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

We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon as we were craving some Greek food while we were in Halifax. Since Athens on Quinpool Rd closed and Opa in downtown Halifax closed there are not many good options for Greek and we held out high hopes of ela! Greek Taverna. ela! has a nice authentic Greek ambiance and the servers were pleasant and just attentive enough. But the food let us down for quantity and price. The three of us always like a variety so often order Appetizer platters when they are offered. The ela! website shows the Menu and the appy platter is listed as $60. The platter we received was priced at $75 and while it says is feeds 4 there were only two of each item so someone went without or two people had to share. For $75.......come on. A tad over priced. The appy platter also was filled in the middle with french fries, not Roasted Greek Potatoes like I would expect in a Greek Restaurant. Nary a single Roasted Greek Potato to be seen. A side of Saganaki is always required but a smallish piece of melty cheese for $20!!! Way over the top price for what you get. I realize food prices went up during covid but instead of bring them back down where they should be, all restaurants are holding the high prices. ela! has decent food but they are way over priced for amount you actually get. Greek food is very easy to cook at home so we will not be back. read more

We had eaten several times at the Dartmouth location, which was decent. However, my wife and I think the Halifax Bayers Lake location is far superior in terms of the taste of the food. Perhaps they have better chefs or don't cut corners and use inferior ingredients. We were surprised at how good the food here was, given that we were used to the Dartmouth location. We also were very pleased with our server, Cynthia. She was very welcoming, attentive, and helpful. read more

Went to Ela restaurant at the Dartmouth Crossing last night for our anniversary dinner. Service was great! I give 5/5 for service. However, I find this restaurant to be over priced for what you get. For example, shawarma which is basically a sandwich, one potato, and I have had way better lemon potatoes, and a handful of salad is what you get for just under $30. If you choose the rice instead of the potato, it is just plain white rice, no effort put into it at all. The Kopansti was good but the meal was mediocre at best, certainly not worth what we ended up paying. The chicken was okay but the salad had pieces of black (rotted) lettuce in it. On a positive note, they gave us a brownie to share because it was our anniversary and that was good. read more

Came here last summer and we got great Greek food, efficient and friendly service, and clean, beautiful surroundings. Exactly what I want in a Greek restaurant. Prices were not the lowest we've seen for a comparable Greek restaurant, but we haven't figured out if this is because of the pandemic, or just the way it is. read more

I enjoyed the food immensely. It was a good portion, so much so that I took some home with me. I also enjoyed the atmosphere. We missed the lunch time crowd!! read more

We were looking for a private room to host about 30 people for a very special graduation party and ELA was the perfect spot. Amy and the team were SO easy to work with. We selected their 3 course set menu and they were very accommodating for our guests with special dietary considerations. They ensured we had everything we needed from beginning to end. The food was fantastic, the service exceptional and we didn't have to worry about a thing. They even provided take away boxes so our guests could enjoy their leftovers the next day. Everyone in attendance agreed it was an amazing evening and they were effusive in their praise for ELA! Thank YOU so much for making Liz's first ever graduation party (at age 76) so memorable! read more

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 . read more

ela! Greek Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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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! read more

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We had dinner there tonight with old friends. We try new places about every five weeks. The only thing this place has going for it is the ambience. The food was very disappointing. For the quality of the food it is priced like a high end restaurant as opposed to a mall taverna. For a starter, I ordered the halloumi appetizer. Three pieces of fried cheese with a teaspoon of sweet chopped beets for $18. The halloumi I purchase at Costco (prob the same as them) for $12.99 would have made at least ten of these appetizer plates. For my main, I chose the mushroom ravioli. First disappointment. The portion size was more like an appetizer. The pasta was undercooked, nowhere near al dente, basically half raw. Also, it was under seasoned. For $28 I really felt I was fleeced. My friend had calamari to start. Chewy (which no one wants) and again under seasoned. The pan fried haddock had some flavour at the thinner edge and quickly disappeared as you got further in. The lemon potatoes were mushy and a tad bitter. I just wasted $125. So unhappy! read more

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. read more

ela! Greek Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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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! read more

ela! Greek Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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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. read more

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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. read more

