This is one of the best restaurants in Brooklyn. My husband and I frequently go and we are never disappointed. Elia is owned by a local couple and has employed the same staff for as long as I've been going. We have family parties there, and make use of the outdoor area in the back. Last night I had the best grilled octopus I have ever had, followed by a delicious shrimp dish. Everyone loved there meals; my husband favors their ribs. I would highly recommend this awesome Greek restaurant! read more

Elia Restaurant - We had ANOTHER amazing meal at this delicious Greek restaurant. - Greek Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I was visiting Bay Ridge with some friends the other week and we ended up going to Elia on a recommendation. It certainly did not disappoint in the slightest! The scenery with the white stucco walls and blue paint made for a beautiful atmosphere. The staff were extremely welcoming and helpful The seafood was some of the freshest I've had in NY and prepared perfectly. The grilled octopus appetizer is a must get. I split a grilled Branzino and chicken as an entree. Both were amazing. Highly recommend Elia to anyone in the area in Brooklyn. Also very reasonably priced considering the level of quality read more

Came here during a week night, plenty of tables were available with a full bar in the front. Read a few Yelp reviews so I knew what I wanted to order. We started out with a garden salad and their hummus sampler. The salad was fresh with lots of different color tomatoes and the feta cheese wasn't too salty. We got to try different flavors of hummus with warm pita bread on the side. The main entree we chose the Lamb ravioli with a cream foam. The lamb meat was really salty, but when you dip it into the foam it balances out the saltiness. The side dish of grilled vegetables with a sweet vinaigrette was cooked just right. The food experience was really great, it is a bit pricey. The lamb ravioli dish cost $24 bucks, but there was only five raviolis. read more

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We had an excellent meal at Elia! Everything was fresh, the fish and octopus are special. Service was great and save room for delicious desserts. The biggest bonus is they are now open for lunch so you can get their amazing food all day. The best restaurant in the Bay Ridge neighborhood read more

Wow, great place in Bay Ridge. Had dinner with two friends and the food and service for all of us was great. Appetizers of crab cake, grilled octopus and shrimp were all delicious. Really liked the octopus and crab cake and the portions were generous. We had a sampling of spreads with pita and all five spreads were so tasty we couldn't decide which was the best. I could have made a meal out of that. Entrees of lamb shank and shrimp were also good. The lamb did fall of the bone just like the waiter said. So good. Also had the lobster appetizer (like gnocchi) and the calamari appetizer which was excellent. The portions of everything were satisfying for us so we couldn't even think about dessert. Good wine selection and a few nice Greek beers rounded out the meal. I would recommend this place in a second...probably some of the best Greek food in NYC. My only complaint is that they have tiny tables and serve the food on ginormous plates. I think that is one trend that must end. There's just no need to serve a food portion the size of a 45 on a plate the size of an LP. (That's a vinyl record reference to you folks who have never seen a turntable). All in all, great meal, great atmosphere. Eat and enjoy! read more

Eaten at Elia half dozen times and talk about a quality experience from the food to staff hard to beat. Mickey the waiter truly runs the show and the dining room with ease. Always upbeat ready to tell you about that evenings specials. I have tried their chopped salad which is simple but the correct amount of dressing will have you fighting over the last spoonful. The lamb ravioli, the salmon in philo dough and lamb shank are delicious and satisfying. Now their menu is presented on iPads so you get a visual along with a description. Yes it is pricey, so treat yourself and that special someone and enjoy a great meal. read more

