New Mediterranean Restaurant Opens Downtown
Aya promises to offer unique small plates served with showmanship.
Aya, 700 E. Kilbourn Ave. Photo taken Feb. 21, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.
Aya, the new restaurant from Saffron owners Fatima and Hanish Kumar, opened to the public Feb. 23 following a four-service soft launch at 700 E. Kilbourn Ave.
With wagyu kebabs, tableside Greek salad and caviar service, Aya breaks the Mediterranean mold in Milwaukee, offering staples reimagined through a Middle Eastern lens.
Like its sister restaurant in the Historic Third Ward, showmanship is central at Aya, which wafts dry ice over colorful cocktails and finishes dishes — from salads to creamy hummus — with delicate edible flowers.
Where Saffron is dimly lit and intimate, however, Aya is bright and open, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, reflective marble accent walls and a canopy of olive trees. Textured art and custom furniture bring additional depth to the spacious dining area, located at the ground level of Ascent, a 25-story luxury residential tower that gained recognition in 2025 as the world’s tallest mass timber building.
“It’s my baby,” Fatima said of Aya, which transformed the former gray box space following its initial proposal last May.
Most of Aya’s menu is dedicated to small plates, ideal for groups looking to sample and share. Raw bar selections such as scallop ceviche, wagyu carpaccio and seafood and caviar towers are listed alongside vegetable-focused options like fire-roasted aubergine and balsamic-glazed halloumi.
An assortment of skewers includes wagyu, grilled octopus and oyster mushrooms, while the mezze platter offers a crash-course in Mediterranean flavors with hummus, batata harra, baba ghanoush, labneh, falafel and pickled vegetables.
Salads include tabbouleh, fattoush smash, roasted beet and Aya’s elevated take on Greek salad — served in a poached whole tomato atop whipped feta and sliced tableside for added flair. Larger plates include high-end steaks, whole branzino and spicy harissa lobster linguine.
The cocktail program plays with temperature and visuals while incorporating Middle Eastern flavors like rose, fig and olive brine. Standouts include the Volcano, poured from a tall decanter and presented with a cloud of dry ice fog, and Almas, a lychee-infused whisky drink scented with cherrywood smoke.
A selection of beer and nonalcoholic cocktails is also available, with an in-house sommelier on hand to guide guests through Aya’s extensive wine selection.
Aya is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations can be booked online.
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