Amazing food, wine, cocktails and ambiance. The best establishment in Aspen. Looking forward to another mouth watering meal at Ellina, soon!

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Aspen. The service is top-notch, the location is perfect, and the food is truly unbelievable. I have been coming here for 7 years and it keeps getting better. It's the perfect spot for a family outing, a date, or just a delicious meal. The tacos are ridiculously good (Baha halibut is my favorite). All of the pastas, tomato soup, the fish dishes, and the short rib are unforgettable. You must eat here! Drink a diablo cocktail and some wine too. Jill, the owner and a sommelier, has phenomenal taste in wine. I have been living here for the summer and going 3 times a week. read more

Ellina is an elegant restaurant with prompt service, and delicious food (not pictured). We ordered cocktails with the request that they would be served in a burgundy glass, which was ecstatically pleasing. Drinks were great, food was good! read more

Ellina - View from our table - New American Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

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Absolutely LOVE this place! Never had a bad experience here. Best dishes include short rib & fettuccini. Good spot for date night, family gathering, or just a cool atmosphere with friends! read more

Overall--terrific. Braised Artichoke Heart Bruchetta --weird combonation of things but an unbelievable dish. Truffles, sauce, bruchetta, and a poached egg--incredible! Pasta with sausage was very good--sausage pieces were large, spicy and flavorful. Wine was delicious--try the Clarendon Hills Syrah. The best restaurant in Aspen I've been to yet--hope to be back soon! read more

So in love with Ellina! We found this gem last minute and they accommodated us within 5 minutes of calling on a Friday night. Their food is AMAZING!!! We even had the pleasure of meeting the owner Jill and she is so nice and made our experience that much better. She helped us with our menu selections and even gave us recommendations on other restaurants for lunch and dinner. There were 6 of us at the table we ordered the calamari, polenta, pork belly, cavetelli, the lamb chops, the black pepper fettuccini, the red snapper, the trout, and different salads too! Dessert amazinggggg we'll have to come back every time we're in town! read more

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Appetizers were my favorite part,good food overall ,service is nice except long wait......................................aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy read more

Ellina's has been a favorite of ours for years. That is why I have to respond to Jerry K's scathing review. My husband and I were there, behind Jerry. We were having a good time listening to the great mix of music and eating our appetizers, when Jerry sits down, in the middle of the restaurant, props up his iPad and starts a loud conversation. Not on headphones either! He has a conference, at full volume! He's old, I get it. But not at everyone's expense. We asked the waitress to have him turn it down or put on headsets, and she was very nice to him. Jerry chose to be selfish again and ignore the waitress. At this point all other tables were shaking their heads and laughing at his audacity. The owner walked by and told him to turn it down. No one was rude, but Jerry K. Don't hurt a business just because you were called out on your inappropriate and self absorbed behavior, Jerry. read more

Great experience, great food/service. I would dare say one of the best experiences in town. The food was so eclectic and so so good. We had the chicken Milanese, cooked perfectly-tender inside and crispy edges. Served hot on a hot plate-divine. We had the pasta Bolognese-lots of meaty sauce and fresh pasta-perfect portion size. There is a great U-shaped bar that looked fun for a couple to sit and dine. The owner is present, active, friendly and welcomes you at your table. Absolutely a must when dining in Aspen. read more

Simple review is this: PROS: -EXCELLENT local meats -top-shelf service -Patio dining -Treated my infant daughter beautifully (not always the case in higher end restaurants) CONS: -Odd layout to the place. Felt cramped --Not much else read more

Ellina - She loved the lamb chops!! - New American Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

Yelp never steers us wrong with their restaurant recommendations, and Ellis Was no exception in this regard. This small, cozy restaurant is tucked away downstairs from a little courtyard off of the pedestrianized area of Hyman Avenue. We were able to get a reservation pretty easily midweek. Our attentive server made wine suggestions to accompany our entrees; we tried the lamb chops and the pork. It was all prepared to our liking and the service was excellent. Will definitely return. read more

Our dishes varied from rather poor to good. No complexity to flavors, my fish was drenched in an oily garlic tomato sauce. . Much less impressive than recent meals ar equivalent style restaurants at similarprice points. The service was efficient but impersonal. read more

