Wonderful little spot with a seasonal menu! Our server, Ashley, was great and the atmosphere was perfect. The Autumn pasta dish was so delicate, unique and flavorful. Can’t wait to come back another season.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isaac Sultana (Eye-sack)
NINA WAS THE BEST BARTENDER EVER! SHE DESERVES A RAISE! TELL HER SHE'S AWESOME EVERYDAY!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Gardner
Had an excellent meal with an overall great experience. The swordfish was the best I've ever had. Greatly appreciate the attention to craft in everything here, from cocktails to dessert. Everything we had was layered, without being overly complicated, with consideration of texture, presentation, and flavor. The best meal I've had in Bloomington.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris Connell
Very cool place with great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paz Avidor
Great find in B town! The atmosphere was great and was a really nice change of scenery. The service people were knowledgeable and quick. The food was good. I would say that the food was better than 98% of places that I’ve tried in Bloomington and overall, highly recommended for a date night or family occasion in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Sarah Moore
Some menus are superior to others (changes seasonally). Fall 2025 menu is amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Susan Ludwig
We had a delicious dinner upstairs in the mezzanine area. Olivia was patient and helpful as we navigated the menu. Everything was perfect!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sikai Xiao
Very nice ambience. Food was good. Small plates. Seasonal menu
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Nick Harsh
Love this place. The space is absolutely amazing inside and outside. The food is great, and the vibe is also great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Don Booty
Very comfortable, relaxing room. Sophisticated, modern contemporary ambience. Outstanding service - attentive, never obtrusive. Food preparation, and presentation excellent - haute cuisine in Bloomington IN, which is basically a “burger and beer” kind of town. Highly recommended, if you were looking for an upscale, “white tablecloth” type experience in a city not known for its culinary arts.
Service and hostess were charming and wonderful. Both with big smiles happy to have us as diners.
Food is impeccable with dashes of magnificent and sprinkles of perfection. All courses were presented with craftsmanship and the server was well informed on particulars
All entrees cooked with precision and full knowledge of cooking times and temperatures.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dawson Clark
Atmosphere and coffee is good but the matcha recipe is bad ive tried it twice to verify. Too milky no sweetness very flat and bland
Heather DeMatteo
Everything was impeccable! I highly recommend this restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lo Vi
The food at The Elm is mediocre at best. While the kitchen clearly attempts to elevate their dishes, the components on each plate simply don’t make sense together. Flavors clash rather than complement, and textures fight each other instead of creating harmony. I understand their desire to showcase locally sourced ingredients, but the kitchen team desperately needs to reassess what belongs on their menu. Good ingredients don’t automatically translate to good dishes when they’re poorly composed.
The service is where The Elm truly fails, and it’s been consistently terrible across four visits. First visit shortly after opening: called ahead asking about parking and was brushed off dismissively, as if I should have magically known their parking situation. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking new staff might still be learning. Second visit for a business meeting was tolerable but unremarkable. Third visit for coffee: staff were standing around chatting with each other while I waited to place my order. Nobody acknowledged me or seemed interested in doing their job.
Fourth and final visit was the breaking point. When I asked about a dish my friend had recommended, the waitress immediately copped an attitude, snapping “we change the menu seasonally” with pure disdain. Throughout the evening, she begrudgingly took our orders despite us being clear we wanted drinks and small plates. When the food arrived, she couldn’t explain what was on the plates without consulting her notes—completely unacceptable for a restaurant trying to position itself as fine dining. Worse, she avoided eye contact with everyone at the table and rushed through her explanations like she couldn’t wait to escape.
You might wonder why I kept returning after such poor experiences. I believe in giving restaurants fair chances, understanding that service can be inconsistent and establishments need time to work out kinks. But four visits with consistently poor service speaks volumes. This isn’t about growing pains—this is about fundamental failures in staff training and management.
The Elm’s biggest crime is false advertising. They market themselves as upscale dining but deliver subpar food and actively hostile service. I don’t mind paying premium prices when restaurants deliver what they promise, but The Elm falls short on every front. You’d get better service and a more enjoyable experience at a random restaurant on Fourth Street.
Skip The Elm entirely. If you’re willing to spend $100 per person, go to C3 instead. At least their staff actually want you there and know how to treat customers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Brady Egan
The Elm is the best restaurant in Bloomington, in my opinion.
Wonderful little spot with a seasonal menu! Our server, Ashley, was great and the atmosphere was perfect. The Autumn pasta dish was so delicate, unique and flavorful. Can’t wait to come back another season.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
NINA WAS THE BEST BARTENDER EVER! SHE DESERVES A RAISE! TELL HER SHE'S AWESOME EVERYDAY!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had an excellent meal with an overall great experience. The swordfish was the best I've ever had. Greatly appreciate the attention to craft in everything here, from cocktails to dessert. Everything we had was layered, without being overly complicated, with consideration of texture, presentation, and flavor. The best meal I've had in Bloomington.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very cool place with great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great find in B town! The atmosphere was great and was a really nice change of scenery. The service people were knowledgeable and quick. The food was good. I would say that the food was better than 98% of places that I’ve tried in Bloomington and overall, highly recommended for a date night or family occasion in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Some menus are superior to others (changes seasonally). Fall 2025 menu is amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We had a delicious dinner upstairs in the mezzanine area. Olivia was patient and helpful as we navigated the menu. Everything was perfect!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very nice ambience. Food was good. Small plates.
Seasonal menu
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Love this place. The space is absolutely amazing inside and outside. The food is great, and the vibe is also great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Very comfortable, relaxing room. Sophisticated, modern contemporary ambience. Outstanding service - attentive, never obtrusive. Food preparation, and presentation excellent - haute cuisine in Bloomington IN, which is basically a “burger and beer” kind of town. Highly recommended, if you were looking for an upscale, “white tablecloth” type experience in a city not known for its culinary arts.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Service and hostess were charming and wonderful. Both with big smiles happy to have us as diners.
Food is impeccable with dashes of magnificent and sprinkles of perfection. All courses were presented with craftsmanship and the server was well informed on particulars
All entrees cooked with precision and full knowledge of cooking times and temperatures.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere and coffee is good but the matcha recipe is bad ive tried it twice to verify. Too milky no sweetness very flat and bland
Everything was impeccable! I highly recommend this restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food at The Elm is mediocre at best. While the kitchen clearly attempts to elevate their dishes, the components on each plate simply don’t make sense together. Flavors clash rather than complement, and textures fight each other instead of creating harmony. I understand their desire to showcase locally sourced ingredients, but the kitchen team desperately needs to reassess what belongs on their menu. Good ingredients don’t automatically translate to good dishes when they’re poorly composed.
The service is where The Elm truly fails, and it’s been consistently terrible across four visits. First visit shortly after opening: called ahead asking about parking and was brushed off dismissively, as if I should have magically known their parking situation. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking new staff might still be learning. Second visit for a business meeting was tolerable but unremarkable. Third visit for coffee: staff were standing around chatting with each other while I waited to place my order. Nobody acknowledged me or seemed interested in doing their job.
Fourth and final visit was the breaking point. When I asked about a dish my friend had recommended, the waitress immediately copped an attitude, snapping “we change the menu seasonally” with pure disdain. Throughout the evening, she begrudgingly took our orders despite us being clear we wanted drinks and small plates. When the food arrived, she couldn’t explain what was on the plates without consulting her notes—completely unacceptable for a restaurant trying to position itself as fine dining. Worse, she avoided eye contact with everyone at the table and rushed through her explanations like she couldn’t wait to escape.
You might wonder why I kept returning after such poor experiences. I believe in giving restaurants fair chances, understanding that service can be inconsistent and establishments need time to work out kinks. But four visits with consistently poor service speaks volumes. This isn’t about growing pains—this is about fundamental failures in staff training and management.
The Elm’s biggest crime is false advertising. They market themselves as upscale dining but deliver subpar food and actively hostile service. I don’t mind paying premium prices when restaurants deliver what they promise, but The Elm falls short on every front. You’d get better service and a more enjoyable experience at a random restaurant on Fourth Street.
Skip The Elm entirely. If you’re willing to spend $100 per person, go to C3 instead. At least their staff actually want you there and know how to treat customers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
The Elm is the best restaurant in Bloomington, in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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