I've been here 5 or 6 times now. The staff are delightful. The new decor is very pleasing, clean and fresh. I take my out of town folks here as you can actually have a conversation. The zucchini cakes are light and flavorful. Oh the sauces! Did I mention fresh baked bread (no extra charge)? The salads: Greek, beet, butter, feta..all amazing. The fried burrata!!! Love the lemon soup. One day I'll be hungry enough to order a main...or bring more friends to share. read more

We randomly wandered into Elia on a weekend afternoon and we're so glad we did! First the space is absolutely stunning - they've done a great job with the remodel, from the design to even small touches like the plates and lights. But more importantly the food and service were both top notch. We tried the tzatziki, hitipiti, zucchini cakes, and roasted cauliflower. Everything was fantastic, including the free fluffy pita (which I'll note was better than the pita served with the dips). Service was helpful when we had questions and was also prompt. We will definitely be back, and I'm excited to check out the weekday lunch menu (which has a few lamb sandwiches that were not on the dinner menu) as well live music/DJ (apparently daily from 7pm) read more

Elia is a winner for sure. Located directly across from Town (which has been challenging for past restaurants), I'm exited for Elia to be a new neighborhood favorite in San Carlos. The food was awesome. We had the fried stuffed olives (addictive and the perfect app with wine), chicken souvlaki, horiatiki (one with a beef skewer, one vegetarian), and the zucchini cakes. The fresh bread (baked every 15 min) is fluffy and warm. My daughter plowed through it and they happily kept bringing more bowls. We loved our food (all entrees came out at the same time which is sometimes an issue with new restaurants) and the service was excellent. I appreciated how they didn't rush us, but were attentive. Some reviews said the staff didn't know about the menu, but this seems to have been resolved since we didn't have that experience. I also love Pylos down the street, but this was more upscale and design forward. The one thing I prefer at Pylos is their zucchini cakes which are not deep fried like Elia. But I will 100% be back and can't wait to try more food. The owner also did the design and he did a fantastic job. They have live music at night, at outdoor covered patio with heaters, two rooms that can be converted into party rooms (with projector screens), a wine room, and a beautiful main room. Great job to the owner and Elia team on a fantastic launch! read more

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Really enjoyed dinner here! Ambiance is really nice and the service was great! Ordered the beet salad and lamb shanks. The beet salad was delicious and the lamb shanks were good. My friend ordered the tzatziki as an appetizer and it was great! Will definitely be back! read more

Elia - Kokkinisto- Lamb Shank - Wine Bars Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Just had the most wonderful second time here celebrating my mom's birthday. Last time we were here to celebrate my friend's birthday and the food was and service was so on POINT that we had to come back. Absolutely amazing food. As a restauranteur and with an executive chef in our group we all agreed. This place is top notch, from the moment you walk in to live music playing, to being seated, drinks. attentive service, attention to details and deliciously curated food. Tonight there were fresh oysters and it was ! Wont be long before it's going to be hard to get reservations to dine here so we're glad to get in now! read more

Love the remodel. Went on a Saturday night and were seated within 5 minutes. We sat on the patio and were comfortable with the heaters. Our appetizer and the main dish I got were both super good! Would order again. My drink was pretty good, sweet. My partner thought his dish was good as well but neither of us personally were a fan of his drink. A lot of employees were checking on us throughout. Our waiter was very attentive for a busy night. read more

Elia - Main dish: bucatini astakos - Wine Bars Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Finally, Elia is the missing spice that San Carlos needed! My friend and I had such a surprising and delightful experience, feeling like we had escaped to Greece. From the inviting atmosphere, the authentic food, to the fun and friendly staff, it was everything we could have asked for and more. A special shout-out to the bartender--if you egg them on a bit, you're in for quite a show! Expect fancy flying barware and even some mesmerizing smokey bubbles. It definitely added an element of entertainment to the evening! Though we weren't too hungry, we decided to try the calamari, and it did not disappoint. It was absolutely delicious and reasonably priced for the portion we received. We left feeling satisfied and eager to return for more! If you're looking for a taste of Greece right here in San Carlos, Elia is the place to be! read more

Food was great! Too bad the server added a $99 tip for himself on my and my friend's credit cards after we left. Absolute fraudulent service and I will not go back, never heard from a manger after we went in and complained. They did credit our cards back, which is the least they could do. read more

From their friendly staff, ambiance, to their food and cocktails. Had a really wonderful evening catching up with friends. They were very attentive from start to finish. Highly recommend this Little Greece! read more

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Was walking up Laurel with friends trying to decide where to eat and we stopped at Elia because it was so beautiful. We were welcomed in and found that they were having a soft opening. We asked to be seated in the cozy lounge area. We ordered four small plates and all were delicious. The service was so attentive and they anticipated our every need. Can't wait to go back! read more

Looks, feels & sounds like you are visiting Greece. Worth checking out. The food was good, ambience amazing.

