Ella Elli

I had been here once before a few years back during Restaurant Week, which was great, so I was excited to try it again. Last time, I had sat inside and it had an intimate lounge/upscale bar atmosphere. Really cool interior. But this time, it was a beautiful Friday evening, so the outside patio was the preferred vibe. I wish I remembered the server's name because he was wonderful and welcoming. Service still felt professional on the patio. The cocktails were delicious and the perfect way to kick things off. The food was coursed out well and very much hit/exceeded expectations. The lineup was focaccia, grilled artichokes (the best grilled artichokes I've ever had), ricotta gnocchi (also incredible and seemed like a favorite as many other tables had ordered it too), the Mediterranean sea bass, and the goat's milk cheesecake for dessert. Overall, would definitely go back. A very enjoyable experience at a bit of a hidden local gem tucked away just off of Southport.

Great spot for a date night or celebration! I celebrated my birthday here and felt so special being greeted with a card signed by the staff. The food and service was wonderful! I highly recommend the focaccia bread and the truffle gnocchi. I'm excited to dine again for another occasion!

Cozy, intimate, and delicious! Got the pleasure of going to Ella Elli during restaurant week brunch with some friends. We arrived and though we did not have a table at our reserved time we still were given water and an offer of drinks at the bar while we waiting a few minutes. It is a smaller spot so I would say a wait time is to be expected.All the food we got was delicious with no complaint even out of my pickier friends. Service was great as well with the server checking up on us frequently. We shared some of the food and I personally preferred the dish I got, the Eggs Benedict, over the other meals I sampled.Would come back

We came here for the 20 wines for $20 event and we LOVED it! The whole space was completely open with some tables set around. It was a very casual/chill vibe where you make your own journey through the wine tastings. The bartenders were very knowledgeable and they make sure you get your moneys worth. We started with bubbles and ended with dessert wines. At the end, we went back to grabbing one last glass of our favorite wine. During the event we were able to order food. The charcuterie board was a perfect little snack to our wine - if snacks are not your vibe, there are options for more solid food. I've been here when an event wasn't happening and I really enjoyed their burger and ricotta gnocchi. Tip: sign up for 4star rewards and the Ella Elli newsletter to get updates on their events.

Absolutely in love with this place! The olive oil martini is the best thing ever and the food was fantastic. The service was very good and the interior is so chic and clean. I will definitely be coming back!

Food and ambiance were great. Had two charcuterie boards - one with meat and one with cheese. Both were fantastic. The cheese and olives were very flavorful. The meat was tender and delicious. Also had the brussels sprouts and cauliflower which were fresh and earthy with herbs. Thought they could have used a bit more flavor as the brussels sprouts were slightly bitter. The gnocchi and mushroom toast were the best dishes of the night. Very flavorful and hearty. The seabass was light and well cooked.The server, Leo, was well-versed in both the wine selection and food and was very friendly.

Delicious meal. Our 2nd time here on a date night and the setting is beautiful and relaxing. Certain dishes are larger than others but all are very well prepared. We shared everything starting with the roasted beet salad which was amazing. My favorite of the evening was the lamb rigatoni with juicy olives and fresh rapini. It was also a pretty decent sized plate so we stopped ordering at that point, even though there were so many other options I would have loved to try. Another time.

Everything was absolutely amazing. Came in for restaurant week with a girlfriend and we each choose different item to try as much as possible. Every single dish knocked it out of the park. The space is low lit, intimate and open but not so loud you couldn't hold a conversation. Our server was great and provided customer favorites, my only complaint would be it took her 15 minutes to greet us after being seated. Would absolutely return and recommend!

I think this place is a case where the aesthetic didn't match the food quality for me. I came for restaurant week and there was an amuse bouche and 4 courses. Staff seemed to be running a bit quickly and I felt rushed to place my order and decide. Also note, that this restaurant does charge an additional COB fee of 3%. (With no drink and just restaurant week and 20% tip, it totals about $80)The amuse was a cracker with crème fraîche and I was a bit disappointed bc it was room temperature and lacked flavor which did not amuse me or excite me for the meal to come. For the first course, I got was the crudo and although flavorful it was giving amuse where it could all be in one bite. I would recommend the french onion toast (even though it still seemed to lack a bit more french onion essence). The second course was the brussel sprouts and this one i genuinely enjoyed with the flavor pairings and the egg was a nice touch. The third course was the sea bass and I was not mad at it but the fish didn't seemed seasoned. It was cooked very well but had no flavor and the flavor component rested with the little cooked medley that sat on top of the fish. I also had a couple bites of my friend's short rib and I was surprised that it was tough and dry and the side for it was basically straight butter. Finally for dessert, I had the goat cheese cheesecake. I really liked this because I love goat cheese. I would not get the profiterole as it was not crunch and gave lowkey soggy vibes.

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