Absolutely blown away by the space and design. Food was a spectacular and a very well priced journey into the unfamiliar. Service was impeccable. Very unique tasting menu that stands out from the crowd. Would also recommend the wine pairing (eclectic selection that you wouldn't have the opportunity to try and at a resonate price point). This spot is a true gem and a must try for anyone looking for a world class experience at a reasonable price point. If you drop this place into manhattan they would be able to charge double and be competitive with the very top tier of manhattans elite dining establishments! A side note on some of the other reviews that i saw in disbelief after enjoying the dinner... I don't see how anyone can rate this establishment as a two or three start based on the quality of the food??? Each one of the 10 dishes we tried in the tasting was Michelin quality and the desserts were out of this world. The dishes were small but this is a $250 nordic style tasting menu so its not designed to give you a food coma, it's meant to take you on a culinary journey. Try it and see for yourself! read more

ILIS - Bread and Ricotta - Seafood Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This is an absolute must try!!! The staff are amazing and the chef inspired dishes are incredible read more

ILIS - Tuna Collar - Seafood Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Ilis had been on my list of must try places. We always try a new spot for special occasions, I grabbed a reservation for our anniversary and I'm so, so happy I did. From the entrance, to the goodbye at the end of the night; everything was beyond what I expected. I have been following Chef Mads from the inception of the concept which is now a living dream come true. The ethos, the sustainability and love for food, and beauty of it all was just beyond anything I could imagine. My favorite part of the meal; I would probably say the tuna and the caviar potato. The presentation of the tuna is just something beyond incredible. Preparation was delicious and the table side shaving of the aged tuna was something special. And the caviar potato, well I just love caviar, and boy was the one for the books! The space, being an old rubber warehouse - was absolutely stunning! The exposed wood beams and high ceilings, the Basquiat and the incredibly imaginative Lego piece of art; brought it all together for me. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that you are invited to tour the restaurant after finishing the meal. What a unique, and special touch. All I can say is Yesss Chef! Chef Mads Refslund is incredible at what he does. Had the pleasure of speaking with him, and sure hope he gets his well deserved star this year. read more

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Had the Field Menu, for $325, I agree with most people it is sort of a joke. $265 may be acceptable. 1. Snacks: Assorted Tomatoes from Farmers market & Some drink served in Green Pepper with a cluster of Basil. - almost feel like our waiter wasn't proud of serving these. 2. Oyster w/ Tomato drizzle - it was fine but tomato again after serving us 3 types of tomato to start? 3. Snail w/ Potato Puree - might be my favorite dish although my group hated it. It was not mixed so top part was just potato puree and all the snail was at the bottom. It was beautifully presented though. 4. Stonefruit & Beets sliced - quite delicious but another fruit and veggie. 5. Sunflower Caviar - creativity behind it but didnt feel like the caviar stood out. 6. Fluke Sashimi - it was good, however, as an asian growing up I eat whole fish no problem, the presentation was truly unpleasant. Raw fish with its eye carved out, really not helping the appetite. 7. Summer Melon - the only dish chef came out to the table to explain but honestly this might be the weakest dish of the night. 8. Mushroom - although I love the flavor but it was insanely thin sliced, at 7th course, perhaps give something on the side that's filling. 9. Grilled Fluke - they grilled the other half of the fluke, it was tasty. Served with a side of potato soaked in brown butter as the carb of the meal. 10. Squid stuffed Tomato etc - as much as I enjoyed this dish, tomato showed up 3rd time of the night. 11. Khaki Duck - extremely exotic presentation with duck feet and nail on, again, I was fine with it but my group did not want to even try. Regardless, the duck was very undersrasoned and blend. Also it was tiny. 12. Watergrass Granita - the 3rd dish I enjoyed tonight. 13. Oak Mousse - it was interesting but also not that interesting. For $325, I think they should take it more seriously. read more

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ILIS was on my list to try as it seemed very trendy lately. There are some things to like about the restaurant including the very tall ceiling and entrance door creating a large space adding to the ambiance with the open kitchen. The cocktails were finely crafted and delicious. Service was excellent, nothing pretentious but rather friendly and inviting. Alas the positive points stop there. The food was not as good as expected. While the aesthetic and presentation were astounding, unfortunately the flavors weren't there and the meal definitely does not justify its price tag at the moment. We had the Field guide menu with over 12 courses but only a few of them were good. The theatrics while entertaining at first, fall short once we tasted some of the courses. Two of the dishes I enjoyed were the dry aged tuna with white truffles and the duck. Overall this was a mediocre experience, the presentation, service, and aesthetic were great but the food was nothing noteworthy. There are many other options for fine dining around town that we would have enjoyed more for the same price range. read more

