Our 'foodie week' in Manhattan hit an unexpected peak at The Ellington! We pivoted last minute for Mother's Day, and it was the best decision we made. The outdoor seating was perfection and the food was delightful, but the real star was our waiter, Nahid N. Even with a packed house, he was the definition of grace under pressure--attentive, informative, and genuinely cheery. While NYC has endless dining options, we'll be returning to The Ellington specifically demanding that we sit in his section again. Nahid N., you are the man. Thanks so much for being a highlight in our New York trip. We will be back! read more

The Ellington generally offers nice ambience with a pianist, good food and good service, but my first experience carries a caveat: their policies can be enforced against their interests and yours. I visited The Ellington on a rain soaked Sunday with a group of thirty, a Ministry from a Harlem Church. The restaurant has the room to host substantial groups and one of our Ministry members has been a regular at The Ellington for many years, more often for brunch, and she arranged for us to brunch at The Ellington. We were not seated exactly where we were supposed to be seated, but it worked out fine for the most part... I ordered the Skirt Steak and Eggs Frites, medium rare and scrambled soft, from the brunch menu, but had my eye on a few items from their regular menu, which I was told was not available during brunch. I also ordered a glass of Australian Shiraz they have on the wine menu. The steak was pretty good and cooked just a bit north of medium rare, but okay. The au poivre sauce put it over. The eggs were scrambled soft and the surprise was how good the fries and onion rings were, the latter particularly crispy on the outside. This would be most satisfying for most appetites. One person returned her chicken and waffles for lack of any substantial chicken on the plate, but the steak frites will stick to your ribs. The Australian Shiraz must be the sleeper on the wine menu. It's good. The confounding issue arose from the member who is a regular here, who brought her own tea bag and was charged five bucks for the hot water. This charge and policy was enforced by the manager with indifference, which is surprising for a regular who just brought the restaurant receipts of $1500 or more. I ordinarily choose not to comment on such matters within the discretion of the management, but, when the discretion is exercised with indifference to a regular, it is worth noting and adjusting my rating, even when most aspects were good. I cannot see how enforcement of this policy is in the interests of the restaurant or the patron for five bucks on an overall check of $1500 or more possibly. 3.0 stars read more

The Ellington - Skirt steak and eggs frites with a ramekin of au poivre sauce and a glass of Australian Shiraz, all good. - American Near Me - New York, New York

Was trying to find a spot to sit outside with a dog and happened upon The Ellington. It's a huge restaurant with a good amount of side walk seating. The food was pretty good, though be warned the thin crust pizzas are really flat breads. I was pretty pleased with my steak "pizza" and impressed when they even asked how I wanted the steak cooked for it. read more

The Ellington - Steak Pizza - American Near Me - New York, New York

Made reservations for brunch, but wasn't needed. The place was rather quiet on Sat, but it was also freezing outside. Got a cozy window seating and loved the ambiance thanks to their floral interiors along with holiday ligthing right next to our table. Noise levels on the quiet side and easy to have conversations. They have a decent kids menu, and the Chicken Fingers ($10) were perfect for our little one. Huevos Rancheros ($19), and Vegetarian Omelette ($19) which was served with home fries and tossed salad was a good portion. Kimbo Coffee ($4.25) was actually pretty good although would've loved it to be warmer. Refills were slow to come. Food was inline with our expectations. Food arrived within 8-10 mins of placing our order, so yeah, really quick! Our initial server/waiter wasn't that attentive but their crew members were definitely more alert. Overall, pretty decent experience. read more

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Brunch was absolutely fantastic! I had a hard time deciding what to have. Our server, Nahid was the best. Very friendly and attentive. You know who else is the best? The manager, Cherry. What an excellent job she does. Check The Ellington out. You can't go wrong! read more

The Ellington - Red velvet muffins and hot chocolate. - American Near Me - New York, New York

I really liked the service at this place, they went out of the way to be helpful especially the hostess who after my meal was over and I was waiting for a cab, let me charge my phone near the door and brought me some water. I had the crispy duck bao buns, shrimp and scallop entree with couscous, rocky road ice cream, my friend ate farro salad with salmon and mango sorbet. Everything was good. Wheelchair accessible. read more

Was in the area so stopped by The Ellington for a late brunch on a Saturday afternoon when the restaurant was relatively quiet. We had the Ellington burger and a California Omelette. The burger came out a little dry but not bad and the omelette was okay. Spacious restaurant with a bit of a rustic atmosphere. read more

