I am still thinking about this 45-minute egg dish from Ella Elli's T swift brunch. If you haven't made it Ella yet you are missing out. Great food even better cocktails, 10/10 would highly recommend! read more

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great place to grab drinks and dinner! The ambiance is absolutely wonderful and each seat in the house is so unique Been here twice and absolutely loved it. The crispy brussel sprouts are amazing and so is the clam pasta. Goat milk cheesecake was different, unique and wonderful and the service is great. Truly enjoyed my experience here and will keep coming back! Feels like a great find because it's so unassuming from the street and not on main Southport st. read more

Love this place. It was my first time. The restaurant felt elegant but comfortable. The staff was incredibly nice. We started out with some really great mocktails. I had a creamy mushroom toast appetizer, grilled artichokes with a lemon aioli, and scallops with squash, bacon and hazelnuts. All presented beautifully and really delicious. The profiteroles for dessert were fantastic. I will definitely be coming back here. read more

we sat at the bar. warm ambience, creative menu, attentive service. Leo and the bar staff all super. we enjoyed it.

Ella Elli is one my favorite restaurants in the city and the perfect date night spot. The food was excellent and the standouts were the mushroom roast, beef tartare and scallops. The desert was also the perfect way to end the night. While we were there we learned of there 20 for 20 wine tasting that we were able to check out the following week and would highly recommend for the price! Overall and excellent spot and we will be going back! read more

Ella Elli - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of my favorite places. the food is fantastic, had the sea bass tonight, it was cook perfect. The big reason I love this place is the staff, our server Luke could not have been more welcoming. Remembered us when we sat down and just gave us such a wonderful dining experience. Next time need to leave some space for dessert read more

I was very impressed! First time here. Dinner with husband on Friday, 12/16/2022 at 8:30PM. Decor/ambiance = A Cleanliness (including bathroom) = A+ Service = A Food = A Drink (rosemary giblet) = A- Will definitely come back! Upon our 8:15PM entry, we were greeted by two hostesses. Our tables were not ready yet, but we were instructed to sit on the couch by the fireplace. We were served water while we were on the couch. Nice touch. Our table is ready within a few minutes. Our waitress was super friendly, and her timing was impeccable. We told her from the very beginning that we knew what we wanted. She came by the table at appropriate times to check on us throughout the meal. We ordered: Drink: rosemary giblet Appetizer: garlic pita with hummus, tabuleh, and labneh Mains: ricotta gnocchi, Moroccan shelfish stew Dessert: profiteroles All dishes were DELICIOUS! I wish the portions were bigger (twice the size of the portions given would have been perfect). Only the dessert was a perfect size portions-wise. Drink was delicious, too! The alcohol was a bit weak but delicious nonetheless. The biggest surprise I had was the service. I expected the place to have snotty staff but our waitress was super nice. We will definitely go back! We hope to dine with friends next time. read more

Came by for dinner last week and had an incredible experience. Between all of the cocktails, the "secret" meat-and-cheese board, the sturgeon, the street corn, the pasta (cacio e pepe), the beef tartare, the veggies (sprouts and cauliflower) and the profiteroles for dessert, there wasn't a single thing I would skip the next time around. The patio out front was perfect on a perfect weather night and we escaped for about $110/person. I actually was not as much of a fan of the other restaurant I have tried with this group, Crosby's Kitchen, but I thought this meal was strong. Keep up the good work! read more

Let me tell you, this is #1 place in Chicago for me and I go out to eat a lot. The food is insanely good and decently priced for Chicago. But the other thing that really makes this restaurant great is the service. SO attentive, not overbearing, but always accommodating and willing to switch drinks or comp a food item if it's not to your liking. I've taken my parents here, who are also picky, and they said it's their favorite as well. They also have a super fun 20 wines for $20 wine tasting once a month that I like to do it and buy a few bottles. My favorite dish of all time is the gnocchi - it is easily the best I've ever had, it melts in your mouth like pillows!!! I just love it here. Great vibe inside too. read more

