Step inside and you're instantly transported out of Bloomington. You can imagine yourself in a big city for the night. The restaurant is open, modern industrial architecture. Each table has a lit candle. We were seated upstairs, to drink I got the choconut (seasonal) it was strong and delicious. Bread service is a must, because the butter is to die for! The house made chips are also something great to try. My friends ordered the gnocchi & I got the Pepe pasta (heavy on the pepper if you're into it!). Definitely has a little zinger kick of flavor! Next time I'll order dessert too. I walked in on a guy in the bathroom but eh whatcha gonna do. Tried to go back this morning for coffee & pastries but they were closed :( at noon?! On a Saturday?! So idk what's up with that read more

The Elm - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Best restaurant in Bloomington. A breath of greasy air for Bloomington. Clearly the best chef around, interesting ambiance, good service, and a pretty diverse menu. Parking is a real problem with no solution in hand. The parking situation will never be corrected. The food is really good, even if the descriptions don't sound good. Someone needs to rewrite the descriptions, especially on the desert menu. Odd, descriptions that make you not want to order them. Out of six of us, all of us wanted desert since it was a birthday celebration. But, no one wanted any deserts on the menu. We ordered one just because we needed at least one. It was fantastic. We all shared it, even though it was portioned for one person. It was described something like corn on the Cobb popcorn ice cream. read more

Love this restaurant! The idea of using fresh and seasonal ingredients is my favorite thing about this place. They always have creative dishes! Loved the fall and summer menu! read more

See all

Must visit for anyone visiting Bloomington, cant go wrong, absolutely amazing food, 7/10 in terms of mouth-feel, 10/10 taste, 8/10 service, the room design is excellent, decor that fits most moods, very good ambiance for an adult group celebrating something, excellent for a date or a one on one meeting, the key however is enjoying the surroundings and the fairly long wait for food. 8/10 for plating. read more

This place might be a little too hoity toity for me to attend regularly, but it is one of the places that really makes Bloomington a foodie Mecca and the food is really creative and delicious so it is definitely worth visiting at least once! I would even venture to say a couple other restaurants in town draw inspiration from this place. The squash dish I got with a side of quinoa was probably one of my favorite dishes I've ever had. The architecture inside is extremely different and very modern looking. The elm is really great when you are trying to impress or just want a culinary adventure. The drinks and service however were just average in my opinion, but the menu was a lot of fun. read more

The Elm - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

Had a fantastic evening at The Elm last night. Everything we ordered was excellent! We had the Burrata and Pesto Gnocci as an appetizer. I had the fried chicken sandwich which came with house chips and my fiancé had the lamb entree. We ended with the s'mores tart, the chocolate is rich but I still enjoyed it. Of everything we ordered I think the Pesto Gnocci was my favorite! The service was great and they will be opening a patio at some point in the future which will be great for summer! Also forgot to add that we took home a few truffles, I had one this morning and they were very good. read more

See all

Love the space! Bartender & drinks were great! Server lacking. Seems extremely high priced for where we are, what it is and how much they serve you. read more

The Elm - Mezzanine, bar area - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Update to my previous review. We just had dinner here again. Had the Pork Duo (chip + pork belly), the xo potatoes (delicious), and finished with the Chocolate Crunch Cake. I have to say, this may be the best dessert in town. It was amazing. Spring menu is in town, but don't wait, it won't stay forever. read more

The Elm - Chocolate crunch cake - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

If you haven't tried the honeynut squash squash you need to! It's amazing!!! That and the lobster ravioli have been my all time favorite read more

See all

Pros: probably the most impressive restaurant interior in town, location in town, unique food. Cons: Parking is somewhat limited, seating type* can be hit or miss, reservations are a must, wait staff seems tense or stressed, can be pricey. *Sometimes you get a great personal seat and other times you have a more communal seating arrangement. read more

I love this addition to Bloomington! I'd recommend for a date night, GNO, or taking company. DO NOT sleep on the clams app. They come with the most delicious, crispy bread to sop up the wine/butter sauce. Honestly, I'd get the bread and that. No clams needed. I have yet to have a cocktail there I didn't like. I've not had a main dish yet that knocked my socks off, but they're creative and the menu rotates, so I can't wait to see what's coming up for fall/winter. read more

Went to the Elm for dinner. Wasn't my first time. However, what was a first is the upcharging they apparently do for a martini. I asked for a Hendricks gin, dry with olives. I. Got. Charged. For. Every Item. This cocktail came out to a staggering $18!! Not sure if other patrons have experienced this but it seems rather extreme. Knocked 2 stars off for that. Otherwise food, ambience was great. read more

