Wowee! Who deserves more blame, the American palate or the Americanization of Greek cuisine? I shouldn't even use the word cuisine in association with Avli. To all the people who think this is a great representation of Greek food or that Avli, "transported you to Athens," get a grip. This place spits out bastardized versions of the "classics." You have no clue what you are talking about... read more

I made a reservation for this place like a month before for my girlfriends birthday party on a Saturday night around 8pm. I knew I wanted to make the reservation in advance since she had a party of 14 so I really wanted them to accommodate us especially in their much talked about outdoor patio. It really is a spectacular atmosphere outside, you should seriously come here alone for it. I really really enjoyed it and the weather was perfect on a summer evening here. So they seriously get 3 stars alone for that outdoor patio as I would come here just to sit outside. Now let's get to everything else. The person I made the reservation was very friendly, the hostess who greeted us, was also friendly. Our server through the night, also super friendly so they definitely get a point for that. However, I wouldn't say I loved the customer service as some things didn't exactly impress us. We ordered a bunch of the grilled octopus appetizers, and the server didn't mention to us that it came in a small and a large and I wish we gotten the small since I didn't love it here to be honest. It was missing the lemon zest I usually prefer from a greek grilled octopus. And the small portion is $12 compared to the large $17. We wouldn't have gotten as many if we knew we would be getting the large portion. Anyways, I would pass on that in general. I did love the taramasalata spread for $6 with fresh and warm pita bread, I had so much of that which really filled me up and I wasn't hungry anymore. It was that good, they definitely did that right. My husband ordered the gyros for his entree and I ordered the lamb burger on a chibiata bread with zucchini crisps. I tried some of his gyros and they were way too much on the salty side for me. I thought my burger was pretty good, it came with this spicy aoli sauce that went well but like I said I took a few bites because I was already super full. Since it was a birthday we did bring our own cake so we didn't get to try any of theres. So overall, we had a very nice time. The server was a little off at times and didn't really want to split our bill because we had quite a few people, but overall he was friendly and attempted to make conversation with us so that's always nice. I wouldn't say I loved the food, minus that taramasalata spread, felt it was okay but overall given their perfect atmosphere I think I'll be back for tons of wine and spreads next time. read more

We arrived right on time for our reservations. They asked if they could seat us in the outdoor area and I said NO, but they seated us there anyway. It was November and the temperature was a little chilly. We were the only people in the room. As we sat down and waited for our drinks, the waiter and two other employee's got into an argument with raised voices and speaking in greek, no pun. This loud discussion went on for about 8-9 minutes and by the time the waiter came back with a menu, my stomach was in knots. We decided to order appetizers and leave. I ordered the calamari --FRIED. When it came, it was STEAMED and so was I. I really just wanted to take it to go, which is what I did, because my companion had already finished theirs. After I paid the bill, I thought that the owner or manager might want to know about our experience. On my way out, I did just that. Should have saved my breath. Arrogance can kill a restaurant faster than anything. read more

Best Greek food ever?!? I guess that's true if you consider yourself a connoisseur of Greek food because you once had a gyros at Al's Italian Beef. If not for cute atmosphere and accommodating service, I'd have given Avli one star because the food is so inferior to anything my Greek mother and other Greek relatives have ever put on the table. - Lamb shank was tough and barely seasoned. It came with lima beans that had no hint of the traditional Greek seasonings, only tomato. - The decent flavor of the meat sauce that accompanied the macaroni was marred by burnt meat. Even the kidlets said it tasted bad. - Pastichio is typically one of my favorite Greek entrees, but Avli's version was off and just plain gross. It was a mushy mess of pasta and bechamel sauce overpowered by what seemed to be fennel, which should never be part of this dish. Mom frowned and deemed it "worst pastichio ever". - Saganaki was dry, poorly flavored and not flaming. The only passable selections that I sampled were the Greek village salad, which was very fresh and prepared in the traditional style with a generous amount of feta, and the "choklava"...although truth be told I really would have preferred traditional baklava. As a previous reviewer suggested, save your money and go downtown to Greektown for the real thing if you know and crave Greek food. Avli falls short. read more

I held our organization's annual Meet & Greet here last night. We had appetizers and Cash bar. The room held 75 people no problem. They set it up so it flowed well for mingling. The staff at Avli was outstanding. We have found a home.for this event. Thank you Avli for a magnificent job. read more

Avli is a neighborhood gem. I have introduced dozens of people to Avli over the last few years. The gyros is wonderful and the fish of the day is usually a whole prepared fish and is spectacular. Generous drinks and wonderful ambience. In the summer definitely sit on the patio read more