Really enjoyable. Those fried olives were divine cause I love olives, never thought deep frying them was an option. Also those riblets were chefs kiss. I'd definitely go back it was such a nice looking spot took the inside was beautiful I thought I was in Greece. read more

Probably the best ambiance with worst food and service , attitude of host , unprofessional servers , unreasonable price as well as people who try to faked Greek concept. Food quality not near of any Greek food Arrogant host by the door with long face and attitude , for 2 people paid extremely high prices First time and will not coming back. read more

The bartenders, entertainers and General Manager's make this place extra special! Such amazing drinks and highly entertaining to watch them make the drinks. The drinks are all good, we tried five different ones and our friends tried several of the others. All were delicious. Flaming cheese with bread was entertaining too. Be sure to ask for Berit, he's amazing! read more

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Beautiful restaurant, really nice staff and amazing food. Indoor and outdoor seating, live music, pretty bar, covered patio with heaters and blankets - very nice! read more

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Food was good, service at bar not so much. Bartenders were not attentive. My wine glass was empty for a long time before either asked me if I wanted another glass...even dropping off dinner w/o asking. Not to mention their wine pours are very slim. That is never a good start. They were also just talking to each other and not asking how was dinner or can I get you anything- I had to keep getting their attention. I like this place but this service needs to get much better. No wonder the bar was empty compared to TOWN. read more

1000000% recommend this restaurant Elia! I was brought by a business colleague for lunch and thought it was so delicious I would take our friend for his bday there. All week I could not wait for my husband and friends to enjoy it and my mouth was salivating just waiting for Sat night! Amazing Food both times I have gone. Every one of us enjoyed each of our meals. Seabass, Mousakka, lamb chops, plus appetizers drinks and dessert. All exceptional and memorable. The service was top notch and they greeted us very warmly offering recommendations when we asked for it. We were bringing friends for a birthday celebration and I put my friends name on the reservation and when they seated us and gave us our menus, it said Happy Birthday and his name on the tops of the menus. Very nice extra touch that made him feel Special on his day. The restaurant is beautifully designed and you feel like you could be in Mykonos when dining inside in their dining room. Cant wait to go back next time. read more

DINERS BEWARE: Arrive early if you expect to have a reasonable conversation over dinner. A DJ sets up in the front dining room every evening and the restaurant turns into a nightclub atmosphere. The restaurant is large and also features a beautiful outdoor parklet. This place hits you over the head with every Greek stereotype. Think a million Grecian busts in alcoves throughout the restaurant, swarthy men with heavy stubble staffing the place, whitewashed walls with accents of Aegean blue... the poor Mexican cooks were even wearing white Greek sailor hats. A bit of overkill. The restaurant is trying to be sophisticated but feels slightly off. We initially chose a table outside and started to get comfortable, only to be told that the table was "reserved" even though there was no sign or any kind of indication on the table. We ended up moving inside since the evening was chilly and sat in a nice elevated booth. We were early, so there were only a few tables occupied. There was so much staff in the place, constantly hovering and becoming somewhat bothersome. I appreciate table touches, but we could barely take a sip of water without someone coming right over to top off the glass. Again, the theme here is overkill. The menu was small but nicely curated. Dishes are pretty pricey overall. The complimentary bread and olive oil brought to the table were tasty. We ordered chicken souvlaki and some kind of lobster buccatini. The buccatini arrived at the table with a full lobster tail on top. The chicken souvlaki came with a delicious beet salad and a few potatoes. Food was good and portions were decent. We tried a chocolate lava cake with ice cream for dessert, as well as Greek coffee which seemed to be a lighter version of Turkish coffee. Cake and coffee were yummy. Despite having an army of staff members constantly circling like sharks, our empty plates sat on the table and it was hard to get someone to pick up the check at the end of the meal. Overall, we did like the restaurant and will return but we'll come early before the DJ sets up. A pretty good experience overall with some room for improvement. The restaurant has definite potential. read more

Elia - Chocolate cake, Delicious! - Wine Bars Near Me - San Carlos, California

I love Elia! I enjoy the friendly service, ambiance, live music, DJ and food. My favorite food items are: lavraki, chicken souvlaki, lamb riblets, zucchini cakes, octopus, and greek salad. You will enjoy this restaurant so much! :) thank you! read more

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I LOVE ELIA! I have sent 3 groups there so far and will be sending a 4th! Staff is really nice and polite. Food is EXCELLENT! Plus servings are worth the price! I will keep coming not just for work occassions but for my personal experiences as well! Definitely in my top 10! read more

would definitely come back here again, everything was so fresh, i left very full but not that disgusting type of full!! read more

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The service ambiance and foods are amazing here great aesthetics in anything and everything! 10/10

Had a great time here. Sat outside on a nice warm day. The outside area is decorated nicely.

