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Cafe Elena

4.3 (203 reviews)
Open 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Updated 1 week ago

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CAFE ELENA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Cafe Elena

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Crepes De Nutella

The place is really cute and has a nice vibe for brunch. The pricing is about what you'd expect for the area, but I felt like the supercharged netherland was really under seasoned and the portion sizes were slightly on the smaller side.

Elena's Specialty
Pamela Van A.

Met a friend for coffee on St Patrick's Day & ended up ordering breakfast! The manager was also offering free shots of Bailey's! I got the Irish coffee and "Elena's Specialty" which is "Two Plain Crepes filled with Russian Sweet Cheese and topped with Fresh Berries Bourbon Compote".... Amazing! Service was fantastic & food was even better. They also have a pastry case! Definitely coming back here!

Greg M.

Came in again a year latter. Failed to glance at my past review and ordered the exact same thing I had before. It was still delicious! Looks like the same boyfriend is around, as he brought us a couple of pastries mom had made. Everything was great and I would not hesitate to return...just need to try something new!

Seating area
Nadeane H.

Think about going home to see your babushka and that's what the food is like here. Yummy comfort food for us Eastern Europeans. We ordered a pot of black tea with cardamom to sip while we waited. The service is not quick but it's ok bc you know real food takes time. It's not like they weren't working, they were just busy. I had the meat dumplings; they are cooked in a salty water with onions. You must sip the bit of broth from the bottom of the bowl of dumplings. The pastry tastes homemade. The server was very friendly. She was busy but happy to chat for a couple minutes with us and she seemed genuinely happy to work here. The ambiance is clean and reminiscent of Northern European starkness but in a good way. It's all punctuated by tasting the love with which the food is made. The aromas alone made me so excited to eat that I forgot to take a picture of my dish. Next time :) My only request: Ms Elena, please think about adding pierogi to your menu.

Interested in a pot of tea?
Jeffrey B.

I don't normally give4 stars out to any place. This is my first time here. They have a nice layout with their tables and full of colors. Reminds me of Iceland restaurants. Cozy and comfortable. Started with a pot of black tea with cardamom. I decided to treat myself and order the Elena's specialty. The tea was perfect and a must try. Plus the pot it comes in was really cute. These are Russian sweet cheese crepes. Looking forward to trying them since I've not had crepes in a long time. Reading the history of this place, I learned that Elena graduated from culinary school and then went to Russia to work. She eventually came back to the United States and here she is. You can see her working the kitchen area still creating her dishes. I will say I was just a little surprised that it took a bit longer than I thought since they were not busy when we came in. But I did learn they were extremely in the morning due to the holiday. It's a fun little place to come check out. Okay, let's talk food!! After all that's the reason to come. I would definitely order the crepes again. One word "fantastic " and filling even though you get 2 long crepes with enough fruit sauce. Easy to see why Elena is successful. Great job!!! I would like to recommend putting pirogies on the menu because I am sure Elana would draw a new crowd in with that on the menu. I am recommending Cafe Elena to you too come try out.

Cannoli Pancakes
Joe F.

A friend and I went to Cafe Elena for brunch. The restaurant is unassuming on the outside but bright and vibrant inside. There are desserts for sale at the counter. We were greeted and told we could pick any open table. I started my order with the Blackberry White Mocha. The espresso drink was very sweet and smooth. There were several interesting food options on the menu, but I quickly landed on the Cannoli Italiano Pancakes. The food quickly arrived at the table. The pancakes were fluffy and the cream was very sweet. The ricotta cream and chocolate chips added to the delightful flavor. Overall this was a great experience. I want to visit again to try some other menu items.

Menu
Kent S.

Looking for some unique breakfast selections, we are happy we stumbled upon Cafe Elena. On this Friday morning, there was plenty of seating available for us. We selected the Nutella crepes and Blueberry lemon pancakes. We were more than satisfied with our selections. The pancakes had a good amount of blueberries with a delicious lemon drizzle. The crepes delivered the rich chocolatey experience you want with Nutella Crepes

Breakfast Burrito
Talor B.

