After a full day of touring the Lincoln sites we were starving and looked forward to some great food. The Filet Tips were a great appetizer but that's where the meal began to disappoint. My spring mix salad with goat cheese was just some spring mix, a few pieces of dried prosciutto and the remaining lettuce was chopped, crunchy romaine. Not quite the menu description at all. We both got the salmon described as served with Jasmine rice but when it came out the seafood was laid on top of a bed of red spicy Spanish type rice with diced tomatoes that was clumpy and dry. While I knew something was off I didn't recall exactly the description and we were still very hungry so began to eat. The rice was too spicey for me and I asked the waitress for the sauce on the side and separate plate so I could eat the salmon and she brought that - when she came we said it was supposed to be Jasmine rice, and this is the problem, her response was that she knew that and wasn't sure why it came out the way it had! Ok so again, we didn't eat all day, this must've not registered w us, plus the salmon was fine in all honesty. We had dessert and coffee which was fine. However, I was annoyed when upon leaving I checked the menu to make sure I didn't get what was actually on the menu and sure enough, I was supposed to get spicy rice that I couldn't eat and had to fully leave on the plate especially when the waitress knew we got something different and didn't even bother to comp the dish for the mistake when we told her about it. So, make sure you're getting what you order because for those prices this should not just give you what they have and hope you don't catch it. read more

This is an amazing place for a foodie. Service, food and atmosphere is stellar. We started with the shrimp & crab cakes with the salmon crudo. My partner had the sausage & shrimp pasta and I had the lobster pasta. For dessert we shared the doughnuts. Everything was incredible. read more

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Service, food and atmosphere are amazing. This is a a place we do for special occasions or just s night out. We highly recommend Vele Restaurant read more

A definite go to experience. Food is excellent & unique. Staff is friendly professional & knowledgeable- casual & classy.

Very expensive but worth the money! Delicious food, excellent service and relaxing atmosphere! Definitely recommend!

Perfect Perfect Perfect. Highly recommend the rib-eye streak medium. Worth every dime and then some.

Came here for the first time tonight. Wow! We were so impressed. Our server, Teresa, told us the salads were large enough to share so we started with a grilled Caesar salad that very obviously had a homemade dressing. The crispy bacon and the Parmesan crisps were a perfect complement. We shared the filet bites as an appetizer and they were wonderful. The Dijon mustard was very light in the sauce (the way I like it) and the blue cheese was a nice addition. It was perfect to share and would be a good size for an entree. My husband has the lobster ravioli which he said was good, I had two apps for dinner, the scallops and the broccolini. The scallops absolutely melted in your mouth and I really like the veggie also. I will definitely have the scallops entree next time! They even brought my husband a dessert for his birthday. Who knew you could make gelato that actually tastes like tiramisu? They did and it was wonderful. Only one disappointment, they had cioppino on the menu, but when I asked for an entree size for dinner I was told they don't have it anymore and they now serve clam chowder. We will definitely be back. read more

If you haven't had the filet at Vele you are missing out! Not to mention excellent drink/bourbon selection! Great place for a date or anniversary celebration. You will not be disappointed read more

Beautiful creative decor and wonderful food. Oysters were among the best I've had. Steak appetizer was amazing. Great dinner(and drinks).

This is an excellent date night or special occasion place! Wonderful atmosphere! Great menu options! Would definitely recommend! read more

VELE - Drinks - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Great food and drinks. They have a few outdoor tables even though there's no view. The indoor decor is pretty!