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Really a 3.5. Came for restaurant week. The good: Fantastic sea bass, profiterole, and gnochi (especially if you like truffle). Really all excellent, perfectly cooked. The bad: Seated almost 20 mins late Our party of 6 received our courses at different times. For our first course, there was a 5 minute gap between those who received dishes (half received theirs, half waited). For our second course, half the table received their dishes while the other half waited a solid 15 mins for theirs. No apologies, updates, or anything. This is pretty unacceptable for any place, let alone the price and the fact that everyone is ordering from a set menu of very limited dishes. Dishes were swept away before entire table was done and literally while we were taking last bites. Totally inappropriate. Would I come back? Yes, the food was very good and there are a couple of other items I'd like to try. However, service really needs to be improed. read more

I love everything about this place! The ambiance is classy and chill, the food is amazing, and the staff is super friendly.

FYI: There is no Happy Hour from 3 to 5 on Saturday despite what their website says. They are well-aware of the misinformation, but for reasons known only to them, the information remains on the website. And the staff is pretty obnoxious about it. read more

Ella Ellli exceeded my expectations. So beautiful. So delicious. So sweet. Between 5-7pm they have great happy hour specials like sangria and rose, as well as oysters and other light bites. They are a small-ish plates restaurant, and recommend 3-4 dishes per two people. We shared: -Pea Carbonara: although messy to eat, this plate was STUNNING and creamy. The crispy prosciutto was such a nice compliment. -Tomato, burrata and basil flatbread: always my go to order anywhere, but this version was unique because there were large, rich tomatoes and fresh chunks of burrata. -Octopus: honestly, this might have been my favorite octopus dish ever. The octopus was perfectly cooked, tender, and came with crispy potatoes. At this point, we were beyond full. Three plates were more than enough for us to share. I'll be back again! Fabulous dinner. Pro-Tip: they offer a rewards program with Crosby's Kitchen & Tuco and Blondie. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised with this one! The aesthetic, service and food quality was top tier. My favorite item was the French onion toast. Split 5 dishes with one other person while both spending under $50 (no alcohol). How can you complain? Will definitely be coming back! :) read more

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Continuously astonished by this restaurant. It is our go to Saturday night dinner. I feel safe enough to sit inside at the bar, where we prefer, with the amazing bartender Leo! From the host staff/servers/kitchen staff everything is put together amazingly. No one skips a beat. Here are some of my favorite things on the menu. -Assorted Charcuterie -Brussels Sprouts -Beef Tartare -Charcuterie Flatbread -Burger -Octopus entree -Truffle Gnocchi ****THE BEST*** YOU CANT GO WRONG!! Do yourself a favor and...JUST DO IT! You'll thank me later. read more

