The Ellington Reviews

We had Saturday breakfast/brunch at the Ellington. It is a very relaxing place with excellent service. Food isn't GREAT, but good enough to enjoy. The waiter and owner(?) are very friendly and attentive. You get that welcoming feeling. If you just want to feel the local vibes in Upper West, this would be a nice place.

They opened up another location inside Riverside Park during the warmer months. It's across from the dog run on 105th Street. On the upper level, it's a small seating area with a bar, but on the lower level, they converted the cavernous former storage area into a food and beverage restaurant. Expect long waits in evenings and weekends for a table on the upper level.

It took about a thousand restaurants but in The Ellington, we found a cafe the teenager wanted to come back to. The crowded but attractively laid out dining room seemed like it would be excellent for a summer visit when they open the doors. Apps and entrees came out all at once, a common issue and one that demonstrates a misunderstanding of what an appetizer is supposed to accomplish. Even so, the truffle fry app was worth the wait as was salmon with a ratatouille base which is just generally a great idea. Signature cocktails displayed creativity and their version of a hot toddy was delicious. In short, worth a visit while in the nebulous area which may be Upper West Side or Harlem or Columbia U.

My wife and I had lunch here a couple of days ago. We'd visited the St John the Divine Cathedral, up the road ( a New York must for visitors) and stumbled across the Ellington. Brilliant food. I had a steak sandwich, my wife Lamburger which were cooked fresh and came with all the trimmings. Very tender and tasty. Good choice of wines and beers. Prices a lot cheaper than similar uptown establishments. Highly recommended++++

No matter how you like your eggs, this is the place for breakfast! I tried the eggs benedict, youngest had steak and eggs. The blueberry pancakes are to die for!

Arrived in Manhattan late and found this place, which is a few blocks down from the HI Hostel. Sat at the bar and enjoyed a great meal with a few other patrons in for a nightcap. Food was great and I loved the ambiance of the place.

The Ellington is my absolute favorite restaurant in all of the Upper West Side & Morningside Heights area. This is mostly due to the fact that their quality of food, drinks and service doesn't falter one bit whether you're their for a romantic candle lit dinner, at the bar for happy hour with a colleague, or even ordering from food to be delivered! Prices are totally reasonable and their meals are SO delicious! Their "grilled cheese bites" appetizer is a must, which comes with a hot tomato soup dipping sauce. I also highly recommend their Shepard's pie, and any of their salads! But you really cannot go wrong here. Hope you love it as much as I do!

Really great Friday night dinner with my NYC daughter and her roommate. We had the filet, the Wellington burger, the classic burger and mussels and the whole group enjoyed the evening. Good local vibe and although maybe a bit loud at times for full conversation this is the kind of place to keep going back to. World Series on the big screen at game time. We will definitely go again.

Met our niece here for brunch. It was a great day to sit outside and have a meal. The food was very good, fresh and prepared to order. The service was good, but coffee refills were few, The atmosphere was wonderful, great for people watching and out of the sun.

Love how open and sunny it is! On a nice day you can also sit outside, which can't be beat. We were able to be seated immediately at the bar, for brunch on a Sunday, and the bartender was very attentive the whole time we were there. Had a slight mistake to one of our orders but it was fixed very quickly.

Had a great dinner this past Saturday with my wife and Aunt. Had the short ribs with mashed potatoes. Fabulous! Our server, David was so friendly and helpful. Reasonably priced too.

This is a typical american dinner bar where you can eat a good burger or steak, very well prepared and served. The choice is not that wide but is consistent with the kind of restaurant. Tables and environmental architecture is very nice, with quotes at the wall and original lights. There is also the option of sitting for a drink and watch the large tv on the wall.

My wife and I joined friends who knew the place. Food was very tasty and delivered by attentive servers. Pianist was excellent. So was a customer pianist who did an improvised stint. Singer's voice was too thin.

My lady and I popped in for a bite and were pleased we did. IShe had the Mac and cheese and I had the fish and chips-very nice portion of both. The wine was good and reasonably priced. Inexpensive for NYC.

We had a great dinner here the other night. This restaurant has really friendly staff, a great atmosphere, and delicious food. Their fish and chips are phenomenal (from an American's point of view). We will definitely be coming back here!

Good food, good house beer, good service. Relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Special unexpected mention: the french fries!

