ElaConsistently outstandingEla is my new go-to, and I'm torn between wanting it to succeed and not wanting to have trouble getting a reservation. Bravo.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMFoodies delight but service ??Took my son to Ela for 18th birthday dinner - family of foodies. The menu was very creative, all our dishes were outstanding and inventive, nicely presented. I love the space and ambiance, the style is respectful of the prices and is creatively done. EVen the cocktail list is creative and delicious. I had a rum cocktail with lavender, rhubarb and lime....terrific. The only down side was the service. Our waitress seemed out of it, not invested in her customers having a lovely evening. The rest of the service was just OK. Only the guy who brought dessert seemed enthusiastic.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food and service.Excellent food and service. The restaurant is small and the tables close together so noise grows as it fills up. Our group of 5 were all pleased with the experience, especially the innovative food items.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMElaFantastic! We hadn't been back this venue since it was "Judy's". Not only does it look great, but tHe food and service was fantastic. One of the best desserts ever...can't wait to return!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent and inventiveAmazing first couple of courses; simply amazing, unusual, well-made and delicious! The main course was very tasty and very well prepared, though I found them a little less adventurous than the rest of the menu, but in no way detracted from the experience.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMMother's DayThank you for making it a special day for my mother5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThe brunch was very tastyThe brunch was very tasty with fresh ingredients and beautifully presented. The menu was creative. The dining room was beautiful, light and let fresh air into the room. I would definitely return.
The one thing was that the sound acustics were not that great, however I would not skip this reataurant.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat, inventive, modern food!This is my third visit to Ela within the past year, and I always leave happy. On this visit, we tried the 5- course tasting menu, which was very good. The space is attractive and warm/industrial, and the servers are friendly and attentive.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprise and delight.Each dish served was an outstanding blend of flavors and textures in eye-pleasing presentations. Food portions are just the right size and a great value. Moves to the top of our list and could be a new favorite.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMWe opted for the tasting menuWe opted for the tasting menu and were not disappointed. Definitely the way to go!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMEla is Stellar!Fantastic, creative, inventive! Stellar food! Wonderful service! We will be sure to be back again and again!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMadapted to vegans and non-veganadapted to vegans and non-vegan was great as well!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMI was absolutely thrilledI was absolutely thrilled with my brunch experience at Ela this past weekend. The food was fantastic (LOVE the complimentary sticky buns), the bloody marys were crazy (kimchi and beet bloodies... wha??), and the service was impeccable (thank Jess!). Will definitely be coming here again!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMEla is a small restaurantEla is a small restaurant with really great food. If you love dishes that are creative and interesting, this is a place to go. Also, the service was exemplary - not intrusive, but extremely attentive. Yes, it is a little pricey, but it is worth it.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful restauarantOne of the most creative restaurants in Philly. Excellent, intelligent food, beautifully prepared.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFood and ambiance were wonderful.Food and ambiance were wonderful. My reunion with dear old friends from abroad went on for hours without rushing from staff. I was glad to show off philly's finest dining The oysters scallop noodles and main courses superb. Focus grois. Amazing4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good creative food withVery good creative food with interesting and unique combinations of favors and textures. Yet it never felt forced or ridiculous like some places try to do. The food was excellent. Portions might have seemed small but not really. They were right sized for true foodies. I got one first and two seconds and skipped a third, and went with dessert and was happily full without being bloated. I found it to be not cheap not expensive but a good value for what I got. I will definitely go back whenever I am in Philly.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent Brunch Two EastersFor the second year in a row my husband and I with several friends have gone to Ela for Easter Brunch. Both times was very enjoyable.
The drinks were very tasty and the wine by the glass very good. The waiter was helpful bringing different types of wine to taste before ordering. The food was unique and delicious. Will go back either for dinner or brunch.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had an amazing meal atWe had an amazing meal at Ela on March 31. The service was completely on point, the timing of the food was perfect and our server paid enough attention without being in the way. All of the food was great. The stand outs were the beets and radishes app, the scallop "noodles" and the both entries (salmon and the pork loin which was on special for the day). Would definately recommend again.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThe service was great! HoweverThe service was great! However the food was inconsistent. While the oysters were briney and delicious the rest of the meal was less promising. There was a huge vein in the pulled pork which was such a turn off that we almost couldn't continue eating it. The baby octopus was tough and too fishy. the skate dish was very good. We'd give it another try but had higher hopes.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful brunch.We had a wonderful brunch. Each dish was very creative. We love this place!3/17/2013 12:00:00 AMI'll be thinking about theI'll be thinking about the short rib for some time. A very memorable meal.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely phenomenal spot.Absolutely phenomenal spot. We came here with my family for a celebratory dinner, and everything - start to finish - was perfect. Delicious and creative cocktails, ideal portion sizes, incredibly creative flavors in every dish. Worth every penny!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMLove, love, love this restaurant!Love, love, love this restaurant! Love the decor; lots of wood, exposed brick and metal but very warm and friendly. Love the service; knowledgeable, friendly but not hovering. LOVE the food! The kale salad is so light and fresh and tasty. The diver scallop noodles are to die for! Amazing knife skills to create the noodles from the scallops and they were served in a delicious bolognese sauce. And the skate was just incredible, perfectly cooked with crispy yucca. And the pumpkin pudding was a great exclamation point to a wonderful dining experience. If we lived in the neighborhood, my husband and I would be dropping in once a week to hang at the bar; enjoying a glass of wine,the kale salad and the diver scallop noodles.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMExceptional ElaWe enjoyed a delicious & inventive meal. Everything was well prepared and looked like little works of art on the plates.... Although an abbreviated menu selection, we found that everything we ordered was delicious and special... I think I liked the fact that it was a smaller selection because it made my decisions easy! Portion size is not overwhelmingly large, but I like that since a lot of restaurants super size the portions which, in my opinion, is not healthy. This was perfect! We selected the kale salad, octopus, skate,scallop noodles and the chicken dumpling... everything tasted delicious! We will be back!!3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMQuality of the food is excellentQuality of the food is excellent and imaginally served.2/21/2013 12:00:00 AMCreative food, innovativeCreative food, innovative flavor combinations, moderately priced wine lists with food friendly selections2/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining in Queen's VillageExcellent! Great drinks, creative cuisine, delicious desserts, subtle and tasteful decor, excellent and knowledgeable staff, and reasonably priced. All four in our party were very pleased with the experience.1/26/2013 12:00:00 AMI have eaten dinner here andI have eaten dinner here and it was outstanding...Brunch ths Sunday was good, the short rib breakfast was the best, we had toget 2 servings of the peanu buter cinammon rolls ( yummy). The bacon and sausage were great and teh biscuits with bone marrow I could eat 3x a day. The weakest link was the oysters which were tiny and shriveled (stay AWAY)1/13/2013 12:00:00 AMThe menu is very creativeThe menu is very creative and food prep is very good.1/5/2013 12:00:00 AM