The main dish (braised short rib) was inedible. Too salty, meat and sauce, couldn't even finish it. Sent the majority of dish back, notified the waitress, but she didn't even pay it any mind, maybe because it was very busy. Also ordered the pepper fettuccine, it was overall very bland and tasteless. The only thing we recommend is the artichoke bruschetta. We are aspen regulars and will not be recommending this restaurant nor will we be returning. read more

So...our server was great. She did a great job of selling the menu and telling funny stories. The owner however, was unwelcoming....bordering on almost rude. We ordered a bottle of wine and she seemed offended that she had to waste her time. (Our pedestrian Stags' Leap bottle paled in comparison to the average $400 bottles on the wine list...sorry...you got us on a Monday). Some of the food was great - beet salad, mushroom ravioli, winter greens salad....and then the seafood risotto..meh...the mussels were chalky. Did we walk away happy we spent $550 for 3 people? Nope. Probably would have had better value going anywhere else. read more

The last time we went to Ellina we were being rushed - the waitress even admitted they needed to turn tables. Our servers took our bread away when we weren't done with it yet. When the waitress asked us if we wanted dessert she had the bill in her hand already!? We have gone to Ellina many times and went back because we enjoyed the food. However, we will not go back - good service is part of the experience- and they don't have that here. Lost a good customer:( read more

7 people each order entrees and I order 3 extra entrees for the table. The steak was ordered medium rare it comes medium well. We send back and the replacement steak comes back rare, we ask to cook it a couple minutes more, they send us a new steak that is even more rare. We ask the waitress to cook this a couple more minutes and not for a new steak. The chef refuses. I asked for a cocktail menu twice and never received it. It was a $1200.00 meal and they refused to get the steak right and on top of this the waitress was very rude. Horrible experience.. read more

Beautiful restaurant and all the food our party of 6 ordered was delicious. Would go back every time we're in Aspen. You won't be disappointed. read more

To preface this I regularly eat at nice restaurants - Michelin star restaurants in NYC and SF. I actually felt robbed by this dinner. Almost $200 for an appetizer and entree that were not that big. Food good but not even close to spectacular. read more

Ellina will not disappoint! The service and food were 5 star. Thank you Jill for making our Christmas dinner fabulous!

Food was good. Service could have been a little better. We shared some appetizers but no share plates, didn't remove the empty wine glasses we didn't use from the table. Didn't ask for refills on the cokes. Lamb chops came out cold we sent it back but the only thing that was hot was the plate. For the prices they charge in Aspen, service needs to be amazing. I feel that Aspen employs a lot of people seasonally that are not professional waiters. read more

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I'm a fan of all types of chocolate however, Ellina in Aspen has the most phenomenal chocolate cake! The food and drinks were just as delicious and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place. Strongly recommend Ellina if you've ever in the area. read more

I hesitate to write this. Great food and service. But I'm a confident the salad there made me sick that evening. Great salad. But I hope this review will encourage better cleaning and rinsing practices. Salads are the worst thing for food poisoning you can eat out. But I did it bc it's a nice restaurant. Inside is lovely atmosphere. Expensive drinks but very good. read more

We checked in for our 7:45 reservation at 7pm. The hostess pointed to a table and said that was "our" table. At approximately 8:15 the previous customers paid and left. Our hostess then sat another couple at "our" table. we came up and she said she forgot about us. I suggested a comped cocktail, but none ever came. The menu is limited, according to the server because they cannot get enough help. Lamb is off the menu. We had the short ribs, but since it was so late, we both took out food home. The server was great throughout the evening, however, our doggy bag did not contain the sauce which was the best part of the meal. We are locals and were sorely disappointed. read more

Wouldn't let my seven-year-old use the bathroom until we walked in to sit at the bar first . Enough said, never coming back to Ellina, (and walked out on my reservation for dinner tonight) Not friendly people. read more

We booked a reservation 4 weeks in advance to be seated outside through the concierge at the Ritz Carleton for 6:30 with Courtney with a printed confirmation. We showed up at 6:30 the hostess was absent from the hostess stand for 10 minutes and there was a huge line to check in - when the hostess came to check us in she said our reservation was at 6:15 and refused to seat us outside - we then spike to the manager who was beyond rude. Worst customer service in Aspen. Do not go to this restaurant!!! read more