Terrific alternative to when you don't feel like driving to Palo Alto for Evvia or Taverna or to SF for Kokkari. They have all the usual Greek classics, e.g. their smelt and saganaki, both of which we got. As well as their arugula, apple salad with a feta dressing, and a lamb pastrami sandwich on ciabatta. All was good but the smelt could've been more crispy, but the fish was fresh. Loved the salad, piquant, the cheese with fresh squeezed lemon. Appreciated that they had a non alcohol beer for my husband. The interior is gorgeous, all Grecian blue and white, with expansive seating and little tucked away alcove. On a beautiful spring and summer day, I imagine their patio will be welcome, it's covered for shade. Customer service was awesome, super friendly and welcoming. Parking is easy enough, either on the street or on lots nearby. The prices are also decent, etrspecially for the quality of the ingredients. read more

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Food was great! Especially the starters including the grilled octopus and meatballs! We sat outside which was lovely even though it was quite busy. read more

Great sea bass and orzo. Elegant setting & service. Even the bread & olive oil were great.

Loved my first meal here. Food and wine were really good. The atmosphere was quiet outside (which is where we were), and the inside was lively and bright. Staff is very friendly and helpful as well. Can't wait to go back. read more

Nice dinner place and an awesome late night hangout bar. You can even dace around! Good food and amazing service. All staff is very customer focused and friendly. Finally a place that is open late night. read more

Elia - Bar area - Wine Bars Near Me - San Carlos, California

Went on a Thursday night and the place was pretty full. Luckily we got a reservation and was seated right away. The servicer was very attentive. The bread was super delicious! The ambiance was on the romantic side, but the noise level was high. Music was a bit loud too. The food came out at a very good pace and good portion. My husband and I shared 3 appetizers, 1 entree and a desert, and we were super full. spanakopitas - 5 Octapodaki - 4 - tender but not too much favor Lamb ribets - 4 - too much fat Lilet Mignon Souvlaki - 5 Galaktoboureko - 5 read more

I ate there with 2 friends. Ambience is lovely, food great! Bad side, one guest ordered soup that never came. When we were offered dessert, no one ordered but the same friend ordered a tea. A manager brought the tea, stated it was in the house because they forget the soup and in the next breath handed us the bill and told us to pay as they were waiting for the table. We were there a total of 1 1/2 hours. Service was slow probably due to the high volume of diners but left a bad taste in our mouths. read more

Amazing ambiance Food was great. Mousaka was not the highlight. Service excellent. Friendly folks Will. Come back read more

We finally tried Elia tonight. What a wonderful meal! The service was outstanding as well. I can't wait to go back on a Friday night or a weekend night. You have to try it. Way better food than Town. read more

Great vibes and even better drinks. Thank you Josue for the amazing drinks and great recommendations.

We went on a Wednesday evening around 6pm. We were seated right away, we sat outside. The heaters and blankets were very helpful on a chilly November night. The staff were attentive and service was great. Loved the bread that came in the beginning, wish there was balsamic vinegar with the olive oil. We ordered a few small plates and everything was delicious. Especially liked the octopus and the escargot. We will definitely visit again very soon. read more

Elia is amazing and such a great addition to our beloved Laurel Street! Great food, creative drinks, incredible staff and super fun energy!

Very rude and racist staff. The restaurant had a lot of empty tables. But they still told us that we needed reservation. We got a reservation online on OpenTable for 10 min later. We came back with the reservation and they said "doesn't matter, we are full". Most of the tables were still empty. read more

This is a great recent addition to San Carlos. Excellent food & a great vibe. Great for date night or a group event.

Nice ambience and great hospitality! They bring coat racks right to your table so your jackets and purses don't drape on the floor. Service was very attentive. Food did not disappoint and was reasonably priced. I loved the beet salad and moussaka. Definitely check it out. read more

$250 for a party of four with no wine or appetizer?? No thanks. It's a one time mistake for us. Nice ambiance though. We've seen these type of places come and go. read more

Served bread to all tables excepr ours. Not okay, not coming back! Food was average. If yoh have dietary restrictions, go Elsewhere.