Ella Elli - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great place with relaxed yet hip vibe and tasty food. Of course the prices are a little steep, but that's to be expected in this neighborhood. We were having dinner before a Cubs game so we decided to eat inside because it was cool and figured we would be spending three hours of doors later. The patio did however look very cute and when we return if it is warmer we would try to sit out there. This place looks like any other hip cosmopolitan restaurant that is open in the last year or so. Gray tones, steel, Edison lamps, tall open bar showing bottles, some tucked away booths and what was most interesting were the loveseat sized leather banquette chairs that seated two at the bar. That would be a cool place to sit next time as well. The cocktails were a slight twist on classics. We tried the apricot sidecar and the gimlet. Both were delicious and the cute glasses they were served in made me want to find them so I could buy them for my own. We started with the creamy mushroom toast and they did not disappoint. Have never had a combination of crème fraîche, fresh thyme and sautéed mushrooms. It is something I will definitely try at home. They used king trumpet mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and enoki mushrooms. There were two toasts on the plate with at least a third of a cup, maybe more of the sautéed mushrooms with creme fraiche. The bread was a thick cut slightly tougher than brioche but very buttery, nicely toasted with great flavor. The butter lettuce and endive salad with roasted grape tomatoes and capers was good but not as great as we had hoped. A friend had ordered it several weeks ago and I was expecting a little more savory flavor out of the tomatoes. They seem to perhaps be underripe and the vinaigrette was very tart so it was just slightly out of balance with all of the capers. Our next dish was the crispy potatoes with grilled octopus and salsa verde. Have ordered a similar dish at many other restaurants and have to say that the portion size here was a fairly good value. About 10 or 12 slices, cut lengthwise, from grilled octopus tentacles on top of three large smashed/roasted potatoes with the salsa. Would order this again in a heartbeat. The potatoes were creamy on the inside and crispy on the edges, the octopus was perfectly grilled and tender. It was topped with pea shoots. Our less savory dish was a fettuccine with fresh peas, a hint of pepper flakes and shrimp. They say the pasta is made in house and I believe it after tasting the tender and fresh flavor of these very long and wide fettuccine noodles. There was a delicious buttery sauce and just the right amount of chili flakes to give it a little zip without being too hot. The shrimp were probably 40 count/pound but perfectly cooked and tender without any fishy flavor. My table might want to desert so we ordered the profiterole's which was the only of the three that sounded interesting at all. There were three nice size shoe pastry puffs filled with ice cream and topped with a dark chocolate and espresso flavored sauce. The puffs had a relatively crispy edge they were not gummy and they were not dry. It made for a delicious end to a great meal. We hope to return soon! read more

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Ella Elli is a solid date night place. It's tapas. I perhaps didn't realize that but it was a lovely dinner on a Sunday night and I highly recommend it. We started with a delicious mocktail the bartender created. The bartender, Brandon, was an excellent guide through the meal. We enjoyed all of the food we had. Apparently for two people 5 choices are good. We did have dessert. So glad too bc profiteroles are a great way to end the meal. The sea bass was delicious, if a tad salty from the capers and olives in the veggies and sauce. Delicious though. The bucatini I found a little underdone but could have been perfectly Al dente so I don't want to ding it for that. The flavors in all of the dishes were unique and worthy. I very much enjoyed our meal here. read more

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Ella Elli is a fantastic restaurant on the smaller side making it somewhat difficult to get into at times. The low light ambiance and rule against children makes it more of a date spot or gathering place for couples rather than a place to go with friends. We started our night with cocktails at the bar as we waited for our table. I chose the elderflower gimlet and was pleasantly surprised. While a bit on the sweeter side, the lime edge and elderflower notes made it a great drink to enjoy before our relatively large dinner. We were seated in one of the booths on the right side of the restaurant that made it a much more intimate experience as the table felt a little removed from the rest of the restaurant. Even with the booths on the left side, I feel that the seating generally partitions you off to make the reasonably active restaurant more of a calm and quiet environment for your dining, although there are a few tables in the middle of the restaurant that may not have this benefit. To the food. We switched to wine for dinner and the list was not crazy long, but definitely large enough for anyone you're with to find something they like. We shared quite a number of plates between all of us including the cheese and meat boards, steak tartare, cauliflower with salsa verde, cacio de pepe, ricotta gnocchi, tomato with burrata pizza, grilled octopus and the burger au poivre. Of the above, the key plates of note were the cacio de pepe, cauliflower, the steak tartare, and the mushrooms from the gnocchi dish. While the cheese and meat boards were okay, I think there were better options at many other restaurants in Chicago as the selection options are a bit limited and not extremely unique. The burger had a unique dipping sauce in my opinion that was delicious, but otherwise wasn't an incredible burger in my opinion. The tomato with burrata pizza fell into this same category in my opinion... a reasonable pizza, but not something really notable. The grilled octopus I would say was the one item I thought was a true disappointment with the octopus being quite overcooked and entirely too many potatoes that are oversized versus the other items in the dish. Still, the other items were fantastic. My recommendation remain: + Cauliflower with salsa verde - the comeback vegetable of the year ranked high in this meal for me as it was perfectly charred and the lemon and salsa verde accompaniment really made this a fantastical side dish. + The steak tartare with parmigiano-reggiano was also fantastic, especially compared to other steak tartare dishes I've had around Chicago. This is one of my favorites. + With both the cacio de pepe and the other pasta dish below, you may think I'm just a pasta head, which I admittedly am, but even among pasta, there were items I really liked about this dish. This was quite a simple dish, but just warm and delightful. + The ricotta gnocchi with truffle and roasted mushrooms really makes this list because of the mushrooms. The gnocchi was the slightly charred version of gnocchi if you like that, but the mushrooms with truffle were truly delicious. Bottom line, with good service and some great dishes in a kid-free and romantic environment, Ella Elli is definitely one of my new favorite restaurants in Chicago. read more