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They forgot we ordered the wine pairing, to start. We had to find some guy, who wasn't our server, to get started. (We paid $1,000, up front.) Then ... no, wait for it ... a glass of white wine not replaced, but filled with sake. (The best "wine" we had all night.) Food was bland and entirely uninteresting. Service was barely existent, and that's being complimentary. Kids around us taking selfies was the most interesting part of the evening. Yes, that was the crowd. I love the "fine dining" reviews giving 5 stars, to which I credit tourism. This place wanted to portray itself as Noma. It should aspire to be Burger King. And I don't mean to insult Burger King. Stay on the island and venture off at your own risk. read more

Ilis has been a go-to in the area since it opened. Drinks and Food are always amazing. While I understand some people complaining about the price point, it is a fine dining restaurant in NYC, some places charge 2-3x what Ilis does and don't have nearly the pedigree across the board. The restaurant is beautiful, and the drinks and service match that same cozy yet classy vibe. The food is an adventure, and you do need to buy in to enjoy the experience truly, but if you're not pretentious and just try everything as instructed by the chefs, you'll have a great time with some incredible bites. read more

I am so surprised by all of the negative reviews, this has to be one of my favorite restaurant experiences in New York, and the food was top notch, easily rivaling many of the 3 Star Michelin and other top world restaurants I've had. The food was unique, flavorful, and adventurous. Fine dining has often gotten into this monotony of the same basic flavors, an over reliance on truffles and caviar, and the same staple proteins. Not here though! From more exciting presentation, to less common proteins such as gamey meat the food here was top notch. I particularly liked how well everything was executed, and how each dish brought something unique to the table, from the creaminess and jelly-ness of the crab to the mixed flavors of the drinking clam, everything was delightful and exciting. And the drinks were delicious too, really well thought out with some exciting presentation. The service and pacing still need to be worked on a bit though. At times we got a bunch of dishes at once, and then a dead period with no food, and then a bunch of dishes again. If they can get this pacing down better I think this restaurant can really shine even further. read more

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I feel like all the bad reviews don't really understand fine dining. So let's get straight into it. Came for a late dinner on a Thursday night with friends and had a fantastic time. When we arrived, almost every table was occupied. There's 2 seatings per night as per Resy reservation times, and I'm guessing most folks booked the earlier one since I didn't see many (or any?) folks seated after us. We started the evening at 9:15 pm and ended up being one of the last tables (oops). The space is beautiful and you can tell they really thought through the details. Even though its a massive space with an open kitchen, it's not too loud. They have multiple cutlery so you can choose your own adventure on how to eat each dish. Tables are spaced a decent distance apart as well. Sure, the choosing a menu based on main ingredient and building your own box is a little gimmicky. I had no idea when choosing the potato it'd essentially be caviar. But you have to lean into the experience and have fun with it! The complaints around the raw food cart being ala carte? That's most fine dining restaurants and the raw options were pretty reasonably priced. The service was fantastic throughout the evening, bar 2 little hiccups-- one where they served us the wrong dish (scallop instead of tuna) and one where they purposefully didn't bring us our pumpkin because they said they gave us the scallop (which honestly is just so bizarre to me that I'm just straight ignoring it). Shoutout to Steven who helped with our drinks selection, although he disappeared towards the end of the evening. Food-wise, there were some standouts (lobster, antelope, trout) and some that were just meh (tuna, oyster, scallop). Would Ilis be towards the top of my fine dining list based on the food alone? No. But based on the entire experience, it ranks pretty high up! Do yourself a favor-- if you have the money and like fine dining and fun experiences, go and judge it for yourself. Go in with no expectations or pretensions and you'll have a great time. read more