Skimpy hamburger without catsup, mini portion of risotto, no bread and cheese only after asking, small sandwich with decent fries and all that at mid-town prices. At least the wine, if available, and the beer was good and not overpriced. The interiors are strange: brown ceiling to fake smoke stains and recycled wood to cover the walls. This place may be a good bar but has a long way to go as a restaurant.

Great neighborhood place. Love the people watching, the breeze, the music (which is not loud), the shabby chic decor, the wait staff, the beer and beer temps, the bloody Marys, and the food. The price is right too. Can't go wrong for a casual meal out.

Been to this restaurant several times for brunch and lunch. I love the feel of this place...a pub with window walls that open to the outside, with outside seating. A friendly and efficient wait staff, who knows the food and makes you feel very comfortable. Great selection of beers and an eclectic menu that is varied as it is delicious! The cook really knows how to make each dish special.. For brunch we've had the Mediterranean omelet and the granola....both very good. Last time we were here for lunch, we had the flatbread with homemade fig jam and ricotta and the Beets & Quinoa salad and a burger. All of the items were amazing! We come here every time we're in town!

Not looking for anything in particular but came across this bar/kitchen on Amsterdam Av .Warm ,cosy and friendly with a menu that is well priced.Generous servings of lovely fresh food.Can recommend the Nachos. Excellent service.

The place is pretty cool design wise. Otherwise not a fan, the food is so so, same goes to drinks. The prices are a bit hight for the level of food.

Met up with friends. They have a decent menu and reasonably priced. Service was ok but not great. When we ordered our food to come at the same time all the orders came at different times. Cocktails took forever to arrive. Will I try I this place again.... maybe... but not gonna go out of my way

Delicate food, nice terrasse and great service. Perfect combo for a family diner. Also great and intimate for dating :)

Met a friend from the UWS here for drinks. Had some drinks and a burger. Service at the3 bar was good and the burger was satisfactory.

Good brunch post visit to Cathedral St. John the Divine to see the Phoenix! Liked the pulled pork on toast with an egg. Beer on tap too.

This is an informal, easy-going place with reasonable prices. Nice bar with standard American-type food (burgers, nachos, etc.). Wait staff is very nice and efficient.

I got dinner to take out recently and it was perfect! Steak frites was properly cooked, fries were excellent and it came with wonderful onion rings! Caesar salad as first course. They packed it up really well and it was hot and ready when I got home. Top quality all around and reasonably priced! Try it!

My wife, adult daughter and I had a wonderful brunch here. They have a beautiful indoor and outdoor dining environment that is very comfortable and spacious. The service is excellent, and the food was particularly good at good value for money. I had the Huevos rancheros, served on a tortilla that remained crispy for the entire meal and was incredibly flavorful. My daughter had the breakfast flatbread, and it was a very generous serving and looked delicious. My wife had the avocado toast, and said it was some of the best she’s ever had. The coffee is solid and we hear that dinner is excellent as well. Definitely go if you’re in the area for any meal.

The Ellington sits on the corner of Amsterdam Ave. and 106th street and provides a lovely spot to watch people and enjoy the views of the neighborhood. The restaurant has all the charm without the pretensions and offer good solid food and a variety of beers on tap. We had the Ellington burger with cheese and the lamb burger. Both dishes were well prepared and cooked just right. The waitress was very friendly and the atmosphere was extremely comfortable. You can sit either inside or outside and because the sides are open you can enjoy the breezes from both types of tables. Come for the food and enjoy the NYC views.

Visited for lunch recently and enjoyed a very good meal (med plate and beet salad w chicken) - service was sufficiently slow to detract from overall and drag it down a grade. Staff meal served before ours.

Decent burgers and typical menu fare. The Ellington is always a reasonable choice if you're not up for anything special.

We had a party of five and made reservations. The table was ready when we got there. Atmosphere is casual and quite noisy. There are two TV's going with loud music and people talking loudly to be heard over the music. Chairs are hard and uncomfortable for those of us with little padding. Great selection of beers, special drinks and the service is excellent. I ordered a sliced steak and salad and it came rare as ordered but I did have to send it back as the salad had advertised goat cheese and beets. There was no cheese. When it was returned they had put deep fried cheese balls on this nice salad. "Fried Cheese balls?" I heard that one can get them in Wisconsin. The rest of the party ordered the fish and chips with mushy peas. The peas are great and the fries are uniquely thick, hot and quite nice with Malt Vinegar. The fish had to be returned because the fish had not been cooked long enough and was still cold in the center. They provided new plates with apologies and the fish was very good. They offered deserts and then took the drinks off of the bill. I would recommend the fish and chips again and presume that this may have been a fluke. Our friends had been at the restaurant before and shared that the fish is typically very good. The prices are very reasonable and like I shared the service was good and they did fix the meal that was sent back. (I would not serve fried cheese balls on a nice beet salad.) Based upon the reviews of our friends, how nice the fish and chips were after they were cooked correctly, the excellent service; I would return to give them another try. I would order the fish and chips.

