Reviews of Emilitsa (Restaurant)

VintageGypsyQueen Gonzalez

So beautiful lovely place quick service very polite attentive everything was perfect very classy delicious food and snacks desserts to die for we will definitely be coming back

Jorgen Hansen

Emilita is a small and cozy restaurant. They serve Greek and Greek inspired food and wine. Everything is a little different than we are used to but everything is great. We especially enjoyed the different flavors of wine. The service is friendly and fast.

Caitlin Sweet

Really special and lovely. Its def $$$ but we will go again!

Dan

Only been once and was slightly disappointed. Started with pita and a garlic spread which was very heavy on the citrus. Tried the spanakopita which was good, but I've had better. Entree was a swordfish skewer and the swordfish was amazing but the portion, in my opinion, was small for the price ($27) and the side again was overwhelming on the citrus. Service was very good. Atmosphere was nice, small but comfortable. I'd definitely go back for a second shot.

Nathanial Stuart

Authentic and delicious Greek food! The mousaaka was perfectly seasoned and delicious. The domata salad is a must! This is the best greek food I have had in the northeast. It is greek to the highest quality and standards.

Christine Bernstein

Drinks were a little off, but food and service were great.

Jason Trease

Always excellent!!!

John D. Roberts

The menu here is awesome. Greek cuisine in a downtown location. The interior is charming and quiet. Service was prompt and attentive. The lamb was excellent. I recommend the lamb sliders if you're not up for a big meal.

Astrid

Great, authentic Greek food with a little bit of fancy dining flare. Very warm atmosphere. Great place for a small group of friends or an intimate date. It will be mildly expensive, but completely worth it.

Dave Bledin

Plato's perfect form of Greek food. Seriously... and we eat a ton of Greek food. Everything was exceptional. Highlights were the octopus, the dips, the chicken skewers, the whole fish... Which was everything we ordered.

terry delargy

Beautiful atmosphere, tremendous food, skilled, attentive and enjoyable staff.

DeeAnn Caudel

Enjoyed the food, wine, and ambience of this small intimate restaurant.

Alan K

WOW. not just a great Greek restaurant, a great restaurant period. 3 spreads, 2 apps, a shared entree and maybe the best baklava we've ever had. Perfect for 2.

Dave Digdon

I almost never do restaurant reviews, but I’ve been to thousands. This restaurant delivers absolutely scrumptious Greek dishes, and the mixologist (Rachel) is remarkably talented. Be sure to check out the amazing cocktails she has devised. The Sangreeka is to die for. I had the htenia meh ouzo, a Greek take on Coquilles St-Jacques, that is better than the best of its inspiration. The moussaka was my main course, and it was delicious. If you visit Portland, make sure you don’t miss this wonderful family-owned restaurant.

Julie's bites

Everything was very tasty, well prepared and beautifully presented. Scallops appetizer was fantastic. Lamb main entre was a big hit at the table. We also enjoyed the deserts, especially the Greek cheesecake.

Paul Murphy

This was my third visit to this wonderful upscale Greek restaurant. Food and service are consistently excellent. I opted for the "three for thirty three" fixed price menu. It is a good value. The only criticism I have is the following: they pour a shallow glass of wine. I ordered the most expensive glass on the list, a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon at $12.00. In my experience, and I've eaten at many of Portland's finer eateries, that's not an inexpensive glass. Still I'm happy to pay it for a good wine. But really this was just a few sips. That would not prevent me from returning to this otherwise great restaurant.

Victoria Bartolome

Best Greek food I've ever had. I had the sliders as an appetizer and lamb chops as my entree and both were delicious. Beyond the food, the service was stellar as well. We booked a reservation for 4 originally and called ahead the day of to notify them a 5th was joining us and the owner who answered the phone very nicely accommodated us. He greeted us when we arrived and we were very well taken care of the rest of the night by our server, Marissa. She gave us great recommendations throughout the night and was very accommodating and helpful addressing the various questions and special requests we had. This place is no doubt 5 stars and I'd very happily come back for another meal when I return to Portland!

John Robinson

I've never had octopus cooked so perfectly.

Games That Click

Fabulous food and service!

Donna Palange

We decided to have dinner during restaurant week and glad we did. The food and staff are excellent. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

JCar

Everything is delicious, fresh and well-prepared, with excellent service.