The noise level in this place is laughable. It is in a basement with stone walls and a low ceiling. Two out of our party of four just wanted to get up and leave. The food is actually pretty good but it doesn't matter. You can't enjoy a meal in this restaurant The food is quite pricey and we were in and out in one hour. That actually was quite a relief from the noise read more

We had a wonderful experience. Jen, our server was attentive but never interrupting. It was a wonderful blend of European and American service. The food and drinks from cocktails to desert was fabulous. read more

Our first experience at Ellina was great - we sat outside on the patio across from the restaurant and it was a lovely setting. The cocktails were great - very unique options and creatively presented. The halibut ceviche was our favorite dish of the night - we could have had two. Salad was a little soggy but the flavor was still good. Salmon entree was excellent - perfectly cooked. The carne asada taco was ok - we're Mexican food aficionados and this didn't stack up (perhaps too Americanized). The service was excellent - the hostess was a bit chilly but the server and owner were friendly and helpful. We'll be back! read more

This place was good, but a bit overrated for the price. It was a little strange when one waiter introduced himself as our server, and then another waiter mysteriously took over for the remainder of the night. However, the service was prompt and the snapper and filet were delicious. It was a little disappointing when I learned that they don't do anything for birthdays. I noted in my reservation that it was my girlfriend's birthday hoping they would do something a little special. I realized during dinner that my note didn't get through so I mentioned it to our waiter, and we just got a "oh, happy birthday". I wasn't expecting everyone to gather around the table and sing, but something subtle like a candle in the dessert would have been nice. I've been to other fine dining restaurants where they do this and even though it's a small gesture I think it really makes a difference. Anyway, I'm not complaining about this place. It's just when your paying $150-200+ for dinner for 2, the expectations are high. With so many other great options in Aspen I think I will try those before I consider coming back. read more

It's by far my favorite restaurant in Aspen. The mushroom ravioli is amazingggg. Jill is also amazing!

A triumph of a meal, Ellina was a culinary tour de force that illustrated why food is truly an art and demonstrated the outcome of dedicated passion. Tucked below street level, the path to the entrance is charming and shelters this Northern Italian inspired venue with a subtle mystique. Greeted warmly, we were guided through a pair of 'secret' doors that led us into a beautiful side room. Stone walls that illuminated the mining history of Aspen were a gorgeous touch, and the table was meticulous and refined. The 5 of us settled around the table, and enjoyed the experienced and delightful persona of Craig, our server for the evening. Throughout the night he executed the front end of Chef Dena Marino's menu with grace. Starting with the fresh garden greens, the scattered cambozola cheese brought a creamy touch to a crisp salad and the poignant cranberry vinaigrette drizzled lightly over the dish brought together the multiple flavors in harmony. Then the real fun began... Never have I ever dined where such an intense game of plate merry go round consumed the table due to the overwhelming masterpieces we were experiencing. I rode into the Pan Seared Gigante Scallops which hit perfection. Each scallop was pan fried to a delicate touch, leaving them golden, buttery and kept form to be some of the best I have ever had. The port demi glace sauce was mesmerizing and instinctively made your eyes close to help you endure the memory of each bite. The plate was topped with crispy parsnips that gave a needed crunch to the light dish and the bed of cranberry steamed rice brought a touch of sweet. The dish was a knock out, and should be a 'forever'. Other notable dishes were the Rummo Rigatoni in a rich pink sauce and the Ricotta Butternut Squash Ravioli topped with crispy duck confit. Let me tell you, the plates were moving around the table fast and they were clean white by the end. A chocolate budino with cinnamon sour cream and caramel sauce finished the night and you couldn't find 5 happier people in Aspen. Oh did I mention that Giada de Laurentiis was sitting next to us as well!? She. Is. Stunning. Chef Dena Marino, you have crafted a legendary menu here, and I can only dream of being able to fly out to Aspen weekly to partake in your dishes. Sometimes all it takes is a week to make a year, and this week made mine. Bra-VO. read more