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5 Stars! We had a great experience here. Perfect service, food, great atmosphere and they have live music on some nights. Prices are fair for Manhattan as well. A special shout out to Valeria who was one of the best servers I've experienced in any restaurant I've been to. She was attentive, gave great suggestions, wax checking to make sure everything was perfect and did not rush is. They have a beautiful bar area with plenty of seating. Nice selection of wines, liquor and beer. For starters we shared the shrimp dumplings, the house warm cornbread, the roasted rainbow and carrot & cauliflower. They were all "fantastic"!! For entrees we had the sweet chilly glazed salmon, the grilled filet mignon. They were both done exceptional well. For desert we had the mini donuts. They are filled with vanilla cream & caramel dipping sauce and powered sugar. I would highly recommend the Ellington for an exceptional experience if you are looking to dine on the Upper West Side. read more

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I enjoyed a really nice Thanksgiving meal here. The place was beautifully decorated. We had a pre-fixed Thanksgiving meal so I'm not sure what the regular menu is like but I'm sure it's just as good. We ordered two fish dishes (salmon and swordfish) and they were both delicious. The only thing I didn't really like was the rolls were ice cold and so was the butter. Wasn't something I was excited to eat on a cold Thanksgiving evening. The table next to mine was reserved for people who were dining alone and I noticed the waiters and owners made a point to chat with them and make sure they were okay. I look forward to coming here again one day. read more

The Ellington - Apple tart - American Near Me - New York, New York

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Quite a nice brunch spot; everything was made well and very tasty. Personally, I felt nothing we ordered was too fancy or overly expensive. We ordered the Eggs Benedict, Beyond Burger, and Chocolate Belgian Waffle, and while I didn't think anything was out of the ordinary in terms of flavor, it was a good value for the cost. Service was fine and we didn't need to wait at all for a table at 10am on a Saturday, so my experience with the Ellington was great. 8.5/10, I'd certainly go back again. read more

The Ellington - Beyond Burger - American Near Me - New York, New York

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We enjoy The Ellington and return frequently, particularly when friends and family visit. The food is consistently excellent, and Nahid N. is outstanding. He is a pleasant person and a capable waiter, attentive and always prepared to help and is simply adorable. Ethan you for such a great visit! read more

We watched the World Cup final game at this restaurant and had a great time. Food was amazing and our server Nahid was great! read more

I had a good time here with wifey at brunch, very vibey. The grand piano was a great touch. I had the huervos rancheros and wifey had the peanut butter and chocolate waffle. Mimosas to the face and good food, can't ask for more. read more

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Wow!! What a pleasant experience we had with Veronica. She made sure our drink orders were perfect and checked on us frequently and was quite personable. The music here is the ideal volume, enjoyable but not too loud. The Old Fashions were perfect. We didn't eat here but the food looked very inviting. read more

The Ellington - Old Fashions. Maybe one is half done already....oops - American Near Me - New York, New York

Nice place but not if you want a conversation. Way too noisy. Decent food and choices read more

I always loved this place and still do. However, I went for brunch today and ordered the California omelette. I'm not a big eater so it really was enough food but it barely filled the plate. Could they have skimmed anymore on the home fries? The omelette was also only half the size of a normal omelette. Also the side salad was starting to turn brown. And no toast...again, enough food for me but for $21 I just thought it was a disappointment. read more

The Ellington - American Near Me - New York, New York

Great options for Sunday brunch...huge portions, tasty food and a really nice Espresso Martini that hit the spot at noon. The piano player was an added delight. read more

Very friendly service from Nahid! He was very attentive to our table. Food was delicious too. This was our first time here but we will definitely return. Thank you. read more

Lunch was delicious and Nahid was a great server! We got the burger and the chicken sandwich.