I'm upset that there are so many reviews for Avli, because so many good reviews means longer waits ! Avli is HANDS DOWN, the BEST Greek Restaurant in the North Shore. Excellent quality, excellent staff & service. The calamari is outstanding, excellent wine selection, the list goes on. read more

C and I met Adam and Marge for dinner here last Saturday. The weather was ideal for it, so we dined on the patio. The food and service were excellent and the ambiance very nice. The server was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. The only odd thing was that he described the broiled fish special as sea bass. When he delivered the fish, which he and another server de-boned seconds before placing the fish on the table, he announced, "You will see ... it's better than sea bass." He scurried off and we didn't ask. Fortunately, the fish was very tasty, no matter the species. Still, it would be nice to know exactly what one is ordering. The only negative is that Yelp indicates that this restaurant is $$. It is not. It is $$$. The four of us had the following: 2 house salads 2 broiled fish specials 2 shrimp/octopus/calamari dish two deserts one bottle of inexpensive white wine $32) 2 glasses of house red wine Total with a 17% tip: $220 (which =$$$) We have been here before and will likely return, but it's more expensive than you might plan on. Whoppa! read more

Great location and decor. Great Greek food and a good selection if Greek wines. Excellent service!

Love Avli!! The food is incredible and the service is wonderful. We are so happy to have this wonderful restaurant in Winnetka. : )

Five stars I love this restaurant but have never taken the time to write a review. Yesterday I tried Avli's Rotisserie and brought dinner home for the family. Wow. We were really impressed. So often good food doesn't travel well. But the Burkeshire pork shoulder sandwich on freshly baked ciabatta bread was absolutely The best sandwich I have eaten all year. I wasn't even listening when I was told how it was slow cooked for so many hours but boy when I got it home and bit into it, it blew me away. We also went crazy for the homemade mac & cheese. And loved the arugula and apple salad. Can't wait to go back next week for seconds read more

My wife and I saw a review for this place on the hungry hound. We were not dissapointed. We started with the zuchini chips and the eggplant/feta/tzatziki dip. All were excellent, including the garlic dip served with the zuchini chips. Not too much garlic but enought to get the flavor. We enjoyed the dips so much that we decided to forgo the entrees and order more appetizers. The flatbread and leek filled pitas were great. We added the baked shrimp and finished with the choclava. Both were just as good as we hoped. The service that we got from our server (Nikko) was fantastic. We are looking forward to our next visit to this beautiful restaurant. read more

Last visit was a low point for this restaurant. The service on a fairly slow evening was inattentive. The soup course was fine, but the Saganaki was extremely under cooked and tough. It was sent back and a suitable replacement was served. My wife had the whole Sea Bass which was not presented at the table before being butchered in the filleting process. My shrimp with tomato and feta was obviously a reheated leftover, black in color and inedible. The bread was even stale. Avli is a local destination for us, but it will be a long time before we give them another opportunity to win us back. read more

If you live in the city of Chicago with a few blocks of Greek restaurants, why travel all the way to Winnetka for a meal? That's what I thought too. But AE is fantastic. Takes Greek food to a whole new level. Traditional food with a bit of flair. Terrific service, pretty space, and great for families. Loved it and will be back. read more

Family took us here while we were visiting from out of town. The restaurant had the perfect atmosphere for a cold December night: dark and cozy with a combination between a modern industrial feel and an old world Mediterranean feel. It worked for me! They sat our fairly large group right next to the fireplace, which felt wonderful. Everyone loved their food. Some of the things we ordered were the baby lamb chops, the gyros, the lemon soup, the scallops, the orzo, and the bruschetta. Everything was delicious. The staff happily split the food for those of us who shared. We would definitely return! read more

Does not give Greek food a good rap. I've dined here on a few occasions mainly for the convenience of it being a block from my house, however, I won't be returning. The food is consistently over-salted and under-cooked. They could easily get so many things right if they negated the sodium overload and used a meat thermometer. read more

If you're reading this looking for a place to eat. Order the flaming cheese (Saganaki). Perhaps most flavorful thing I've ever eaten.

