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User Reviews on Elio
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 62 comments
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| Overall |
 
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Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 5 |
Value 6 |
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We were after something a little more sophisticated than the usual pizza/pasta joint so decided to make a night of it at Elio. A cosy, modern space with soft Italian music and a warm toasty room most welcoming on such a cold Winter's evening.
Unfortunately the staff lacked such warmth on our arrival and greeted us by waving a hand towards a table in the corner, we had to ask to be sure which table he was referring to. I noticed the same happened to another couple who came shortly after we were seated, and they too had to ask the waiter which table his flick of the hand suggested.
My first impressions were that the staff just weren't too thrilled to see patronage walk through the door. Pretty rude if you ask me. Service aside, the food is very good. Green olives were offered as a starter, the best olives I've ever eaten. The waiter informs me they are imported from Sicily. My entree of lighly battered zucchini flowers with gorgonzola dolce was rich and delicious, and squid ink risotto with cuttlefish, scampi and broad beans for mains was very satisfying.
My husband was gob smacked at how lovely the linguini with clams and chilli was, and thoroughly enjoyed the pork belly main. Too full for dessert (pity, as the offerings sounded scrumptious) we enjoyed the ambience of the room but both agreed some tea lights on tables would lift the rather dimly lit room and add some warmth to the space.
Elio is a good restaurant, and has the potential to be a stand out establishment if only the waiters could express a little more warmth and hospitality to their customers.
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sqweeky -
See my reviews 81 , 04 August 2008
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| Overall |
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Average |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 7 |
Service 2 |
Value 5 |
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Finding time, babysitters, and the right venue - it's all a consideration, isn't it. What a shame it was (for me), to have chosen one that served us nice food, but shocking service. Was there with a group of girlfriends on the 27th June, out the back. Our waiter decided to ignore us (for the most part), and then knocked my full glass of Red wine all over me. Accidents happen that is not the point. He just said a lame "Oh sorry" and walked off. A sincere apology, and a replacement glass would have been an appropriate response. I was wearing an expensive dress, and had to chase him up for some soda water. Not good enough. Won't be back.
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BitHungry -
See my reviews 1, 13 July 2008
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 9 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 8 |
Value 7 |
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Dined here, found it really romantic. Food was really posh and tasty, though found it very expensive, service was great, nice night out.
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brownnie -
See my reviews 40, 03 July 2008
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 9 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 7 |
Value 8 |
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After much research via eatability, I deduced that Elio was the best choice in Leichhardt for Italian that was more than the usual traditional pizza/pasta joint. And how well that research paid off! The food was simply incredible! The proscuitto wrapped veal was a good solid start, nothing outstanding, but satisfying enough, however, the duck stracci was sublime, every mouthful a delight, and my partner, who had leek potato broccoli soup claimed it was the best soup he had ever had, and he was rendered speechless with joy whilst consuming the gnocchi with rabbit ragu!
Our friend, who had the whitebait fritters and braised beef cheeks also enjoyed her meal, and was pleased to report that a few weeks later when she dined again, (zucchini flowers then duck stracci) that her meal was superb.
I was wondering from previous reviews whether the restaurant would appear too stark due to the minimalist fit out, but it was fine, just a simple and stylish black and white scheme, and anyway, the feel of the place was carried by the buzz of the crowd once it filled up.
The service was very good, unobtrusive but dependable, everything ran very smoothly. They were a little off perfection in that we felt that there could have had less of a gap between entrees and mains, though we easily filled the slight elongation of time with conversation and great wine.
I must note that the waiters were a little on the cheeky side, one even served my friend her entree whilst on his mobile phone, which sounds terribly rude, but he managed to make it look normal somehow, and we were not at all bothered! Look out too for the waiters sliding down the bannister whilst holding plates retrieved from the upstairs dining area!
I ended my evening with a velvety passionfruit brulee and frangelico coffee, my partner had a cognac (with glass properly warmed), which I insisted HAD to be accompanied by biscotti, the waiter seconded me in this happily advising that his mother had made it, and my friend downed an affagato. The total bill, including a bottle of white and a glass of red, came to $186, which is quite modest considering the calibre of food and the quantity downed by the three of us, I have paid this amount for two for a lesser meal.