Ella Elli - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Overall this place was amazing! We came for restaurants week and our expectations were amaze. The food was absolutely delicious and on par with very fresh ingredients. You must try the charcuterie board and the beef tartare. The burger was absolutely amazing with sauce. The rigatoni was like a hamburger helper but adult version. The gnocchi was definitely creamy. The Seabass tasted absolutely amazing and super fresh no bones or fishing. read more

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Every bite was delicious! I was unfamiliar with this place and went with a friend. I will be back. Great drinks, sharing dishes, and desserts. The burger was phenomenal as well as the octopus. read more

We went here for Restaurant Week and experienced their special menu. So glad we did. Everything was bright, fresh, and flavorful. We tried almost everything on their menu because we all got different things with the intentions of tasting each other's. My favorite was the scallops and Hazy Pink Squirrel dessert. Pro tip - try to get a seat in their little cove area. It's super cozy but open enough so it's not too confined. It's more private and perfect for date nights. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

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I came here for the Chicago Restaurant Week lunch menu. Great value and all the items were fantastic! Truly a great deal. My favorites were the shrimp and grits and the butcher's board. The service was on point and my glass never even reached the halfway mark. The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful. I would definitely return to try more items on their menu. read more

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I was looking for a place to have dinner with my daughter on a Monday night as she had recently moved into the area and I was visiting from out of town. We found Ella Elli on Yelp and decided to try it. Here is what we noticed: - It was totally booked on a Monday night, but they offered us the outdoor patio. It was a little chilly out but we asked if they would move a heater next to our table which they did. - The wine list was good, but a bit more limited in wines by the glass than I would have liked - The waiter told us that the dishes are meant to be shared so we ordered three different items. The menu has lots of different items...they're not cheap, but the quality was high. - The food was really tasty. We started with the smoked salmon toast, then had the mushroom gnocchi, and then finished with the scallops on polenta. All were enjoyed, and the quantity was perfect for two people. - Service was great...attentive but not overbearing. Bottom line: Very nice dining spot, a bit higher end but not excessive...I would return if I lived in the area. read more

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Amazing 5 star experience across the board. Excellent service, creative cocktails, great decor including the high backed booths and that's before the food arrives. The artichokes, mushroom toast and ricotta gnocchi were stand outs. Highly recommend in every way. read more

This is a hard review to write because on one hand the experience was great. We had great service, lovely drinks. 2 of the 6 dishes we had were fantastic, 2 fell terribly short, and 2 were good but not memorable, and for the price, it left something to be desired. Confit Potato With Dill And Pickled Mustard Seeds, and Salt Roasted Carrots With Za'atar, Harissa And Pickled Celery were disappointing. Lack of salt on both. The carrots did have these delicious pickled celery on the dish, but for me that was the best part about them. The potatoes looked magnificent, just look at the picture but at first bite it was like tasting nothing. They had those mustard seeds on the dish which offered great pop but again so bland. Tomatoes with Crème fraîche and some kind of cured sausage, it literally tasted like a deconstructed BLT. so delicious. Also had the oyster which were good, nothing to write home about. Oysters were fresh and had a little fresh herb on it which I enjoyed. The star is the Ricotta Gnocchi With Truffle And Roasted Mushrooms. Honestly I would come back for just that. Very unique because the gnocchi were longer and thick and crispy on the outside but pillowy in the inside. I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea but it reminded me sort of like a large cheese ball or mozz stick but in the best possible sophisticated and sexy way! The sauce for beautiful, seriously so good. Lastly the decadent Burger Au Poivre With St Andre Triple Cream, Watercress, Cornichons. Seems like an odd place for a burger but I kid you not, get the burger! I'm giving 4 stars because once I wrote this all out, I think the pros out weigh the cons, but my expectation for a place like this is high and they didn't quite meet it for me. Salt is so basic and there is no excuse for a place like this to be sending out bland dishes. read more

