My friends and I had a 10/10 meal at Eloura, one of those meals where you just can't stop eating even when you're already stuffed! Drinks and service exceeded expectations, and the food was nothing short of delicious. The chili crisp hummus was addictive, and I have not gotten over the amazing crispy brussel sprouts. Do not sleep on the brussel sprouts! For mains, the skirt steak, zatar-crusted branzino, and octopus were all wonderful. But the stand out was the seared halloumi. So flavorful and a great vegetarian option that even the carnivores wanted a taste of. Overall, Eloura is a wonderful spot for a date night or big group dinner with lots of options for sharing and a unique menu offering flavor profiles that you won't easily find elsewhere. It was a memorable meal, and we are looking forward to visiting again! read more

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went for the café experience. it is overpriced for the quality--feels more like you're paying for the interior décor. staff were okay? pastries were a bit dry. it might be worth trying again once Eloura has established itself a bit more. in the meantime, there are other spots that are better suited for coffee and a baked good. read more

Eloura - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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The meal arrived burdened by a price tag that promised far more than the kitchen ultimately delivered. Our table ordered the lamb, accompanied by several traditional sides, including baba ganoush. To our surprise, the bread required to enjoy it came at an additional charge--a baffling decision that felt more nickel-and-dime than hospitality. The lamb itself was the evening's greatest disappointment. Cooked well beyond its ideal point, it arrived dry and lacking the tenderness and richness that should define the dish. What should have been the centerpiece of the meal instead felt neglected. Service did little to redeem the experience. Staff moved through the dining room with an air of indifference, appearing more inconvenienced by guests than attentive to them. At these prices, diners should expect thoughtful service and carefully executed food. Unfortunately, neither was in evidence. Pass. read more

Recently had a work lunch here and the service was great! They were out of two items that we had asked about but remembered art fair on the square weekend (beautiful by the way) had just occurred right before. The date jam on the falafel burger...good grief it was so good!! The fries were the perfect balance between seasoned, thick, and crisp! The space was open and the decor was very pretty. I would love to try the Ube Matcha and spanakopita cigars for the next adventure on the square! read more

Eloura - Falafel and Date Jam Burger - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We needed a caffeine fix to deal with the crazy weather we are having latterly! So, we decided to stop at Eloura for coffee. We had the baklava and the rose pistachio latte, as well as the matcha and matcha pistachio cookie. The cozy space had a great view of Capitol, staff was super friendly and welcoming. I'll write another post about Eloura Restaurant, once we try their fine dining Mediterranean food. read more

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Sadly, Eloura was below average on nearly all fronts. The service was extremely slow and it took a very long time to get our drinks after we spotted them sitting ready at the bar. Our appetizer plates weren't cleared until our main dishes arrived. The atmosphere of the restaurant was ok, but quite dark in our corner. The food was also below average, especially for the price point. The portions were small and the meat was not very flavorful. We did enjoy the spanakopita cigars and Athens loaded fries, but that was simply not enough to make this dinner worth our time or money. I would save yourself some money and skip this one. There are plenty of other great spots nearby. read more

Eloura - Eloura Mezze Selection - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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A solid start for Eloura as in enters it's second week of being open. Stopped in for a weekday lunch. Eloura is a hybrid of cafe/restaurant-offering lunch and dinner with a full bar. This review focuses purely on the lunch/bar experience. Will come back later to review the cafe. The bar currently has a few drafts on tap but no bottles/cans of beer, several whites/reds by the glass and full bar. Labeled as an "Mediterranean experience", their menu is mediterranean with a touch of asian fusion (ie. Chicken katsu gyro, banh mi with tahini, etc). The lunch menu contains appetizers, soup/salad, and sandwiches. For the sandwiches, 3 out of the 6 options are some variety of burger. A little surprised that the menu didn't have falafel as a major player-with it only being available in the large and expensive ($32) mezze platter. I opted for the adana kebab in the bowl (vs. gyro) with the side salad (fries were other option). The side salad was average and could have benefited for a zippier vinaigrette with more seasoning. The kebobs were well constructed and perfectly grilled-the yogurt sauce that was drizzled over was very nice. The yellow rice, like the salad, was also average but served as a good foil for the meat. My server was pleasant and quick to refill my water glass. It will be interesting to see how Eloura fares. It has a prime spot on the square in a space that has been cursed for many years by subpar restaurants occupying it. It is a large and well appointed space and sits between casual and upscale in design. I could see people stopping in for a coffee or a casual business lunch during the day while drawing guests in the evening who are looking for a nicer meal. The question will be can the space draw that many people in throughout the day for it to be both. read more