The Ellington has easily slipped into my favorites list. I loved its location. I really enjoyed the ambiance. It was late brunch so maybe not as swamped, but I liked that I could walk in and choose my own table. Private little seatings facing the beautiful bar as you walk in with mirrors. In the back has more open dining options. The atmosphere was light and swanky and I had enough space to enjoy a meal and a convo without touching shoulders with a stranger. The service was phenomenal, servers were timely and helpful. Our drinks and meals arrived in good tine, the attention was perfect. The drinks and food were delicious. I didn't particularly like the taste of steak, but that's a personal preference and won't deter me. I'll definitely be going again soon! read more

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Surprised that the skirt steak was delicious, perfectly cooked, juicy and tender. The cornbread was heavy, good though. The burrata was heavy with clumsy beefsteak tomatoes and disappointing. The Daisy mocktail could have used more mango syrup and the Sunset Symphony was tasteless. Both are overpriced. Two servers were lovely, welcoming and efficient. read more

We came here for their fairly new Afternoon Tea Menu. They have a beautiful room (The Stauss Room) for just such an occassion...unfortunately for us, it was still being redecorated. Still we immensely enjoyed the Tea for two which included 6 finger sandwiches which, in my opinion, were way bigger than what I know to be finger sandwiches! Score for us, yeah! And they were delicious too. Top it off with scones, biscuits, clotted cream and fig jam and an assortment of confections. Take a look at the picture of the menu we took. It's a very casual kind of Afternoon Tea with linen napkins, dainty-like teacups, and a 3 tiered server. Just enough for no-nonsense enjoyment with a good friend. The atmosphere of the place is very rustic. The staff was very welcoming and at 12:30pm on a Monday, there was plenty of seating available! read more

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The best place for Brunch at UWS! Additional pointy for having a live music during Sunday Brunch. We ordered Farmers Flatbread, Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich (so good), Peanut Butter & Chocolate Belgian Waffle. I loved the idea of 'Build your own mimosa' where you got a bottle of Prosecco and 2 juices of your choice. The service was great, friendly, fast. Thank you Nahid for providing a great service! read more

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At Ellington's the food is always really fresh, interestingly served and so good. I come frequently as it is always reliable and a great local venue. Clean and attractive. This evening we especially enjoyed our server, Nahid, who was pleasant, friendly and so attentive. It was a great plus to our evening. Looking forward to next meal here! read more

Our server was Nahid N. He was extremely courteous, friendly and responsive Personable too. The food was very good. All told a very pleasurable meal. read more

Our waiter, Nahid, made my Mother's Day extra special! He was attentive, friendly, and committed to ensuring we had a hospitable experience for brunch. Thank you and cannot wait to return when we are in Manhattan again. read more

The Ellington - Outdoor seating for Mother's Day brunch - American Near Me - New York, New York

Nahid was our server, he was SUPER attentive. We came to the Ellington for a birthday brunch. The food was really good & the hospitality was amazing. Nahid gave us recommendations, he was super friendly, & he did a great job helping us celebrate the birthday boy. Thank you so much, it means a lot! Btw you can never go wrong coming here for brunch. The place looks so beautiful all year round. read more

The Ellington - Chicken & Waffle - American Near Me - New York, New York

The Ellington is a nice restaurant, with good staff, nice decor and a variety of food options. I've come here before for brunch and happy hour. Happy hour is a great value - $7 for most house drinks, wines, beer etc. I am unsure if the happy hour includes any food however. Bartenders were all nice and friendly. Servers are equally as nice. I've never had a bad meal here and overall it's a nice option if you're in the neighborhood. I believe restrooms however are on the lower level and I can't recall if they have restrooms that don't require stairs. read more

I wanted to go to Saturday brunch with my mom to celebrate her birthday. I'm SO happy we found The Ellington. I love how spacious it is inside. Our server Berglye (I tried to remember how to spell her name correctly from the bill) was so pleasant and helpful. She checked on us multiple times and made sure my mom was enjoying her birthday celebration. Our food was great, eggs Benedict was excellent and even the potatoes were cooked well. Looking at my photo, the presentation of the steak & egg frites isn't amazing but was definitely tasty! Loved the Make Your Mimosa, $35 for a bottle and your choice of juices was perfect for the two of us. Lava cake was super cute! Thank you for a great birthday brunch experience! read more

The Ellington - Steak & Eggs Frites - American Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here for a birthday event and was pleasantly surprised having never been. I recommended to my friend because they were willing to make reservations for big groups and the yelp reviews were good. The food was solid and the drink menu intriguing. Would love to try coming for dinner! read more

The Ellington - Breakfast Sandwich and avocado Margarita - American Near Me - New York, New York

