Ella Dining Room and Bar

My husband and I had dinner at Ella for the first time yesterday evening. Our experience from our arrival to leaving was spectacular. We made reservations so were able to be seated quickly, however, we additionally received a text stating that our table was prepared earlier than anticipated.Something to note, however not the biggest deal, was that the tables were pretty sandwiched together. Our server, James, was amazing and honestly the best person we've had as a server in all restaurant eating experiences. We enjoyed his recommendations of the seafood tower, crab stuffed halibut and beef tenderloin. Everything tasted fantastic. We ended the night with an array of desserts.I look forward to dining at Ella again to enjoy the perfect dinner with the most classy ambiance.

Came here on a Tuesday evening for dinner with a colleague. They were able to squeeze us in a table at 5:30pm; recommend making a reservation since they get really busy with a lot of corporate customers. Ambiance is professional and fancy.The food and service here are amazing! We started with the truffle brioche, which was super buttery and fragrant, as well as the lobster gnocchi, which was delicious. We shared the seared duck breast, which was moist and done very well, and the lamb rigatoni, which was hearty and yummy. Highly recommend trying if you want great food and dining experience in Sacramento!

I think the biggest factor for my review is the price to experience and food ratio. My boyfriend and I stopped by for their Valentines Dinner, which although was decent, for the price point and expected experience just frankly did not hold up to par. The ambiance was nice with all these little tables of couples on dates. Though the service was only okay, I think this is much more on the restaurant for overbooking on the holiday than it was on the servers. There was a line of people at the door and they all had reservations so we all had to wait a while to be seated.We had a 5 course meal and some dishes held up better than others. 1. Tsar Classic Caviar -2/5 Honestly the beignet was cold (probably that overbooking I mentioned earlier) and the ratio of creme fraiche to caviar was pretty unsatisfactory. 2. Crispy Duck Pave 3/5Loved the pink rhone lettuce but I think the duck was way over salted, there were some big pieces of granulated salt that kind of appeared out of nowhere that overwhelmed the flavors. The server who presented it to us also called it lamb? So not quite sure if they had had to swap it out of the lineup for lamb or something, that was confusing3. Dungeness Crab Risotto - 4/5My partner and I's favorite dish of the night. The crab risotto paired well with the calamari, there were still chunks of saltiness in one portion of the risotto otherwise would be a 4.25.4. Braised Shortrib - 3.75/5 The meat was tender and cooked well. Nothing felt oversalted. This dish did feel a bit unbalanced though, there were very heavy/fatty flavors that did not have any greens or even some acidity to balance the fattiness of the dish. 5. Passion Fruit Pavlova - 4/5 Really liked the use of berries in this dish. The pavlova was very melt in your mouth and was a nice ending to the meal. Overall we did enjoy ourselves but for the price point have experienced much better meals in the past from other places.

Ella never disappoints!Our dinner was absolutely phenomenal. The wood-fired pork chops were perfectly cooked, tender, and packed with a smoky flavor and came with an Apple cider jus that paired well. The lamb loin with polenta was equally impressive - the lamb was succulent, and the creamy polenta.The charcoal beet salad was a delightful surprise, with its earthy, smoky notes complemented by sweet dates, pomegranates and crunchy hazelnuts . The mixed baby lettuce salad was simple yet elegant, a refreshing and crisp addition to the meal.To top it all off, the sticky toffee pudding was a showstopper. Rich, decadent, and the perfect ending to an impeccable dining experience.Every dish was crafted with care and showcased bold, creative flavors. Beautiful and thoughtful dishes that match such a gorgeous modern chic restaurant.

Let us start off with the ambiance of the restaurant. Considering that it was a New Year's Eve celebration dinner, you could definitely feel the excitement and the fun energy not only from the maitre d but also from the servers and the people at the bar. We were greeted by the maitre d who then introduced us to the floor manager of the night. He was very knowledgeable about the different courses we were about to have and also gave us compliments on the bottle of Caymus wine that we brought to partaking as a group. Roxanne provide amazing service the entire time we were there. She was constantly checking in on us, made sure that we had our drinks always full, and asked us each time she brought he next course or took away the prior course how everything tasted and if it was to our liking. Okay regarding the five course meal that we had. I will say that the number one item that we all enjoyed and hands down wanted more of was the entree course which was the braised beef short rib. That piece of me was so tender and so soft that it literally felt like it melted in your mouth. Everything that accompanied it was superb especially the little crispy potatoes that added a nice crunch as you enjoyed the meal. The first two items the Island Creek oyster in lobster bisque or both good. The oyster however felt like it lost its charm because the preserved Meyer lemon left a little bitterness on the tongue after you bit into it. The lobster bisque was very nice a little extra salt would have kicked up the flavors a little bit more and maybe one little extra biscuit because I had some bisque left over that I really wanted to sop up that soup with. A second contender was definitely the pan roasted duck breast as it had a great taste the one call out would have been for the outside just to be a little bit more crispy so you have that nice crunch as you bit into the meat and maybe a little bit more sprinkling of flaky salt to really enhance the bit of fat that was on the meat. Overall this is the second time we've done and years Eve celebration at Ella and we were not disappointed.