Wow! The vegan tofu dish I had was amazing. It was served over a bed of rice and greens, gluten free as well. Everything we ate and drank was delicious. I can't wait to eat here again read more

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We had a fantastic carry out diner here. We ordered the lobster bisque and it was the beat we've had. Real chunks of lobster and the flavor was spot on. Not too thick or thin either. I ordered the salmon and it was cooked perfectly. Hubby had the fettuccine and liked it, Again the sauce wasn't too runny or too thick. Friends ordered the steak bites said they were delicious and cooked perfectly as well. Would highly recommend carry out here! read more

I've always loved the location--even it was another restaurant. It's right in the heart of downtown Springfield. The new decor and total overhaul inside are incredible!!! The vibe and the atmosphere are superb for lunch or dinner. On my first trip i enjoyed every bite of the shrimp and grits (surprise on the menu!!!). I will definitely be back read more

VELE - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Went to vele with a friend and his wife. Tried almost all the appetizers and all were extremely delicious. The oysters we're fantastic and calamari was perfectly cooked and delicious. Also tried the Tuna tartar, lamb lollipops, filet skewers, grilled oysters, prawns and we loved it all. For the entrees we had seafood spaghetti which was fantastic and had a surprise spicyness to it that made it even better. Food was one of the best I have ever had. As for our waiter he was also fantastic. Some if the appetizers came with only two and we requested three so we could all try the dish and he took care of us great! Very friendly and if we go I hope we get him again. Unfortunately I cannot remember his name The only downside I would say about vele would have been about the hostess. We came in right at opening and every seat was available. She still required us to make a reservation. When we went to be seated we wanted to sit in a different table(again the restaurant was empty) and her reply was what's wrong with this one. Which I thought was very odd. After that we had a great experience and I will be back again!! read more

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Outstanding. Dinner there three weeks ago. Can't wait to go back. I had sea bass, many appetizers were shared snd they were all wonderful. read more

Food was exceptional; the seafood spaghetti and 'shareables' were great! BUT, I had to wait 1.5 hours to get the food. Service was very slow, and they lost our order ticket. Overall, great food, questionable service. read more

VELE - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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LOVE VELE. SO GOOD. Sea food spaghetti is amazing. The perfect amount of spice but is also a little sweet. You just cant go wrong with the Chicken picatta!!! Both so good. I also love their new squash salad it's perfect! Their steak bites are also to die for! Highly recommend vele for any special occasion! Service has always been good and the ambiance of the place is beautiful. I love the style and vibe of the place. Overall one of the best eats in Springfield! read more

The food was delicious and priced on the high end with appetizers running about $25. However there were other issues that seemed to take a bit away from a fine dining experience. My pasta arrived in a black, chipped bowl. I don't expect to be served with obviously damaged dishes. Black was fine, chipped was not. The other was then when I asked to take some food home, the waitress brought a plastic container to the table and told me to put it in there. That is what I would expect from a not so high end restaurant. Most nicer restaurants would take the dish to the kitchen and transfer the food and return it to the table. The waitress was also slow to take our order after the appetizers were served and finished. We had to call her over to order our entrees. She wasn't very busy, so that was not the issue. The appeitzers and main dishes were very enjoyable. The atmosphere was lovely. read more

I am going to be forced to write a big long review for this restaurant otherwise they will post this as a tip. One word, delicious! Seems like some of the dishes can be overcomplicated, everything we had was very good. Service was excellent. Like most restaurants, it can be noisy. read more

Fantastic food! I was very happy with everything I ate. Our server Dustin was super. The wine list is well chosen. I have no complaints but I think management should invest in real plants. ‍ I will definitely return the next time I'm in Springfield! read more

Excellent food choices! Part of the same family of restaurants served by the same main chef ensuring Woodr food and drinks choices. This is a great option for fine dining. read more

My cousin and I visited Vele on Feb 6 this year, after reading reviews. It was a wonderful experience! The modern Coastal Italian decor is unique. We weren't really sure what to expect because it's not like other Italian restaurants in decor or menu, but we were completely impressed with every single thing we ordered. The Big & Rich gin cocktail was a treat---very flavorful. We ordered 2 appetizers to split: grilled Caesar salad, bread with four kinds of olive oil. Neither of us had ever heard of GRILLED Caesar salad, but it was a delicious twist on the standard. The bread was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, just right. I ordered spicy seafood spaghetti, which I'd never had. The portion size was generous and I had two meals from it. The flavor was outstanding! Perfect degree of spiciness (for me.) Our server was a young woman named Justice and she was lovely... helped us with the menu choices by explaining items in detail. She gave us just the right amount of attention by coming back a few times, but not hovering. Our whole visit from start to finish was just wonderful. Can't wait to go back! read more

Best steak in town hands down! It's not cheap so we try to save it for special occasions but we'll worth the money!

