Elise

E Ekaterina Sudakova 60 reviews · Local Guide 5 July 2026

I was really excited to try Elise because I love chef Craig's first venture - Lyla Lila. The bar was set high and, unfortunately, Elise fell below the mark for us. To start off with the positive: the atmosphere and design of the space is fabulous. The service was attentive in some respects (menu descriptions, bite-checks etc.) and lacking in others. We had a birthday reservation and although it was verbally acknowledged, an opportunity to create a wow moment was missed with the dessert (which we ended up having in at a different restaurant). As for the food, it sounded better than it tasted. It was good but not great, and definitely not the caliber we expected from our past experiences at Lyla Lila. For example, we have never had a bad pasta dish at LL, but here both were very oily/greasy. We were further disappointed about the Sunday menu: we were informed at the table that for Sunday service they offer a 'greatest hits' menu of their best-selling lunch and dinner dishes. In theory, it's a cute concept. However, I wish this was mentioned when we made our reservation. We had specifically chosen this restaurant for the occasion because the birthday girl spotted some dishes she was excited to try (that were not available on the greatest hits menu). Overall, our experience wasn't bad but left a lot to be desired. I know Sunday dinners tend to be overlooked in the industry, so I wonder if a busier day would deliver better quality.

J John Fuente 50 reviews · Local Guide 22 June 2026

Staffing and operating a restaurant like Elise is a high wire act. It has to flex between a special event space, pre-show demands, and compete with single focus operators in the area simultaneously. Elise does it all really well. The menu and execution are wonderful. We had a Niçoise Salad and the Linguini with Shrimp and calabrian chiles. Both were different. We each tried a different NA cocktail and they were excellent. Other reviews mention inattentive service; our server Frank was great. Nice pacing, great recommendations and proactive throughout the meal. We’ve been twice and we’ll definitely return regularly. Makes catching a show at Woodruff easy and is not your typical “museum fare.” Check it out. It’s worth the time and your stomach will thank you.

M Marcelo Caraballo 34 reviews · Local Guide 10 May 2026

Food is great and it is so convenient if you are going for the symphony. On this occasion, we had dinner in another restaurant but came for a dessert at the bar here. My wife ordered wife and I was not drinking, so I ordered water. Immediately the service attitude bubbled up to the surface. Got the mousse, delicious btw, and no napkins or anything not really even a follow up for anything. Could not be bothered. I finally asked for a couple of napkins, and he reach below the bar and threw them on the bar next to the plate. Honestly, I didn’t say anything as I was actually embarrassed for him, and for your restaurant. Not what I expect.

A Andrea Benitez 52 reviews · Local Guide 7 May 2026

Went for our anniversary lunch, and was very happy with the food & service! Chef Craig has another great restaurant besides Lyla Lila. Service at Elise was great and we thoroughly enjoyed the food. The pea soup was honestly a favorite app as well as the butter that came with the sourdough bread. Highly recommend.

T Thu Doan 86 reviews · Local Guide 27 February 2026

First time dining here, so we parked at Colony Square and walked to the restaurant. We used Google Maps and didn’t realize the restaurant is located right inside the High Museum of Art area. Parking around this area is always expensive and hectic, especially on weekends. The place definitely has an “old money” aesthetic with velvet seating, curtains, and white tablecloths. Their logo and menu are also very well designed. We made reservations in advance for a birthday dinner. Somehow, the receptionist took quite a while to find our reservation, and even after we were halfway inside, he stopped us again and asked us to wait while he double-checked. Aside from that small hiccup at the beginning, everything else was good. The highlight of my experience was definitely our server, Luke. She was very knowledgeable about the menu, super friendly, attentive, and thoughtful. She made sure I had a good birthday experience by offering to remake my mocktail when she noticed I didn’t enjoy the honey syrup in it, even though I was too shy to ask for a change myself. We ordered: - Sourdough and Cornbread: not complimentary, this is a menu item by itself, and it tasted good. - Smoked oysters: The oysters were fresh with no shell fragments, and they tasted good. - Anchovies & sherry butter: The anchovies were a bit too salty and sour for my taste, and the bread was slightly soggy instead of toasty and crisp. This dish didn’t suit my preference. If you’ve ever had Thai canned sardines in tomato sauce, the anchovies tasted similar, just without the tomato sauce. - Steelhead trout: The fish itself was good, but I wasn’t a fan of the black-eyed pea sauce. The caviar was mixed in, so I couldn’t really taste it either. This was my second time having steelhead trout, and it really looks a lot like salmon. - Roast chicken: A solid roast chicken, simple and well done. - Chocolate mousse: The mousse itself was good, but it had za’atar on top, which tasted like black pepper to me. It gave the chocolate a slightly strange flavor, not bad, just not our preference. If we had known beforehand, we probably wouldn’t have ordered it. - Lemon tart: I liked the meringue, but the tart filling was a bit too sour for me. The flavor itself was good; I’m just not very used to strongly lemon-forward desserts. The savory food was good, but the desserts were a bit of a miss for us. Luke kindly offered to replace the dessert, but we were already planning to leave. Overall, it was a lovely experience. Highly recommended.