Finally made it into Cafe Elena! This has been on my list for quite some time as I thought their breakfast menu was very unique and interesting. We came in around 9ish on a Saturday morning. It was busy but they were able to seat us immediately. The place was bustling lots of diners and lots of to go orders. Our server was nice - it was his first day. Now for the food. I got the breakfast burrito. Although the British breakfast looked enticing I didn't want a super heavy meal. The burrito was good with the melted cheese and sausage, I just wish it had a little more bulk to it. Maybe some peppers and onions. My son got the rainbow pancakes which he loved. Overall I'd be back maybe when I want to try one of their heavier meals.

Elizabeth Y.

Came here for the first time over the weekend with my husband. They were busy but we came at the perfect time and were able to get a table quickly. We were greeted by a server within minutes and started with beverages. We decided to share the dumplings to start and for my main meal I got the Nutella crepes. My husband got the Russian grandmother breakfast with potatoes instead of the barley side. The food came out quickly and was delicious all around! My personal favorite was the dumplings and the berry compote that came with my husband's breakfast. We look forward to going back!

1 Canolli Italiano Pancake
Rose Z.

How has this spot never popped up on my yelp before when I search breakfast? This place was SOOO good...everything prepared perfectly with decadence but also a light and airiness. My husband got a skillet (not pictured), and I got the Nova Lox and we split the Italian cannoli pancake along with the Russian dumplings. Yes, this sounds like a lot of food. Yes, it's a lot of food. No, not a single crumb was left. Everything was DAMN good. The MUST try here no matter what you get is the Italian cannoli pancake and the Russian dumplings. Don't leave without trying those. Her crepes are fantastic too. Hats off to the chef and owner and the staff because this is a my new favorite hidden gem.

Elena's Specialty
Debbie C.

We tried Cafe Elena for the first time and had an overall good experience. We ordered the All American - eggs, bacon, potatoes, oatmeal and a pancake. The eggs were good. The bacon was a little undercooked, but I like my bacon crispy. The fried potatoes were average - a little greasy and not very crispy. My husband ordered the Spanish skillet, which was very good - cooked in a cast iron pan. The star of the show was the blueberry lemon ricotta pancake, perfectly cooked and and flavors were amazing. We also ordered Elena's Specialty - crepes stuffed with sweet cheese and covered in berry compote. They were really good, but not as good as the blueberry one. The service was great, with our server checking on us often. The ambiance was fine - clean, busy and well lit. My only complaint was upon walking in, we waited about 4 minutes and no one acknowledged us. We finally walked to the bakery counter and told the employee we had reservations. Not a big deal but it seems like an easy fix with signage telling customers what to do. Overall we had a very good experience! Wish we lived closer.

we literally walked in and immediately just knew this place was going to be something. It has the family dinner feel. The decor is so cute. It reminds me of island colors scheme. the owner came to greet us and to ensure his new employee was doing well. he offered us a shot of Irish coffee liqueur for our coffee. best coffee by the way. The food was out of this world. The flavor was incredible. we even got to sample their maple syrup bacon. so good. we enjoyed every bite and every bit of this Ohio best kept secret. Can't wait to go back.

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The service was amazing, the owners were really nice and attentive the whole time. Food was great, ambiance was calm.

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The Pastry Factory - The vegan cupcakes are so good!

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First time customer, and my last time. If you're wanting to buy overpriced, tiny, stale cupcakes,…read morethis is your spot! Don't waste your money! I needed some cupcakes for a gathering, and I saw the reviews so I thought I'd give them a try. I got up early to be there when they opened so I could have a good selection. I was pretty disappointed when I got there and there weren't that many options. I was also surprised at how small they were. The decorative topping is very simple. Then, when they said they were $4 a cupcake, I was even more surprised. If I hadn't made all the trouble to get here and if I didn't really need the cupcakes, I would have gone someplace else. I thought to myself, these better taste amazing. I bought a dozen cupcakes and made sure I got at least one of each flavor. Once I got home, I dug into one, just to see how they were. Once again, I'm disappointed. They don't even taste fresh. WTH?! Now I'm regretting serving the rest of them, because what if they aren't good as well? So disappointed. I got feedback from those at my event and the consensus is these aren't good. All of the cupcakes were dry, crumbled and fell apart when you tried to eat them. What makes matters worse, the owners don't care.