High class and quality, yet not pretentious. Fabulous food, and an epic wine list. I love eating in the dining room in the winter; super cozy and high energy. But the bar is not to be missed either. Cocktails are excellent - well made and they don't skimp on the booze. And I love dining at the bar; it's great for a full meal or just for a drink. In good weather, the patio is epic. The owner is so much fun and will pick you out a great bottle to go with your dinner. read more

We had our late valentines dinner here because Valentine's Day can get busy. My boyfriend had the lamb while I got the red snapper. I have to say, I preferred the lamb more because I found that my fish was a bit dry. It was a very classy place and the service was good. read more

Ellina - Red snapper - New American Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

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I wanted to start off by saying that the food was fantastic. 5-star no question! However our service was absolutely the worst I have ever had at an Aspen restaurant in the past 10 years! We went on a Tuesday night and were one of only 3 or 4 tables inside, so it was not crowded. A general lack of attention by the wait staff is the best way to sum up the evening. Our waiter never truly introduced himself or welcomed us to the restaurant. At one point I timed how long it would take for my empty water glass to be refilled... 10 minutes. Our bread wasn't brought to the table until after our appetizers. When we asked for more bread we told one of the wait staff that one person hadn't gotten a piece because there was one less piece than we had people. He argued with us and said he had cut the same number of pieces, basically calling us liars. That is a cardinal sin in the service industry as far as I'm concerned. Due to the lack of attentiveness I don't think anyone there realized we were in satisfied with our service. Not until we asked if the 20% gratuity would be automatically included(as the menu stated) did they realize our level of aggravation. Our waiter kindly removed our 2 appetizers and then proceeded to tell us they were short staffed. He also used the bread waiter and his comments as the scapegoat. We never received a table visit or apology from the restaurant manager. Even after all of this we tipped a collective 20% on the total bill because we were trying to take the high road. Hindsight we all regret doing that. I guess if eating 5 star food and being completely ignored until you want the check is your thing, then this is the place for you. read more

Ellina - Waiting to have plates cleared... 10 min after finishing - New American Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

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Excellent service, phenomenal food, exceptional vibe and just an absolutely exquisite experience. Can't recommend this place highly enough

Hands down, Incredible. We've dined at Ellina three or four times so far this summer, and its for sure one of our favorites in Aspe . Jill and her staff have provided excellent service and fabulous food. The pastas are all hand made and the wine selection is to die for. Absolutely love the vibe of this place! read more

You get used to overpriced food choices in Aspen but Ellina annoyed me in a particularly unpleasant way. Their two main courses that we ordered -- rabbit and pork chop -- were both undercooked, impossible to chew and tasteless. The only flavor came from the sauce used in both dishes. While there are plenty of servers around, for about 15 minutes when I waited to report the problem without touching the food, no one came up to ask me if they can do anything to fix the problem. Why two stars? The ambiance is pleasant and the appetizers are of decent 3* quality. read more

This is one of the best restaurants in Aspen! Delicious food, prompt and friendly service, and truly amazing wines. The owner, Jill, is a wonderful host and a hell of a sommelier. I trust her 100% to choose a wine for me every time I go, and being from Spain I'm very particular! read more

Ellina is the best. Miguel, the chef, makes a fuego artichoke bruschetta and Jill runs her restaraunt like a true new yorker. That's up for interpretation. If you leave a bad review about this place, you probably have low class taste. The hostesses are hot. The bartenders are hot. The bussers are hot. And one of the servers is a former Abercrombie model. The sommeliers are extremely intelligent and their wine selection is creme of the crop. I ordered a bottle of Screaming Eagle. Fucking incredible. The food is locally sourced and super sustainable. Its cool that some Aspen restaraunts believe in true farm to table. Service is top notch and everyone's super down to earth. Run by some of Aspens finest. Come if your chill, if your from Texas maybe... read more

We went in off season, so it was REALLY quiet. The ahi appetizer was plate licking good, but our mains were not as spectacular. The haddock was very good, but the pea ravioli was not at all subtle. It was all pea, all the time - there should have been a wider variety of ingredients. It was like a trip down memory lane to mushy peas for dinner as a toddler. The service was very good, and the atmosphere is fine. Nothing earth shattering in the decor. read more