Ilis was highly recommended to us by a friend who is a chef, after we asked about suggestions on restaurants in New York that truly push boundaries. It did not disappoint. While we are quite familiar with the concept of radical local sourcing and seasonal cooking organised by colder and warmer days, (yes, days not months), Ilis still managed to surprise us. We opted for the market menu, which is tailored to the ingredients available on that very day, and were treated to an additional dish. Each course was impeccably well prepared and presented effortlessly, and fun! The natural taste of the ingredients was allowed to shine, offering the rare opportunity to unspoil your palate and rediscover how herbs, vegetables, and meat/fish taste on their own, when not suffocated in fat, sugar, and spices. This, we believe, is the key to the success of Ilis and its chef Mads Refslund: being able to keep the dishes almost naked while never loosing the culinary direction. An absolute standout was the extra dish: raw tuna scraped from the dorsal fin spine, followed by the other side grilled with sesame. It was nothing short of a feast! Another memorable feature is Ilis' book of ingredients, which you can browse through between courses. It offers insight into their sourcing, philosophy, food preferences, and quirks (giggle). Lastly, the open kitchen is from another orbit, with its wood-fired charcoal oven, open barbecues, and dedicated adjacent fish and meat smoking stations. We could rave on and on about it. Very special place, which easily deserves six stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
naman narnolia
One of the best experiences I’ve had in NY!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zev
V expensive so stayed in lounge area. Really cool place if you’re into the cool thing. Pretty. A bit too chic for me. The drinks were really weird (not necessarily opposed) and not so good (necessarily opposed when >$20). Fun. Good bone marrow
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Olivia Pasquinelli
Really enjoyed our dinner here. Came for my birthday with my husband and there was a note on the table when we arrived. The vibe here is fantastic and the food was wonderful. There are two tasting options we decided to select four ingredients vs the 12 course tasting menu and it was delicious. My husband and I had to select the same 4 , which was a discussion, but we landed in a delicious place :). My only feedback is that because the chefs are the ones to talk about each course and they rotate, there was a bit of inconsistency on the instruction / description. Everyone was wonderful but one guy made it a bit confusing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Granita Made of Sorell and Wheatgrass Granita and Sake Kasu Ice Cream, Big Eye Tuna Sashimi with Salted Plums & Sunchokes, Big Eye Tuna Crudo
Daniela Garza
Amazing restaurant. Always innovating, beautiful decoration. I really enjoy the open kitchen, it’s like watching a show. It’s high-end but it’s fun, doesn’t feel pretentious. Definitely worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
E Ferri
Absolutely incredible. I’ll remember this meal for the rest of my life.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
chris stewie
Very unique. If you're reading this, you should definitely go.
Dietary restrictions: I'm allergic to everything and follow a pesco/veggie diet, they went out of their way to accommodate me, and it was soooo sooo sweet. Thank you to the staff.
Thoroughly enjoyed the experience! The space is beautiful, the staff is knowledgeable and engaging and the food was delicious. Will be back to try more
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chandler H
Truly a lovely experience. The food is out there and creative, so I wasn’t expecting to like every dish, but I truly ate everything with joy. Wine matched perfectly and if there was an alcohol/food that wasn’t our jam, they switched it out when they could. Didn’t happen often, especially as I want to try everything before making a “not for me” decision, but they were extremely kind to do so.
Service was also stellar - each chef/server was a endless book of knowledge and loved the food they made & served. They answered all my stupid questions and it made the food more approachable/exciting. Each ingredient was sourced with care and prepared with deep consideration to flavor & exploration. Truly incredible.
Most memorable dining experience of my year. Best restaurant to reach Brooklyn.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Juliana Liden
Food and atmosphere were exceptional
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Eye Tuna Sashimi with Salted Plums & Sunchokes
Marco Esteban
I may not have had the full tasting menu, but i was fortunate enough to grab a seat at the bar and enjoy an a la carte menu. Seeing Chef Mads at the door front was very warming, and as the night progressed i saw him get to work. It’s something special when you can have the slightest understanding of what’s happening on your tastebuds both in food and drink. Service is very friendly and personable. Whenever someone tells me they’re visiting New York, I will tell them they have to try Ilis. I’m glad to have ended my trip to New York with a dinner at Ilis.
Thank you to Bobby, Jennifer, and Mads of course, you made me feel very welcomed into the space. And to any employees i hadn’t had the chance to meet, thank you. I will be bringing some of your innovation and geniuses with me wherever i go. It was a pleasure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Ess
Stunning food and stunning place. The fluke crudo was a particular highlight that I'm still thinking about a week later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Albena Kantardzhieva
Amazing space with excellent food, presentation, and service. We had the wine pairing, which was of great quality, and suited the food. Overall 5 star experience.