Could be my favourite stop in the North Market. Not my doctor's. lol. My sister was excited to find…read morethis place. She has something going on where everything must be gluten free. Like the cupcakes she bought a dozen of and refused to share. Don't nothin' ever change? Italian creame and snickerdoodle were the rave of today. It all tastes great, too! I had the Blueberry crumble cupcake and wished I could have two. They have a lot of unique flavours but take caution some things are extremely sweet. Ask first. The young lady that waited on us was friendly and helpful. The crowd wasn't too bad, I suspect it was the crummy weather that kept all the Ohioans inside today.

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

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I have been coming to Jeni's since she first opened and High St was her only location. I love that…read moreshe started in Columbus, so even when I lived out in TX- I supported her. I do think her flavors are getting a bit much. Her originals like the goat cheese and red berries & chocolate cayenne were just so different. She has very different flavors now, but the vast majority have been bad recently. The s'more advertised marshmallow, gave ashtray. All the traditional/ not seasonal flavors taste the same.

Coco Cat - Munchie Buster Bowl

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I got to try Coco Cat Confections at the Hot Times Festival in Olde Towne East this evening. They…read morehad a cute little food truck/stand serving up some delicious treats. I walked by the stand for two days and my partner said let's get some. We both got the MUNCHIE BUSTER BOWL and it was amazing. We had different topping and was able to customize it. It was beyond delicious and simply delightful! Fresh fruit and that chocolate is amazing! It you see the stand around town you simply gotta treat yourself. You will not be disappointed.

I found this place while exploring North Market and decided to give it a try because I liked what I…read moresaw. The display of chocolates was completely mesmerizing and contained a wide variety of truffles and handmade candy bars. The shop owner was very friendly and also gave recommendations on what to try. I tried only two truffles because I was so full from all the foods I tried before: Lavender Hand Rolled Truffle: The truffle itself was very dense and rich with a strong presence of cocoa. Every bite melted in my mouth just like any good quality chocolate. What ruined this one was the lavender flavoring which was so overpowering that all I could taste was cocoa and lavender. Vietnamese Cinnamon Hand Rolled Truffle: I really enjoyed this one. The cinnamon and honey in the truffle paired perfectly with the strong cocoa flavor and the chocolate itself was very rich. If I was ever in the area again, I would probably come by to try their handmade candy bars and white chocolate items.

Happy Little Treats - Gluten free buckeyes

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When I learned my friend from VA was going to be in Ohio, i knew she had a gluten allergy and the…read morefirst thing I thought of was "man she needs to try these donuts from Happy Little Treats". I went to the original location only to learn they have now moved to a larger location. So In traveled there. Drove by it. Lol. Turned around and was happy that they now how a dedicated parking lot. No more parking meters and walking! Yay!!! I swear... donuts from here dont taste like they are gluten free nor do they taste vegan. Which is why Im obsessed with them. So want g to share this with my friend, I immediately hopped into my car and drove 20 min to grab a box of these to being to her. Knowing she was going to be with three more of my friends I decided to get two big boxes of baked goods. Poptarts, scones croissants, cookies. All vegan, some gluten free. I didnt tell anyone they were vegan. They ate every crumb. That's when I told them about the vegan part. They were each amazed. When they were in town the next weekend they even messaged me to ask for more donuts! Im telling you, this is a hidden gem of columbus. Everything there is so good

Great seating options, plenty of parking and best vegan pastries in all of Columbus! There are also…read moregluten free and vegan options for those who are interested. If you are stopping in for the first time highly recommend a croissant or danish! The baristas are super nice and knowledgeable. Can't go wrong stopping here.

Cafe Elena - cafes - Updated May 2026

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