I stopped in for the first time with a friend last night Friday for a few drinks. We sat at the bar. I had a cocktail made with fig syrup, and my friend had some cucumber mint drink. Both were delicious. If you like the taste of alcohol get the fig one. If you want a refreshing drink and don't mind the taste of cucumber get the cucumber one. We didn't plan to get food because it was more on the pricey side. But after seeing and smelling other people's food we had to try them. We shared the octopus dish and then the grilled chicken dish. The octopus dish was tender and slightly crispy. The sauce and garnish was some sort of pickled white root vegetable. It paired nicely with the octopus. The grilled chicken was the most juicy chicken I've ever tasted. Almost as if it had been soaked and infused with broth. It was seasoned well, but not the best grilled flavor I've had. A huge piece of white meat chicken breast and a smaller dark meat piece was placed on a bed of roasted potatoes and carrots and paired with a sweet potato (i think) purée. So delicious!! I loved the Spanish/European/Greek vibe of the restaurant. So chill and relaxing free of the hustle and bustle of restaurants in Manhattan. You get the same quality, without feeling like just another customer. You can tell that it's is a small business because the owner knows just about everyone of his patrons. If he doesn't you can see him making an effort to greet them, say hello, and make sure everything is amazing. He doesn't come across as being overly warm or enthusiastic. Very relaxed and genuine. It's very refreshing. We stopped by around 7pm. It did get more crowed with family dinners coming in around 9pm. But even then it was relaxed and not rushed. It was great to see everyone enjoying hem selves and having a great time with family and friends. read more

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About to rip this restaurant and their servers a new "you know what". We came here on a special occasion because of all the great reviews and wow did it ruin our lovely day. First of all we were seated and not given menus for some time. Their waiters seem to walk around with a permanent eye roll. When asked if they had olives to bring with the bread, they walked away and never came back. When asked a second time, it was almost as if the guys eyes rolled all the way into his brain and never made their way back. He then came back 8 minutes later saying they ran out of olives. I looked around the empty restaurant and wondered who could have consumed them. But whatever, I figured if the food is good, it can make up for their waiters posh ass attitudes. Next, they give us each huge, bulky, iPads for the menus, with beautiful pictures which honestly I didn't think twice about. Later on was when I realized it was to compensate for their subpar food. Boy oh boy was this a huge disappointment. They're lucky I have them one star simply because yelp doesn't allow zero and their calamari, bread, and salad starters were pretty great. But please don't stop reading there. Other than that their entrees were pretty much inedible. I ordered the paella which was not fresh at all. I felt nauseas hours later, the sausage they put in the paella must have went bad days ago. I spit it out. My brother ordered the lamb ravioli. I tried a small piece and it was so gamey the disgusting aftertaste wouldn't leave my mouth all throughout the car ride home. I never had lamb that disgusting in my life. Also the ravioli itself was sticky and overcooked and drowned in a tasteless white sauce. My mother had a fish that was advertised as whole but served as hardly that, but you can read more about that from my dads review "James L.". The prices in this place are completely asinine, especially for the terrible food they are serving. Jesus, if you're going to charge 40$ for one dish, please at least make it edible. Please save your money and time, eat somewhere else. The good reviews are not reliable and is probably all their family and friends writing lovely things. Honestly you'd be better off at kettle black across the street. It isn't Greek but at least the food is digestible. read more

Elia is the reason I even joined Yelp, to write my first review =) I'd like to start by saying the food deserves 7 stars (wish it were possible), it's the way we were greeted that has knocked it down. We had a reservation this past Saturday March 17, and were seated promptly by a very rude waiter who was behind the bar. Panos, who would later be our server was walking up to greet us with a smile and great welcome, was rudely waved away by the waiter who was behind the bar, who thought it would be better to just say "how many, you have a reservation" and rushed us along to the halfway point of our table and pointed at it for us to walk the rest of the way without even a smile. proprietor, man. After about a minute of seating ourselves, basically, our server Panos came by and asked if we would like to order anything from the bar. It's always great when you have a great young Greek waiter to compliment a great Greek restaurant and to makeup for the very abrasive waiter who seated us. We ordered a Grey Goose Martini and a glass of Chardonnay. Our server returned with drinks after a couple of minutes and announced the specials of the evening (******GET THE BRANZINI WHEN AVAILABLE*******), and then gave us some iPad menus to look at. I like the ideas of the Ipad menus to give us an idea of what we're ordering, and the different language options on the bottom. I just wish they weren't 5 lb each. We ordered a small Greek salad, and spanakopita to start. The salad was delicious, with ripe tomatoes and imported feta cheese. The spanakopita was a bit on the teeny size, but you can tell by the flakiness: homemade and delicious. I ordered the branzini with roasted potatoes and veggies for my entree and my girlfriend ordered their grilled shrimp. OMG. The fish was cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of a lemon and oil dressing splashed over it. The roasted vegetables might have been my second favorite thing I had eaten all night. I tasted my friend's grilled shrimp (of course), and it was absolutely delicious. The cous-cous it was served with was so different and colorful!! We finished dinner with a greek yogurt and two glasses of wine and it was the perfect way to end that meal! Our waiters recommendation for the wine and dessert was great! Bravo Panos and bravo Elia! The proprietor should be proud. read more