Went here for our anniversary. Drinks were great. Food was awesome. I especially liked the lamb. My husband had the fish special.

Visited their new location on 3/12/21 for the first time. Raves for the food! Grilled octopus and broccoli rabe for appetizers. Octopus was perfectly grilled, not rubbery, with zesty sauce. Broccoli was flash-fried and yummy. Entrees were Pasta Tagliatele, Gnocchi, and ribeye. Both homemade pastas were perfect, highlighted by great sausage. Ribeye was a perfect medium rare and mashed potatoes and asparagus were, again, cooked perfectly. Highlighted by a bottle of Toscano, with coffee and a limoncello créeme brûlée. Only four stars because the brûlée was not firm and the service was pathetically slow. They were slammed on a Friday night (deservedly) but still took almost 30 min to get our drink order. But it was all systems go from there! Will definitely be back, maybe midweek instead. One of the best restaurants in Springfield! read more

We found this place ion yelp when we were visiting Springfield. We got turned around and got there a little later than we planned. It was about 15 minutes before their closing time, and they had just taken a large party of people in. They offered to sit us at the bar-where they said they could serve us quicker. We were a little skeptical but were hungry and no other place was open. They were very gracious and served us right away. And , thankfully the food was delicious and we were glad we stayed. read more

VELE - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Wow! This was our first time and the experience was amazing!! The staff was attentive and extremely pleasant. The food, out of this world! We started with the watermelon salad that was wonderful. I had the halibut and it was truly the best I've ever eaten. My friend had the salmon. I'm not a big fan of salmon but I tried his and was blown away!FABULOUS! I could eat that!! Differently will return!!! read more

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If anyone is researching this new restaurant and is deterred by the ignorance of reviews about small quantities of food for the price, stop reading those reviews. Given that the demographics of Springfield includes a lack of cultured &/or individuals who can understand new concepts, there is a clear lack of understanding as to what it takes to source and create excellent food. Not to mention what it costs to rent or buy commercial real estate downtown in this rundown capital. Most everything downtown is priced as if the business is in Chicago...and often without products or services to justify that pricing. Having lived in larger cities all over the country, VELE has it right. Superb food. The best bar tending service I've experienced in this town. And an ambiance that feels like AtL, Chc, KC's Plaza, and some parts of StL. This is a must try for any foodie. However, the menu changes and so pictures posted may not have what's for dinner on the day you choose to dine. There wasn't the noisy din that so many smaller spots have, which can sometimes ruin an enjoyable meal. Always remember, tips are based on service delivered and not required by law. The bartender's service was what I'd expect in one of the aforementioned cities but so often never receive. Tip accordingly and reward those employees who have the right work ethic so VELE keeps on making mouths happy! read more

Hands down best restaurant in Springfield. Their service is stellar and their cocktails are fire! Every time I've eaten here the food is always great! read more