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An exercise in spectacular mediocrity epitomizing the pretentiousness and lackluster fine dining. There is certainly an element of cool in the concept of a nondescript and almost hidden establishment with a cavernous and stylish interior once you get past the unassuming black door outside...but everything is downhill from there. I walked in with a friend who lives in the neighborhood and had no idea of the history or hype surrounding ILIS but was happy to be seated at the bar where we planned to get drinks and small bites. The bar is certainly beautiful and the decor is simply splendid. The staff are helpful and do not particularly add nor detract from the experience but looking past the beautiful interior and the standard service, ILIS has nothing more to stimulate or provide a reason to return. I may have been impressed by the somewhat stylish and "cool" crowd, but America isn't particularly cool in the current zeitgeist where unoriginality and being derivative are the defining characteristics of contemporary American style. I also dined at Borago and Mayta within a week of my visit so my expectations of fine dining were also a bit higher than under normal circumstances where I may have been a tad more forgiving. The culture of vanity and hero worship that is so prevalent in the New York and American fine dining takes away from the essence of a great meal. The items my friend and I tried were at best...OK. After trying three dishes from the bar menu, I personally have zero desire to want to come back and explore the tasting menu. I'm sure there will be plenty of buzz and attention paid to this place but I would rather save my money and hop a flight south of the equator to fine dining establishments that make NY look like the Cincinnati of fine dining in terms of their forward progression into realms of the spectacular and new. read more

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This is the best new restaurant in the U.S. IMHO it's tied with currently the #1 rated restaurant which is Atomix. Although these are some rather "normal" ingredients what's abnormal is the taste & the presentation. It's interactive also meaning you'll have a cocktail in a bell pepper, you'll use a snail foot as a spoon. You can customize, add or omit your ingredients. The restaurant is huge & so are the table so you won't feel claustrophobic. Cocktails as well as bar tasting are equally impressive. read more

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Wow, what an experience! Starting from the front door, ILIS oozes beauty, style and flair. The completely open kitchen is a real treat, allowing you to see how the staff bring everything together. Sitting at the bar gives you a front row seat to this spectacle, which is where we (a party of 4) sat. For those who don't like sitting at the bar, this bar is different. Plenty of space (deep counters) and they do a great job spacing everyone out so you don't have to shout to be heard. We did the Field Guide tasting menu, and 2 of us did the wine pairing (which was excellent) and one of us did the non-alcoholic beverage pairing. Instead of just zero proof cocktails, the nonalcoholic pairing was made of interesting nonalcoholic wines, which I appreciated. The food was phenomenal, inventive and beautifully plated (the bowl for one of the dishes was made entirely of ice!). My absolute favorites were the Brussels sprouts "on the cob" and the whole fish! My only complaint about the fish is that I wish they had given each person their own fish, rather than giving one fish for every two persons. I also ordered a couple things a la carte: an oyster and a drink that was inside of a squash. The oyster was great but I could've done without the squash drink. The price is steep, but on par for restaurants of this nature. One person in our party said he could do with a slice of pizza after the meal, because he was still hungry. The rest of us were fine, but not stuffed. So I recommend not coming here super hungry. Overall, I'm so glad I got a chance to try this place, and can't wait for my next visit! read more

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Not a single solitary dish tasted good , the disappointment was the only 10/10 we experienced , all gimmicks poorly executed and again most importantly nothing tasted good , we ended night w pizza read more

Innovative + Sustainable + Delicious What a journey! How can i explain the amazing experience i had at Ilis. The restaurant concept farm to table it is unique. You really can feel the flavour of their fresh and top ingredients presented in their maximal expression. The Nordic style of cooking with a Ny twist it is one of a kind. The menu tasting progression from vegetables to proteins play a very important part. It is like a symphony, like if you go to theater and they show you a story. You never feel heavy. We really appreciate the taste of every ingredient until we get to the main course. The ice + fire concept it is so creative! Using nature elements that engage you the whole experience. From when you choose what ingredient you want for your tasting menu through the explanation of every course from cooks, servers, managers, chefs, show the level of commitment they have to create a memorable experience. Sustainability it is the future of our cuisines. And Ilis and Chef Mads Refslund know how to do it flawlessly. i have been visiting many 1, 2, 3 Michelin Star restaurants and 50 best restaurants around the world. And this will be on my top best 3 dining experiences. Thank you and Bravo 10/10 read more

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A huge space which was half empty on Friday night. We sat at the bar and ordered items a la carte from their tasting menu and everything was very good, especially the cocktails! Cannot speak to the full tasting menu but definitely a hidden gem in Greenpoint. read more