My son and I stumbled on this place for lunch. It is a bar with about 15-20 tables. The food was beautifully presented, the choices were definitely a cut above bar food, and the portions were very generous.

I was travelling in New York on my own and found this place just up the road from my hostel. Sat at the bar and had really tasty nachos and great wine. Great atmosphere and got to chat to some locals. Nice for a quiet night out on your own.

Stopped for lunch and loved the loved the place. Great service, food was excellent and very decent pricing. Our meals included a main course and beer or glass of wine for less than $15. Unbeatable!

I must say, they have a perfect location, and cool interior, but it's just not enough. While they were renovating I did hope it would be a cool place, for upper west side ( families, and when I say families I mean kids, toddlers and children as well) this is UWS after all, but the food is well so so , and so are drinks. Go to Big Daddies instead. 3 starts just for interior and an effort or none.

Just around the corner from our apartment this friendly bar/restaurant was an excellent choice. The beers are good, the staff very friendly and helpful our waitress Becca couldn't have been more helpful. The menu provides a good range of choices and they have regular 'deals'

Wow what a great view and to have up stairs bar and seating area whilst down stairs is the kitchen with seating also. Great view of the Hudson River. Sunset was perfect, perfect place to visit in summer and great prices. Operates only in summer mid morning till late at night. Perfect!!!! :)

In the Manhattan Valley neighborhood, there is a real restaurant renaissance and The Ellington is a real part of it. Food is very good, the outside dining area is comfortable and the service was excellent. (Go up the street and buy some French baked goods at the Boulangerie to take home with you, too)

Brunch at the Ellington was delicious and well served -- not noisy either. The restaurant is easy to get to and the neighbourhood enjoyable to walk through. I chose not to have bacon with my smoked salmon benedict, and the drink menu was interesting.

Ellingtons is my go to place on the uws. Glenda has assembled a team of professionals to serve great food in a comfortable inviting atmosphere. Curtis greets you at the door with a smile, the bar staff is always friendly. David, the silver wolf; Adam, Fermin, Kate the Sicilian princess, Maggie and Cheri are there to serve you. I have always enjoyed the food. Everything is fresh and well prepared. A rare occurrence anywhere no less nyc. They deserve all the success they are getting!

This is a a basic neighborhood tavern/restaurant with an air of British pub. The food and the service were very good. We visited in the early evening at the start of the dinner rush on a holiday weekend, so it was probably quieter than their usual weekend evening. We had salads, which were excellent and surprisingly well-proportioned. The fish-and-chips were good and my friend thought the crispy pork shank was excellent. The Ellington isn't a large space and the tables are close to each other. On a quiet night this would go without notice, although a family with a two small children and a stroller came in midway through our meal and made us very aware of how close the tables actually are. I imagine that this place has a very different, more crowded pub feel on a typical Saturday night. Overall no complaints. In fact, we wish that there was a place like this in our Brooklyn neighborhood. We would definitely consider coming back.

Went to The Ellington to celebrate a graduation - what a nice neighborhood hang-out! I had a burger and it was huge and delicious! Succulent best describes it. We were a party of 7 and, although it was hard to converse, we all had a great time. Good service as well.

We were staying in the area and came across The Ellington and I’m pleased we did. It is primarily a bar with a kitchen serving pretty decent food. Many beers on tap but an average wine menu. The food was fresh and the servings generous with several tasty vegetarian options available. The service was friendly. We ate there once and stopped in for drinks on a couple of occasions on our way home. Would recommend if you are looking for something unpretentious, with good local vibes.

Great brunch spot, great service and fair prices. A terrific way to spend a beautiful fall Sunday morning. The menu for brunch had a great deal of options and along side, some great morning libations to start. I had the Bellini which was delicious, my son had a Bloody Mary with a bacon salted rim and a pepperoni straw. The straw is a bit strange (a little dog treatish) but the drink was good. The lemon ricotta pancakes with berries was delicious. Light, fluffy and with a nice side of bacon- just perfect. Highly recommend this is restaurant and looking forward to trying their dinner menu next.