I was introduced to this gem through friends and absolutely love it! Everything is fresh and flavorful, so delicious. I crave the cucumber, tomato and feta salad. The chicken kabobs and gyros are fabulous. Highly recommend for a fabulous, Greek meal. read more

Avli opened a second, more casual restaurant in The Laundry, called Avli Restaurant and Rotisserie. It is on Chestnut Street immediately inside. They serve free range chicken, Berkshire pork roast, good-looking vegetarian eggplant zucchini, delicious sides and a scrumptious grass-fed, homemade gyros. The gyros is beef and lamb, made on site and is delicious! It is tender, mouthwatering, expertly seasoned, flavorful and the best I've ever had...and I have eaten gyros for more years than I care to admit. The gyros is sliced thin so it is easy to eat and, probably, is what makes so tender. I cannot recommend it enough! The pita is the thick enough to hold up to deliciously juicy filling but not so thick that it is unpleasant and hard to eat. I got my gyros with red onions that were just enough firm enough and a tanginess to further elevate the gyros. The french fries look terrific but the sandwich was more than I could finish. If you want a delicious, reasonably priced satisfying casual meal, come to Avli Rotisserie & Restaurant! read more

Just moved to the area, great restaurant and great find. The Greek dishes were amazing brought me back to my study abroad days in Greece. My neighbors have highly recommend a few things in Winnetka but they were spot on with Avli! Service was a bit Forced our waiter seemed to have plans and wanted to leave and we felt a bit rushed. However the wine list was nice,of course the Fan favorites of the public were on the list, we he plenty of unknowns to try which I truly enjoyed. Avli has my business hands down thus far my fist location in which didn't have the "North Shore Air" of many other establishments I've found. Look forward to my next visits to Avli to try some cocktails that all looked amazing. read more

Bar far my favorite sit down Greek place. The food has always been delicious and the service friendly and accommodating. The gyros are delectable the meat is seasoned well, the tomatoes are always fresh and the pita warm and soft. My favorite side is the fried zucchini. Lightly fried, good flavor and the potato hummus with it has a great flavor. They will always bring you more pita to enjoy all the food on the table. Servings are pretty big too and I always end up bringing some home for the next day. Overall a great restaurant that keeps me coming back to try everything on the menu. read more

Really good experience. Food, service, atmosphere were all great. Very reasonable and extensive Greek wine list. Pita's and 3 dips (eggplant, garlic and cucumber) was an excellent eppetizer. Egg lemon and navy bean soups were perfect. Sea bass and mini rack of lamb were perfectly cooked. Cholava was just okay. Very romantic restaurant. Definite will return in warm weather to dine on the patio. Maybe even go back sooner for brunch. read more

We decided to eat here because it was on our way home from work. The atmosphere was OK, the wonderful thing was the yummy smell of the food when you walk in. The food was good but the service stunk. We had a waiter whose English was difficult to understand, made worse by the loudness of the place. For the price, I would not go back. read more

Man, this place rocks. We sat in the garden, breezy , in the shade. Great service,quick, helpful with the menu. My wife ordered the best pasticio I have ever had. I wanted something different than what is normally order at a Greek resto so I had the pulled lamb Sammy with Greek fries. Excellent! Can't wait to come back. read more

I just wanted to add a note, that on my previous review, I was reviewing their lunch pricing and options. I love this place for lunch, and only like it for dinner. Dinner prices are a bit higher, still reasonable for what you get, but not a bargain like their lunch pricing. I also liked the lunch options a bit more. read more

Horrible take out experience!! Did not get my complete order. Called to let them know. I was questioned if I was sure I did not get my complete order. I was told they would deliver the rest of my order. It was never delivered. I called again and again was questioned if I was sure I did not receive my entire order. $60 order for lettuce. DO NOT CARRY OUT FROM THEM. No customer service. No apology. No family dinner. read more

Avli is a great dinner option, especially since there is very little greek food around Winnetka. The appetizers are very good, especially the zucchini chips and chargrilled octopus. I would not recommend the egg-lemon soup, there are much better things worth trying. For dinner, I love the skewers, especially the shrimp. They are always grilled and seasoned to perfection. The lamb burger is great, another example of their great grilling and comes with a spicy red pepper spread that is amazing. Gyros are very yummy, and well above the typical greasy kind you can get at other places. If you are a seafood lover, the poseidon plate is a great option and good for sharing. Especially lovely on summer days/nights, great outside seating area! Its always nice to support local restaurants and avli is definitely worth a visit! read more

Great food , Great Service, Hard to find.... It is located inside of a strip mall type deal. Food was so good, so well worth looking for .

