Elisa (restaurant)

Elisa
Map
Restaurant information
Established2018 (2018)
Owner(s)Toptable Group
Food type
Street address1109 Hamilton Street
CityVancouver
StateBritish Columbia
Postal/ZIP CodeV6B 5P6
CountryCanada
Coordinates49°16′33.5″N 123°7′17″W / 49.275972°N 123.12139°W / 49.275972; -123.12139
Websiteelisasteak.com

Elisa is a steakhouse in Yaletown,[2] Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[3][4][5] Toptable Group opened the restaurant in 2018.

Elisa has garnered a positive reception, earning a reputation as one of Yaletown's best restaurants and the city's best steakhouses. It has received a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, and Franco Michienzi was named Sommelier of the Year by Vancouver Magazine in 2023. Elisa also became a recommended restaurant in the Michelin Guide in 2023.

Description

Elisa is a farm-to-table[6] steakhouse with a "contemporary" ambiance[7] in Vancouver's Yaletown neighborhood, specializing in seafood and steak.[8] The 6,800-square-foot[9] restaurant uses a Grillworks Infierno wood-fired grill, and the interior has hostess and wine decanting stations, ceiling millwork, veneer wall panels, and a wine cellar.[10] The menu has included truffle-roasted chicken,[11] spring rolls with Dungeness crab, bison tartare, wagyu, beef Wellington, and coniglio brasato.[1] Among cocktails on the drink menu is the Charring the Cosmos.[8]

History

Toptable Group opened the restaurant in 2018,[12][13] in the space previously occupied by Milestones Grill and Bar.[9] Andrew Richardson is the executive chef.[14] Franco Michienzi has overseen the restaurant's wine program.[15] Bartender Katie Ingram was part of the opening team.[16][17] The interior was designed by New York's Rockwell Group,[18] and woodwork was done by Acorn Wood Designs.[10]

Like many restaurants, Elisa closed temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] In 2021, the restaurant was closed temporarily by Vancouver Coastal Health because of a communicable disease.[20] Among celebrities who have dined at the restaurant are Skylar Astin, John Cena,[21] Wayne Gretzky,[22] and Keegan-Michael Key.[23]

The team behind Elisa opened the butcher shop Luigi & Sons in 2022. Luigi & Sons offers cuts of meat from Elisa's menu.[24]

Reception

In 2019, The Globe and Mail said the restaurant is "worthy of a splurge night",[25] as well as: "Elisa looks an awful lot like an alpha male strutting his stuff. It is not the most welcoming restaurant in the Toptable Group."[26] Vancouver Magazine gave Elisa honourable mention in the Best New Restaurant category of the 30th Annual Restaurant Awards.[27] The magazine's Neal McLenan included the Holstein striploin in a 2021 "COVID takeout honour roll", described as "a greatest hits of pandemic-era takeout".[28] Vancouver Magazine awarded Elisa silver status (second place) in the Best Steakhouses category in 2022, and said the restaurant has a "trendy, modern vibe and vast selection of steaks and tartares".[29] Franco Michienzi was named the magazine's Sommelier of the Year in 2023.[30][31] Elisa also received a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator.[32]