Veronique Eichler

Excellent food, great service. The moussaka was the best I've ever had. Overall an outstanding experience.

Andrew Walton

AMAZING food and very attentive service. The drinks were excellent and so was the selection of wine (I'm kicking myself for not snapping a photo of the bottle). I'm a bartender in the area and was very impressed by my experience here. You could definitely tell it was a busy Friday night, but the entire staff seemed cool, calm, and collected. I'm from the Tampa Bay area near Tarpon Springs, FL (aka the Greek capital of the US), so greek cuisine has always been a fond part of my life. And let me tell you, the food here sent me all the way back home, to the comfortable booth of Mr. Souvlakis, and for a walk around the sponge docks. Also, my boyfriend and I were celebrating his birthday and Bella (the amazing and talented Head Chef) sent us the best baklava we've ever had as a birthday desert (I honestly could have ordered three more servings). Definitely get the Lagos Meh Phyllo if it's still on the menu when you visit -- sooooooo good. The Spanakopita is arguably the best in town. And the lamb chops! So good! My boyfriend and I exercised every ounce of self restraint to NOT suck the bones dry! Seriously worth every penny -- I literally dont care that our bill was $200+. We're saving up for our next visit. Cheers!

Sema Gurerk

It was such a great experience. Not only the owner managed to find us a table on a Saturday night, they offered us wonderful complimentary appetizer. Everything was delicious and service was awesome!

Yoni Shalev

Great modern greek food, upscale restaurant.

Judith Berce

Waited on quickly,chips & dips while you wait,Tacos were huge!

Joanna Ward

Delicious food. Service was excellent! Loved every bite!

Natalie Johnson

Delicious, well crafted menu and drink list. Very pretty inside

Christopher King

Apparently reservations are needed even on a Tuesday night but I understand why. This place has really spectacular fresh food. Fine dining for sure and all courses were wonderful.

Goldie C

Delicious food and wonderful ambiance!

Joseph Conroy

One of Portland's finer dining locations. This location is on par with the best in Boston and New York. Exceptional service, well balanced wine list, and purposely and perfectly prepared entrees.

Joshua Rosen

Exceptionally good for a Greek restaurant.

Mychal Beebe

This is authentic Greek food at it's finest. We made an early reservation and had a wonderful time in this intimate upscale atmosphere. Not only is the food amazing (the most tender octopus in the best olive oil I have ever had) but this restaurant is family owned! We found out that it's one brother up front, and one brother and his son in the back cooking from their mother's recipes. Everything about the experience was above and beyond and if your visiting Portland or a local it would be a mistake to miss out on Emilitsa!

Amy Hayde

Everything was wonderful: specialty coctails, food, ambience. Favorite was moussaka. Excellent service.

Indy Liauw

While the food was decent (good, but not worth the price), the service was quite terrible. My friend and I came here and was told there was only seating by the bar, although all the other tables were unoccupied and empty. We accepted but by the time we left over an hour later all the tables were still empty. We weren't particularly upset with the situation but what aggravates us was the poor service and the rudeness by the staff. I won't be coming here again.

C. William Genest

Blah & Bland. Tzatziki not worthy of the name. More of a cream cheese with a bit of dill. Virtually tasteless - served with a ton of white flour pita. Moussaka was creamy and well executed but inexplicably wrapped in a useless wax paper and also terribly bland. Wife had "souvlaki" which was just chicken skewered with a couple of onions like you'd do on your BBQ. Boring. Food would merit 3 star but not at these prices. If Bland Americanized and expensive is what the clientele wants, this place delivers....

Otto Warner

Finely executed greek cuisine ranging from spreads to small plates to full entrees. Excellent unique cocktails as well

Tom Migneault

Excellent service authentic greek food. Party of 6 and everyone throughly enjoyed their meals.

Mark LoGiurato

Authentic greek food - small plates are very good!

Kelly Davey

Good quality food, friendly and knowledgeable staff

Jordan Saladino

Cute place and nice atmosphere. However, it felt as though our age and how we were dressed dictated the level of service that was offered. The clients around us were offered a variety of things (different entrees and drinks) while the same employee was curt with our questions and taking our order. The food is tasty and of good quality, but we will not return and will patrionize other establishments that are more welcoming.

Brendan O'Brien

I don't say this lightly.... this was the best meal I have had in Portland. If I could afford it I would eat here weekly.