I've been here for dinner twice and brunch once and have never been disappointed. It's a lovey restaurant with a great menu.

New to the neighborhood and can't believe my good fortune to find this gracious bistro around the corner. Expansive sidewalk seating under awning - NOT a shed - and roomy interior make a relaxed atmosphere. Service is professional, prompt and friendly. Menu is great, with plenty of fresh and inventive options for all sorts of 'vores and veggies, and portions are generous and prices very reasonable. The vibe is very relaxed and welcoming, including to dogs (outside). We had two with us tonight. I hear from neighbors that there have been a few establishments in this location, and I'm hoping the Ellington sticks around for a good long while.

I almost didn't review this place....I was somewhat inclined to keep it a secret. We had a late lunch at the bar this past Sunday....and the food was fabulous. I had a pork shoulder dish on sourdough bread and my boyfriend had one of their dinner salads. Everything was perfect, as was the cheesecake that we shared for dessert. Clearly a local place....we don't live anywhere nearby but I would go out of my way to pay a return visit. Great service as well....and a friendly vibe overall.

A very nice neighborhood spot. Larger TVs than most other similar bars/restaurants in the area, and the vibe is warm and welcoming. The corner location is also an added feature, particularly during the day when daylight floods in.

Our New York friends recommended this place. First impression were this is a really friendly local restaurant / bar. Goats cheese starter followed by cheese burger and bison burgers. Great burgers and very tasty fries. Nice selection of whisky. Overall very enjoyable experience and we would certainly recommend.

We signed on for the full Thanksgiving menu, without any prior knowledge of The Ellington. It's a pub with sports on big tv's and has a very casual atmosphere. The regular menu is what you'd expect from a pub, but I can only review the meal we had - Thanksgiving. We started with crab cakes, nicely seasoned and with a spicy sauce. The main course was The Works - turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, gravy. And YUM! Everything was well-prepared and delicious. (And enough leftovers to have another meal the following night. Just like Mom's!) For dessert, there was tiramisu or pumpkin pie, both okay. Service was friendly. A good time was had by all.

Great food and atmosphere for families. The chicken dumpling is great starter, followed by the short rib dinner.

Great food,beautiful place,wonderful staff,reasonably priced!! we had ths brunch , pork toast & eggs Benedict,both were delicious!

I have mixed feelings about Ellington... I´ve had some nice evening drinks there, along with a light dinner. Food was decent, drinks were very nice, and the bar crowd was very enjoyable. At the same time, have twice had a so-so brunch experience as far as the quality of the food (had mediocre eggs benedict, and ok french toast). But the servers have always been nice, and the bar tender has always been excellent.

The Ellington is a comfortable, reasonably priced bar/restaurant that is an excellent addition to the neighborhood. Good food (I like the breakfast steak and eggs) and tasty drinks. Indoor/outdoor seating available, and try Ellington in the Park in Riverside Park (in season).

Went to The Ellington Monday the 28th of December year of our Lord 2015 with the Mrs's cousin Dan and his wife Robin We met with the owner Glenda ( super nice ) Glenda is between Dan and me ( the chubby fella in the red shirt ) my wife Terri to my right and Robin next to her The service was grand as well as the food Without a doubt we'll be back (as long as Glenda will have us ) Looking forward to the next visit

Beautiful Sunday afternoon today in the city, so after a walk in riverside park we headed to Ellington. The burger (w/cheddar and fried egg) along with the draft Long Island IPA is exactly what u was looking for. Nancy S was the icing on the cake, very pleasant, efficient table service. What more could you ask for?!

We've eaten here twice with family and the food is consistently very good. The place is very casual and it the prices are average for New York (expensive-ish for other cities), so if you're looking for a special night out, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place. But if you're going for casual and yummy food, this is a good place for you. They have a children's menu, as well, and there are things on the menu you could choose if you were really on a budget -- my $10 salad was quite large and delicious.

Ate a late dinner (9:30pm) with friends. All our meals were nicely presented, food was good, prices were reasonable for NYC. Service was nice and ambience was a nice change from the mid-town restaurants. Was a little bit noisy for dinner conversation but I'd go there again.

Very good food, well done and presented, good, slightly off the ususal salads and burgers. Super nice service, all quite relaxed

Pros: Very good selection of beers; surprisingly good and varied food; attentive service. More a restaurant than a bar. Not a Columbia joint. Cons: Small establishment and seating can be tight. More a restaurant than a bar. Not a Columbia joint.

