Aura Restaurant & Lounge

4.6

220 Reviews

$31 to $50

American

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 22, 2024

8:30 PM

Booked 5 times today

Great for happy hour
Good for special occasions
Neighborhood gem

Lively & flavorful tapas along with vibrant cocktails offer a unique shared experience that challenges the traditional. At Aura, it's good vibes only! Our invigorating environment is the perfect place to gather friends & family.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Contemporary American, Wine Bar
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Sat 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(515) 225-6005
Website
http://auradsm.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Jared Walterberry

Location
12851 University Ave 400, Clive, IA 50325-8254
Neighborhood
Urbandale
Cross street
60th and University Ave.
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Offers

Happy Hour Everyday!
Multiple dates available
Mon - Sat - 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Discounted food and drinks every day 3pm-5:30pm.

What 220 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Iowa
Good for groups
Iowa
Neighborhood gem
Iowa
Great for fine wines
Iowa
Lively
Iowa
American
Des Moines
Good for groups
Des Moines
Neighborhood gem
Des Moines
Great for fine wines
Des Moines
Good for special occasions
Des Moines
Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Aura Restaurant & Lounge offers an exceptional dining experience with "excellent service and food." Guests rave about the "attentive and welcoming staff" and the "fantastic happy hour specials." The ambiance is "classy and clean," perfect for any occasion. With diverse menu options and beautiful presentation, Aura is a must-visit.

220 Reviews

M
Mitch
Des Moines
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Awesome wine dinner. Meal was delicuous and wine was superb and well paired. Very fine staff and service!
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K
Kathy
Minneapolis
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on December 3, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The service was excellent. They were out of ingredients to prepare certain meals, mac/cheese, wedge salad and another meal. The chicken picatta crust was burnt, chicken was a little tough, way too many green beans. Butternut squash soup was lacking a creamy base. Shouldn't have to pay for a salad separately, then when you do want to order they are out of the ingredients to prepare it. Party of five and none of us had ever been there, probably won't return.
Is this helpful?
A
Allison
Phoenix
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had an amazing meal at Aura! The food and drinks were excellent, the portions were big and satisfying, and the staff was wonderful!
Is this helpful?
M
MaryAnn
Des Moines
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 27, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
10/10. We had a good sized group, with special requests and several separate checks which sometimes cause issues but everything was wonderful! We had both meals and shared plates, all delicious. Very good cocktails and mocktails. Beautiful atmosphere and very nice staff! Definitely will be back!
Aura Restaurant & LoungeResponded on November 30, 2024
Thank you so much! We are always proud t received glowing reviews like this. See you again soon!
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D
Dave
VIP
Des Moines
15 reviews
5.0
15 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything was outstanding as always. Service and food very good as always, have yet to have poor service or food. Highly recommend, keep up the great work Aura!
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E
Elizabeth
VIP
Des Moines
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Our first visit since under new ownership. Seems to have upheld the quality of before. Lots of GF options and clearly marked on the primary menu was nice.
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T
Todd
VIP
Indiana
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 21, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
First time, great food, wine, and service. Great to get many tapas items and share. Relaxed atmosphere and will definitely go back!
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F
Fred
Minneapolis
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 18, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a fun time at happy hour at Aura. Good drinks and small plates. Loved the roasted Brussels sprouts.
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B
Brett
Des Moines
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was great, the happy hour offerings were fun and a great value too. The atmosphere is great and the staff was super.
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D
Dave
VIP
Des Moines
15 reviews
5.0
15 reviews
Dined on November 10, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything was truly wonderful as always! Amazing, relaxing ambience, great service and food very good with reasonable price point. Highly recommend! Keep up the great work, we will be back to see you soon!
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FAQs

Aura Restaurant & Lounge offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (515) 225-6005.

Aura Restaurant & Lounge is rated 4.6 stars by 220 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 22, 2024

8:30 PM

Booked 5 times today

Order delivery or takeout

12851 University Ave 400, Clive, IA 50325-8254

Additional information

Cross street
60th and University Ave.
Neighborhood
Urbandale
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Sat 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American, Contemporary American, Wine Bar
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Jared Walterberry
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://auradsm.com/
Phone number
(515) 225-6005

Aura Restaurant & Lounge

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Offers

Happy Hour Everyday!

Menu

What 220 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Aura Restaurant & Lounge offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Aura Restaurant & Lounge restaurant rated?

Is Aura Restaurant & Lounge currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information