We came for New Year's Eve and had an amazing experience. Our favorite dishes of the night were the sea urchin, scallops, brussels sprouts and eel. We loved being able to walk through the kitchen and see things being prepared while eating. The wine and cocktails were great as well. read more

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Quality as ephemeral as their service & candor. Dined with them on July 6th, with our original pre-paid reservation scheduled for the day prior. However, the restaurant elected to close July 5th in observation of the holiday. The restaurant made this modification last-minute owing to the unpredictable timing of the 4th of July. As other diners have likely provided, the menu is presented with a market basket of ingredients upon which your meal will be based. Diners are tasked with choosing four items from the list of options to compose their dinner. However, the two most desirable menu items - lobster and shrimp - were sold out. In fact, while we were discussing the menu options another staff person came and took the beats out of the market basket, providing the impression that our food was being sold out from under us as we were ordering. This was reinforced part way through our meal as we were informed that our 'main' choice - the fish - had also been sold out with another server having sold 'ours' to another diner. We were given an off-menu fish as a replacement. I'm unsure as to the preparation of the original fish, but what we were given was hastily grilled, doused with olive oil, chopped up and plated for service feeling distinctly unplanned and under cooked. With an upcharge, we did partake of the young almond & caviar dish, which was a kind of messy and broken mixture of nut cheese and young almonds with cooked/heated caviar on top. Later I browsed their socials and saw this dish on Instagram - looking far different in that it was actually composed and plated instead of slopped into a dish for service. Lastly - appropriate of nothing, the "One House" concept - where the restaurant purports to merge the FOH and BOH with service provided by chefs and the kitchen being in the middle ...I mean, we've all seen open kitchens before so branding it as a new idea just comes off as either conceited or ignorant. Most food came from the back anyway. Overall the quality and attention to detail were lacking, with some unique snubs with food actively being taken from our mouths - figuratively speaking. read more

Georgeous space & Art pieces. Service great....then comes the food. Beautiful seafood starter, snail, soso and clam sipper...seriously all that work to fill the bloody maryish drink inside that clam is a total waste of TIME and manpower Because its not good~at all. The fluke, one side raw, other side grilled~meat still stuck on the bones ?!?! Raw part taste not good either, didnt care for the presentation of the whole fluke..just does NOT look good. The chicken entrees is ok, but some bites are extremely salty, same goes for the salad, parts very salty. Cocktails taste like nothin its named..but ok. Sat at the bar and ordered these individuals, wont bother with the dining room for at least one year. Ilis looks the part but as for the taste and timing...its wayyyy offffffffff. read more

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They make some employees work for free/don't pay them which is a big zero stars for any establishment in my book. Don't give them your money! read more

I had the pleasure of visiting ILIS in Brooklyn for my past birthday in July, and I was absolutely blown away by the quality, service, atmosphere, and attention to detail at this restaurant. Mads Refslund, who was a co-founder of Noma, is the executive chef at ILiS, and this is evident in the design of the restaurant and the seasonally rotating menu. My family opted for the "Field Guide Menu", which functions essentially as omakase, or chefs choice. Although it was $100 more expensive than the "Market Menu", the variety was well worth the price increase.Some standout dishes include the sea snail with nasturtium, tuna rib, and green almond with caviar.Almost every dish was interactive, and I had so much fun playing with my food! Additionally, my father opted for the wine pairing, which was selected by our server/sommelier who was a CIA grad (shoutout!). I can't wait to go back to ILIS in the near future and try some incredible new dishes! read more

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i absolutely love the space and the extremely trendy look of the place. It's a really cute date place and the food is very imaginative and yummy! the drinks are very good and the flow of the place is pretty awesome. will def recommend! read more

WOW One of my favorite dinings experiences in recent memory - more fun and hip than Le Bernadin, just a level below Alinea. Not sure why they only have 3.5 stars on Yelp, but no doubt this was a 2 Michelin star meal and experience once they figure out some wrinkles. The restaurant was beautifully designed, staff was great, open kitchen was a great view (ask to sit at the kitchen bar). Everything I ate was absolutely delicious, even the bison tartar with cricket sauce I was scared about. My 2 critiques are 1) the chicken was a tad too cold by the time it reached me. 2) the desserts were extremely underwhelming relative to the specialness/uniqueness/awesomeness of the food. In fact, their set menu vs a la carte is a bit confusing because it seems the a la carte had better choices. After dinner, I went to Madre close by for a delicious soufflé. Sorry for the picture quality, it's dark in there read more

