The Ellington

Really lovely on a recent Thursday night. Two girlfriends and I swung by here while checking out an apartment a few blocks away. We wanted some wine while we talked about rent and brokers. We were walking along and the outside décor of this restaurant caught our eye so we decided to try it out.
We were immediately greeted by a cozy and friendly vibe. We were seated right away and most of the tables had been taken. We immediately ordered 3 glasses of wine and they were delicious. Personally I tend to like when the server will pour you a little ‘tasting’ but that’s not every bar. I had my wine and I was happy.
I can’t really speak to the food since we all ordered appetizers for our entrees. I got the calamari and it was delicious and quite a big portion. Our server was lovely, she was just the right amount of attentive, to the point we were refilling our wine glasses a little more than we had initially planned.
Moving around the area in a few days and definitely plan to stop back in. Prices are very reasonable and I was happy all around. What a great first impression of the neighborhood!

I had the steak and eggs for brunch and a Bellini. The service was good but our server was a bit distracted. The bellini was amazing, food was okay. Love the décor, small and cozy. Would probably go back. But not my first choice.

Ok, so, this place was around 3 stars in my book. It wasn’t great but it also wasn’t offensive. However it began a slow decline a while ago and this past time was the final straw. The wine was undrinkable (it was truly gross), the food tasted off, and to top it off there was a cockroach crawling around on the empty table next to us. We paid the bill and fled. Never going back.

Drifted in for the first time late one night. Got the Ellington on tap. Glanced over at the wall discretely to read the quote from the duke himself, «You need to find some way of saying it without saying it.» Can our actions be the manifestation of our character alone? And can our actions alone represent prominence of our wants and needs? Am I talking to much… I’ll close out.
–RC

Great décor, delicious food, really reasonable prices, very accommodating service for our group of 7. I went with the braised pork on delicious toast with perfectly runny sunny side eggs. Will definitely be back when I’m in the neighborhood, this spot is a gem!

Went here for dinner on a Sunday night while visiting NYC. The food was pretty good, I had a lamb burger, which was ok but nothing to rave about, and my boyfriend had fish and chips which was really good. Drinks were very good and our server was nice and friendly. I absolutely loved the décor! Super cozy and charming. Overall, a good experience.

The Ellington is a cozy neighborhood place for families, friends, co-​workers, and dates. The staff is warm, the food is hot, and the drinks are cold. It’s our neighborhood place for a beer and burger, salads, fish and chips, and I love the fish tacos. The menu changes, the desserts are fun, and Glenda, the proprietor, hires people who stay for years. It’s like family when we go there for dinner. We all love their brunch, too, and we order the lemon pancakes for the table so everyone can share.
The Ellington catered a party for us, and they couldn’t have been more helpful, including helping set up with chafing dishes and an extra table.
We love the place, the food, and the people. You may, too. Spread the love.

Nice spot for drinks after work. Staff was super friendly atmosphere not too loud and perfect for small get togethers. I had the grilled cheese bites which were the absolute best lol. I would definitely return

What an adorable little spot! I came here with my girlfriends for dinner and drinks and we were pleasantly surprised. It seems to be a little out of place for the area, in a positive way, and the décor is adorable.
The drinks were strong and delicious — my friend had the holiday sangria, which had a lot of apples and cinnamon, plus the mason jar it was served in had cinnamon on the rim. It was very tasty. I ordered a the Slow Ride on the A Train, which was a bourbon drink, but still light and refreshing because of the elderflower, apple juice, and lime.
The food was really good as well. Everything was cooked well and tasted delicious. Our waiter was great — very funny and accommodating. This is a great spot if you’re in the area and want something a little more on the nice/​trendy side.

Any time I walk into a dimly lit NYC bar I automatically expect NYC prices on both the beer and food.
The Ellington impressed me with its very affordable list of beers and bar snacks. The cocktails looked great but I did not try any on this visit. One of my friends had two Apple Cider Mimosas and loved them.
The side of sweet potato fries was plenty to share between 3 people. Their chicken nachos were delicious and exactly what I was craving.
The atmosphere was very chill and relaxed on a Tuesday night which was lovely. The service at the bar was also attentive and pleasant. I can’t wait to bring more friends with me!

My boyfriend and I frequent the Ellington on Friday and Saturday nights. We LOVE the drinks and the delicious meals. The atmosphere (especially the Saturday night, acoustic cover band) is welcoming, chill-​elegance. I recommend this spot with no reservations!

The fish and chips were OK. Nothing extraordinary about them. This fish itself was underseasoned since most, if not all, of the spices were in the batter. The batter slid off easily do it was almost like eating the batter with fish on the side.
Here’s the best part. They charged me $ 1 to have my drink on the rocks. Its really low to charge me for ICE!!! Especially when the entire check is over $ 100. That’s just plain silly. I’m attaching the receipt where it clearly shows rocks $ 1.