Three stars is "A-OK" according to Yelp. Keep that in mind. The ambience of this place is nice and the interior is really tasteful. Service was friendly, but the food left more to be desired for me. The beef carpaccio was quite good, although the outer ring of meat was slightly browner than the meat on the inside. In other words, not quite as raw, almost like it had been flash cooked or something. There was no taste at all on the outside which made it bland, but the meat and seasoning on the inside part of the dish was absolutely delicious. Very strange to get these two contrasts. My cousin got the roasted carrots and to her surprise they were cold (supposed to be cold) which we both thought was strange given the term "roasted" I'm glad I asked about the lobster because we were surprised when our server told us it was served cold and more like a salad with avocado and grapefruit vinaigrette. So I went with the sea bass instead which was okay, but I feel like it was pretty uninspired and something I could've done at home. My cousin had the scallops, which she liked but felt a similar sentiment. In general we were okay with the food, but we agreed it wasn't good enough to come back. We wanted to try it out since I knew I could get a discount with my Music Box membership. read more

I used to live a couple blocks away from here and never realized how good I had it! Now that I live on the opposite side of the city, my friend told me about their monthly wine tasting and I agreed to go. Here's the deal: every month, tickets go on sale for their "20 Wines for 20 Dollars" tasting, which sell out pretty quickly since there is only one time slot. When you get there, you get a glass and a menu and are free to try as many wines as you'd like for 2 hours. You can skip ones you don't want, go back for ones you did like, or just try each of them once if you want. There is also always a charcuterie board with meat, cheese, and bread. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to buy any bottles you liked at a good price. I have never actually been here on a normal night, but the wine tastings themselves make it worth the trip. The servers are all very friendly and knowledgeable, and are always willing to provide their opinions or advice. I love this place and I recommend it to anyone! read more

We went to this place for Saturday brunch. I was expecting to have a full menu but they only had a brunch menu, so my review is limited to that option. Overall, the atmosphere, service and foods were nice. I enjoyed the tastes and flavors of all the foods and cocktails. I'll definitely come back for dinner one day! read more

Great food and service. Loved the ambiance, the drinks were exceptional. Looking forward to our next trip

Long story short, we ended up here because Crosby's was too crowded around 5:30 on a Saturday. The hostess suggested their sister restaurant next door, about which we knew nothing other than that they served Mediterranean fare. Dinners out for us are very rare, so it was a risk to walk in blind...but it worked out fine. Ella Elli is a couple of notches more upscale, they serve small plates, and feature fare that is mostly western Mediterranean. The cauliflower, mushroom gnocchi, and grilled octopus were very good; the crisp grains salad was rather insubstantial. I also enjoyed a Stroll on Southport cocktail (bourbon, Lillet, Angostura, lemon & thyme) which was good, though a tad too sweet. Dessert options were too scant and basic, and Scooter's beckoned anyway. However, it would have been a nice place to linger and chat--elegant and cool but comfortable and romantic. All in all, it was an overall satisfying experience and a perfect setting for date night. read more

