We were quite surprised to come across this lovely dining option in Ely. We sampled a nice cross section of options: a cheese tray with a balanced options and accoutrements, crisp vegetable tempura, a tasty gruyere and caramelized grill cheese sandwich, and a very nice version of a wedge salad(the Blue Moon with bacon larder, blue cheese and Boston lettuce). They were well executed, and we could tell the ingredients were of high quality(and many reportedly locally sourced). We will come back next year when we pick up our sons from Widji-lucky Ely! We also appreciated the Current as our dinner soundtrack:) Please note that this would be a great place for all purposes or date night, family meal, night out with friends etc. read more

Great example of new movement of sustainable and taste forward food. Menu has the staples of steak,fish and pasta specials but then goes well beyond that. Great house ground burgers with unique toppings, flatbreads and apps. Try the pulled pork wonton tacos. read more

I didn't eat dinner here. I would say that we had some really good drinks and the service was awesome. Brett was knowledgeable about the MN liquor and beer. Clean place and the dinner menu looked awesome. I will be definitely back for drinks and probably dinner vs. our old time favorite Ely Steakhouse. Give it a try next time your in town. Sheridan street sour drink was awesome. read more

Great flavor for Ely, MN! We really enjoyed our lunch there especially the kids fish meal! Superb!

The Nicoise salad was spectacular; really excellent fresh greens with delicious fresh cuts of tuna steak. Needed a little salt (for my taste), but overall a top notch salad. read more

The best place I've dined at in Ely. I really wanted fried chicken before our trip into the Boundary Waters, and this is the place to get it! The seasoning is on point and the breading is light and fried to perfection. My wife's bison burger was the best I've ever tasted and the hand-battered onion rings were amazing. To top it off, the servers were very attentive and super friendly. Everything here is way above and beyond... The perfect place to eat for our 5th wedding anniversary. read more

Delicious Eggs Benedict and Corned Beef Hash. The mimosas and bloody Mary's were also a delightful way to start our Sunday. Highly recommend!! read more

Really enjoyed the Baked Goat Cheese with Pan Bread appetizer. The Hawaiian burger was excellent with a tangy sauce along with the pork added in. Great spot in Ely! read more

This was our first visit Insula. The three of us each had sandwiches and they were quite good. The Monte Cristo sandwich was a bit disappointing in that was grilled and not deep-fried. (Yes, I know that grilled is one of the two common variants of the Monte Cristo but in my opinion deep-fried is better and opinions are what restaurant reviews are all about.) Service was good, prompt, and attentive. Insula gets a lower number of stars in this review for not having air conditioning. We visited on the the most humid day this summer and it was uncomfortably hot and muggy in the dining room. read more

Wow - great place in Ely and good vegetarian selection. Had the sweet potato-based forager veggie burger - delicious!

Great meal and service. Battered chicken sandwich is perfectly done. Chicken and waffles are really tasty.

Love coming to this place. Great variety of drink and food options on the menu. Feels like higher end dining through and through. Large bar and many table to be seated at. Would defiantly recommend this place as the best joint in Ely. read more

Went here for dinner during my last trip to Ely and it was probably the best meal that I've had in that town . It was on par with a restaurant in uptown service was also quite nice they also have craft cocktails which were so purple read more

My son had eaten at Insula before, very good food. So on Sunday Labor Day weekend) we decided to take the beautiful drive to Ely from Two Harbors to eat there. Arriving at 12:50 PM with an open sign in the window we enter the restaurant. Tables are full but no people standing waiting for a table. Soon the hostess comes up and says it has been busy and they close at 2 PM so there is no further seating. We said we'd driven from Two Harbors to eat here, but that made no difference. When we walked outside the open sign was changed to closed. What restaurant refuses to seat customers an hour and 10 minutes prior to closing?!?! read more

Insula is simply the best food by far in Ely. Been coming here since it opened back in 2015 and each meal is better than the last. Whether you're craving breakfast, lunch or a great dinner, you won't go wrong paying a visit to Insula! read more

Great food and great service! This place really stands out from other restaurants in Ely. They have a unique menu of food and drinks. They also have plenty of GF options for people with special dietary needs. read more