Very nice people working here. We came on a game night and they didn’t hesitate to reserve a table for 10 for us!
Were extremely friendly. Food good, can’t complain. Nothing crazy amazing but its a good place to go to. Clean, good atmosphere.
It was very near our hostel on 103 so very convenient.

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.

This place used to be one of my favorite local haunts in the Upper West Side, all thanks to Owen the bartender who had been there for as long as I remember. It has live music on the weekends, the food is pretty good, and the ambience was nice (save for the large flat screens that were slightly unnerving). That being said, I have no plans on returning to The Ellington ever again.
Owen was an amazing bartender. Once you came in, he would never forget you. He made it a point to know the guests as more than just guests but as people, and it was always nice to walk in and be greeted with a smile and a knowing nod as I sat down, and even before I ordered, he would already be halfway through pouring a Brooklyn, my usual. You don’t get that kinda service just anywhere.
The new staff is a mess. I haven’t been back in months.

Ellington is an elegant, rustic-​chic tavern that serves elevated pub dishes and drinks. Nice interior with exposed bricks, lots of large windows, beautiful wooden tables and mismatched chairs (which I love), old ceiling that is more of an art, and the lighting fixtures are really nice too.
They have nice size sidewalk seating as well. The staffs are inviting and accommodating, and servers are polite and professional.
The food is quite delicious, well made, especially the grilled cheese bite was great! Some of the dish was a bit too pricey, otherwise, I would’ve given another star.
Read my full review of this restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.

It’s a solid place to drink. Like, I feel I can take anyone here. I’d give it 4 stars for ambiance.
Everything else is kind of just okay. The drinks, the food, the bartenders, the atmosphere. I’d still take a date here because it’s a catch-​all kind of place.
Sometime’s there’s music and they make some good decisions there. I appreciate a bar with music in my hood.

Solid food, pretty much the same every time you get it. I got the pulled pork for brunch recommended by the bartender. It was very tasty.
I once got the chicken sandwich with the vanilla caramelized onions. They are really more like cooked onions with vanilla extract in them. Sweet, but not quite caramelized. I wasn’t a huge fan of them. It was sort of a strong and distracting taste which took away from the rest of the sandwich. The fries were excellent.
They area always willing to change the TV to my soccer team, which is nice. There is a nice lunch deal which includes a can of beer or other drink. Very calm and low key.
Love the outdoor seating, the waitresses are very nice. Good beer selection and bartender is willing to work with you to make cocktails.
Cleanliness:
The flatware outside is wrapped in the napkins so they don’t get gross from sitting out in the city air all day. Very nice. Tables, glasses, plates and flatware clean. I did get a refill on my iced tea once and it came back with tomato or cucumber bits in it, I couldn’t tell which it was. It was the first time something like that happened, so I just didn’t drink it, it was time to pay to leave anyway, but it is something I will keep my eye on for the future.
The bathrooms are very small, but kept clean. They offer soap AND Purell hand sanitizer which I love. LOVE.

Well, I can’t speak for the food here so there’s a chance I’ll update my review at a later date, but I had such an awesome time here on Saturday night! I seriously feel like I’m living under a rock. I’ve been living in the Manhattan Valley area for five months and somehow I completely missed this place. I’ve probably passed it hundreds of times.
This is a really chill spot if you’re looking to avoid the Columbia craziness and/​or don’t feel like trekking downtown. It’s a good size but still cozy. I love live music as long as it doesn’t overpower a conversation (it’s a hard balance to strike in bars), but the Ellington nailed it. It actually took me a few minutes to realize they were there. I could blame intoxication, but I think they just blended into the environment quite well. Just a pair of guys, jamming away.
Can’t say I love any of the drinks here, but I’ve been spoiled by top-​notch cocktails. Wasn’t expecting a masterpiece from a place showing SportsCenter (not to knock ESPN — that was a big talking point of our evening) though, so I’m okay with it. We ended up just chatting with a group of guys (probably in their early 30s) and the bartender for a while about all things sports, and by the end of the night, we got free shots. Not that I needed one, but when the place has cleared out except for a handful of exceptionally cool people (us) sitting at the bar, that kind of thing tends to happen. Took me out for the night though, sleep was imminent. I ain’t 18 anymore, folks.

Nice little bar in the UWS. Came here for a drink after dinner and there was a band playing in this dimly-​lit, semi-​romantic bar. Seems like a nice place for a date.
Many people were eating as well as drinking. I saw that they had a Cucumber Gimlet on their cocktail drink menu, so I immediately ordered it. Upon reading what was in the drink, I saw that the bar used Vodka, not Gin, which I was thought was weird. I told the bartender that I’m not a fan of Vodka and apologized, as I always though Gimlets were made from gin. He said he completely understood and even said that this bar is weird that they make their gimlets with vodka because they’re supposed to be made with gin and everyone gets confused.
Overall, it’s a decent place — a bit hard to have a conversation because the band was pretty loud, but it has a nice ambiance.