My only criticism is that Elio is not located in my home city! I will definitely be back at Elio when next in Sydney.
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greatyellowslug -
See my reviews 1, 18 June 2008
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 6 |
Service 8 |
Value 8 |
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Really enjoyed dining here, food was well prepared and served. Waiter was passionate about Sicily and the food, distinctly unique wines which the establishment seeks to present rather than Italian food. As such attentive and polite unobstrusive service made for a relaxing experience.
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lobster -
See my reviews 11, 09 June 2008
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 10 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 10 |
Value 9 |
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I have been going to Elio for 12 years and have never walked out thinking anything but "wow, what a great night". The service is always friendly and attentive but not overbearing. The menu is adventuresome and interesting yet reliably enjoyable. The winelist is great, there is always a good 'match' with what we have chosen to eat. The only thing I sometimes find hard is to hear but a table in the courtyard solves that problem. Thanks Elio and Daniel!
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brimaxtil -
See my reviews 2, 29 April 2008
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 8 |
Value 8 |
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My partner and I made a last minute booking for dinner for a Tuesday night. When we arrived downstairs was full and we were surprised to find that there was only one waiter working the whole floor plus the bar and running food to the upstairs tables, however, there was no sense of bother from him, he made us feel very welcome and sat us at the bar until the waitress upstairs was able to take us to our table.
We had a lovely table upstairs and found out after chatting to the waitress that she is actually the bar person and doesn't normally work on the floor but they had so many walk ins that she had to work upstairs. Having said that, you wouldn't have know she didn't normally work on the floor as her food knowledge and service were very good.
The food was excellent, my partner and I shared the kingfish carpaccio and rabbit terrine entree then the squid ink risotto and pork mains. Unfortunately, the carpaccio had a bit too much oil over it which drowned out the flavour of the fish, however, the other dishes were wonderful, especially the pork and the side of beans with breadcrumbs.
We finished the night with a drink at the bar downstairs and chatted to the waiter (Elio) who was very friendly even after a long busy night. Great food, service and value for money and BYO too, we will definitely be back again!
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PrincessFiona -
See my reviews 1, 23 November 2007
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| Overall |
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Below Average |
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Food 4 |
Ambience 5 |
Service 3 |
Value 4 |
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Went for a family celebration and we left very disappointed. Pasta entree was not al dente but practically uncooked. Raw pasta is not the tastiest of morsels! Gnocchi were almost cold. We then waited almost an hour for the mains to arrive in dribs and drabs so that half our table had almost finished theirs before the other half were served. The accompanying vegetables were also served too late to be included with half the mains.
Ordering and receiving drinks was also a similar, very slow process. The flavours of a number of the dishes were not great and did not live up to their description or what we had anticipated from favourable restaurant reviews. A main of pork was partly quite undercooked and when this was mentioned to the waiter the reply was that it was meant to be rare. I am of the understanding that both pork and chicken, unlike beef, need to be well cooked for safety reasons.
Nevertheless, the waiters were polite and reasonably affable and we got the impression that they may have been short staffed, hence the long wait. Another negative was the noise which made it stressful and virtually impossible to have a conversation. Minimalist interiors are fine but they need to be balanced by some judicious noise attenuating finishes such as upholstered chairs, fabric wall hangings or discreet acoustic panels that need not detract from a minimalist modern interior.
Overall, as an Italian, I found the food was quite ordinary with flavours that lacked depth and richness and with poorly conceived cooking times.
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dbdl -
See my reviews 1, 18 November 2007
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 7 |
Service 8 |
Value 7 |
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Wonderful restaurant in Leichardt (which I usually find to be a bit overrated). Excellent service and great food. We went late on a Sat night and it was a bit noisy in the front restaurant but still very enjoyable, will try to get a table in the courtyard next time.
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sydrunner -
See my reviews 1, 17 September 2007
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 9 |
Ambience 9 |
Service 9 |
Value 8 |
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I thought the food was delectable and the service was wonderful. I would definitely come back here. The best restaurant in Leichhardt (I live there, trust me it is the best.) Try the duck you will not be disappointed. Definitely worth the price.
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Ironic -
See my reviews 3, 16 August 2007
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