A wonderful addition to Ely's restaurant options. We loved absolutely everything from the friendly service, hip and relaxed ambience, drinks, and food! Amazing pulled pork tacos and fish n'chips. Even if only in town for one night make this your go-to dinner stop. read more

Stopped in for breakfast before heading out of town. Great breakfast plate (PLENTY of food), and good hot coffee! Also, love the decor and atmosphere of the restaurant. read more

We have eaten here several times this summer and have been pleasantly surprised. Nice beer and wine selection, nice cocktails at a nice price point. The food is good, we have tried the burgers, pork tacos, lamb. Good choice for veggies. A great addition to Ely! read more

I went to Insula on a Thursday in April. Small crowd and the waiter was excellent. Options were yellowtail with a sweet potato side and lamb chops. I had the fish and it was perfectly cooked and the side was very good. My guest has the Lamb and thought it was excellent as well. I drove so Raspberry Lemonade was my drink while he enjoyed an ipa. I was very happy with the whole experience. Btw fish was 20 chops 25. Very fair. I highly recommend it. read more

FANTASTIC FOOD. I am gluten free, and would highly recommend Insula if you have any diet restrictions. They do a great job preventing cross-contamination, and the food is still tasty! read more

Great food. Great service. Nice atmosphere. Ordered the Forager veggie "burger" which was excellent, very tasty-simple with good flavor and a fresh bun. Server was good at clarifying that I wanted a veggie burger, and menu indicated "vegetarian" as well. Fries were well seasoned and crispy. Also ordered the bahn mi which my husband said was very good. Kids meals come with chips or fruit. Fruit was fresh. Ordered the kids pizza/flat bread which was soggy, but the adults liked the sauce; the kids did not. An adjacent table ordered a flat bread app which looked much better. I think the presentation of the kid's pizza (overlapping pieces) contributed to the soggy texture. Overall excellent. read more

This is the place to eat in Ely! The food, service, and atmosphere are all top-notch. Do not leave this city until you visit Insula. Their burgers are fantastic and there is a huge selection of cocktails and beer. Great place. read more

Had breakfast the crab cake bene with hollindaise sauce. Excellent. My husband had the biscuits and gravy. One of the best he has ever had. Highly recommended The reason they got 4 stars is because they tend to add spice heat to there dishes without notifying. My husband said the biscuits and gravy had to much heat for me. So go there and try it but beware if you don't like spicy food. read more

We went for breakfast and had the biscuits and gravy, poached eggs, and toast. It was really good. My fiance liked that the biscuits were cut in half, toasted and buttered with the sausage gravy. We will definitely go here again. read more

Had a nice dinner here. At the first fish of the day which was a walleye with a Thai glaze. The side of a local wild rice was very tasty. And the salad was nice. The waitstaff was very accomodating as I was in Sole diner. read more

Stopped here for lunch while getting a tire fixed. Sad sandwich, nasty soup, awful atmosphere. Next time I need to wait around I will try a different place in town or bring along a stale piece of bread - even that would be better than going back to Insula. read more

Sausage biscuit and gravy..... wonderful with a medium heat. Great service and atmosphere

Came in after a visit to the wolf and bear centers (both are great, btw) seeking some vegan fare for one of the members of our dining party and had a very nice meal. The Northern Pike sandwich was satisfying and tasty and, unlike so many fish sandwiches, was not a greasy mass of batter surrounding a tiny fillet of fish. Our vegan diner loved her Beyond Burger. The herb dressing on the side salad was a huge hit. Our server was friendly and engaging. And our youngest member enjoyed her kids pasta meal and the large coloring sheet! read more

Ely is lucky to have this restaurant. We don't have to eat only brown food any more! I have eaten here twice since they opened and everyone enjoyed their meals. For lunch I had Vertin's special for $7 which is modified BLT with high quality ingredients. My daughter had the chicken waffles for $9. Any kids dream meal with maple cream cheese made you want to lick the plate. Both were big enough to bring home leftovers. This morning we had breakfast. Good coffee and happy staff. Wife had poached eggs with avocado and salmon for $10 which kind of a breakfast salad but delicious. I had crab cakes Bene with Sriracha hollandaise for $14 which seems high for a breakfast but it was awesome. I would gladly pay that for the meal but not everyday. Ordered a side of hash browns because I love spuds. Very good griddle cooked hash brown. We sat at the counter for each meal which gives you the feel of the old Vertin's that was in the building. I haven't tried the historically famous Vertin's caramel roll but that's for next week. read more

