan. We followed that up with the prime rib, which was just about perfect. I find most prime rib cuts to be fatter than the population of Houston, but this managed to strike that fine balance between flavor and fat.
The wife and I aren’t wine people, though our server was gracious enough to let us swap out for beer. Don’t judge me.
I had a lemon curd tart, while wifey went with the sticky toffee cake. Both were good, but the toffee cake left me feeling like I made the wrong call. Very impressed overall, there is now a genuine foodie destination on lake Travis… now if only they could do something about that view…

What do you get when you combine a lake side sunset on an overly warm spring evening, 12 of your closest Unilocal friends and Unilocal drinks week? Drinks and appetizers at Soleil of course.
Day 4 of my marathon Unilocal drinks week, I met up with several Unilocalers here for a fabulous evening with a perfect view and company.
The Unilocal drinks Texas Sipper was refreshing and perfect for a hot summer, eh, I mean spring evening, that was until I learned of their $ 5 glasses of LaMarca Prosecco for HH. Did someone say Prosecco???
The patio is comfortable with a beautiful view of the lake and see through electronic shades to block out the heat until the sun gets to just the right spot to reel up those shades and and let mother nature put on her best and brightest show every evening.
With a list of $ 7 apps and inexpensive pizzas, you can easily have a nice affordable evening here.
Off the HH menu, the best app was the calamari, perfectly seasoned, not greasy and with 2 dips. I rather enjoyed the spicy meatballs as well. I suggest staying away from their bruschetta with with Taleggio cheese & Pears with Prosciutto & Arugula unless you are into stinky cheese. I like stinky cheeses, but did not care for that. The $ 7 cheese plate was anemic in portions size for the money.
Of the Pizzas — I sampled the smoked cheddar, garlic, shallots and thyme pizza which was amazing for $ 8. The sausage & coppa, artichokes, sweet peppers and provolone pizza was also pretty tasty for $ 13.
Someone ordered the eggplant parmesan with ricotta, basil and lemon which was tender and divine for $ 10 (a bargain), and I managed to get a taste of their fresh ground steak burger and truffle fries. Also yummy for $ 13.
Our waiter Bryce was friendly, attentive and did not miss a beat in tallying individual checks and he colleague Cotton managed to make us laugh when we wanted a refund on the sunset (since it was a bit stifled by a thick cloud layer) by giving us a do-​over performance he made up with his lighter and a flashlight.
All in all, it is a better alternative to Oasis (next door) and much better ambiance for the money.
Go, watch the sunset, eat, drink and enjoy!

So, once you find the place, it’s pretty great. I had not been here since the Oasisplex has been erected and drove by the restaurant twice. What with all the Oasis! signs and Oasis Parking! and Park here for Oasis!, Soleil definitely needs a little more street signage. For those who’ve never been, play like you’re going to the Oasis and hang a sharp right as you approach the door of mediocrity.
Soleil was very accomodating to our large party last nite. We had a perfect table on the patio, where they graciously lowered a sun screen and turned on fans as I realized the smell of grilled meat was just me cooking, happily marinated in their mixed cocktails. Our waiter Bryce was sweet, informative and cute (his mutton chops slayed me! :). And he did a great job splitting the tab even tho we did all play musical chairs in the end.
The food I sampled (in abundance, thanks friends!) was decent. The calamari was damn delicious. I’m not used to saying that as calamari to me always tastes like fried rubber. But this was tender, seasoned well, and the two accompanying sauces were both fantastic. I also loved the spicy meatballs and the eggplant parmesan. I was NOT impressed with the tiny cheese plate and the brushetta with it’s way too funky for me cheese. Ms G had a good lookin slice of key lime pie that I was not about to risk losing an arm over trying to sample, but she declared it tasty.
As all have testified, the view is amazing, altho we were a bit disappointed with the sunset last nite. So much haze, it disappeared early, prematurely, anti-​climatically. sigh. Next time, Soleil, dial up a better sunset for the Elite, kplzthankyou.

Wow so an update for this review is definitely in order. I have dined here 4 times since my last review and had a wonderful experience each time.
Although the pasta entrees are served in fairly small portions the pizzas and most appetizers are little hardier portions. The Bruschetta with Taleggio & Pears with Prosciutto and Arugula is complimented with the lightest drizzle of honey. It has a unique taste and a good contrast of flavors. One of my favorite menu items is the Stone Oven Eggplant Parmesan with Ricotta, Basil and Lemon, I never knew eggplant could taste so good! I have also had both the Papparadelle and the Spicy Meatballs and definitely prefer the meatballs.
The best part of Soeil lies across the way at their Azure lounge. My most recent visit I stopped in for oysters here. It is a nice relaxing and beautiful space serving fresh oysters, great wine and Uncle Billy’s beer. A wonderful plus is the menu has wines starting at reasonble prices. I really like the Navarro Correas malbec and it is only $ 5.50 a glass. Soleil recently introduced a happy hour menu that runs from 4pm-​7pm on weekdays and included $ 3 beers, $ 5 wines and $ 7 appetizers.
I cannot wait to dine with them during Unilocal Drinks Week and try some of their cocktails!
Northwest Austin is lucky to have this fabulous restaurant option with one of the most gorgeous sunsets in Austin.