Ilis was highly recommended to us by a friend who is a chef, after we asked about suggestions on restaurants in New York that truly push boundaries. It did not disappoint. While we are quite familiar with the concept of radical local sourcing and seasonal cooking organised by colder and warmer days, (yes, days not months), Ilis still managed to surprise us. We opted for the market menu, which is tailored to the ingredients available on that very day, and were treated to an additional dish. Each course was impeccably well prepared and presented effortlessly, and fun! The natural taste of the ingredients was allowed to shine, offering the rare opportunity to unspoil your palate and rediscover how herbs, vegetables, and meat/fish taste on their own, when not suffocated in fat, sugar, and spices. This, we believe, is the key to the success of Ilis and its chef Mads Refslund: being able to keep the dishes almost naked while never loosing the culinary direction. An absolute standout was the extra dish: raw tuna scraped from the dorsal fin spine, followed by the other side grilled with sesame. It was nothing short of a feast! Another memorable feature is Ilis' book of ingredients, which you can browse through between courses. It offers insight into their sourcing, philosophy, food preferences, and quirks (giggle). Lastly, the open kitchen is from another orbit, with its wood-fired charcoal oven, open barbecues, and dedicated adjacent fish and meat smoking stations. We could rave on and on about it. Very special place, which easily deserves six stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best experiences I’ve had in NY!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
V expensive so stayed in lounge area. Really cool place if you’re into the cool thing. Pretty. A bit too chic for me. The drinks were really weird (not necessarily opposed) and not so good (necessarily opposed when >$20). Fun. Good bone marrow
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Really enjoyed our dinner here. Came for my birthday with my husband and there was a note on the table when we arrived. The vibe here is fantastic and the food was wonderful. There are two tasting options we decided to select four ingredients vs the 12 course tasting menu and it was delicious. My husband and I had to select the same 4 , which was a discussion, but we landed in a delicious place :). My only feedback is that because the chefs are the ones to talk about each course and they rotate, there was a bit of inconsistency on the instruction / description. Everyone was wonderful but one guy made it a bit confusing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Granita Made of Sorell and Wheatgrass Granita and Sake Kasu Ice Cream, Big Eye Tuna Sashimi with Salted Plums & Sunchokes, Big Eye Tuna Crudo
Amazing restaurant. Always innovating, beautiful decoration. I really enjoy the open kitchen, it’s like watching a show. It’s high-end but it’s fun, doesn’t feel pretentious. Definitely worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely incredible. I’ll remember this meal for the rest of my life.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very unique. If you're reading this, you should definitely go.
Dietary restrictions: I'm allergic to everything and follow a pesco/veggie diet, they went out of their way to accommodate me, and it was soooo sooo sweet. Thank you to the staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Grilled Fish
Phenomenal place, delicious food, memorable flavors, excellent service, beautiful ambiance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thoroughly enjoyed the experience! The space is beautiful, the staff is knowledgeable and engaging and the food was delicious. Will be back to try more
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Truly a lovely experience. The food is out there and creative, so I wasn’t expecting to like every dish, but I truly ate everything with joy. Wine matched perfectly and if there was an alcohol/food that wasn’t our jam, they switched it out when they could. Didn’t happen often, especially as I want to try everything before making a “not for me” decision, but they were extremely kind to do so.
Service was also stellar - each chef/server was a endless book of knowledge and loved the food they made & served. They answered all my stupid questions and it made the food more approachable/exciting. Each ingredient was sourced with care and prepared with deep consideration to flavor & exploration. Truly incredible.
Thank you team ilis - can’t wait to enjoy again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Most memorable dining experience of my year. Best restaurant to reach Brooklyn.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and atmosphere were exceptional
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Eye Tuna Sashimi with Salted Plums & Sunchokes
I may not have had the full tasting menu, but i was fortunate enough to grab a seat at the bar and enjoy an a la carte menu. Seeing Chef Mads at the door front was very warming, and as the night progressed i saw him get to work. It’s something special when you can have the slightest understanding of what’s happening on your tastebuds both in food and drink. Service is very friendly and personable. Whenever someone tells me they’re visiting New York, I will tell them they have to try Ilis. I’m glad to have ended my trip to New York with a dinner at Ilis.
Thank you to Bobby, Jennifer, and Mads of course, you made me feel very welcomed into the space. And to any employees i hadn’t had the chance to meet, thank you. I will be bringing some of your innovation and geniuses with me wherever i go. It was a pleasure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stunning food and stunning place. The fluke crudo was a particular highlight that I'm still thinking about a week later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing space with excellent food, presentation, and service. We had the wine pairing, which was of great quality, and suited the food. Overall 5 star experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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