Business dinner Amazing service ... all around ...and food was excellent A gem in a town that's historically not known for excellent high end restaurants Better than anything in south bend Worth the drive!!!
Menu options were diverse and sounded delicious which made choosing hard. Our waitress was very knowledgable though and made great recommendations. Every dish was excellent, particularly the sweet potato starter and wagyu burger. Wait staff was very attentive. We will definitely be back.
We had a lovely dinner during restaurant week in Elkhart County. The service by Joe was exceptional, Brad the proprietor stopped by our table with a personal greeting. We will definitely return to Essence.
ANine
I would give Essence of Elkhart 10 stars if I could! We are blown away every time, especially by how the staff makes you feel like you're the only patrons in the room! Not to mention that the food is the best in the state! Make a reservation now and you'll leave there so happy you did.
GregoryF
We were treated as if we owned the place. We had the Beef Wellington and it did not disappoint. Took my wife to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary and found a signed card upon arriving at our table. Thank You for such an enjoyable evening ! We will be coming back.
Dawn
A pleasure as always! Sebastian, and Jeff were a delightful addition to our evening sitting at the bar. Good conversation and interesting to watch the decadent beverages being prepared. I cannot recommend Essence Restaurant & Bar enough; a delight to the palate and good people who make everyone welcome. Brad is a restaurateur with class and grace. Brilliant! ?
evelinaw
Fantastic service and menue. Great choice of drinks, high quality alcohols. Food allergies respected. Unfortunately my seafood dish was so salty I could not enjoy it fully. My partners Venison was delish. Generally great place, aspiring to be the best dinning experience in Elkhart. I will be back for sure!
Thomas C.
Elkhart has something special going on here for your culinary delight. This was our second time here and a second enjoyable experience. The service by the staff is exceptional. They accommodated all requests and never pressured us once during the evening. My beautiful bride and I enjoyed the food once again. We put this place on par with some of the top restaurants we have eaten at. Well done. You won't go wrong coming here.
GabrielleA
From the first nibble of bread until the last bite of dessert, my palate was wowed by all of the amazing flavors and high quality ingredients. This chef knows what he is doing! The service level was absolutely top notch and it felt more like a special experience than just a dinner out on the town. I would highly recommend Essence to anyone look for the finest dining in Elkhart.
ElizabethH
Beautiful restaurant with excellent service. Our server, Holly, was very knowledgeable, professional, and fun. The food was amazing! Everything we had was so delicious. We will definitely be going back!
There is no better restaurant in Michiana than Essence. I had the venison last night, and the pasta with scallops and both were phenomenal. The service level that Brad models and expecta out of his staff make this restaurant heads above every other one in town.
RachelM
What a hidden gem. We come to Elkhart every so often and the food and service was fabulous. Will definitely go back. One of the owner operators was always around and checking on us. All the staff was very friendly and obviously knows their regulars. We had the lobster/ squash bisque, the Italian Tuscan soups, Caesar salad and the Mahi. All were outstanding with their own unique flavor. Will define be back t sit outside in the summertime as well. Again, for us one of the best restaurants we have been too and we travel a lot.
M
Fine dining without the attitude. Loved the experience here of taking my dad out for his birthday. Everyone was down to earth and made the occasion very special. Food was amazing and they made an accommodation on my chicken entree for dietary reasons. You know it's good food when you can eat a salad, starter, entree and dessert and not feel heavy. Everything was perfectly portioned and came with all the right flavors. 10 out of 10.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maggie Okponobi
From start to finish we were taken care of. When we arrived we found our reservation had a hiccup. They graciously accommodated us and spoiled us in the process. The food was incredible. Best restaurant in this are. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amanda Winn
Essence is absolutely beautiful inside. Our service was fantastic, which is really hard to find these days. The owner is nice as can be. The food is unique and delicious. When we got our bill, we were actually shocked at how inexpensive it was compared to the quality of food. Highly recommend!
Business dinner Amazing service ... all around ...and food was excellent A gem in a town that's historically not known for excellent high end restaurants Better than anything in south bend Worth the drive!!!
Menu options were diverse and sounded delicious which made choosing hard. Our waitress was very knowledgable though and made great recommendations. Every dish was excellent, particularly the sweet potato starter and wagyu burger. Wait staff was very attentive. We will definitely be back.
We had a lovely dinner during restaurant week in Elkhart County. The service by Joe was exceptional, Brad the proprietor stopped by our table with a personal greeting. We will definitely return to Essence.
I would give Essence of Elkhart 10 stars if I could! We are blown away every time, especially by how the staff makes you feel like you're the only patrons in the room! Not to mention that the food is the best in the state! Make a reservation now and you'll leave there so happy you did.
We were treated as if we owned the place. We had the Beef Wellington and it did not disappoint. Took my wife to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary and found a signed card upon arriving at our table. Thank You for such an enjoyable evening ! We will be coming back.
A pleasure as always! Sebastian, and Jeff were a delightful addition to our evening sitting at the bar. Good conversation and interesting to watch the decadent beverages being prepared. I cannot recommend Essence Restaurant & Bar enough; a delight to the palate and good people who make everyone welcome. Brad is a restaurateur with class and grace. Brilliant! ?
Fantastic service and menue. Great choice of drinks, high quality alcohols. Food allergies respected. Unfortunately my seafood dish was so salty I could not enjoy it fully. My partners Venison was delish. Generally great place, aspiring to be the best dinning experience in Elkhart. I will be back for sure!
Elkhart has something special going on here for your culinary delight. This was our second time here and a second enjoyable experience. The service by the staff is exceptional. They accommodated all requests and never pressured us once during the evening. My beautiful bride and I enjoyed the food once again. We put this place on par with some of the top restaurants we have eaten at. Well done. You won't go wrong coming here.
From the first nibble of bread until the last bite of dessert, my palate was wowed by all of the amazing flavors and high quality ingredients. This chef knows what he is doing! The service level was absolutely top notch and it felt more like a special experience than just a dinner out on the town. I would highly recommend Essence to anyone look for the finest dining in Elkhart.
Beautiful restaurant with excellent service. Our server, Holly, was very knowledgeable, professional, and fun. The food was amazing! Everything we had was so delicious. We will definitely be going back!
Restaurantji Recommends
There is no better restaurant in Michiana than Essence. I had the venison last night, and the pasta with scallops and both were phenomenal. The service level that Brad models and expecta out of his staff make this restaurant heads above every other one in town.
What a hidden gem. We come to Elkhart every so often and the food and service was fabulous. Will definitely go back. One of the owner operators was always around and checking on us. All the staff was very friendly and obviously knows their regulars. We had the lobster/ squash bisque, the Italian Tuscan soups, Caesar salad and the Mahi. All were outstanding with their own unique flavor. Will define be back t sit outside in the summertime as well. Again, for us one of the best restaurants we have been too and we travel a lot.
Fine dining without the attitude. Loved the experience here of taking my dad out for his birthday. Everyone was down to earth and made the occasion very special. Food was amazing and they made an accommodation on my chicken entree for dietary reasons. You know it's good food when you can eat a salad, starter, entree and dessert and not feel heavy. Everything was perfectly portioned and came with all the right flavors. 10 out of 10.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
From start to finish we were taken care of. When we arrived we found our reservation had a hiccup. They graciously accommodated us and spoiled us in the process. The food was incredible. Best restaurant in this are. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Essence is absolutely beautiful inside. Our service was fantastic, which is really hard to find these days. The owner is nice as can be. The food is unique and delicious. When we got our bill, we were actually shocked at how inexpensive it was compared to the quality of food. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak