Based on 138 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.6 stars. Price
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No delivery
Address:
614 E 2nd St, Bloomington, IN 47401
Phone: (812) 407-4339
Website: http://www.elmbloomington.com/
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
Closed |
| Tuesday | 7:30 AM–1:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 7:30 AM–1:30 PM, 5–10 PM |
| Thursday | 7:30 AM–1:30 PM, 5–10 PM |
| Friday | 7:30 AM–1:30 PM, 5–10 PM |
| Saturday | 5–10 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
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Reviews
Abby Poole
My first impression of the Elm was the design and atmosphere. They really nailed it. The tables are far enough apart conversations are still private. The esthetic is amazing and I really appreciated just looking around while eating at all the design elements. Some booths have a glass window view of the kitchen which I thought was really cool. Our table ordered a charcuterie board to split as am appetizer and we all really enjoyed it! After such a great start we were really looking forward to our main entrees. But unfortunately that is where it went downhill… The menu descriptions are very vague and in fact the descriptions are just as confusing as the name of the dish so you really have to rely on how your waiter explains the dish. Unfortunately you could tell our waiter was trained to describe the food in a “fancy” manner that left us all still a little unsure what exactly we were ordering. I ordered the cacio el Pepe pasta. When I got my plate i was immediately disappointed. The portion size was tiny and the flavor was bland with too much lemon juice that overpowered the dish. My mother ordered the lobster girasole- She took one bite and couldn’t eat any more. She truly just didn’t like it. The rest of us agreed it was not good at all. Also again tiny portion size for the price. Our waitress offered to get a menu to order something else but did not offer to replace the dish for another. My father ordered the veggie burger- also just okay. We all agreed it was too heavily spiced with maybe thyme and too salty. My husband did enjoy his food he ordered the duo of pork. Overall – I gave three stars because the place really is beautiful! But unfortunately the prices are too high, the portions are too small, and the food was just not good. Hopefully they can work on their menu because we would love to give them a second chance it really is a cool place!!
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Alvin Foo
To be honest the menu seemed a bit too pretentious sounding, so I wasn’t sure what to expect and if we would like it, but we know the managers (amazing people), and are always down to try something new so we finally went at the r their latest menu change, and wow! Amazing, the dishes are beautiful and have such wonderful flavor, really elevated concepts, and honestly the main reason we went in the first place and the main reason I love it so much is they have a TON of vegetarian options on their menu (at least right now), the eggplant was amazing, their corn side dish was SO good, and the cucumber appetizer was fantastic! Enjoyed it, hope the next menu (mid-august) continues to have an abundance of vegetarian options!!
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Michael Burton
Beautiful and elegant space, deliciously inventive drinks, charcuterie board was amazing, main plates were very good , but the desserts were mixed, strawberries were underdone and too tart. Service was mostly great but a little slow and our server forgot our dessert coffee
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Carlos Vaquedano
Over all good atmosphere was the best part of our experience. The bad part came with the food… We were 4 people and three of Our dishes were no good at all lack of flavor and the price and food quality balance was not there portions were super small and service was okay. As a culinary arts expert with years of experience I would recommend the chef to taste and test different menus to make sure food is up to standard when portions are this small and prices this high flavor should meet as high expectations. Would definitely give it a second chance.
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Amanda M
I want to begin by saying I really love the atmosphere. The tables are spaced out enough that there is not much noise and it’s easy to talk to your table. The interior decoration is also very beautiful. There is not much parking but I live close so I walked. The food was delicious but there were just enough weird things that made me give 4 instead of 5 stars. The bread and butter (which is its own appetizer) is OK but definitely not anything to write home about, the butter pat was cold so not easily spreadable. I ordered the cauliflower main dish with sauce and golden raisins knowing it would be lighter than a meat main. However, with the price of the dish, I was expecting a bit more than 1/4 of a cauliflower head for my main meal. I know inflation and prices are high but cauliflower? Seems they could’ve spared a bit more. Additionally the olive oil cake with rhubarb and strawberry ice cream was good but the ice cream stole the show! The cake itself was just ok and the rhubarb had not been sweetened enough to make it palatable, I ended up taking it off. The service was good but not great, we had a new server and she made a few missteps that ultimately would have cost our party money if we hadn’t spoken up (as opposed to slow service, etc). Overall, I definitely want to go back to the elm, i will just choose my dishes more carefully.
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Frank Chao
We stumbled to this restaurant by accident when we were looking for a place for dinner after 8 pm. Their host was kind to find us a table right away and our table services were remarkable. We loved each dishes they introduced us to and were surprised by some innovations of the chef. Each dishes looked well presented, not too crafty, but once you taste them, you will keep on eating until you finished all of them. This was the first time and first night we visited Bloomington, and we are grateful we have this experience to remember this trip.
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Alan Dennis, Baron of Cowie
Outstanding local restaurant. Unusual menu that changes regularly. Great open atmosphere. Make a reservation as they are usually full. The only drawback is that parking can be difficult in the neighborhood. They have a small parking lot in front and alongside the building. You can park in any space that says “customer parking only”.
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Spicy Zing
Fantastic interior layout, private dining area from the bar. My brother and I came here for dinner he was in town and I haven’t been here yet so we decided to try it. Food was interesting to say the least, we got the CALABRIAN CHILI CUCUMBERS for an app and it was more tangy like pickled cucumbers. Still very refreshing. I got the SWEET CORN AGNOLOTTI , charred corn very sweet with shredded crab mix, pretty good however needed a little salt added.
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Cory Hawkins
The Elm is beautiful, gorgeous even, and the staff were friendly, attentive and good at their jobs. The menu is big enough that there are enough choices but it’s not overwhelming. The cocktail menu is inventive.
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Cameron Reed
Elm was lovely! All the staff was so warm, friendly and helpful. The atmosphere was so unique for Bloomington. I felt transported to a metropolitan area…in all the best ways! It’s upscale, but yet cozy and modern. The mezzanine had a different vibe than the downstairs, but both were lovely! They also have a separate room upstairs for a small event or work meeting/lunch. There is a bar both upstairs and downstairs which is neat! Beyond the atmosphere, the food was good and the presentation was great. I had the beet salad which was small but very tasty! The homemade gnocchi with pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts was also delicious! I can’t wait for my next visit!
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