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Loved it.. Went there for dinner with friends everything was great! Food atmosphere and service! We had the feta stuffed chicken.. And pastasini in addition to the Grilled Halloumi Cheese and calamari Even the water bottles looked great! Love it and will definitely go there again.. read more

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! read more

ela! Greek Taverna - Vegetable Mousaka - Mediterranean Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

I've always had a good meal at Ela's. Being a vegetarian, there are numerous excellent options. Everyone gets their delicious fresh bread served with their herb infused olive oil dip. They are good about bringing you more bread of you want! For starters try the Mediterranean Trio ($12) which includes three dips (highly recommend the kopanisti, which is outstanding, and while the tzatziki is good, I have had better hummus elsewhere) served with generous portions of pita wedges. The entrees include several excellent vegetarian options such as the veg moussaka, the ratatouille and the stuffed green peppers and tomato (?temisti). If you're there for lunch, their thin crust pizzas are amazing, baked in a wood fired oven right in front of you. Ask for their lemon potatoes on the side for any entree. So good! I can't say I have ever tried their desserts because I am usually much too full by this time. The decor with stucco walls and a very Greek sensibility are an added touch. The always friendly service is a welcome bonus. Highly recommend Ela's! read more

ela! Greek Taverna - Sitting under the "tree" waiting for my food! - Mediterranean Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

The lemon roast potatoes have changed. Nothing lemon about them anymore. The service was excellent! Very friendly and accommodating but the food is not what it was. Three of us had the haddock with lemon roast potatoes and one had the chicken souvlaki with fries which was good. read more

Just so that we're clear, I hate Bayers Lake. I hate driving there, I hate being there, I hate even thinking about it on a purely geographical level. From the traffic planning that I can only assume was done drunk as a joke, to the stores that no one wanted that were then made ten times the size they should have been, there are next to no redeeming qualities about the big BL. But...if there were one, it would be Ela. Back when I was a slave to The Man (I kid...I just worked for A man, not THE man and I was hardly a slave, I just like dramatics) in Bedford, running over to what most of us still know as Opa would be pretty much the best treat you could give me after a particularly good (or bad) client meeting. Yes, it's right in the middle of hell on earth, but once you step inside you can forget all of that. The bright, open space isn't as quite as whimsical as the downtown location but it's still enough to help you exhale away your stresses in what feels like a Mediterranean piazza with tiled mosaics and beautiful touches everywhere you look. Frankly, the place looks like the kind where I can't actually afford lunch...but that's where things get even better. A slew of lunchtime specials run between $10-14 and easily land you enough food for the noon-hour and a mid-afternoon snack-and-a-half that will have your colleagues bum rushing your cubicle. And even though that sounds dirty, it's not. It's just the power of feta cheese. The spanakopita plate is fantastic (obvi), but I'd recommend you go with the glorious falafel pita that basically takes all that's good and nice in the world, wraps it up in a soft, chewy wrap, and slaps it down next to only the freshest Greek salad and lemon-roasted potatoes. Give. That. To. Me. Now. Right? Despite the bargain prices, the service remains high end as they make sure you have absolutely everything you need, allowing you to relax over a glass of wine, or getting you back out the door and on the way to the office in 45 minutes depending on what you need that particular day. read more

Mmmm, Greek food....! When my husband suggested we head to Ela for my birthday dinner I was thrilled. I love me some delicious Greek food and I knew the place wouldn't be too busy on a Thursday. So, after we bundled in many, many layers to brave the -22 weather, we headed out. I was right, Ela was not busy and we were seated at a little table for two near the entrance but off to the side enough that we had some privacy. (FYI: The tables are low, my tall husband kept hitting his legs on it and could have just lifted it right off the ground if he wanted. Erp!) The service at Ela is always good. They are quick, courteous and always helpful with the menu. Hubs ordered a ravioli (at a Greek place?!) and I got the stuffed chicken. His pasta was AWESOME! Lots of cheese and spinach and a great roasted red pepper and tomato sauce. My stuffed chicken was just as awesome - lots of spinach in the chicken and a perfect amount of sauce on top. My salad, I opted for that instead of seasonal veggies, was perfect and absolutely delicious. My one complaint with the meal was my lemon potatoes - they were cold and mushy and just generally not great. We finished off with a new chocolate cake they have. Be warned it's RICH, very rich. But delicious. The bill came to about $60 for both of us, not bad considering we both got a large meal and dessert! Great birthday dinner to start off a great new year! read more

