I met a friend here a couple months ago for brunch and it was SO FREAKIN' GOOD. We shared the tahini green goddess salad and the tomato goat cheese baguette and I still have dreams about this meal. Everything was perfectly seasoned and such high quality. It's a lovely little space and not overly noisy or crowded. The coffees were good too. Wish I lived on this side of town just so I could come here more often.

This place is badass! The food is exceptional. We went during Happy Hour and the drinks and food were really reasonable on top of being outrageously delicious!

Very unique and cool spot right in between Silverlake and Echo Park. Great food, nice selection of wine bottles (though their glass options are a bit limited), and a wonderful aesthetic. Perfect for an intimate date or with a few friends, the space isn't large so getting a table can be tricky. Also a few seats at the bar where you can watch the chef work some magic in his tight little kitchen. Service was friendly and helpful with food allergies and information. Overall a nice spot to come break of the monotony of the usual spots.

We made a reservation via resy and had no problem. The restaurant is not huge, so it's important to get a reservation as it can get packed. We ordered: - Blistered heirloom carrots with lemon and herbs: this was good and refreshing - Baked sheep feta with dates, local honey and herbs: this was okay, but definitely ordered a side of bread to eat it with although it should come with it - Seared maitake w/smashed potato, aji verde, gremolata: the potatoes were super crispy and really made the dish and the sauce was chimichurri-like - Acquerello risotto w/chanterelles, maitake, crispy onions, white miso butter: this was a burst of flavors and the crispy onions really made the dish - Walnut & saffron baklava: this was good, but the filling was more flaky in terms of a typical baklava structure. The flavor was good though In regards to service, I think this can be improved as: - I got there before my friend and was sitting at the bar, they kind of ignored me and provided service to others at the bar - While we were seated for dinner, our waitress literally walked out without transferring service to another person and it was hard to flag anyone down to order/closeout Parking: you should be able to find street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Sometimes you get LUCKY. Plant based tourist here, after a 3-hour hike up and around Griffin Park, it was time for some good grub! Freeways had us 45 minutes away from our destination, when I found Elf Cafe on Yelp. What a lucky find!! Amazing Food! What we had sounds simple but it was over the top DELISH! 1 - Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta - Bright green beautiful tomatoes on a baguette which was toasted to perfection! I passed on the goat cheese, but some small bits of it held on so I could taste the super creamy smooth flavors and how it all worked together to make our eyes roll around with delight. 2 - Tahini Green Goddess Salad!!! Will never forget the very special and super flavory dressing. Every bite was appreciated. With so many super fresh ingredients in each taste, I'm glad in hindsight that there were not guests sitting super close as I am sure there were repetitive Ooohs and Ahhs and wows! Top it all off with a Shiner Bock and you have a winner!!! Loved the flavors can't wait to go back soon. Thanks to the warm and charming staff, everything was very special and memorable. Cozy setting and lots of ez parking. Thank you!!

Turkish breakfast is divine. Come during the day for cafe service. Beautiful spot to sit and chill and caffeinate.

Parking is indeed awful. They really should do a valet. In any event we found a spot in the side street. We had to make reservations old school by email....But they get back to you promptly. The place is small with a few bar seats. We sat inside. It was loud. It could also be that I'm old. there are some tables outside and next time I think I'll request those. Service was friendly and attentive without the hovering. Corkage is $25 which is pretty reasonable. But we just ordered off the menu. I got the bamboo which was some sort of wine cocktail. I don't think I'm a lightweight but the drink was pretty strong. And very tasty. Now to the food. I thought it was a vegan restaurant....It isn't. I'm listing the food in the order of what I liked best. The oyster mushroom and potatoes appetizer- omg. Flavors were complex and so delicious. The lamb meatballs And The baked feta tie for 2nd. Both very different dishes and just excellent. The feta with the dates was a wonderful combo. These were actually priced very reasonably given the good size portions. The final dish that I was so looking forward to was the one that I was least fond of - The risotto. There was a very strong taste of something that I couldn't pin down. It wasn't awful but it wasn't stellar like the first 3 dishes. The dessert special was the peach tartin. The pastry was very good and the whipped cream divine. I generally don't really want to go to a place so soon after the first time but I'm dying to go back here and try some of the other dishes. It's Michelin recommended I think for 2024.

Short: A small, quaint and cozy restaurant in Echo Park with a menu that features seasonal ingredients and creative dishes. Long: I enjoyed my time at Elf, it was a really nice dining experience. The restaurant is small, however it is quite cozy and a nice atmosphere. The staff here is extremely friendly and seems like they take pride in providing great service. I thought the food here was really good, however not great. Super high quality ingredients, packed with flavor but it almost seemed it was missing that wow factor. Out of both the dishes we ordered I thought the Piri Piri Bake Chicken was the best. The grilled chicken, vegetables and lemon when squeezed on top provided that extra citrus flavor! Overall, I enjoyed my experience and would recommend this place if you are looking for a higher end dining experience.

Cozy Mediterranean spot in echo park. My friend made a Google reservation for 7:30 pm in Saturday but the maitre d didn't see it in the system. But thankfully he still sat us bc we showed him the screenshot of confirmation from Google - so beware and call the restaurant to confirm. Because is a small place, staff is really attentive and dishes came out quickly. We ordered: - warm hummus 4/5. Loved the hummus but the sour dough bread was too soft and cold. It didn't really pair with the hummus for me. I was expecting at least toasted bread if not pita bread so that the taste is focused on the hummus. - kale Caesar salad- 4.5/5. Coated with dressing and cheese which made kale edible for me. - Campanella pasta- 5/5. Really good and cooked a little softer than al dente which is how I like it! - halibut 4/5. The fish was disappointingly dry but the bed of esquite corn (like elote) and sauces made it so good. Overall the price point wasn't bad at all. I would prob try the lamb kebab plate next time!

Elf is a gem! The food was delicious and the space is beautiful. We were pleased with the service we received and will 1000% trek back across the city to visit again. Highlights included the mushrooms (phenomenal dish), hummus, halibut, and tagine. The pasta and kale salad were good, but not super unique.