Mallori Kallas

This place is amazing! I'm greek and it's truly authentic and has great atmosphere!

Doug Smith

Amazing food and even better people!

_MMUSE__ G

Yuuummmmm! Everything about this place was fantastic, from the service to the drinks. Kalamata olive dirty martini for the WIN!

Calen Colby

Such an incredible menu and maybe the only place in Portland where you can have a conversation in a normal tone of voice at a restaurant. We love this place!

tony dolan

Found this wonderful restaurant after a long trip in the US. This establishment takes Greek food to a whole new level. the creativity and food presentation was outstanding. The waiter was very knowledgeable and professional about the food and wine. The restaurant owner was present and very attentive to customer needs. The restaurant was also very wheelchair friendly

Cat Cole

Delicious Greek gourmet food from drinks and appetizers to dessert. Try the smoky peach fruit drink. Friendly staff. Great atmosphere. This is where we go to treat ourselves.

Matt

The fava beans are just so damn good. Try out the spreads, they're well worth a taste. The duck was prepared perfectly, and might be the best I've had to date.

A'LEAH FISHER

That food a the resturant looks yummy.

Karine Goulet

(Translated by Google) We had impeccable service. The duck as a main course was wow and the cheese roasted figs as input. The chocolate cake seemed decadent, but unfortunately there was no more! A bit expensive, but it was worth it (Original) Nous avons eu un service impeccable. Le canard comme plat principal était wow ainsi que le fromage rôti aux figues en entrée. Le gâteau au chocolat semblait décadent, mais malheureusement il n'y en avait plus ! Un peu cher, mais ça valait le coup

Mary Shannon

Outstanding food and service. Really great selection of Greek wines.

Mike Vecc

Atmosphere is really nice. Very busy though. We got the last two seats at the bar and watched several walk-in parties get turned away. Food was top notch. And Host and waitstaff qere very professional. A pricey meal though spending the amount almost equal to one week's groceries for only two people. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to try a truely fine dining experience.

Victoria Roth

Great service and even better food!

Michael S

Just fabulous! If you like lamb you will LOVE Emilitsa! Great food and very attentive wait staff. Was able to dine here without a reservation which was a bonus for us as we’ve been turned away in the past because they are normally packed. An absolute wonderful dining experience! I also found them to be quite reasonably priced with other like local restaurants with similar qualities. If you’ve been on the fence, don’t hesitate to try Emilitsa, I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed.

Rosalie Flynn

Really enjoyed this place in downtown Portland. I ordered the grilled octopus and sampled mousaka, lamb, swordfish, and chicken dishes from friends. All were very flavorful and nicely portioned. What made this a 5-star was the service. Marissa was our waitress and she was wonderful! She provided great recommendations, and had such a great energy to her. Thanks for a lovely evening.

Srikanthreddy Patel

Food is great, not much of waiting time after u order, rabbit is a must try. Spreads may not be what u think they are so ask ahead. But Pita is warm n fluffy as it should be, small portions but tasty enough. Finish with baklava

Ryann Laky

Cute little place with delicious food and excellent plating. Not a very wide variety, and they had duck on their menu but ran out, and waited until after we ordered it to tell us they ran out. Good wine selection, and the desserts are delicious.

Emily Ambeliotis

Incredible, just incredible

Roberta Weiner

We had a great dinner here last night. Five of us, we all tried different things so that was basically the whole menu and we loved it all. Make a reservation! We called the same day and the only thing available was 5 pm, which we took and actually it was fun eating early. Ask for a wine recommendation if you don't know anything about Greek wine. We don't, and loved the wine. Would definitely come back next time we're in Portland.

Peter Lemack

Medium sized appetizers, larger sized entrees. Abosultely amazing. Great for a special night out.

Bryan Adams

Great food and service! Very well balanced flavors.

Maureen Novotne

Good Greek dining. Appetizers are great. Mains are standard fare.

