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    ela! Greek Taverna

    3.6 (76 reviews)
    ModerateMediterranean, Greek
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    ela! Greek Taverna Photos

    Business Info

    ELA! GREEK TAVERNA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Reviews With Photos

    Sara L.

    Not sure if owner changed or chef changed . The same saganakis I ate for years is changed . saganakis is hard like rock. No longer melting. Squid is under cook . Like rubber . I had to ask waiter to recook both . These photo are what I left on table . Had to leave empty stomach Will not come back to eat for a long while .

    the outside of the restaurant
    Nicki H.

    Really like this restaurant. The atmosphere is unique and the service is always great. While the food wasn't outstanding today, it has been many visits in the past. Multiple real looking olive trees, white tablecloths, sturdy wooden furniture and Greek music almost make you feel as though you've walked into a restaurant in Athens, rather than one in a business park in Halifax. Formally know as Opa, this restaurant has been serving up Greek specialties in Halifax for a decade and a half. Shopping in Bayers Lake with my sis and our babies, we decided to grab a quick lunch here. My mouth was watering in anticipation of something smothered in feta cheese and salty black olives. When my husband heard where we were having lunch, he jumped in the car to join us. The menu has recently been modified, so we were happy to see our favourite items were still available. I had the haddock lemonada, my sister had the maple cream chicken penne and Mike ordered the chicken Souvlaki with calamari. Hate to say it, but our food was a little disappointing. Not to the point that we didn't like it. It's just that we've all eaten there many times before and we felt the consistently was somewhat lacking. The roasted lemon potatoes were outstanding as per usual. I was very satisfied with the haddock, even though it was not how I remembered it and Mike liked everything except the calamari. My sister was the most underwhelmed with the pasta, which she loved in the past. Our server was sweet. She gave us our pick of tables - as we had arrived just before the lunch rush, brought over highchairs for the babies and was very efficient throughout the whole meal. I was pleased to see they were serving beer from Nine Locks a local brewing company located in Dartmouth. Perhaps even more cool, is that Ela! has teamed up with Java Blend, a local coffee roaster, to create their own Ela blend coffee. Love to see locals supporting locals. There's a private dining area that sits up to 35 that's great for any party. For you winos out there, the owner - Costa, a sommelier, knows his wine and provides tastings. I've been to a few and they have been outstanding. He's super knowledgable and just so damn nice. This restaurant holds a place close to my heart and although the food wasn't perfect today, we'll definitely be back soon!

    Ashlee F.

    I love Greek food!! Love it! And that is what Ela! does best; clearly, they are a Greek restaurant! From the moment you walk in the door Ela! will win you over. The décor is amazing; like my (sometimes-less-then-smart) roommate said "they really made it look like Greece in here huh?!" They have a large (fake) olive tree in the middle of the restaurant too, which he couldn't stop talking about. That being said, the décor just makes your Ela! experience that much better! We started with saganak; which is pan fried cheese flambéed at your table, served with pita bread. I ordered the souvlaki dinner. It came with one skewer of chicken, amazingly delicious lemon Greek potatoes, Greek salad and calamari with tzatziki dipping sauce. The portions were great for me, but my roommate ordered the mousaka, which he said was very tasty, but the serving with quite small. For the price I think it should have come with a Greek salad or something.

    Bethany J.

    Opa! is one of those fabulous restaurants that you have to experience at least once. The Bayer's Lake location is one of the most recent sites to open under the Opa! name. From the moment you step inside the door, you know that you're in for a special time. The restaurant is decorated as if you were eating on a Greek patio, under the spreading leaves of a large, shady tree. The service is impeccable and the dinnerware is sparkling. The menu is varied; dishes of mediterranean origin abound. Opa! sources much of the menu locally; the lamb you enjoy in your kleftico was probably raised right just down the road in the Colchester County while the beef and chicken hail from the Annapolis Valley. Opa! provides a stellar experience. Everything I've tried has been amazing - unique interpretations of classic Greek cuisine make for an interesting night out. If there is one drawback, it's that the prices are a little high - but it's definitely worth a try if only for special occcasions. Here's to you, Opa!

    Back of restaurant
    Du Preez S.

    I've been to Ela quite a few times over the years, but not really within the last two, and when I've gone before it has usually been late night dinners..so this is the first time I've ever gone during the day. I really like their menu..they keep it simple while maintaining some authenticity. I don't like foods that are overly spiced or that are too rich, so I was pleasantly surprised when the food came out very clean, fresh and not overly complicated. I've had too many experiences at Greek restaurants where I come away with sever indigestion and burping up garlic and who-knows-what for days. I had the pan fried Haddock with a side of veggies and side salad. Everything was delicious. Our waitress was very competent and responsive to our requests, and everything came out just the way we ordered. I really can't complain and would be likely to go back again.

    A beautiful chunky hummus
    Suzie R.