Excellent service. Delicious food. My friends recommended me to go. Finally, I drove more than 90 minutes. It is totally worth it. Love the food. From Hummas to Elias seafood paella, to Lamb Shank to Baklava. They are absolutely delicious. read more

Elia Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Elia serves the best fish in Brooklyn. The specials every week are amazing and I always try one when I'm there. If you like good atmosphere and service. But love the awesome food this is for you. Relaxed atmosphere and excellent wine selection. I disnt know Greek wines but the owner helped me choose some very good but well priced selections. A favorite spot for me!!' read more

You would think that Bay Ridge would be plentiful when it comes to good, decent restaurants, but, there are few and far in between. This is one of the good ones. A good, authentic, Greek restaurant which serves a rustic bread and tasty olive oil when you first sit to get your appetite going. I had the black sea bass with the vegetables. This whole fish is grilled in olive oil and lemon, just the way I like it. That's all you need to do with the fish and it comes out amazing. The fish came out so tasty and moist. I also had a glass of white wine, the Overstone, a sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. The Arni Youvetsi - a lamb shank, for you meat lovers, is fall off the bone good. It's baked in a clay pot with orzo in a red sauce and cheese. Really good stuff. read more

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First time went to this Greek restaurant. Their appetizer to dessert so delicious. l like their mussels. Grill shrimp is my husband's favorite. My father in-law loves their fish and their steaks and lamb sharks also delicious. read more

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Given the steep prices I would have expected better service. We had the worst waiter experience. Our waiter was extremely rude and unprofessional. I expect this type of service in a fast food take out establishment when there is a line and only one person available to take your order but not for a sit down dinner setting where there are hardly any other customers. He brushed off our food allergies and seemed annoyed when I brought it to his attention when the food arrived. He seemed impatient and almost spilled wine on some of us several times when attempting to pour wine into our glasses. The restaurant wasn't even crowded so I'm not sure what caused him so much stress. On a positive note, the food is absolutely delicious and had it not been for the service I would have definitely given this restaurant a 5 star review. read more

I would give them 3.5, but there're no options for that, so I'm sticking to a 3. Service wasn't overly friendly in my opinion. Just.. blah. When you pay Manhattan prices, you expect Manhattan service, which is usually good... not always. But this is bay ridge! And people are usually super friendly. It was blah customer service. Ordered a beer- that tasted stale- not shocked... it was over a year EXPIRED. Sent. Back. Manager didn't seem to realize it was expired- totally could've been a misunderstanding via vendor or whoever takes in the orders. But still, yuck. Apps Ordered Greek salad- it was DIVINE AND DELISH Saganaki cheese- wouldn't get it again. A little overrated, overly liquorish tasting and heavy Meals Shrimp over couscous- a little steep of a price with barely any Pom couscous, BUT it was very tasty... I finished it in 3 mins though for $27? I think Lamb Shank- HUGE but hubby didn't love it. Meat was falling off bone, but not sure he loved the flavors under with the orzo Dessert- baklava. Was great. And yummy. Moral- we MAY come back. We wouldn't rush back though read more

We spent a lot of money, ordered three courses and still left hungry. The food was good and our waitress was nice. But our entrees of octopus and grilled scrimp were sparse. I might come back for a glass of wine and an appetizer but not for dinner. read more

Great food. The outdoor garden is open and will serve your favorites like Branzino and perfectly cooked Mezze. You must go!!!

