Ella Kitchen & Bar
“Soft music complements a relaxed summertime vibe creating an ideal atmosphere to refuel after a day in Central Park :)”
“-Chorizos: Sizzling Argentine Sausage, Dates, Caramelized Onions, Thyme (B+).”
“Wood tables, real cloth napkins, great wine selection – this is a keeper for the UWS.”
Ella Kitchen & Bar
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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The place is cute and I LOVE their potato fries called Bravo. I'm a frequent eater in almost all high rated restaurants in NYC and these cute potato chucks are simply among the most amazing ones I tasted. I would come back just for Bravos. The meatball dish is nice too.
Food: Ok
Service: Good
Ambience: Good
I decided to stop by with my family for brunch over the weekend a few weeks back. Walked in and were seated within 5 minutes.
I was very excited about trying their food given the reviews but was left unimpressed.
Their food was just ok nothing that you can not find in thousands of other places in the city and probably cheaper. The food was not flavorful.
It was maybe due to the fact that we were ordering off the breakfast/brunch menu.
I would probably not be back to Ella's not because the experience was so horrible but because there was nothing about the experience that stands out in my mind.
Update! I'm bumping my review up to five stars because
a) I keep coming back here
b) The cocktails list is surprisingly good! Try the Camille–a gin and lime drink with muddled avocado. Can't say I've ever wanted avocado in a cocktail, but it works.
c) The soundtrack is consistently chill, with music from newish Django Django to 90s Chemical Brothers. It's loud enough to be heard and soft enough to stay in the background.
—
I've been here twice, both times for weekend breakfast or brunch, and both times I really enjoyed it. The space is bright and nicely designed, lively but not intense, and it's perfect for vegetarians (a lot of standout non-meat dishes) and eco-concious meat eaters (its meats are all pastured or grass-fed). It's also reasonably priced, especially for the neighborhood.
Menu standouts:
* The shepherd's salad is *excellent*–don't underestimate how satisfying a simple mix of tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, and feta can be.
* The guacamole tartare is way better than your average guacamole–it sits on a bed of thinly sliced cucumber, and is served mixed in with black olive tapenade, sumac, feta. It's like a bit of the Mediterranean mixed into Mexican.
* One disappointment–the chicken sandwich. Too bland, overly topped with onion, on soggy ciabatta and served beside soggy fries. Despite my description, it wasn't really that bad, it just was not as good as the rest.
Lastly, if you're curious about this restaurant's name, one of the staff explained that Ella isn't named after anyone in particular. It's more about a strong, aspirational feminine persona that the owners or designers were hoping the space would somehow express, and which is embodied by the massive, attention-grabbing black-and-white portrait on the back wall, of a reclining nude. She is Ella, or the feeling or the idea of Ella. (I think I just butchered this explanation, but just trust me that it was lovely when the fellow explained it to me today at lunch!)
Decent food and drink, not bad for a low key place in the area.
We stopped by as part of a group of 3 on a weekday evening, and we split a variety of dishes as a group, all of which were generally decent but nothing noteworthy. The mushroom croquettes and paella were decent, while the smoky brussels sprouts also had nice flavor but were a bit heavy on the oil. The wings and truffle fries were also generally good but also nothing special. It's not a place that I'd go out of my way to visit, but it's a nice place in the area for small bites and decent drink selection.
I visited Ella on a rainy Thursday evening. The inside is very cozy looking, and they have happy hour specials from the sign. The wine list was inexpensive and extensive. We ordered the brussel sprouts, patatas bravas, avocado tartare (this needed some salt as there seemed to be none, and maybe serving it with chips would be better than 3 pieces of bread), octopus, and banana bread pudding (quite delicious).
I would return to try some other options. A good neighborhood spot with attentive service.
Came here for dinner on a Saturday night and luckily sat down right away. It is a smaller place but the tables are tightly packed and waiters are hustling and bustling all over. It was also rather loud from all the talking, the music level was fine though.
I liked the decor and funky lighting. Service was awesome, very considerate and friendly. Our waitress was patient as it took us a while to decide. Ended up choosing the mushroom croquettes and the salmon entree to share. The croquettes were not large but very rich and delicious! The salmon was cooked just enough and tasted great. The salad dressing was delightful as well as the truffle risotto which I could have eaten more of!! The food did take a while to come out but it was worth the wait.
I would definitely be interested in coming back as there are a lot of good options to choose from on the menu. Great for sharing as a lot of them are tapas. They also have a brunch here that sounds good.
Mediocre in all areas. Located on a block next to many restaurants we decided to try tapas for a couples dinner. The reason we chose this spot was due to the variety of options for food. Anyone can find something to eat here which is great. Downside, food is just okay. We ordered almost half the menu and I left with not one memorable item to Return for.
Apps for table we ordered:
Guacomole tarte- lacked flavor and not worth it
Mushroom croquettes- small and ehh
Ella's empanadas- ehh, okay but not amazing
Beef empanadas- probably the best item we ate
Sliders- second best item we had
Shepard's salad- pass on it unless you love small tomatoes and cucumber because that's all it is
Potato bravo- Worst item of the menu! Potatoes were undercooked and sauce was just bad
Paella for table- we ordered the chicken and it was not good. It had a burnt after taste and overwhelming flavor of chorizo. Rice was over cooked and just not good!
Service was bad. We kept asking for water and half way through the night our server disappeared. He never came back to our table, served us our check or offered desert menu.
If it's the only place with ressies in the neighborhood try it, but it's by far not the best.
One of my favorite spots in the UWS. The food is always solid, the service is great, they have outdoor seating, and they offer happy hour. They basically offer all the things I love in restaurant.
In the fall and winter come by and try their mulled wine. So delicious and will warm you up! I would call ahead if youre kinda far as sometimes they run out.
Their tapas are tasty and filling. Well priced as well. Their wines are also delicious. You won't go wrong and the bartender is always willing to recommend something.
The ambience is great for groups, hanging out with a friend, or a date.
Def check this place out.