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This might be my new favorite restaurant in Madison. My dining companion and I were impressed by the 2 apps and main dish we ordered: Spanakopita cigars, Sarma, and the Falafel and Date Jam Burger Plenty of food - all delicious - excellent service and beautiful setting, inside and out. Definitely recommend! read more

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I love this place. Feels like yesterday it opened. Ahi Tuna Tabbouleh is totally unique and delicious. Spanakopita cigars as well. Staff are attentive and friendly, never let my water glass go empty. I drink a lot of water! Even got a visit from Chef Miguel. I come by every so often for a double espresso just to hang out by the front window. read more

One thing I really wish about Madison that it had more Mediterranean restaurants. I know there is Taza in Middleton and Meze in Sun Prarie, but nothing really centrally located, especially after Plaka Taverna closed (that was a sad day). So when Eloura opened up, we were excited to try it. We easily got a table. It was like a banquette across the entire wall with pillows while my husband sat in a chair across from me. First thing I noticed was how small the tables were. When we arrived there were two side plates with silverware and when water glasses and wine glasses appeared, there was no more room on the table. And after we got our entrees, we had to move items onto the banquette beside me. My husband and I always order food and share what we get. He ordered Adana Meatballs and I ordered the Lamb Kofta platter and a pita basket since there wasn't one provided which I always find as odd. His 5 meatballs where in a surprisingly sweet sauce and unexpected. It didn't come with any side like a salad or rice which seems odd, especially for a $22 price tag. My lamb kafta plate came with a small amount of rice, tiny fresh salad, and roasted vegetables (one half of a roma tomato and a small yellow pepper). Flavors were good but again...very small portions for $25. We were about 2/3rds done when my husband decided he needed more and ordered a side of rice ($3). We wanted to wait on our final bites until we got the rice. As we waited, our server tried to remove our plates which we prevented. The rice showed up about 10 minutes later. As we finished our final bites, we talked about if we would come back and how we would order differently. We both decided we would probably return, but we would instead treat it as a location to order appetizers and a glass of wine versus any entrees. Overall service was excellent, most of the flavors were delicious, but small overpriced entrees left us wanting more. read more

I had been there before and had very good appetizers. This time I went with some friends after I had recommended the place. I made a reservation for 5 people stating we had a play to get to at 7:30pm that was close by. The reservation was for 5:30. The place was almost empty when we arrived. We had to wait for a table, wait for someone to take our drink orders, wait over 4 minutes for our drinks orders to come after asking several times where they were. The food was good but two people ordered appetizers only to be told their orders went to someone else and now the item they ordered were no longer available. then we had to wait a long time for r checks. We barely made the play we were going to see. read more

I really just didn't have a nice time at this restaurant. First things first, I didn't have any issues with the service and our waiter was very nice. However, the amount of food you receive for the amount you pay is not great. I paid $15 for a lobster soup, just for there to be a singular piece of lobster. I was thoroughly disappointed, and will not be returning. read more

The ambiance is pretty nice; however the food quality is okay, not that great. Additionally, we found that the service, while nice, was very slow despite the restaurant not being very busy at all. read more

Went to Eloura for lunch last Wednesday 4/8/26 for a friend's birthday. Two of us ordered espresso martinis, which were delicious and the birthday girl had a beautiful spritzer that was purple and had a flower in it and she liked it so much she ordered a second one. For the appetizers, we had the Mezze platter which came with hummus, baba ghanoush, a roasted red pepper purée, stuffed grape leaves, veggies, and warm pita bread. We all really enjoyed it! We also ordered the crispy brussels sprouts which were absolutely fantastic (I couldn't stop eating them) and the spanakopita cigars, which were also very tasty! One friend had the chicken kebab and the other the Adana kebab and both loved them! (I was full from the appetizers!) And for dessert, we shared the baklava with pistachio whipped cream. . A little fancier take on traditional baklava, but we liked it. Overall, we had a very good experience and thought the food was absolutely delicious! Our server was very attentive and the managers even came by to say hello and make sure we were well taken care of. Definitely would return! read more

Food was great! My friend and I split the burrata mezze dish and the mezze selection. Mezze selection came with a lot of dip, but not a lot of bread/accoutrements. Service was definitely slow, we did not receive our drinks until after we had finished our food. The server had mentioned there was only one bartender, which seems silly for a Thursday night when there's a show at the overture. We sat outside and had the ambiance of the madison capitol read more

