Elle's Bistro — Restaurant in Halifax

edited in response to owner’s nasty comments I was in at lunchtime on August 13. I have no intention of "ruining" your business. I do, however, think it is fair to share my experience -- good or bad -- at a restaurant. That's why these platforms exist. There is no reason why a server would joke about being out of several items on the menu. Even if it was a joke, why would the server then force a customer to order something else? It doesn't make sense. Regardless, I did tip well because I didn't think the server should be punished for what was clearly a kitchen management issue. Overall, just wanted to bring a few things to your attention. That's all. All the best to you and your staff.

I went for a work lunch with four colleagues. Two ordered salads that were served on hot plates with warm lettuce. Not ideal, but not egregious.

Two colleagues ordered chicken-based dishes. The server told us that the kitchen was out of chicken, but he could substitute for turkey. Totally fine. I ordered the comfort wrap, which was also turkey based.

Five minutes after we ordered, our server returned to tell me that the owner had been in, and he took the last turkey breast. So I could no longer have the wrap I ordered. Also, the kitchen was out of blue cheese and couldn’t make the burger that my coworker had ordered.

While I was scanning the menu to look for a meal that didn’t have chicken, turkey, or blue cheese, I was advised that the kitchen was also out of hamburgers. Go figure.

I ended up with a vegan wrap that was supposed to have pecans in it. There were no pecans to be found (I’m guessing nobody wanted to tell us they were out of those too), so the wrap was just lettuce and avocado wrapped in… an extremely stale pita. Stale to the point of being crunchy like a cracker and disintegrating.

So, pretty much everything was bad. It wasn’t the server’s fault, but I do think that good service would have included compensating our meals (which were terrible and not at all what we ordered), or telling us from the outset that the kitchen was extremely...

I wish I could leave a better review. I considered not leaving one at all but it's good to be able to read feedback when deciding where to spend your money and maybe this will help them with areas that could use improvement.

We had been meaning to try Elle's Bistro for a while. The last time we went down, they were closed for a private function. We finally made it out today. I ordered the egg, bacon, cheddar cheese between two jalapeno latkes and it came with home fries. The food was okay. Nothing special to write home about and could probably have been a little better with some sour cream but it was tasty enough, just a bit dry. The table server was very friendly when he tended to us but he seemed to forget we were there, as we were offered coffee refills but had to ask someone else to finally bring it over. No tap water was offered. Prices and portion sizes were reasonable.

As I stood to pay, I was essentially ignored by one member of staff who was training another new member. This didn't seem like a good model.

I'm not sure what the pit of lost toys was next to our table. The toys looked filthy, there were old boxes, a dirty safety gate, and a pair of old shoes. Not exactly an appetizing view.

Edited 01/09/2018 The restaurant's response to mediocre or negative but thoroughly honest reviews is more than off putting. It's abrasive and rude. This is absolutely no way to run a business. Their response to me said the dirty pit of toys and filthy shoes had been placed there a week ago and yet my review was written months earlier… so just how long did that dirty mess stay there? Not a business I will...

Came here twice for lunch. First time had the hungry hippo breakfast, second time had the bacon and provolone eggs benny (I ordered the smoked meat but they were out). The food is excellent. The hollandaise sauce in particular is really good, and the hot sauce they offer has a nice kick with a sweet aftertaste. The servings aren't huge, but are still plentiful enough to serve as a full meal.

The atmosphere is pleasant. The place is a little cramped, especially when it gets busy, but it feels cozy. The free wifi is a much appreciated bonus. The owner apparently has a fondness for elephants, and was happy to chat up my aunt (an elephant fanatic) about it.

The service is the one part where Elle's suffers. While the staff and owners are all friendly and pleasant, it's also very clear that they are struggling to keep up with just how many clients there are. There were a few blunders and oversights during both visits. Forgetting to bring things to the table (or forgetting things at the table in one case), running out of ingredients, one mistake with an order (accidentally putting bacon on a grilled cheese when the person it was made for was vegetarian), forgetting to refill our coffee... Minor things that don't ruin the experience, but are noticeable and can pile up. The waitress is still learning so I imagine she'll get a better hang of things with time, though getting an extra person might help to reduce the pressure.

Overall, it's a really good place and worth a visit our two or four. I definitely recommend it for breakfast and lunch if you're in the area. It wasn't perfect, but it's still a...