OPA!!!! Ti Kanis, Yelp nation. As a woman with 50% Greek Blood coursing through her veins I tend to be a bit biased when going out to dine in a Greek eatery ( I rarely do) Unless I am In Greece. That said, I took my Mother here....... " Ooh Neecey I don't know if this is going to be good" says my mother as she peeps the decor...... within 30 minutes that same woman's eyes rolled heavenward as she devoured her Mousaka, I enjoyed the Kotopoulo ( chicken , artichokes, leeks). We also enjoyed a melon flavored Greek wine, sadly, the name escapes me. Dessert was of course Baklava, which, although it was very good, paled in comparison to my late Pappoo's. Service and presentation were very good. Decent price point. If you are in BayRidge check them out. tha epistrepsei ( we will return) read more

A more elegant Greek restaurant than I am normally used to. We walked in after logging many miles on foot, subway and Uber dressed in shorts and comfortable walking shoes. There wasn't many other diners at 8:30 on a Wednesday night, but they were all dressed up for a night on the town. We initially felt a little out of place, but our quirky waiter immediately made us feel at ease. Since it had been a typically hot day we were in need of a refreshing chilled vino. We settled on Kouros Patras: "The un-oaked dry white is crisp and elegant with pear-like fruitiness and a hint of melon on the finish." It revived and refreshed us, and was a bargain at only $28 Our pizza lunch at Di Fara's earlier caused us to agree on a light dinner. A large salad of huge fresh pieces of tomato along with cucumber, peppers, and feta sprinkled with a light olive oil based dressing was the perfect starter. A basket of fresh baked bread was brought out as well. We split an order of rare tuna that also came with cucumber and tomatoes, also very refreshing. I always have to order Spanakopita, and this was a good version, although the phyllo dough wasn't as flakey as I am accustomed to. Still very tasty though, and came out mouton lava hot. Since we went with a light dinner, we rewarded ourselves with desert. Baklava of course! Great recipe, and also a first, it was drizzled with a citrus syrup. And having been a fan of bakalava for many years, this is the only time it came with ice cream..?? It worked though, as it was a not too sweet pistachio. Whenever I travel I like to try the local Greek restos, and this is right up there with Athens Taverna Market in San Diego, and Hella's (RIP) in Detroit, and also one we ate at in London. Highly recommended when in Brooklyn! read more

The place was nice and the setting was very intimate. We wanted to try a different Greek place and we had heard the place was worth visiting. We ordered the mussels, dips, and steak. The mussels and dips were pretty good. We ordered the steak med well..it came out so well cooked you could barley eat it. We didn't send it back because we didn't want to wait for another steak to cook. Def dissatisfied. Then we order the bakalva for dessert. It wasn't bad but alil hard to eat. I give this place 3 stars because the steak was truly terrible. The other things saved it. Maybe it was just a mistake. read more

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Poor service. Arrogant owner. Bad fish. Mediocre and over priced wine and cocktails. read more

Haven't eaten at Elia, and now I never will. Went into the restaurant to ask about having a baby shower there, and the owner/manager could not have been ruder. He asked if we had eaten there before, and when we told him no, that their establishment was recommended by a friend, he completely disregarded us, threw us a menu, and started taking someone's order at the bar. Considering he could've potentially been making over $1,000 from me, you'd think he'd at least give my sister and I the time of day. I wouldn't visit Elia again if you paid me. read more

Elia is a Greek restaurant in Bay Ridge. Please disregard all your preconceived notions regarding Bay Ridge and Greek dining. Elia is far from a diner and a place to go if you want a gyro. Elia is fine Greek dining. For starters, the girlfriend and I shared the Herino Meze which consisted of four succulent Pork Spareribs. These ribs are marinated in heaven. No, they're marinated in the kitchen but they taste like they are from somewhere amazing. The chef uses Ouzo, a pickled onion mint pesto and serves it on a long wooden board with a grilled lemon and some Greek yogurt. The meat fell right off the bone and melted as it entered my mouth. Excess chewing not necessary. Off to a wonderful start. Please note that all the options for appetizers sounded fantastic. For my entree I opted for the Paidakia Skaras. Four nicely sized lamb chops were served along with oregano fries that were stacked and racked. Also on the dish was a delicious spinach pie called Spanakopita. My gf had the Psari Stin Skara, which is a whole fish served with grilled vegetables and lemon potatoes. They offer the option to have the fish deboned but she chose to have it whole. Having cleared off our plates we elected to skip dessert although there were some tempting items to choose from. The service was wonderful on this Sunday evening from the owner that sat us, to our server, all the way down to the buser. You wouldn't know until you entered but they have a lovely garden in the back. The only reasons Elia did not receive 5 stars was because my lamb chops were served medium well when i asked for medium rare. A big no no. The other reason is that they don't do lunch or brunch. Dinner only! read more