Of all of my restaurant reviews I've ever written I have never felt as ripped off as I do right now after eating here. Had high hopes for this place due to the striking reviews but I am clearly quite disappointed. Came here tonight with my boyfriend and ordered the Parmesan mushroom dip, he got the chicken souvlaki skewer and I got the stuffed chicken with saffron cream sauce. The highlight of the meal was the bread and the garlic infused oil they served with it, it was great. That's where the good ended. My Parmesan mushroom dip was meh at best. Bland and the texture was gross. Definitely nothing to write home about. The chicken had the option of being served with rice, potatoes or fries. I went with potatoes and my boyfriend went with fries. Seasoning on the potatoes was nice, but they were literally drenched in oil and consisted of 90% of the meal. The chicken was gross. It was a tiny tiny piece of chicken. The delicious sounding saffron cream sauce was bland and the chicken was dry, there was almost no stuffing in it, I had to dig around to look for it. I ate two bites and set it aside. My boyfriends chicken tasted fine, but he felt ripped off as the skewers were so small he walked out of there still hungry. He said half his fries were raw in the middle. His plate was about 70% salad. The worst part was the meal was $72!!! Insane! I stopped off at a&w on the way back. The service was fine, the atmosphere was fine. So really I'd probably give them a 2 star review, but I feel so so ripped off!!! read more

I.love.greek.food Just thought that should be made clear, so when my friends picked me up from work asking where I wanted to go to eat, I yelled out ela! I usually head down to the Argyle St location but this time we made the trek to Bayers Lake and I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with this location compared to the downtown one. This location has more seating - bonus - but like everything in Bayers Lake, it's more boxy and lacks the character that the downtown location has. I overlooked this because I was so hungry and excited for some food... until I had the potatoes. I really don't remember the potatoes being that tomatoey (is that even a word?). There was something off about them and it wasn't just me, the others I was dining with had the same opinion. Besides these two flaws, the rest of the meal was AMAZING! I love the olive oil and bread they bring out as you wait for your meal, the chicken simply melts in your mouth, their wine selection is always great (skipped wine this time, but it's usually part of the meal at ela) and the service is superb. I gave this a 4 out of 5 stars simply because my love for Greek food could not bring me to giving it a 3 and because of the potatoes and lack of real character (plenty of big-box-fake character if you like that sort of thing), I couldn't give it a 5. read more

I have been going to Ela (called OPA back then) for about 8 years now. Some of my favourite items on the menu have disappeared, but they have been replaced with dishes that are just as nice. The food is simply delicious. Each visit left me satisfied. Waiting staff is getting friendlier each year. I always start with the kopanisti dip and then move on to take a few minutes to miss their 'lamb kleftico' which they have removed from the menu :( This is definitely one of my favourite places to have a meal at. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a good time. (I wish they were consistent in giving the complimentary bread and dip to every table without delay) read more

When I first heard that my beloved Opa (OK OK, Ela...but it was Opa back then) had opened another location in Bayer's Lake, I was disgusted. I'm a downtown girl through and through, and the idea of one of my favorite restaurants being BLIP-ified felt like a travesty. And then I got a job in Clayton Park. Suddenly, I found myself saying "Do you want to go to Opa for lunch? I'd do anything for some complimentary bread, stuffed mushrooms and spanakopita." or "Doesn't today feel like a chicken souvalki pita day?" And wouldn't you know it, with that I was on board with the Bayer's Lake Opa. The atmosphere is lovely - it's spacious and well-decorated, so I can actually *almost* forget that I'm in the most rage-inducing industrial park in the world. The service has always been great, and the food is on a par with the downtown location. read more

I've been to the downtown location several times and have always enjoyed my meal. I try to avoid the BLIP like the plague, but I found myself roped in to an impromptu trip to here for a lunchtime client meeting/ biz lunch. Service was fantastic- not too all up in our face, but she cracked a joke at the expense of a co-worker which was a good way to break the ice with the table. From there we had just the perfect amount of interaction. Food was freaking delicious- super fresh, super flavourful. Can you really go wrong with any meal that starts with olives and flaming cheese as a appetizer? The answer is no my friends. read more

