elysian cafe

two thumbs up from the divas on this place.

great spot for lunch!. we recently stopped for lunch here ... all the food was delicious. extra points for the garlic bread that came with the spaghetti bolognese, french fried potatoes that actually tasted like potatoes, and real whipped cream -- not spritzed from a can -- that accompanied the profiteroles.

managed to get a table here without reservation. the decor is very french, staff is very friendly as well as covid aware and they had a good vegetarian option. absolutely loved the quinoa and vegetable burger with salad on the side. my friend seemed to enjoy his elysian steak sandwich as well (couldn't take a picture though). the service, burger, riesling and cute decor made an amazing experience!

on our jersey city-hoboken-weehawken walk, we made a brunch pit stop at elysian cafe. elysian cafe is the oldest continually operated restaurant in hoboken with a french bistro style menu. i find this place absolutely adorable, and the outdoor seating is very popular during brunch hours... unfortunately, there was mix up with my order. i had ordered the eggs florentine ($9.75) with lyonnaise potatoes on the side. the waiter first brought me an omelet with the potatoes, then went back to the kitchen to fix my order. he then came out with eggs florentine with fries, as well as a comped cocktail. since they were already giving me a free cocktail and were incredibly apologetic about the wait, i didn’t want to mention that i actually wanted potatoes, not fries. it’s all good, and the fries were tasty.

going to the elysian is always a challenge as this popular hoboken restaurant is always crowded and it is often that a line would form outside on week ends, specifically for brunch. owned by joyce and eugene finn who also operate amanda's, another popular spot, it is the oldest continually operated restaurant in the city. the adventure started in 1895, when the restaurant opened as dillenger & jeffson's. during the prohibition, it went from a restaurant to an ice cream parlor and hair salon. i am not sure when they took that name that sounds french, but is not.

just went here for dinner during hudson restaurants week and it was terribly disappointing. the food didn't seem freshly made at all, but they sure charged a fresh-made price. i'll never go back.

we decided to try different appetizers to get an idea. so here is what we tried: organic field greens salad with a balsamic vinaigrette: nicely dressed. the soup of the day: mussels chowder. i really liked it.

almost all good. had dinner early on a sunday night with three others. no wait. nice, subdued ambiance. attractive "french bistro" interior. i shared a mussels and a calamari appetizer. main course was chipotle skirt steak over mushroom risotto. very tasty. also shared crepe desert, which was a bit of a disappointment. nice wine list, bottles under $30.