Noms Magazine has included Elisa in overviews of the best restaurants in Yaletown and Downtown Vancouver,[33][34] as well as lists of the city's best fine-dining establishments,[35] most romantic restaurants,[36] and best steakhouses.[37] The Daily Hive's Hanna McLean included Elisa in a 2020 overview of Vancouver's fourteen best outdoor dining restaurants.[38] Amir Ali included Elisa in a 2021 list of 21 restaurants in the city "that will make you feel like a celebrity",[8] and the website included the Tomahawk steak in a 2022 overview of twelve "lavish menu items in and around Vancouver worth splurging on".[39] The Daily Hive also included Elisa in a 2023 overview of Yaletown's best patios.[40] The business was added to the Michelin Guide as a "recommended" restaurant in 2023.[41][42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Elisa – Vancouver - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant". MICHELIN Guide. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  2. ^ "Restaurant Awards 2023: The Best Steakhouses in Vancouver". Vancouver Magazine. 2023-05-15. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  3. ^ "New Additions to MICHELIN Guide Vancouver September 2023". MICHELIN Guide. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  4. ^ "Review: Elisa Reinvents the Classic Steakhouse in Yaletown". Vancouver Magazine. 2019-03-20. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  5. ^ "Mia Stainsby: A gender neutral steakhouse". Vancouver Sun. December 12, 2018. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "8 new Vancouver restaurants you need to try right now | Dished". Daily Hive. 2018-11-27. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  7. ^ Bujan, Bianca (2024). Travel Guide Pocket Vancouver 5. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-83758-498-7. Archived from the original on 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  8. ^ a b c "21 Vancouver restaurants that will make you feel like a celebrity | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2022-12-15. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  9. ^ a b "Elisa: Toptable Group set to launch new steakhouse in Yaletown". The Georgia Straight. 2018-10-04. Archived from the original on 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  10. ^ a b Toneguzzi, Mario (2019-01-29). "Stunning Restaurant Design: Elisa in Yaletown [Photos]". Retail Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  11. ^ Sasvari, Joanne (May 7, 2021). "Bring the celebration home: 25 fine-dining restaurants that offer takeout in Metro Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  12. ^ "Highly-anticipated Vancouver steakhouse FINALLY reveals its name | Dished". Daily Hive. 2018-09-06. Archived from the original on 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  13. ^ "This highly-anticipated Vancouver steakhouse FINALLY opens today | Dished". Daily Hive. 2018-10-29. Archived from the original on 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  14. ^ Sasvari, Joanne (February 8, 2020). "Local chefs reveal the features that make their kitchens function". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Lewis, Bronwyn (2023-09-13). "The Best Steakhouse in Vancouver". Vancouver Guardian. Archived from the original on 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  16. ^ Mote, Lauren; Fraioli, James O. (2022-10-25). A Bartender's Guide to the World: Cocktails and Stories from 75 Places. Appetite by Random House. ISBN 978-0-525-61130-1. Archived from the original on 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  17. ^ "International Women's Day: Vancouver's female chefs and bartenders in their own words". The Georgia Straight. 2019-03-06. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  18. ^ "Sneak Peek Inside Yaletown's New Steakhouse". Scout Magazine. 2018-08-14. Archived from the original on 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  19. ^ "Toptable Group temporarily closes all its restaurants in response to COVID-19". The Georgia Straight. 2020-03-16. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  20. ^ Larsen, Karin (April 6, 2021). "More bad COVID news for Canucks owners as Aquilini restaurant ordered closed". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  21. ^ "John Cena was just spotted at a downtown Vancouver steakhouse | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  22. ^ Wayne Gretzky:
  23. ^ "John Cena and Keegan-Michael Key spotted at this Vancouver eatery (PHOTO) | Dished". Daily Hive. 2019-03-24. Archived from the original on 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  24. ^ "Vancouver's beautiful new butcher shop just officially opened (PHOTOS) | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  25. ^ "The best chicken you've ever tasted – at a steakhouse". The Globe and Mail. 2019-03-15. Archived from the original on 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  26. ^ "The best new Vancouver restaurants of 2019 – plus one gem in B.C. wine country". The Globe and Mail. 2019-12-27. Archived from the original on 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  27. ^ "VanMag's 2019 Restaurant Award Winners". Vancouver Magazine. 2022-10-21. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  28. ^ "The COVID Takeout Honour Roll". Vancouver Magazine. 2021-03-16. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  29. ^ "Restaurant Awards 2022: These Are The Best Steakhouses in Vancouver". Vancouver Magazine. 2022-10-04. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  30. ^ "2023 Restaurant Awards: Sommelier of the Year". Vancouver Magazine. 2023-05-15. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  31. ^ "Our 2023 Sommelier of the Year Franco Michienzi of Elisa Steakhouse Shares His Top Wine Picks". Vancouver Magazine. 2023-05-25. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  32. ^ Harans, Julie; Crooks, Natalie (November 21, 2019). "Canadian Restaurant Group Splashes into U.S. Dining Scene with Oceans". Wine Spectator. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  33. ^ Yaletown:
  34. ^ "19 Best Downtown Vancouver Restaurants & What To Order (2024)". Noms Magazine. 2021-07-25. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  35. ^ "10 Best Fine-Dining Restaurants In Vancouver For Special Occasions". Noms Magazine. 2021-09-07. Archived from the original on 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  36. ^ "10 Best Romantic Restaurants In Vancouver For A Fancy Date Night In 2024 (+ What To Order)". Noms Magazine. 2021-09-27. Archived from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  37. ^ "10 Best Vancouver Steakhouses & What To Order (2024)". Noms Magazine. 2021-10-17. Archived from the original on 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  38. ^ "Here are the 14 best outdoor dining restaurants in Vancouver | Dished". Daily Hive. 2018-10-02. Archived from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  39. ^ "12 lavish Vancouver menu items worth splurging on | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  40. ^ "Best patios in Yaletown you need to check out | Dished". Daily Hive. 2018-10-25. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  41. ^ Stainsby, Mia (September 13, 2023). "These 6 Vancouver restaurants have been added to the Michelin Guide". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  42. ^ Stainsby, Mia (October 5, 2023). "Michelin Guide announces a one-star, 5 Bib Gourmand and 12 Recommended designations in Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.