This is a beautiful spot and the live jazz during brunch is outstanding! The service... we unfortunately had someone that was overwhelmed and not attentive at all. The food... 3.5 out of 5 Trying too hard to make something unique. The braised short ribs with blue cheese is a miss. The blue cheese is taking away from the unctuousness of the dish. A little more lemon in the hollandaise and this would have HIT! The Ellington eggs Benny was pretty good! Steak frites was done pretty well! The mimosa bottle is nice and they have pretty good coffee! read more

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Such a nice restaurant on the UWS with super cute decor! I liked the chicken fettuccine and tempura cauliflower. Delish! The staff were very friendly and welcoming, so we felt right at home. We Tried: *Fireside Martini *Tempura Cauliflower *Chicken Fettuccine *Lava Cake *The Duke read more

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Great space, great location, great food! Made reservations for a Saturday afternoon brunch and the restaurant was busy, but not to the point you couldn't get a seat, which was perfect for us - in other words, the food is good because there are people, but you won't have to wait hours to sit! Anyhow, we were seated immediately in this spacious restaurant even though our friends weren't fully present yet. The staff was very friendly and accommodating throughout our meal. There were plenty of delicious sounding brunch menu items, but I ended up going with the Ellington Burger - pepper jack cheese, tasso ham, grilled portobello, chipotle sauce, french fries on top of a giant beef patty - in my eyes perfect for a Saturday brunch. The burger? DELICIOUS. The burger was cooked perfectly medium (as I had requested) and it was very flavorful. In addition, the fries that accompanied the burger were good too - hot and crispy. Honestly, I had not had a good restaurant burger in a long time because most of the burgers I had been eating in recent memory were from fast food chains :( but this burger really hit the spot. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try anything else on the menu, but, if there is one thing you should definitely order when you are here, it's the Ellington Burger! (FYI, if you plan on driving here, there is PLENTY of free parking 1-2 blocks west of the restaurant on West End or Riverside Ave) read more

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Our server Nahid was AMAZING!! He was so attentive and brought everything out in a timely manner. When I needed my coffee remade, he took it back with no question and brought out a fresh cup with a smile. Not to mention the food at The Ellington is always so yummy. Would definitely eat here again, and I hope we have Nahid as our server again :) read more

Our server Nahid was absolutely wonderful He was funny and helpful and attentive. The food was excellent and we had the most wonderful evening with friends. Thank you for a wonderful evening read more

One of the worst meals I have had in a restaurant. Went for advertised St. Patrick's dinner. First of all was a singer/piano player. Flat, off key and before tonight had likely never heard an Irish ballad. Followed by incredibly poor service. Ordered beers when we were seated. They arrived half way through the meal. Corned beef and cabbage. The cabbage was cooked beyond recognition, potatoes overcooked and corned beef tough. Although convenient in the neighborhood it is unlikely we will patronise again. read more

We recently grabbed brunch here on a weekend afternoon. The place is fairly busy and the outdoor seating was packed so we sat inside. Service was friendly and attentive. First, they have a kids menu which was reasonably priced. My daughter got the French toast which also came with a drink for $10. The French toast was delicious and big portion for kids . I tried the Nova - your standard lox Benedict - for $20. It was pretty standard but well done. My husband got the breakfast sandwich and was pleased. It was also a hearty portion. We got some fruit for my son which was a good portion for $5. They look like they have delicious cocktails as well so definitely recommend when in the area! read more

The Ellington - Nova - American Near Me - New York, New York

Fabulous service, great food! A wonderful Father's Day Brunch with my dad and family. Thank you to our kind and attentive server, Nahid. His service is stellar! read more

Food was delicious and our waiter,N Nahid was very attentive, courteous, professional and pleasant. The service could not have been better.

Nahid is the sweetest person - ask for a table with him! On any given night front of house staff are meh and management MIA but Of the roughly 2,000 restaurants on the Upper West Side, we decided to return to the Ellington one recent evening. Seated quickly and then told we couldn't order food for another 45 minutes because they were busy with a private party. So.... why don't you close the restaurant if you can't handle two people while you're having a private party? Who seats diners and says you can't order food? The restaurant (apart from private party) was not even busy, no one was sorry - it was just too bad, so sad. We went to Soleil (fantastic). Ellington food? ALWAYS Delicious. Reasonably priced. Great portions. Excellent roasted chicken (mashed potatoes instead of fingerling), terrific hangar steak, excellent steak frites, scrumptious creme brulee. And... Nahid. His exceptional service helps you feel better about spending your time and money in a restaurant where they DGAF about inconveniencing loyal diners. read more