I visited VELE twice while in town for business, and both times it has been hands-down fantastic. The food is superb, and unique, a good selection, proteins were always cooked perfectly, etc. Both times I ordered a Negroni cocktail, which was made well. Also both times I ordered the "Olive Oil Tasting," which consists of a fresh-baked 1/2-loaf of Italian bread, three infused olive oils, and one artisan balsamic vinegar. It was hard not to eat the whole thing and fill up on bread! I tried both salads, the Ceasar and the Mediterranean, which were both great--the Caesar was unique, with bacon and a spicy Caesar dressing. I've also tried the Beef Tenderloin Bites and the Halibut--both were stellar. And, as if I wasn't already stuffed, the homemade berry cheesecake for dessert, which was also great. I'm not very familiar with the Springfield, IL area, but I'm fairly certain you would be hard-pressed to find a better place. The staff was very friendly, as well. The only two things I noticed that could possibly be better, and the first one isn't that big of a deal--the servers just wore casual jeans and medium-blue t-shirts (or possibly polo's). The first time I went there my server was wearing jeans that looked dirty and worn--it kinda looked more like he was getting ready to mow his lawn, rather than serve me a $40 steak. I'm not saying they should be wearing tuxedos, but the dress just didn't seem to fit the caliber of the food/image they're serving. Also, I actually had a panhandler walk by and sit down at my sidewalk table, during my meal. She started telling me her sad story, asked for money, etc. When I told her I just had plastic, she asked me to "get cash-back." When I told her I'm sure they don't do that here, she asked me to drive her to a gas-station, to get money there (!). Eventually I nicely asked her to leave, but it took a few dollar bills to expedite the process. I'm not sure if the staff was aware this was happening, or how common it is in this town. Springfield seems to have it's share of homeless wandering around downtown--I guess I've just never had one walk up and invite themselves to dinner at my table. Anyway, panhandlers or not, I would definitely return to VELE next time I'm in town--the food is phenomenal. read more

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Meal was ok. Lamb chops were good, other entrees were not. I agree with other customer's reviews, that for the price a side would be nice! The waitress was negligent- we waited 30 minutes between appetizer and entree and she only came back to our table when we asked a waiter if they could please get her. Once she delivered the food never came back to check on us. Never asked us to refill or drinks. It was a very uncomfortable meal. I will not go there again! read more

We eat here quite a bit and are always pleased! I'm usually a seafood girl, but their lamb lollipops are probably my favorite thing on the menu. The spicy seafood spaghetti is also a classic, as well as the grilled Caesar. Truly can't go wrong with anything! read more

Great food , excellent service and wide variety of bourbon/ whiskey with knowledgeable staff.

First night at VELE- the atmosphere created by the decor, lighting, and waitstaff uniforms is inviting, smart, and youthful. Best oysters I've had in Illinois outside of Chicago. Cocktails adhere to the southern coastal Italy theme by being not overly boozy with several selections of aperitifs or liqueurs mixed with sparkling wines. Both the halibut and salmon crudo were bright with depth of flavor from infused oils, one spicy, one citrusy. The grilled octopus with romesco sauce was cooked perfectly tender with crusty bits on the outside. Would order each drink and dish again. A Springfield treat to be sure. read more

VELE - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Wonderful experience! VELE for valentine, birthday anniversary..( I like the old location more thou!)

We were completely ignored upon arrival. Other customers were allowed to jump in line and were served first, making us feel like second class citizens. Then we were told that they were completely booked and we should just ignore all of the empty tables because those guests would be arriving shortly. All of this was said in a rude and conscending tone. I won't be going back with my money anytime soon! The perfect place for those who are into elitist restaurants with snobby service. We walked to Saputos and were seated immediately. We now enjoying a wonderful time honored Springfield Italian restaurant. Service and food are fantastic as always. read more

The atmosphere inside is calming and enjoyable for a nice dinner out. Service is on point. If you like whiskey get the Sea and Smoke Smoked cocktail. It's a bold beast of a drink. Scallops are great. Mushroom linguini was top notch as well. A favorite dinner location in Springfield. Don't forget about the bananas foster creme brûlée! read more

Although it's been open a while I hadn't eaten here before. We had the grilled caesar salad, butternut squash salad, oysters, filet bites and lamp lollipops. The salads were unique and extremely tasty. The beef was seared and had a lovely sauce on it making it over the top delicious. The lamb was amazing as well on a bed of polenta with a sauce that made the polenta better if you're not a fan of polenta. We almost stopped there but the tiramisu reveal dessert was a surprise with melting chocolate. The whole experience reminded us of restaurants in bigger cities. Danan our server was a great server too. Bravo! read more

We sat at the bar, had cocktails and appetizers. The hamachi was as fresh as it could be, lightly dressed and seasoned- TUM! The charcuterie plate was enormous, many accompaniments and thoughtfully arranged, delicious! read more