My boyfriend surprises me with reservations through Open Table for 915 @ Elia....I was looking forward to having some delicious Greek food while staying in Brooklyn. We sit in typical traffic on the belt BUT managed an awesome parking spot and we all know how scarce parking is in Bay Ridge... We arrive exactly at 915 and state we have 915 reservations... manager/owner clicks away on the computer and says "one minute" and walks into the back. We stand by the door for ten minutes without anyone saying a word to us. He never returns with a table for us... no apology for not having a table ready EVEN THOUGH we had reservations.. no made up story of "we will have your table shortly please have a drink at the bar".... Instead, he hides out by the kitchen bc he realizes "oh sh*t, these people made a reservation and i cant even pull out a folding table for them". We waited for 15 minutes... standing...at the door... Needless to say we left. If reservations are made and we arrive on time, then a table should be ready. IF NOT, no problem... but dont run away and hide unsure of what to say.... He gave off the vibe that he could care less about losing us as a customer .. read more

Not sure what has happened to my beloved Elia. Dined outside in the patio area with my mother this evening- everything was off. the best part of our meal was the bread and olive oil, that's all i have to say. so disappointed- read more

Just went on a Sunday and had a very below average experience. Portions are smaller, g/f is still hungry, food was not so good, and service was close to nonexistent. I'm guessing the real chef gets a break on Sunday. Which means that the staff should be ready for the seriously burnt dishes to be sent back. Instead they seem to take it personally, insisting that it's supposed to taste like something scraped off the bottom of the oven, and giving the cold shoulder for the rest of the night. Frowns at other tables let us know we weren't alone. Avoid this place on Sunday, at least. I feel a little embarrassed about the previous glowing endorsement. read more

We finally tried Elia and we weren't disappointed. The place is a good date night, romantic place. It's a bit dressier and special. The food was delicious. I had the fish and Lee had the lamb. Both were cooked perfectly. The staff was fantastic and attentive. We will return :) read more

With all of the great reviews and the Michelin recommended sign on the window, this place looked promising. The space is intimate with a nice garden patio in the back. If you go in the summer however, be warned that there are tons of mosquitoes (not the reason for the 2 stars, but it did make for a more uncomfortable dinner). The food was pretty decent. My husband and I ordered the octopus appetizer and the lamb ravioli and grilled chicken. The octopus was good, but the portion was tiny and not very tender nor warm like it should be. The ravioli was creamy and had a nice flavor. The chicken was okay but dry in some parts. Now the restaurant gets stars taken off mostly for their inattentiveness to service. We waited literally at least an hour for our entrees, and no one ever came by to refill our water or check up on us. They also took a long time to pick up our bill so we eventually brought it up to them. Overall, ambiance is nice but not worth the pricey meal and long wait. read more

Seafood giouvetsi, old, bad seafood. They should have NEVER served this to another human being. Other seafood was not all that great either and the lamb shank was fresh last week, not when we ordered it. Salad was cold tomatoes. I would fire the kitchen staff and hire from McDonald's. It would be an improvement. read more

This could have been a five stars restaurant, but it's not for two reasons: First, we made a reservation and were told when we arrived that the table was not ready and had to wait twenty extra minutes, which I find unacceptable. I mean, that's the point of making a reservation, right? Second, the price was a bit steep. There were four of us in our party and the bill including tips came out to be over a whopping $300.00. Overall, the food was very good. I had the seafood salad for an appetizer and it was fresh and delicious. The seafood did not taste old as some reviews on here claimed. My dining party had calamari, spanakopita, and shrimp, and we were all in agreement that everything was very yummy. For dinner, I had a lamb shank stew, which, I thought was the real star of the party. The meat was tender and juicy without falling off the bone. The orzo was cooked to perfection - no mushy pasta. As for the rest of my crew, the only one complaint came from my husband, who thought that the side vegetables that came with his ultra tasty salmon were a real meh. The grilled australian lamb chops were very well seasoned and tasty. The ravioli was equally well done. Not to mention that all the dinner dishes were very large. I couldn't finish half of mine, so these dishes could easily be shared. Not sure about their sharing policy, but maybe worth it to ask since everything is very expensive, which, granted is to be expected when a resturant has a Michelin recommendation. A note about your fellow diners, they all seem to be very fancy, so come prepared. Don't underdress, otherwise you might feel slightly out of place as this restaurant is in Bayridge, where multi-million dollar homes litter the streets. read more