Ella is always a vibe! I've been here several times and their menu is always changing. I added a few photos from last night's holiday dinner there!

Came here one day with my friend for their Bourbon and Bacon Pairing Dinner which was helped in one of their small intimate back rooms. They've been on my hit list for the longest time so I'm glad we got to come for this event. The dinner was a showcase for the Buffalo Trace family of of bourbons. They had a representative there to present their different brands of bourbons and how they worked well with each course. Their first listed cocktail, the Lions Tail Cocktail was more of a welcome drink than a paired cocktail. Also while it wasn't officially listed, they started us off with a complementary surprise course of oysters done 3 ways. While oysters aren't really my thing, I can say I did enjoy trying each of them. 1st course Crispy Pork Belly, hominy puree, green tomato relish Paired With: Lion's Tail Cocktail2nd courseSeared Scallop, bacon consommé, tomato gelee, pistachio butterPaired With: Buffalo Trace3rd courseCrispy Braised Trotters, tomato risotto, garlic chips Paired With: Eagle Rare4th courseGrilled Bacon Wrapped Monkfish, potato puree, caramelized red onion jam, bourbon jusPaired With: Blanton's5th course/dessertSticky Bun Bourbon Sundae pecan, smoked peaches, bacon bitsPaired With: E.H. TaylorI must say that I enjoyed everything I had this night. On that note I'd say the things that really stood out to me were the monkfish and sticky bun from the 4th and 5th courses. I'm not sure if it's because it was the first time that I had tried monkfish but I was pleasantly surprised. The fish had a perfect chew to it and the bacon was perfectly cooked as well. It's surprising how the bacon wasn't soggy one bit even though the fish was moist, topped with the red onion jam and sat atop of the bourbon jus. As for the sticky bun sundae, what was surprising to me was actually that I enjoyed it just in general. I'm not really a sticky/cinnamon bun kind of guy. I think that I enjoyed it though because of everything that went with it. Just by looking at it I expected it to be a sweetness overload but the ice cream and smoked peaches really helped to tame the dessert and kept the sweetness in check. Their dishes just seemed so elevated and creative. This was just the kind of dining experience that I love. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the descriptions of each dish as well as each bourbon that paired with it. The staff were so friendly and service was fantastic. I can't wait to come back for either another event or their regular dinner menu in their main dining room.

Came here for a Holiday Party and it was top shelf all the way.AmbianceVery elaborate design. Fancy place. Sat at large Chef's table can view the chefs at work. Ensures good sanitation practices. ServiceFelt like royalty. We had a team ensuring everything was perfect and it was.FoodServed family style which means u can savor many dishes.AppetizersLobster corn dogs - winnerGulf Prawn Cocktail on ice - winnerFried chicken sticks with Ella hot sauceToasted onion dip with Japanese sweet potato chipsCrispy maitake mushrooms - winnerMain DishesGrilled flat iron steak Roasted chicken on creamy polenta - chicken moist and tender winner Yukon gold potatoes garlic aioliElla caesar - winnerCampanella pasta with butternut squash - winnerChocolate buttermilk with ganache layer of chocolate and hazelnut topping - wowCocktailsAutumn Apples Perfect evening.

Ella's is Ella-mazing. I came here for lunch during work and I was so impressed. This is a great place for lunch and dinner if you are in downtown. The dining area is beautiful, classy, and very clean.the staff were so nice and knowledgeable about the food. The food was delicious and made with the best ingredients. I ordered the Ella burger with an egg and it was so tasty. The artesian cheeseboard was also a great choice. The cheese and fruit was so fresh. I wil definitely be coming back.

Dined at bar, wonderfully delicious, and highly recommend the beef carpaccio. I won best dish...yum