I was very glad to see a new restaurant in Ely this year during our annual week long vaca. Took our two younger kids in for dinner and was very pleased with their menu and drink selection. Atmosphere is fresh, modern and inviting. My wife had Nicoise salad and I had the Walleye. Salad nicely presented and tuna was great. Walleye filet was large and perfectly cooked. I had hoped for a little more on the Walleye plate like some wild rice but opted for a side caesar salad. We went back in for breakfast a few days later (used to eating at Britons for 15 yrs) with 8 adults and 7 kids. Everything was great! Plenty of seating. Wild Blue Yonder pancakes are awesome, Corned Beef Hash was great. Kids had chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes. All plates were licked clean! We had a little mix up with our bill as they forgot to add coffees and 2 meals and to our surprise they gave us a to-go box with caramel rolls. Very friendly and helpful staff. A couple suggestions would be to lower the lights a little during dinner and drop the temp a bit as it was a bit warm inside during both visits. A fresh exterior would really help boost business and match the interior. Overall I was very pleased with Insula. It exceeds expectations for Ely and will definitely return!! read more

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Hands down the best food in Ely. We ate at Insula twice toward the end of our vacation this year. I just wish we would have tried it earlier in the week. If you go, go early before they run out of things. You will not regret it. Everything, even the simplest things, is made with care and the best most delicious ingredients. Everything I ate there was sublimely delicious. Our server Anna was super friendly and very nice to our kids. We can't wait to go back! read more

I was blown away by the atmosphere when I walked in. The new owners preserved the charm of the former cafe without the the old, worn out feel. The staff was nice and food was great. The old favorites of the former place remain with some much needed additions. I have a new favorite restaurant in Ely. read more

Fresh new look for Ely at Insula! Have been there for lunch and dinner with friends . Great food both times. Would definitely give this place a try. Club sandwich was filled with "real " meat not deli style. Spinach salad was perfect. Eggplant was very good. Fried chicken was too salty but has great potential. Will definitely be back. read more

I had the braised short rib and it was amazing. The meat fell off the bone and was teamed with some perfectly cooked carrots and a side of mashed potatoes. The server was very friendly and thanked us for stopping in for dinner. Exceptional service and great food cant go wrong here read more

The decor is cool and modern, the food local and creative. We loved the wonton pork tacos, and everyone enjoyed their meals and service. A very creative, fun restaurant near the boundary waters. read more

Great place. Great atmosphere in a cute town with really good food and menu choices. The service was great. Great blueberry pancakes for breakfast with excellent duck sausage. read more

A delayed review as we were actually there for an early dinner in August 2015. I have very fond memories of the old Vertins that I admit are hard for the new owners to match. Wait staff was still learning, so expected them to struggle a bit to arrange seating for five, one being in a wheelchair, but to make us leave for 15 minutes while they separated two tables apart was fairly ridiculous. We would have been happy to do it ourselves. The place was fairly empty at that time of day. When we were allowed to return the hostess put us in the dark, old side of the place, right next to a portable fan that was no match for the muggy, rainy weather. Both doors were wide open and we got mosquito bites to prove it. Why not have a couple regular tables by the windowed, Sheridan St side for wheelchair users? Not everyone can use a tall bistro table. Just saying. A manager was literally shouting (over the fan) at customers and wiping down tables. It honestly felt like a cafeteria, but the order totaled $80. Unfortunately, the burgers/ fries weren't worth the trouble. Never again. read more

In my opinion, this is a very casual and slightly above average place. I wanted it to be better on all accounts. My Old Fashioned had to be sent back to the bar because it was so sweet it was undrinkable. Turkey Pot Pie was good and satisfying. I would return and give it another try. read more

Busy but efficient...friendly but not intrusive....a touch of gourmet to a menu that would otherwise be common. MY husband had a smoked sweet potato burger and homemade Chips ....he was a happy camper. I had a large dish of steaming hot turkey pot pie. the crust was to die for...the sauce was so good I took my time ..inviting my tastebuds to savor every spoonful. The price was reasonable for good sized helpings of extra special food. read more