It’s ok- but there are most certainly better spots on the UWS. The food is ok - but more like a bar menu, not a restaurant kind of food.

Went with another couple who'd never tried it. We had a great time, we weren't rushed and had fun chatting with the friendly and very Irish waitress and host. The food choices aren't extensive but everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. Great appetizers if you just want to sit and have drinks too. Try the Chocolate Tuxedo dessert.

We were visiting our daughter at Barnard college and were looking for a moderate price local restaurant within close walking distance. The Ellington ended up being a good choice as it has a very friendly vibe with a mixture of university students and local families. The employees were very friendly and accommodating. The food was comprised of a good mix of continental cuisine and all of our meals were quite good at a reasonable price for NY. We look forward to returning again during our next visit.

Met a couple of friends for dinner. Didn't get to sit outside as it was a chilly October evening. The service was good, but a little slow and there were only two other tables taken. Maybe I'm being a little picky because we needed to be somewhere at a certain time, We all had the Harvest Burger, which is a veggie burger, but it was very good. Just the right amount of spices without being too salty. It came with Sweet Potato Fries, which were also good. In fact my only complaint was that it took an hour and twenty minutes.

The Ellington is a charming restaurant on the West Side. The food was great, the staff friendly, courteous, helpful with recommendations, accommodating about changes, and applied no pressure on customers. The wine list was extensive and the prices of each meal or bottle of wine were extremely reasonable. This is an extremely pleasant environment for a nice inexpensive meal with friends.

We stopped in there after a tour of the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine and had a great lunch. Not too crowded, the service was good, prices reasonable and the food great. This place has a great feel to it.

Went there for lunch and made a reservation on open table for 12:15. Owner called us to let us know it would be closer to 12:30 which was greatly appreciated since we had a large party and a 9 month old in December weather. Service was great and food was excellent. They go above and beyond to accommodate their guests. Cute little restaurant with an owner who is on site and cares about her guests!

This was not only our first visit to New York but our first visit to America. We landed late evening, dumped our bags in the hotel and went for a walk and stumbled upon this place. We sat at the bar and had a couple of drinks and a good chat to the bar man who was lovely (should've got his name). As we were only staying in NYC for 3 nights we decided we would go back on our last night for food which we did and we were not disappointed. Food, atmosphere, drinks were all excellent.

The picture on this profile is not the right one, the real place is a bit more shabby chic. Stumbled across it and food was good, service was very friendly but best of all had some live acoustic guitar music from a brilliant duo. Highly recommend it.

Went to late breakfast today took 15 minutes for someone to come out to table (outdoor seating) after being seated with menus. Had to go in and ask for coffee. Ten min later coffee shows up. We order and waited 45 min for eggs. Yes eggs. Food was just ok but they couldn't get food to anyone. Avoid this place

Great local restaurant for friends or date night. They have a pretty extensive menu but it can get expensive if you order drinks. They do have some pretty good deals during the week though! One of the downsides is it can get really loud- so don’t try to have an intimate conversation!

Found this place right near us, they get their sausages from Myers of Keswick, which means they're good! Other than that, went in for brunch today and the venue is light and airy, the service is great, and the food was very good. I had the braised pork toast which was very yummy, my wife had the chicken sandwich which she loved. Definitely going back to try the burgers!

Arrived at our Hotel; Astor on the Park, walked Central Park a bit then went here for a drink and dinner. Cute little place with a great open air atmosphere. Sweet potato fries were great. Bison burger was just ok.

We booked this pub/restaurant from a google search so had no idea what it was going to be like. We did a 2 hour walk through Central Park and arrived and it did not disappoint - there were 4 of us we all had the Burger and it was superb. The atmosphere was really good and well the owner Glenda I can't praise enough. She was charming, engaging and just a wonderful hostess. She really cares about the service delivered by her staff and I cannot recommend this pub/restaurant highly enough. Definitely worth a visit. A good menu for both food and drinks. We will definitely be back. GREAT PLACE

My wife and I had Saturday Brunch at The Ellington.The Eggs benedict was terrific and the chicken sandwich was very good. Most importantly the coffee was excellent and this evaluation comes from a Gold Card Starbucks holder. The atmosphere was somewhat unique with the large windows/doors which open to an outisde area open on this fall day. We very much enjoyed this set up. The service was very good and the price was what one would expect.