I like ela. I've been here quite a few times so I thought it was time to send a review. We went on a Sunday night, early 5:00 because a bunch from our table were catching a flick. I hadn't been in the evening for awhile so I had forgotten what it was like. I arrived late so my order was received after the others had ordered. High points for having mine ready at the same time as the rest of the meals. We started with some grilled bread and seasoned oil. It was very salty and lemony tonight. I still liked it but some from our table did not. My cousin ordered some hummus. It was okay but I found it a little on the bland side tonight, it could have done with a little more lemon and garlic. Maybe should have tossed some of the oil into it. My other cousin ordered some saganaki to share. Flaming cheezus it was good. Then it was on to mains. I had the chicken souvlaki. it was good and tender as usual. I really like the tsatziki, very flavourful. The greek salad was tasty as always and the greek potatoes would melt in your mouth. No desserts tonight, no time. If you like good Greek food I think this is my favourite for it in Halifax. There are several locations and the food is usually consistent across the board. I have had the briam, the moussaka, the pastitsio, the stuffed peppers, the calamari, the loukaniko, the stuffed chicken and the shwarma here. I have never had a meal that I didn't like. If you go with a group, try a platter between you so you get to try a bit of everything. I always kind of think of the souvlaki as playing it safe. But sometimes you just have to have the souvlaki. The service is always pretty good as well. They always check back on you. Keep your water glass filled. They are professional and usually pretty fast. I wish this place was still called Opa! because I still want to yell it every single time I go there! read more

Where to go on a first date? I seem to have a curse. The first date always has a way of going awry for me. Perhaps why I have been single for over a year... ok ok.. a few years. Haha This trip to ela! was no different. Shame really. I do enjoy my Greek food. I got a little adventurous for this date, so I tried the Briam. It was less than stellar to be honest. Uninspired I guess. Not what I expect from them by any means. The bad luck aspect was during out meal. A huge ol spider decided he wanted to drop in our meal. Landed on my date's meal, and from that point on she was put off.. and well just distant. I went with three stars, based on this visit.. it lost a bit of it's luster in my eyes. Oh and.. let's just say. One of these days, the first date will work out. LOL read more

ela! will always get points from me for consistency. I've had a couple bad experiences over the years, but the service is usually speedy and pleasant, and the food is always quite nice. Not a ton of options for the non-dairy veggies of the world, but the few that they do have are delicious and hearty. The most amazing thing about ela!, though, is what they've been able to do with their strange, large spaces. Every location feels warm and cozy, even if two of them are basically in warehouses. That's pretty incredible. read more

It will always be Opa! to me. Anyway... Gah 3.5, can we get some half ratings, please? Lovely decor and atmosphere, the place is gorgeous although the seating is uncomfortable. The chairs most definitely could use some cushion. Service has always been on par and I prefer lunch over dinner here because the price range varies greatly. I have eaten at Ela many times, it used to be my go-to spot for all kinds of occasions.. This was before I was a little more versed, and new to the Greek food world. So, anytime I tried different Greek restaurants I would compare my meal to previous ones at Ela. What I began to notice was that I was enjoying the new places more than what I was comparing the meals to.. hmmmm, that threw me for a loop. I'm not saying the food is bad,( it's not bad at all) however I am saying that there are better Greek restaurants than Ela, as much as it kills me to say so. I have had a number of different items from the menu; spankopita, dolmades, yemista (stuffed pepper and tomato), I have shared the Greek Platter which includes pastitsio, mousaka, yemista (again) and rotisserie lamb. I have also had a Greek Garden Fusilli salad; which no longer seems to be on the menu. The point is I have had it all (almost). Everything is rather delicious, but yet still find others in comparison better especially the rice and potato sides that accompany the main entree, maybe it's just one spice.. sigh... Although it seems that Ela lacks something (for me anyway), it does have some great menu items that are farely tasty and I will continue to dine there. I hate Bayer's Lake too, which makes Ela a great place to get out of the zoo-like atmosphere of the park, especially this time of year. read more

I had the best take-out meal of any restaurant yet! The chicken souvlaki was delicious. The lemon-roasted potatoes were outstanding and the Greek salad was the best I've ever had. read more