Over-rated. That's the first word that comes to mind. I am not a cook. I consider myself lucky I don't burn my place down when I make oat meal but I am not a film maker either and I know a good movie when I see one. This review is based on my preferences. So; ella-Elli is over-rated. Ambience: Date place for sure. If you want to impress her with 'fine dining', you could do worse. Good people watching. Service: Hostess was welcoming. Server was doing his job. Food: Had the salmon toast - generic. Think Toyota Corolla with flames on the size. It was citrusy. Lamb pizza: it had a citrusy after taste. Brussel sprouts with a sunny side egg: this was ok. Not memorable. But Ok. Salty not citrusy Burger: pretty good. But it's a burger and yes it was citrusy Passed on dessert. Didn't want to risk it. Pictures are below. I don't drink alcohol, without that the bill was approximately 58ish dollars. Would I come here again? No. Also, I hate citrus but not as much as mint. Who wants toothpaste flavored anything? read more

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Went to Ella Ellie for the first time, and it was a great experience. They provided great hospitality from the moment we stepped up to the door (we were greeted right away whereas many places we often have to wait awhile to even get the hostess). During the meal the staff was very attentive, including our great waiter. The atmosphere is nice for a cozy date, and the food was very good. My favorite was the ricotta gnocchi, but even things as simple as potatoes were good. We were checked on regularly, and we left very satisfied but not overly full, which was good. read more

I like this place. I walked out three years ago because of subpar service. But my GF and I rediscovered it this summer. We especially enjoy the outdoor seating. I had a conversation with a couple long time employees about my previous experience and they validated my sentiments, adding things have turned 180 in the last couple years. So, if you haven't given them a chance lately: it may be time to. Excellent cocktails, great service and a nice (though somewhat narrow menu). read more

Been here twice for brunch and all of the items have been delicious. The ambiance is fun and rather cozy with the fireplace and comfy seating. We ordered the bakery board, patatoe confit, avocado toast and the quiche. They use lavazza coffee beans and the coffee was delicious. Our waitress was attentive and explained everything in detail. She was constantly coming back to check on us which was nice. Great service, great ambiance and great food!!! read more

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I went here to grab drinks and appetizers and the ambiance was great and different than any other place I've been in Chicago. I wanted to sit on their adorable patio but it was unfortunately raining. Definitely give it a try! Great staff and the menu looked great. The perfect neighborhood spot. read more

absolutely delightful for a romantic night out. decor & ambiance is nice, great wine selection, and delicious shared plate options. wait staff is attentive and sweet! i think the dessert rotates but they had a lovely sorbet when i went read more

Upscale ambiance, modern decor, great service and tasty dishes. Check, check, check, check! I absolutely adore this gem from the 4 Star Restaurant group. From its romantic lounge, handsome modern bar, wonderful music selection to the variety of dishes, Ella Elli impresses me across the board. It's absolutely perfection of its kind. I would first like to highlight that great service our server and hostesses are. He movements and speech were respectful and friendly. With emphasis on providing a global variety of cuisine, Ella Elli serves dishes with influences from American contemporary, Mediterranean, French, Italian cuisines. I particularly enjoyed their steak tartare, scallops with buttermilk polenta, grilled octopus and burger au poivre. read more

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This is a great date night spot. We ended up getting seated by the bar. The food was great and the bartender was very helpful with recommendations. We ended the night with espresso martinis and loved it! Definitely recommend read more

Lovely ambiance, very good drinks. Recommend harissa carrots, Brussel sprouts, sea bass, and hamburger. Actually everything looked good! Staff was attentive and accommodating. Good wine list, too. Have a nice-looking bar and outdoor section as well. Great addition to the neighborhood! read more

My husband and I came here for a date night. It was the first restaurant that really wowed us after a long time. What we ordered: Truffle gnocci Lamb rigatoni Sea bass Chicken Thighs profiteroles Literally every bite of every thing we ate was incredible. Although this place is supposed to be a tapas style place, the portions were way larger than most tapas places! We were so stuffed that we will definitely order less food next time ha! Service was so good - super friendly and attentive. We sat on the patio (which is first come first served) which was super cute and quant. Can't wait to come back :) read more