    We walk in and the place is quite huge and very tall with large trees that keep the guests company as they eat. There is even a long bar for people who just want to hang out and have a glass of wine in this beautifully natural light-lit environment. I had heard this was a more expensive place to go for Greek food but I was enamoured with its rustic charm juxtaposed with elegance. I felt very comfortable since both were balanced so well. We were happy to discover the lunch menu was not only available on the weekends, you can order from it until 4 pm. We shared a plate of hummus which was meaty and delicious. Emily was worried about us getting full but I knew I was only beginning to feast. My friend ordered the chicken breast riganato, a chicken breast which had been in a house marinade with oregano before beingcharbroiled. It came with a Greek salad and she ordered the potatoes. I ordered the Spanakopita lunch plate with the potatoes as well. I was intrigued that their Spanakopita came with a feta dill cream sauce which sounded like a genius idea to me. Was it ever! The pastry was perfectly baked, so crispy it shattered under my fork and then I scooped it up through the sauce and thought I had died and gone to heaven. The potatoes were absolutely perfect, roasted until they were soft on the inside but brown on the outside. You could taste the fresh lemon juice in every bite of the potato and the salad was the quintessential Greek salad. Exactly what I wanted and so much more! Not only was this one of the best Greek meals I have ever had, it may have also been one of the best meals of my life. I have eaten a lot of Spanakopita and made it myself but this was foodie bliss and those potatoes? Out of this world. My only complaint? Although the staff was very cordial and professional, they were not super friendly. Also, I would highly recommend they start heating the washrooms. They were freezing and everyone in there complained about it! We had a stunning lunch for just over $20 each and it was worth every cent. When we have a bigger budget I will be going back for dinner and dessert! I just know it will be worth the money.

    Vegetable Mousaka
    Toni J.

    I love Greek food, so I was excited to go here especially since my fellow yelpers give it pretty solid reviews. But, I was slightly disappointed. It reminded me of an Olive Garden but Greek food instead of Italian. The food was good, totally edible,but definitely not authentic. I ordered a vegetable Mousaka, it was essentially layers of eggplant and vegetables, cheese, with béchamel sauce and potatoes. It came with a Greek salad which was pretty tasty kind of a lemony Greek Italian dressing. It looks a lot like a lasagna, but totally different. Overall it was a hearty meal, but it desperately needed sauce of some sort the sauce was barely present and everything was a little dry. Overall this was just a middle of the road dining experience... Not fantastic, Not bad!

    Sitting under the "tree" waiting for my food!

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    8 months ago

    nice souvlaki lunch beautiful salad. prompt friendly service. nice modern greek decor

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    Thanos Kitchen

    Thanos Kitchen

    4.0(2 reviews)
    9.0 kmWaterfront, South End

    Delicious, flavourful food! I especially love the breakfasts. Each meal I've had has been top…read morequality. Also, it's always very friendly and fast service!

    First time trying this spot, I was in the mood for Turkish or Greek food today so I hopped on…read moreUbereats and found Thanos. I honestly haven't heard about this spot and for a place with such a large Greek community I almost feel like we are lacking in Greek options. I ordered the chicken gyro plate, but I felt it was necessary to try much of the menu. So I added a skewer of each of the chicken and pork souvlakia, and a side of pork gyro. And when I seen moussaka, an all time favourite meal from childhood I had to throw it in. Let's start with the moussaka. It was disappointing. Flavour was almost there but it barely had any eggplant, which is kinda the star of the show. I wouldn't say it was bland but could've used more salt and maybe some garnish to pretty it up. The pork gyro was pretty good, well seasoned and cooked. Only issue I have with gyro here in Halifax is that it doesn't exist. I'm used to ground lamb and pork on a spit not slices of pork. But over all tasty. The souvlaki was delicious, I would say the pork was much tastier then the chicken. The chicken was a bit dry and had a tad too much citrus flavour that over powered everything. But the pork souvlaki definitely won the show. Last and the least, the chicken gyro plate. The biggest disappointment of the meal. The salad lacked any form of dressing, it had the slightest hint of citrus. The potatoes were okay, but nothing noteworthy. The rice was good but it's almost hard to mess that up. The chicken again was seasoned well but it was a bit dry and was smothered in citrus. The tzatziki was what I like to call canadianized. Barely the taste of garlic or anything really. It was almost like just plain yogurt. The pita was sliced up and the chicken smothered in the sauce on top of the pita. If I have a next attempt I would more than likely remember get sauce on the side. Pita would've been better if it was grilled. Over all I give 2.6/5 stars. I rated it a 3 to be nice. I would try this spot again but I don't think it would be a staple. Nothing really stood out that would make me miss this place in the future.

    Bluenose II Restaurant - The lobster roll

    Bluenose II Restaurant

    3.4(163 reviews)
    8.3 kmDowntown Halifax
    $$

    I really do enjoy bluenose as my son does for the kids menu for his chicken fingers n fries or…read morespaghetti all delish and great portions I want to honestly say the steak is like no other! It's better than the Keg- yes I said it! The cut is great/ portion great/ price great - I just wish it was more consistent as sometimes it comes(during delivery order), with spice and sometimes it don't but I love the spice lol And the fettuccine Alfredo is amazing dine in or not! I order it just as is with the peppers and it's great! Plus a side Caesar salad and garlic bread you can't go wrong with the price! Btw their fish is also excellent!! Only problem is they sometimes when I order the coconut cream pie- which I adore- it can come very hard top or not- sometimes it seems days prepared or day off- keep an eye on that staff please where people are paying! But we still love ya!

    We were at the Province House and talking to a man who worked there. After some lengthy and very…read moreinformative conversations about Nova Scotia politics and history he recommended Bluenose for lunch (since I said I wanted seafood). He did say it is not a fancy place, more like a diner style, which was completely fine by me! The service was pretty prompt, efficient and friendly. My husband ordered some fish dish which he enjoyed. I ordered lobster roll which I thought was okay. I did like the toasted rolls, but felt the lobster lacked flavour. What I did love was the fried calamari! It was both crispy and moist and just loved it. I tried the Nova Scotia wine, Lightfoot & Wolfville Flora and really enjoyed it!

    Photos
    Bluenose II Restaurant
    Bluenose II Restaurant - Fish chowder

    Fish chowder

    Bluenose II Restaurant - Bread pudding

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    Bread pudding

    ela! Greek Taverna - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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