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What an incredible experience. Food was incredible. Design of the restaurant is second to none. Service was ELITE. We enjoyed sitting at the bar and ordering from the a la carte menu. We will be back !! read more

The space is beautiful and overall the food is quite good, but the meal had some hiccups. We went for the market menu. As described I thought we would have some choice as to what items we received, but there was no choice offered. Instead, they proceeded to bring us seafood for EVERY SINGLE course - no vegetables, no meat, just fish preparations. I like fish and the dishes we received were quite good, but they all started to feel quite similar and the meal concept felt poorly planned given lack of variety. As a person with a serious sweet tooth the desserts also need work. Aside from a special birthday dessert they were just bad. I know they offer an a la carte bar option that would be my choice going forward. read more

I'm quite mixed on this experience. I was so looking forward to my dinner here. I pre-purchased a table in late Dec (yes, full money down at the time of reservation, non-refundable), and when a last minute table opened up in mid Nov, I grabbed it. But my experience in Nov doesn't bode well for that pre-paid Dec visit... There were definitely highs - the food was, largely, a 4.5 experience. Amazing, buttery halibut (albeit small for two people) and a juicy, deliciously grilled rib of wild boar (also small). The one misstep was the weird crudite starter - a few tiny bits of raw cauliflower crammed in a pot full of not really edible "soil"/dough. It was more concept than taste/execution. Where Ilis really fell down for me was service. The service was a) slow and b) all over the place. Multiple people waited on us. I told the first person, who I thought was our main waiter, about my egg allergy. Then, we wound up talking to someone else about seafood "snacks" - an up charge for those on top of your prepaid amount, of course. I ordered a few oysters, the weird clam drink thing (not worth the $8 for just brine) and then uni. The oyster was great but the uni, which I was really looking forward to, gave me pause. It was couched in a bed of mousse - and I can't eat most mousses due to the poultry egg allergy. I asked a diff server if it had egg. Sure enough, she comes back later to take the dish away. That's it. No apology. No replacement dish offered. I wasn't even sure if I was still paying for that extra "snack." When I asked, she said they'd find something to replace it - but they never did. Then a different server (catching a theme?) came over to ask more questions about my allergy. After fully debriefing that server, I figured all would be ok. So dinner proceeds - slowly, so slowly as others have noted. And we get to the dessert: a little scoop of housemade ice cream amidst some other flavor enhancers. Some homemade ice cream has undercooked egg. So again, I ask to be sure - does this have egg? And yet another server comes and whisks the dish away from me. It apparently did. So they got me a sorbet instead. For a fine dining experience where you're paying $700-1000 for a meal for two, I expect that if I tell my server about a serious allergy, I won't have to worry about the dishes I'm served. But I had to tell three separate people - and double-check two items that wound up having egg! To me, that is just beyond ridiculous. And never did anyone ever apologize. When I enjoy a fine dining experience, it's in large part for the food - but also for the service. The service here is a far cry from Le Bernardin or other similarly priced restaurants. And due to the layout - with the busy kitchen as the star of the space, every person and action visible to all - the vibe here is decidedly not relaxed. Rather, you feel more that you're there at the kitchen's leisure - not vice versa. The icing on the cake was the bill. So I prepaid our dinners when I made the Rez, but we got some drinks (the $40 martini is not worth it, btw) and the aforementioned "snacks." When the bill comes, it just says "beverages," handwritten, next to an amount of $89. As I ordered two glasses of wine from a sommelier, I have no idea what they cost. And there was no itemization. Just Beverages - $89. The snacks weren't on there but we weren't about to complain. So my husband pays - and they run his credit card for the amount on someone else's bill. This was fixed when we pointed it out, but just another instance of sloppy service. Due to my earlier nonrefundable reservation made for late Dec, I'll be going yet again - and hoping for a better experience. The service slips could just be the growing pains of a new restaurant, and if they are, I'll update this review. Fingers crossed for the next experience. I may bring an epi pen... read more

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First the good: great atmosphere, drinks and service were good. We generally had a good time. But....the food just isn't delicious or even that interesting for the most part. I left feeling like I had dinner at a friend's house who used limited local ingredients (cool!) but it just wasn't that good (meh). And the price tag is astronomical. I'm sorry to pile on to the similar negative reviews but it felt a little like a scam to me. read more