My wife and I recently discovered Avli when looking for a late night dinner in August. We have been back 3 times since and recently brought friends from the city who are very particular about their Greek food. The authentic Greek dishes range from very good to excellent. If Vegetarian, their are enough options to fill your belly. There are also some non-conventional choices that my wife has enjoyed. The service has generally been very good. Please note that, as previously mentioned, Avli is more a $$$ than $$. read more

Tried it for the first time last night on my birthday. It was great. We did not need the reservation we made. I had a small draft craft beer, my wife a cocktail. We shared a saganaki and greek salad The bread was good. I had a beef rib and pasta entrée (not on the current Yelp menu), my wife had an eggplant dish. They were superb and we each took half home. For dessert we split a Choclava, their take on baklava. It was the best dessert I can remember for a long time. The "birthday" cheesecake with candle was good too. The waitstaff was attentive and timed things exactly right. Our water glasses were always full. When I saw that the total check before taxes and tip was only $78, I was amazed. I suppose that on a full night, it could be noisy. The seats aren't especially comfortable, but not uncomfortable. There are table cloths and napkins with nice candles on the tables. I really had to search to find these possible negatives! read more

We had a delicious dinner at Avli Estiatorio last night for Mother's Day. Our waiter, Enrique, was attentive and helpful with suggestions. The environment is very pleasant and parking is plentiful and free in this tasteful, upscale shopping district in Winnetka. The restaurant is in a kind of mall so it wasn't instantly apparent where we were headed but we found it soon enough. I will confess that the avgolemono soup was somewhat disappointing; it lacked the traditional strong chicken flavor I've grown accustomed to both at other Greek restaurants and in my own recipe. The saganaki, on the other hand, was the best we'd ever had. I enjoyed a light and refreshing Greek beer called Mythos at Enrique's recommendation and, later, a delicious Greek Pinot Noir with my medium-rare lamb chops. Other dishes we enjoyed included the grilled octopus, the seafood orzo, the "gigantes" (beans with feta and tomato), and "horta" (sautéed dandelions). We look forward to returning again and again. Opa! read more

I have eaten here twice. Both time my meal was very good. Good place for greek food in the area. Very nice atmosphere as well, especially the outside seating. Service was good. read more

So I came to this place for dinner. It was 5:30 and there wasn't a single person there. Hmm, I wonder why. Maybe because the food sucks. I didn't like my meal here... at all. I started with saganaki. Not the best I've had. The dressing in the greek salad was bland and there wasn't enough of it. The grilled octopus was overcooked. I got the chicken riganati for my entree and it was bland. Really really bland. Chicken was also dry. Service wasn't that great so from now on I'm only going to Psistaria and Greek Islands for greek food and those are the only places I will ever go to. read more

Came here on advice of our son who lives in the area...and on the heels of a month in the Greek islands...the Mousaka at Avli surpasses ALL expectations; also recommending the Shrimp Ouzeri, zucchini chips and can't pass up the saganaki! We can't wait to come back!! read more

I love this place! Excellent food! Their specials are always AMAZING! Went there last night and had a short rib pasta dish.... To die for!

We liked it there. The place was quite loud, and we even had a relatively late reservation (for the suburbs) at 8pm. I found the service to be solid. I really enjoyed my food. I had rack of lamb, which was great, but for $28, it should be good. The appetizers were excellent. We liked the grilled octopus, fried zucchini chips, and the various spreads. Definitely worth a visit. read more

The food is great here! However last night service was missing. Seated a half hour after reservation, bar was too full to get a drink...the hostess even told us that. Time is going by and we are getting pissed, I suggested to her she should offer to get us a drink. They could not think of that themselves. We got the drink when we sat down, while we waited she brought us some pita with a very gross dip. This place serves amazing food, but needs more polish. Even in the dining room we got very minimal service. read more

Good, Upscale Greek. I've been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. Most of the dishes were very good. My wife had a fish for dinner that was outstanding. The flatbreads have also been good. The fried smelts were a disappointment. read more

The hardest part was finding the place but once we did, everything went uphill from there. Great selection of Greek wines, menu was simple but had a good variety of choices. I had the octopus which was excellent and had a nice sweet aftertaste and wasn't too heavy. The atmosphere was nice as well given the coziness of the fireplace, the nice decor, and the friendly staff (the owner came up to our table on multiple occasions to see how we were doing and just to talk). Highly recommend to everyone. read more

This was our first visit to Avil and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Service by Samson was excellent and we had our first introduction to Greek wines, which they serve exclusively- just go with the flow. Contrary to past experiences we enjoyed the wine recommendations that we received. Excellent octopus appetizer which was grilled with onions and balsamic vinegar. Same for the "Greek pizza"- Piaaz Avil. Lamb chops at $18 were a great value. I enjoyed the lamb stew special and the bread pudding dessert was the best I've ever had. I would stay away from the steak. Lively atmosphere and something different in the area for a change. It's in the Laundry Mall and occupies a space that has been inhabited by numerous other restaurants. I hope these guys stick around for awhile and can endure the fickleness of the North Shore. read more