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This place is amazing! Best Greek food in NY! Their food is consistently good. I have been coming here for over a year and i love it! I recommend the lamb chops and spinach pie. I also enjoyed the lemon soup and the rib appetizers as well. Besides the food, the staff is very attentive and accommodating. I will definitely be paying a visit soon. =) read more

Arni Youvetsi, which is the slow braised lamb shank, baked in clay pot, orzo, tomato & kefalotyri cheese -- frickon AMAZING!!! if you love lamb! Very cozy atmosphere, and super clean. Recommend a reservation--not a walk in kind of place. Drinks are $$$, ouch, especially for simple glass of white or red. We have gone here twice--and it has never disappointed! read more

The place has potential, although nothing exceptional. Been here several times, and been noticing that the food is more and more salty each time. Must be a new chef. Not good. Greek food is tasty and the flavors should be enjoyed, not overpowered by salt to the point that my lips were sore for the rest of the evening. read more

As a general fan of Greek food, I tend to have an easier time finding something that tastes yummy because in general the Greek tend to be light on the sauce/cream and veggie or seafood based. Elia did not disappoint. Decor was definitely minimal - nothing impressive, but still pleasing enough. Ambiance was fairly romantic and homestyle - probably because of the minimal decor ;) Service was outstanding! Attentive without being overwhelming and a nice surprise at the very end - the husband ordered a cocktail that did not taste great and seeing this, the waitress let us know that they would not be charging us for it since it was more than half full anyway. Definitely set the tone for a nice tip, but I promise this review would have still been 4 stars without the gesture. Food! Portions were on the large size, but nothing one person can't finish if they're hungry...problem is you end up wanting to try every appetizer so you're full come entree-time. Also - the bread they bring out is absolutely amazing, so yeah, you're all full on bread and apps before the entrees come. I had the mussels appetizer as my main meal with a side of their rosemary potatoes: mussels were brothy and full - a little too fennel-y for me, but easy to pick out just the mussel // potatoes were nothing special and after eating all that bread, i could have done without. Husband had the shrimp, clams, and mussels over orzo in a clay pot in a red sauce - finished it all with a smile! i tried the scallop that was in it and confirmed the deliciousness. Friends had the ravioli with braised lamb and also had good reviews. Apps: Horyiatiki Salad (general Greek style salad) - the small size was perfect for 2 people, but if for one person as a meal I'd get the large // very tasty and well seasoned. Marouli & Roka Salata -- a good portion for one or two // very delicious yogurt feta dressing! yum! Saganaki -- friends ordered this and it was quite the show, but all cheese so not totally up my alley. they finished it all though so no disappointment there Pikilia -- a great dish of dips with amazing homemade pita! seasoned well and grilled to perfect Overall a great place for friends or a date and a menu that has almost something for everyone - there were great specials and menu options for fish entrees too! read more

We went without a reservation for a late dinner and were seated right away in the cozy, rustic restaurant. Hurray for the valet, who saved us from having to contend with the notorious Bay Ridge parking situation on a freezing December night. My meal was sprinkled with the best ingredient--hunger--and so I scarfed down my branzino. My friend ate too many appetizers so he only nibbled at his extremely decadent eggplant dish (verrrry cheesy). Overall, I thought my food was delicious! I haven't been back yet but would certainly jump at an invitation. Minus one star for the seating. I am severely introverted and prefer an invisible hula hoop of space between me and my neighbors. I felt that the tables were a bit too close for comfort, but I did notice that there were some roomier booths that were occupied at the time, so if you want a more private dining experience for you and your date, make sure you ask when you call. read more