Lobster Girasole was delicious on 7/15/23! Service was friendly and prompt. Sound level was moderate. Dining room has a high ceiling and lots of light. A long list on the cocktail menu. read more

The Elm - Lobster Girasole - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

The Elm missed the mark. My family had a reservation for 5 people at 5:30. Which was the only opening for 5 diners that evening. Which was fine with us. While more diners were arriving upon our departure, it was still pretty empty. We were seated on the mezzanine in the middle of what I describe as lonely food court. Every time I moved my plastic chair it screeched along the floor. The atmosphere and temperature of the restaurant were both very cold and uncomfortable. The food was good but without any stand out flavors. Our server was wonderful! I really wanted to love a gem like this could have been. Not likely to return. read more

Fantastic interior layout, private dining area from the bar. My brother and I came here for dinner he was in town and I haven't been here yet so we decided to try it. Food was interesting to say the least, we got the CALABRIAN CHILI CUCUMBERS for an app and it was more tangy like pickled cucumbers. Still very refreshing. I got the SWEET CORN AGNOLOTTI , charred corn very sweet with shredded crab mix, pretty good however needed a little salt added. My brother got BRAISED PORK BELLY, cooked an amazin crispy skin , however, this one was overly salted. Not bad but our palette was interesting. Then we ended with dessert CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE and Seasonal Truffles (3) By far my favorite I've tried, subtle , flavor isn't overpowering (I don't have that much of a sweet tooth) would definitely get the dessert again! The truffles was alright, dark chocolate and white chocolate. Tasted really nice. Great experience, menu is seasonal so it's nice to see different options. read more

See all

Expensive, but fantastic for a special splurge. Maybe the best food in Bloomington right now... a good replacement for the dearly-departed Tallent. Modern, serene atmosphere. Thoughtfully arranged so the noise is not overwhelming! read more

I thought the decor, lighting, and feel of the place was absolutely beautiful. On top of that, the service was stellar. In regards to the food, it was good not great. You would expect more from a fine dining experience such as this one. I got a ribeye and it was cooked well, just lacked flavor, could've used a lot more butter. My mom said similarly about her meal. The cocktails were great! I would still recommend going strictly due to the design of the restaurant, and I'm a harsher steak critic than most. Cheerio! read more

To be honest the menu seemed a bit too pretentious sounding, so I wasn't sure what to expect and if we would like it, but we know the managers (amazing people), and are always down to try something new so we finally went at the r their latest menu change, and wow! Amazing, the dishes are beautiful and have such wonderful flavor, really elevated concepts and honestly the main reason we went in the first place and the main reason I love it so much is they have a TON of vegetarian options on their menu (at least right now), the eggplant was amazing, their corn side dish was SO good, and the cucumber appetizer was fantastic! Really enjoyed it, hope the next menu (mid august) continues to have an abundance of vegetarian options! read more

See all

This restaurant was delightful. Not only is the food great, but the atmosphere is fantastic. You will not find another restaurant in Bloomington like The Elm. It truly feels like a night out. Their open space makes you feel like you are far away from Bloomington. Now, the food. Everything from the charcuterie board to the cacio e pepe was fantastic. Additionally, everything is made in house with a new menu every season. I can't wait to come back and try the winter menu. God Bless America and God Bless Food. read more

See all

The Elm is certainly one of the higher end restaurants in Bloomington, IN. A great place to eat for a formal or celebratory occasion. The ambiance was excellent and had warm lighting. The service was also great as they changed our cutlery after every meal and were pleasant to talk to. The food was between mediocre and good. They recommended the rabbit dish but it was quite dry. The sticky toffee pudding had a lot of clarified butter mixed into the batter - accents of ginger were great. Wish they gave us more bread! Honey butter was a unique taste. Overall, would recommend for a one time go! A pro is that the menu changes seasonally and all the ingredients are sourced locally. Priced just right. read more

See all

We read about The Elm and wanted to try it while visiting our IU daughter. We had four different entrees, salad, bread and dessert. Everything was amazing including the cocktails. I a little pricer than some other places but the food and ambiance made for a wonderful experience. We will be back. read more

See all

Outstanding duck, with excellent flavor and texture, accompanied by nicely crisped kale. The carrot appetizer was OK. My server was very nice and made, I think, a good suggestion based on what I said I was looking for. The restaurant was quiet, easy to hear others in, though it was not very busy when I was there. read more

Service and food are always excellent. Staff is incredibly accommodating for both special occasions and dietary issues. LOVE this place. Also- always get the bread. Always. read more

Fresh food, freshly prepared. The chef has a real flair for putting together tastes and textures of food that will satisfy tastebuds as well as fill you up. But save room for dessert! This is one of the places I take out of state visitors to show them what B-town is like at its best. The wait people are friendly and very good at their job. read more

What a great addition to Bloomington. The cocktails are fresh, innovative and fun served by bartenders who are knowledgeable and friendly. And then there was dinner! Clams were to die for, Caesar salad was delicious and the duck....well the duck was right up there with the best ever. Topped by fun desserts and espresso, we had one of the best meals we've had in Bloomington! Two big thumbs up - try it!!! read more

Such a crisp and pretty atmosphere. Great service and the food was extremely flavorful. Best place in Bloomington for nice dinner out! read more

See all

Unexpectedly great experience at The Elm. We all enjoyed our food and service was excellent. Pretty fine for Bloomington. Will return!