Just had my third meal at ela! and it was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. I had eagerly ordered the lamb slouvaki, only to find the meat was mostly fat/gristle and completely RAW inside. Like, a deep pink that was cool to touch. Totally gross. I felt nauseous for about two hours after, only having had one bite of it. The lettuce in the salad was wilted ice berg lettuce (in a greek salad?!), and mostly yellow with some brown edges. It looked like it'd been sitting in the bottom of a bin for too long -- like those bags of pre-washed, half brown lettuce 50% off at Superstore. Zero effort was put into this element of the meal. The cucumber seemed old and the olives stung the roof of my mouth (yes - weird and babyish but true). You expect a decent salad at a Greek restaurant, so this was really disappointing. I also don't think there was much of a dressing -- maybe a bit of vinegar. No herbs or much olive oil. The potatoes (or "potato" -- it was one old, lumpy potato cut in half) had no flavour whatsoever. They seemed par boiled then roasted for maybe 5 minutes max in some bland oily red sauce. Certainly not worth the carb intake. And that adds up to the whole $22 entree! Our waitress seemed new to the job and was not at all helpful or attentive. I told her about my raw lamb and she said she'd go talk to someone about it but never came back. She wandered in and out of our seating area at least 4 times before I motioned to her again about the meat inquiry. She seems confused and said she'd show the manager the meat, taking my plate with her. No one returned to the table. Finally I went to counter to pay/complain, and the so-called manager said she'd never even seen the meat, so therefore couldn't "verify" it's cooked-ness. It was really lame and unprofessional. I was pretty frustrated at that point, about to spend $30 on a singular and acutely sub-par, potentially unsafe meal at a supposedly high brow restaurant. Sensing my irritation, she didn't charge me for my meal, but was also really passive-aggressive and unapologetic about the whole thing. I'm glad I didn't have to pay, but I also don't know why it had to unfold as such. Also the bread and oil you get before the meal sucks. It's really plain spongey white bread (much like Wonderbread) and the oil-vinegar is extremely salty and sour with hardly any olive oil. It's very inauthentic. This restaurant may be fooling most of Halifax into thinking it's a 4-star but it's exceptionally low quality, inauthentic, disorganized, and unprofessional in my opinion. Even the atmosphere is tacky. Never going back! read more

This would have gotten a 4 star rating if it wasn't for the poor service. The atmosphere was fantastic and almost took you to some other place, maybe even Greece. We had never been there before and wanted "a few minutes" with the menu but ordered our drinks. About (what felt like an hour) 15 minutes later our waitress took our order. Let me add that it wasn't busy. We ordered SAGANAKI ela! to start. But sadly it was ordered wrong so it came out at the same time as our food, which also took forever. And there is nothing worse than seeing someone who came in after you get their food before you. Back to the food. The SAGANAKI ela! was amazing, I freaking love cheese, but cheese melted? HELLO! I ordered STUFFED CHICKEN "KOTO YEMISTA" and Neal the HOUSE SPECIALTY ROTISSERIE LAMB "SOUVLA" -- Both were excellent. It seriously took every bit of my self control, not to devour the whole thing in a matter of minutes. ( I didn't even give myself the chance to instagram a photo, that's how good it was) Although the service was a bit horrible, I would definitely head back there for the food. Hands down some of the best Greek I have had in a long time! read more

I can't help it, I'm prejudice; I just like the downtown location best. I feel as though their food is always top-notch and their ambiance can't be beat. That being said, Ela Greek Taverna in Bayers Lake was delicious last Friday night when I went for a friend's birthday. It seemed as though they have made décor additions since the last time I was there, making the ambiance more cosy and intimate. The service was great and the food delicious. My only complaint was that my mousakka was slightly overcooked and burnt on top resulting in the béchamel layer being harder than I would normally like - however I t was still delicious. Dear Ela, no matter what your name may be or where your kitchen is located, you will always hold #1 in my heart for HRM greek. read more