A few years ago I would have given this five stars. But it's ridiculously overpriced. I could get the food anywhere. It does have a nice backyard. The only reason why I wouldn't go back there is because I could get the same meal at Little For o for half the price. It's not worth all the money you're spending. read more

I enjoyed Elia...the service was friendly and kind. The food was very tasty and the portions were very generous- it was actually too much for us and we ended up having leftovers. The restaurant is clean and cozy, friendly and intimate. It is pricey but the quality and portions fit the prices. read more

I came upon this gem of a restaurant by mistake just trying to get out of the rain. My fiance and I looked at the menu posted outside and decided to go in for an early dinner. As soon as we walked in we felt a warm, welcome feeling about the place. The atmosphere and decor was old Mediterranean, with beautiful olive sconce type lights on the walls... Very tastefully done. We were greeted by a hostess (Emily) who directed us to a table for two. "We have never been here before, what dishes do you recommend?" She went through a short list of various seafood and meat dishes. I usually don't order fish, but something told me I should in this place. My fiance had the Filet Mignon. Even though I'm not a big fish fan, I love grilled octopus. In the majority of places I go, it is a defining line on how good a place is. If the octopus is so-so, so is the food, and I have never been wrong. I had the "Octapodi Skaras' appetizer and it wasn't anything short of amazing. For the main course, I took Emily's suggestion, "Lavraki Latholemono" which is grilled sea bass on top of a bed of this bean, tomato relish sauce. This dish was exceptional. The sea bass was grilled to perfection, with slight charred areas. It was very flavorful along with a bed of beans in this amazing sauce. I hate to admit it... I cleaned my own plate! I did manage to sneak a few bites of my fiance's filet mignon, which she did not appreciate too much. When I took my first bite I knew why... It was juicy, delicious with just the right amount of seasoning. I know not to take anything off her plate next time we go there (OK, I know it was rude, but I didn't think she was looking). For dessert "Pagota" (An assortment of sorbets) and the "Baklava Trio", which is Almond baklava, Baklava ice cream and Karidopita (Greek walnut cake). At this point, my fiance and I were not formal, we both picked at each other's dessert. They were both delicious. As you can see, we didn't go too much with the traditional Mediterranean dishes like lamb, we wanted to see what else this place had to offer. Elia pays close attention to detail. The hostess and the waiter took the time to explain and answer every question I asked. Along with the impeccable service, delightful ambiance and exceptional food, this is a place I will not soon forget. They will be seeing me again very soon. read more

As far as I'm concerned, there are two Greek restaurants worth eating at in Brooklyn; Elia and SomethingGreek. The latter fills the fast food/everyday eating category, but the former fits the high-end bill perfectly. In fact, it's about the only 'expensive' restaurant worth patronizing in Bay Ridge, as they've got all their bases covered; good service, nice space, excellent food. Their food is amazing thanks to the freshness of their ingredients - there are no complex sauces or intricate preparations, rather, simple dishes assembled with the best of ingredients in perfect contrast with one another. Their seafood is outstanding - the grilled octopus and fish specials are my favorites. The lamb here is what you'd expect from a small restaurant in Greece, perfectly cooked to the point where it's tender as can be but not dry by any means. The only downside I can see is it ain't cheap - but good luck trying to buy some of these ingredients for anything resembling reasonable these days, so it only stands to reason that a restaurant meal prepared with them would be expensive. And to be honest, unlike most of the "high end" restaurants in Bay Ridge (who serve image and other things that don't end up on the plate), this place is worth it. read more

I walk past this every day and have never really though twice about going in. Decided to hop in there on a whim and it was absolutely fantastic. The chef definitely takes some interesting choices with flavor like shrimp with pomegranate couscous but it worked out incredibly. I had the shrimp, clams, and mussels over orzo in a clay pot in a red sauce with also fantastic. For desert, we didn't want the orzo gelato that the molten cake with, but they ran out of vanilla. So we ended up putting the gelato to the side, but the molten chocolate cake was outstanding anyway. This place is definitely a great choice. read more