Great food and ambiance. I'm an omnivore and my wife is vegan and they do both very well. Grateful to have this in our community!

Came to the Elm for dinner june 2022. Lovely ambiance and professional and friendly staff. Lea H. was an amazing and knowledgeable server also informed us they are changing the menu for the season on 6/8. Tried the vegan charcuterie - ok was not for me but everyone else seemed to like it. Gem salad - delicious highly recommended Fried Brussels sprouts - amazing, halved or quartered not too oily Veggie burger with omg fries/chips - burger was really good Espresso martini - top tier Black sesame matcha crème brûlée - show stopping absolutely amazing a must try! They do a pretty good job of posting accurate pics of food on their Instagram too which I love read more

This experience exceeded my expectations. Highlights included the gnocchi which was prefectly light and flavorful and the Ube cheesecake which with sorbet on top was a novel and delicious take on a classic. I highly recommend the Elm and will definitely be back to try their fall menu. read more

See all

One of the most amazing restaurants we've been to and we've eaten all over the US and Europe. The restaurant itself is beautiful. The food was incredibly delicious and beautifully presented, and the staff were so kind and helpful! We would highly recommend this restaurant that is worth every penny!! Thank you for such a memorable event!! read more

We enjoyed our experience at The Elm. It has a fairly quiet atmosphere and that seems to be rare these days. We had the bread service and the butter was quite yummy. Wife had the Striped Bass and was very pleased with it. I had the Duck and while yummy it was a little over cooked and our server did not ask what I preferred. I think our server was relatively new. It took a while for our initial drinks to arrive even though it didn't appear that the bar was all that busy. Overall I'd recommend this restaurant though it could improve a few things. read more

The Elm - Striped Bass - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

Absolutely love the food here, I can't believe we have a restaurant that is so high end in our little college town. They do wonderful community outreach programming, the kitchen-view tables and incredible and the restaurant itself is highly atmospheric. As someone who can't drink for medical reasons, I very deeply appreciate the seasonal NA menu, it makes me feel included when I go out with friends. The food is always fabulous, the service is always excellent. Can't say enough nice things. read more

Great food great service great atmosphere! A must try when in Bloomington! Also, don't forget to try a libation! (Alcoholic and non alcoholic are both well thought out and delicious) read more

Food was excellent. We had burrata and oysters to start. Main dishes included spicy chicken sandwich, veggie bolognaise, cacio E pepe and halibut. My only complaint is that the entrees were $12-$19 but the "market price" halibut was $55. Did not know until check arrived. Server was fantastic. Oysters are out of the shell but tasty. Bolognaise is also different. It is "sleepy". Like a big ravioli. OMG chips and brussel sprouts very good as sides. Old fashioned chocolate brownie was a nice ending. read more

This was our second visit and the service and menu selection was excellent! My wife and I are vegan and it is wonderful to see such a selection for us to choose from. The menu had change a little from our first time dining and that was exciting! We will continue to dine here in the future read more

Great food and service. One of our new favorites! We are vegan, so we enjoy that there are appetizers, salad, entrees and desert to choose from, all exquisitely prepared. We enjoyed the vegan board, shared the citrus salad and bread. My husband had the mushrooms, which were amazing. I had the cabbage, which was excellent as well. Dessert was a great berry cobbler. Can't wait to see what's on the winter menu in January! read more

Found this gem of a restaurant while dropping our son off at college. The modern atmosphere, excellent service and delicious food is what makes The Elm a great experience. We enjoyed the lamb meatballs, tomato tart, bread service for appetizers. The chef plates each meal with such detail and flavors! For dinner we really enjoyed the Sweet Corn Agnolotti. The rich flavors of the pasta and crab were delicious!! We will be back! read more

Wonderful food. Fantastic service. Beautiful ambiance. Favorite place in Bloomington.

our dinner was inedible and in a plate of water. everyone's meals were horrible and the staff was so rude (except for our server and the girl who helped her clear plates away - they were very sweet). the only thing this place has going for them is the look of it. do not go read more