Food okay, overpriced. In the menu, it said the hummus came with pita. It did not. The service so-so. The ambiance...dark inside, nothing special or impressive. Don't think it's worth a return visit. read more

Had lunch here during Art Fair on the Square. Restaurant had air conditioning. It was half full, and despite the lack of customers it took over an hour to get our food. They had forgotten about my wife's order so we all ate while they rustled that up. The service sucked. The food was OK. There is absolutely NO way I would ever return here. Giving it two stars because of the food, the service deserves one star or less. read more

Overall kinda disappointed with my experience. Upon entering I asked if the restroom was in the back and was answered with a straight faced "yes". I brushed it off and after using the dirty restroom I went to order. The girl taking the order was very friendly. She is one of the reasons this isn't a 1 star review. I informed her I had a pistachio allergy as their menu was pretty pistachio heavy. I wasn't expecting special treatment but the lady making the drinks looked at me and said "I'll try". It wasn't a very reassuring "I'll try" but rather a dry and annoyed response. My wife watched as she made my drink and she did take special care to not cross contaminate. I was fine but the lack of concern was..well...concerning. Drinks took an easy 15 minutes to make which was upsetting. Overall not the best experience. But drinks were good. read more

Rating: 2/5 Stars I'm not a coffee connoisseur, but I've had enough cappuccinos and lattes in my time to know the difference between a quality brew and a miss. My wife and I stopped by Eloura around 10:00 AM on a Friday, looking for a cozy spot near our hotel to get some work done during a business trip. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. The Negatives: * Cleanliness: We struggled to find a clean spot to sit. It looked like the staff had simply swept debris off the tables and onto the seats. We had to use our own napkins to scrub down the sticky table and clear the crumbs off the booth just to sit down. * Amenities: We specifically chose a booth for the outlets, but they were incompatible with standard US 3-prong plugs (they had round prongs). * The Coffee: This was the biggest letdown. My cappuccino was lukewarm and tasted like a massive amount of half-and-half mixed with weak, gas-station-quality coffee. My wife's caramel latte didn't taste like caramel at all--it had a strange peanut flavor and was overwhelmingly sugary. The Positives: The atmosphere is beautiful and the cafe itself feels very cozy. Most importantly, the staff was wonderful. Our barista was incredibly kind and professional, which is the only reason I'm giving this a 2-star rating instead of a 1. Verdict: Great vibes and lovely people, but please avoid the coffee at all costs read more

We loved the dirty Thai Tea! Great space with great views of the Capitol. Looking forward to coming back!

So this is our second visit and it's on a Saturday night. We ordered 2 appetizers and sat at the bar. Drinks were good, not great like last time. One appetizer arrived in 15 minutes. The second one an hour later. That's not going to work. Even though they comped the last one, it still makes the evening less enjoyable. We want this restaurant to make it!! We'd like to have it be our weekly go to place. I know they're newer and staff is hard to find. But. I'll give them one more chance before we never return in one month. I hope they read this review. Steve read more

The food was great and so was my bartender Becky! I had an incredible old fashioned that I would highly recommend! It paired perfectly with my meal. If you come in, ask for Becky! read more

My husband and I had dinner here a few weeks after its official opening. The restaurant was quite busy, and the ambiance was very warm and inviting. Our waitress was excellent and very attentive throughout. I got the beef smash burger and my husband got the lamb smash burger - both were very good! We got the Prosciutto and Date Bruschetta to start which was excellent. Overall - an impressive start for this restaurant and we will be back! read more

Was super excited to eat at this new restaurant that opened on the square. Initially when you walk in, the restaurant looks very nice. Brick walls, moody lighting... but upon closer examination the chairs are cheap, all the plants are fake, and the decor looks like something you'd find in a TJ Maxx. One half of the restaurant was clearly the main dining area, the other half was their designated coffee shop with bright lighting and trash cans within your eyesight. Drinks were great, super strong. No complaints. The food was lackluster. I was very confused by the Asian fusion aspect, Mediterranean food is great by itself. You don't need to include wasabi and Seasame seeds and call it "cutting edge". The meals here are a bit more expensive than the other restaurants on the square, I got the lamb chops which were advertised as "garlic and truffle". No truffle flavor whatsoever (and for $45 the size of the lamb chops was underwhelming and disappointing). On top of that, they were also served room temperature. You'd never have known they were on a grill. My friend got the Kavurma which was on the salty side. We split an appetizer and got two drinks along with an entree, I paid a little less than $100 while she paid $75. Safe to say that we won't be coming back or recommending this restaurant to others unless they're looking to dine in a restaurant that looks like it would be found in a hotel lobby. read more