Cool and special are the go to words I think when I remember my experience. Space has so much drama with the open kitchen Service team is the kitchen staff! To eat try anything and everything. loved the clam juice in a large shell you drink out of To drink have the martini thing with all the fruits on the side. read more

ILIS - Seafood Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

HOLY!!! Best meal this year.so far... complex, unexpected presentation and flavor, beautifully orchestrated together. We need this in NY, finally a cool place to eat something that is not on everyone's menu. BRAVO !!! #madsrefslund #ilis #bestmeal #luckynewyorkers #superlicious #giantclamswithseasoned cold clam broth #whelkwithwhippedpotatos #livescallops RUN before it becomes impossible to get a reservation ;) impossible to even sit at the bar read more

The ambiance and food were very high quality, I had the menu where we select our ingredients for the night. The cocktails and drinks were a bit pricier than other restaurants but the waiter topped off my red wine glass for free. Otherwise a lot of what I ordered were grilled selections and they were cooked perfectly. Not sure if the price tag is worth it to go again but it is the price of everything in Brooklyn and to feel the Copenhagen Noma esq vibe. read more

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An exceptional dining experience in a stunning warehouse. It really is a kitchen that just so happens to have seating. Crazy to watch the process of everything and to hear how chefs interact. Soft opening was an absolute joy to experience and I couldn't have asked for better staff or ambiance. Food was well-portioned and cooked to perfection. My personal fav was the eel :) read more

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A meal that is a true experience of culture and cuisine. it's rare to find an establishment that prioritizes preserving the flavor of the high quality ingredients rather than lathering it in dairy and butter. My wife and I enjoyed all 12 courses, the presentation was gorgeous and I would highly recommend it for a special occasion. Service was great and I highly suggest the wine pairing! read more

ILIS - Yum - Seafood Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Appalled. One of the top restaurant openings was an utter disaster. Don't open if you're not confident enough of your product or (mostly) service. Walked out after three dishes (out of 13) that took 1.5 hours to get to us. Not sure what else to say. Not trying to stay until 3am for a 8:30pm seating. read more

The online reviews are contradictory to say the least but having been now the issue is clearly reviewers' expectations & not the food or service! A lot of them seem to expect dramatic or overly produced dishes but this is more like Single Thread Farms & of course modern Nordic cuisine with a laser focus on highlighting the ingredients & a restrained approach to flavour that I find US palates aren't always used to. I had the market menu where They bring a box of ingredients & list the main ingredients on a menu. Frankly I'm fine with letting a restaurant know my allergies & surprising me but I get that lots of people are more cautious. Besides the four main courses there are a few more dishes. My favourite protein was whole #fluke served as a #crudo & grilled. This counted as two courses The courses I had were 1. Crudités 2.Raw course was an oyster with a tomato and a seafood mousse 3. Asparagus raw, chimichurri and nettle. Called three ways but actually best eaten all together 4.Fava bean and uni on pork skin. DIY with various sauces & this was my favourite dish of the night. It was the most complex but every single ingredient worked in harmony. 5. Whole fluke crudo, I love crudo and this was good 6. Fluke grilled & served with naustrum leaves with remoulade in a shell. 7. Trumpet mushroom grilled in kombu with spinach that is something I've seen in Asia but not in the USA or Europe & is delicious. 8. Squab in black garlic Demi glaze with herbaceous salad squab over cooked but missing something 9. Duck in a similar glaze. I should have just done either the duck or squab. Both were perfectly prepare. Dessert was a sorbetto that wasn't too sweet. There was a non-alcoholic pairing & service & kitchen was exceptional especially the expeditor. I ordered way more food than I needed to. If you are solo dinner the 4 course that come with the market menu is enough, for two people or more I might add another course. I added two more courses. Other reviews complained about the dessert not being sweet but I found it sweet enough and refreshing. I was a solo diner at the chef's counter who got a last minute reservation the night before and it was for 5:45pm which is around 3 hours earlier than I normally eat. I got watch the restaurant go from empty to almost completely full by 7pm. I could see there were so lags happening with servers not getting to the kitchen when the orders were ready but it was very minimal and I think they have worked out much of their timing issue. That said this is fining dining where you are expected to take a pause between course. It will take 2-2 1/2 hours for the market menu. That is on purpose and something to be enjoyed. This is not fast food or even fast causal and doesn't claim to be. If you are not familiar with Noma, Nordic dining, current fine dining trends educate yourself before going to decide if this the right restaurant for you. For my palete this was below Disfrutar in Barcelona and Alinea in Chicago in terms of creativity and taste. I am glad I got to experience and would recommend it for people that enjoy more restrained farm to table fine dining. The space was pleasant if noisier than I prefer. read more