Been to ela approximately 5 times now. The service is always 5 stars. I think the chicken shawarma is the best in Halifax, unfortunately very expensive. An open face chicken shawarma is $20.00 before taxes. The ela fries have been very I consistent. When they are on their game, they are stellar and worth going to ela just for fries. However; almost half of the times I've attended they just aren't the same. They are plain old fries. The last time I attended I decided to get rice instead of salad or fries. Big mistake. The rice appeared to be plain old instant rice. A third of the rice was cooked properly, a third was burned and a third was uncooked. I brought this up to our waitress who was amazing and it was quickly remedied with a plate of fries. Unfortunately they weren't the good ela fries variety, just plain Jane French fries. read more

In a city filled with ample opportunity for Greek dining, I have to say that Opa Greek Taverna has always been my restaurant of choice. That's not to say that there isn't another great Greek restaurant in the city. Opa just happens to be the one I invariably find myself at when the craving hits me. It doesn't hurt that a second location opened up near my neck of the woods in Bayer's Lake Industrial Park. Considering the dining options in the area consist either of fast food or big box chains, Opa has brought a little bit of class to an otherwise grim sea of mass consumerism. It also turns out to be a perfect option for dinner and a movie. read more

Visited with my sister for lunch just before Christmas. While I'm fairly laid back in my choices of food, my sister is a vegan and therefore, extra scrupulous. While I was happy with their spanakopita lunch plate, my sister requested their vegetarian lasagna, ensuring to ask if it were possible to have without cheese. The waited assured us it could and would be done. After a short wait with drinks, another waiter served us our food and a couple minutes into eating, my sister was pulling a stringy mess from her plate. Being the worldly humanitarian she is, she presented me with a dilemma I had previously never considered outside of a Tim Horton's line. Her choices were to return the food and have them throw it out, waste the food and have them make her a new one. Alternatively (and it would not have been my choice) she sucked it up and ate it, even if it is against her beliefs, requests and diet. Other than this experience, I believe this to be a good restaurant overall, and I would visit again with my carnivorous boyfriend anytime. read more

Opa is a no brainer for getting great food! My family went there this past Sautrday after a movie. We were seated promptly and our server was fantastic and very knowledgeable in the food selections, how it is prepared and very friendly - my definition of a perfect server. Food was amazing and made to order. Hubs and I each had a pasta dish and my DD a kid's meal (chicken wrap with home made fries - yes home made and not the bagged kind!) Only slight complaint I have is that I found my pasta a little salty but all in all not too bad. Next time I come here I want to try the chicken soulvakia - saw it go by to other diners on a nice heap of fresh Greek salad - YUM! All in all Opa is a great place to take someone special that you love or care about and share how great life can be. Enjoy! read more

The worst experience in a long time .. waitress first forgot coffee than spilled water all over me and the food .. than instead of cleaning it up she brings me paper towels to clean the table myself... and she has the nerve to ask if I want new food???!!!!? Really ist full of ice cubes what do you think?? So she takes it and cleans the plate up and brings me the same plate back .. No manager or anybody showed up .Needless to say .. not to be recommended .. overpriced for the service read more

So I do love this place but it suffers a bit from "middle child syndrome" in that it's not as famous as the (now defunct) downtown location or the newer Dartmouth Crossing location. At least part of that may be, for me at least, it's the one that is farthest from my home. The menu is a wonderful assortment of Greek options. Personally? I like to have a meal of appetizers. Just order one or two appetizers each and just go to town. So many good options. All the best elements of Greek food in small bite size portions. The venue works for almost any kind of meal. Family dinner? It works. Romantic dinner? It works. Drinks with friends? It works. Staff know their stuff and are will to help make accommodations when needed. Be forewarned: the ouzo after dinner mints? Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. ...Unless you like ouzo. Then I guess they're probably great. read more

Today for lunch we both ordered a vegetarian moussaka. It was really flavourful, hot and hearty. Exactly as I would like, with a creamy topping of béchamel sauce. It cost $11 for an ample serving. I also liked the grilled pita brushed with butter and oregano which we nibbled on while waiting for our entreés. Ela! is a nice sized restaurant, with a Greek garden like atmosphere, excellent service, delicious food, and good value. I also liked the cinnamon candies that came with our bill, in the red foil wrappers. And it's a great place to go for lunch if you are out shopping in Bayers Lake. Learn more at http://www.elagreektaverna.com/ read more