Genuinely one of the most mediocre fine dining experiences I have ever had, so much so I felt compelled to dust off my years old Yelp account. For a $395 (pre-tax, gratuity, or wine btw) chefs tasting menu (omnivore & vegetarian), you expect this to be on par with Per Se, Jean Georges, Atera, EMP, Saga, etc. The price actually was lowered to $295 days before our reservation, I wonder why. Ultimately, the food was minimalistic (and not in good & nuanced Nordic way like Maaemo, Geranium, etc). The courses were boring to bland, a little forced & extra in presentation (not in a beautiful or creative way), and made no sense. No room for nuance & deduction to what you are eating, just straight boring and tasteless. I actually had my tongue burnt severely by one of my entrees (a scalding hot half-Onion on a plate of Hay, that was half hard and tasted much like a cooked onion.) I left extremely hungry and unsatisfied, after the almost 3.5 hour meal (and not in a good experiential way, more of a "where is my food, can i get out of here please" way), I went to a Bodega to eat ultra-processed food out of survival. The service & execution of the experience is not on par with what this city deserves at such a price point. Rushed dishes at times (forcing 7 plates in front of us at a time) to waiting 45 minutes for the next course. Water & utensils were almost never refilled, vegetarian & omnivore dishes mixed up, etc. The explanation of the dishes was rushed and when we needed it the most, the dishes were not explained on how we should actually eat them. Many of the dishes had elements that were inedible or had ancillary elements that not even the most sophisticated michelin star reviewer could understand where to start or what to do. Positives: cool interior/space & music choices. Ultimately, I don't know what Ilis is trying to achieve here or what they really want to be. But, when you are charging 3-Michelin star prices in New York, one of the greatest gastronomical centers on this Earth, you better blow us away. Otherwise, we have hundreds of 3,2,1, or no - michelin star restaurants we can choose from that exude the art, purpose, & deliciousness that the chef & staff work towards. If Ilis is actually a well-planned social experiment in how much value and hype one can extract from a hard working New Yorker for a pseudo-fine dining mediocre experience, then bravo! Otherwise, on to the next. read more

We were really looking forward to coming here due to the beautiful pictures of the space and the recent craze of incredible restaurants that opened in Greenpoint. What an absolute disaster. The ambiance of the restaurant was undeniably stunning, with elegant decor and soft lighting, unfortunately, the food was quite simply, bad. It was like a never ending nightmare of horrible dishes that kept on coming. We kept praying that this bad dream will come to an end. It was definitely an expensive bad dream. It's a shame that such a picturesque setting couldn't be matched with equally delightful cuisine. read more

I had an exceptional experience. The drinks are unbelieveable. The raw bar is unlike anything we have ever had, and every bite was so inventive. read more

The meal started awesome, the assorted raw seafood appetizers were fun and delicious. There were a couple more apps that were okay, and then it just turned into a parade of boredom. Like they used all their good ideas up at the start of the meal and then it was just one simply grilled protein after another after another after another after another. That isn't tasting menu fare, it's cookout fare. Just not interesting enough to warrant the exorbitant price. read more

Amazing in every way!!! The energy, music, service design, details and of course the food were mind blowing. The team is amazing. We loved how the chefs brought out the food and explained it. Mads is so lovely, humble, approachable and kind - esp for such an accomplished chef. Bravo team Ilis!! read more

Service was so slow. Food was not that great and trying very hard, especially over priced. The space was great and it's only saving grace.

we sat here for 4 hours, no kidding. The first 3 hours we had about 3 courses, two of them were brussels sprouts, we just sat there and were hungry, FOR FOUR HOURS LOL we just sat, and ate leaves, and did nothing then the food came, and it came within 30 minutes after we waited 3 hours. Forget your evening, it's already ruined, but then they give you this food you paid $350 for, and it tastes like stuff you might have ordered at Texas Roadhouse whatever, the biggest problem is, you paid a lot and literally wasted 4 hours of your life and then ruined your plans for the evening.... all for some chain restaurant quality food. read more