John Deere

Food here was excellent! I hate to even give a bad review, but the service by the red haired bartender was awful. We almost left we waited so long to even get a drink, mind you we made reservations here weeks in advance. She saved herself by coming over just in time before we left. Then we proceeded to wait even longer for our drinks to arrive in a not so busy restaurant. After we finished the first round of drinks and had to wait enough time that I felt compelled to bring our glasses up to the empty bar. Man did she really love that! Our service only got worse from there. She waited other tables and made us wait even more, our food arrived before our second round of drinks did. After we enjoyed a delicious meal, and the place had died down she decided to clean glasses at said empty bar while our check waited at the table far after our drinks and dessert where finished. Overall we were there for over 2 hours! I dont know how they survive with such long turn over. I loved the food and the restaurant, but the service was awful and we wont be going back. I see some other bad reviews here for service. Maybe it's time management paid attention.

Nate Ferrell

Excellent food. The wine was a bit over-priced, in my opinion.

Jeffrey Packard

Fantastic food and experience. I've recently started eating vegetarian, and was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to find something to eat here, even though I've absolutely loved everything here in the past (their lamb is ridiculous if you're a carnivore. Start with the sliders and then go for the main dish with lamb as well...amazing.) Let's just say I left the place happily full. Plenty of good food (vegetarian and otherwise) to go around, and the Greek wines pair deliciously with the dishes.

James Freeman

Highly recommended. Get the moussaka. In person the restaurant looks much more refined than how it appears in some photos. Made reservations several weeks ahead, expressed that it was a special occasion over the phone, and the owner came through with the best table in the house. Octopus app, figs app, moussaka and lamb were all incredible. With the help of the waitress our bottle of wine was also great (even though I managed to slam it down onto the table while half filled, not a drop spilled out... Must be because I ordered the moussaka). I can't comment on the authenticity of cuisine or anything but the girlfriend and I were happy campers.

David Deuben

In the 4 years since we have moved to Maine, we have dined at Emilitsa many times each year..it is one of our favorite restaurants in Portland, of which there are many. Without exception, every meal we have enjoyed has been of outstanding quality. John, one of the owners, always greets us with warmth and sincerity and the staff overall is efficient, knowledgeable and polite. We have tasted many items on their menu and have found each to be perfectly executed and delicious. Some of our favorites are the Maine sea scallops, spanakopita and octupus for appetizers,and for the main course the lamb loin chops which melt in your mouth, long island duck and grilled altantic swordfish. Deserts are also wonderful, especially the baklava and a new addition, the creme brulee. The wine selection is excellent. Bon Appetit !!!!!!

Alan Platner

Super cozy and a can't miss menu. Go with some great friend and have some great wine and stay a while. Or slip into the bar for a solid drink and something off the starters menu.

Johnathan Emery

Great Greek Food and service. Not an everyday stop because of the price, but it is worth paying

Danielle LeClair

Best dinner our entire vacation. Delish

Milica Komazec

Emilitsa is one of my favourite restaurants in Portland. I love authentic foods that are made in-house with only the best ingrediants that Portland's east coast has to offer. My boyfriend and I love to treat ourselves to the delicacies that this restaurant has to offer, and the exceptional service that is always on point. If you are visiting Portland anytime soon or have lived in Portland for some time, write Emilitsa down on a to-do and plan to cross this one off soon. You will not be dissapointed.

Esau Crosby

The food is Perfection!!! Service very knowledgeable and professional. One of the best restaurants in Portland.

Michael Wander

I was actually not at this location. But someone from the establishment called by accident. But we're very very polite to me. If I'm on the East Coast I will definitely be dropping in at this place. Wonderful people! !!!

William Boyce

5 stars all around. Food, atmosphere and staff.

Hannah Zeman

The BEST Greek food besides from a special Yiayia I know!

Rebecca Chan

One of the best Greek restaurants I've been to. Highly recommend the swordfish souvlaki. So much flavor and very juicy.

Doug Baird

Excellent food, staff & ambiance

Austin Finamore

Superb food for a reasonable price. I've been to many restaurants that have a slightly larger food cost, but when your meal is placed in front of you, you realize that you're really just paying for a certain ambiance and a few foreign words on the menu. I was ambivalent about Emilitsa, but when I saw the lamb I'd ordered, I was immediately sold. The meat was cooked to perfection, and the wine pairing that the waitress recommended was flawless. This is a restaurant that cares about more than just ambiance (which they've also covered nicely). It's nice to see a restaurant that cares about the quality of the food preparation as much as the "catchiness" of the aesthetics. I will definitely be returning to this restaurant. PS - the baklava is a must!

Majda Hadziabulic

Nice ambiance, tasty food!

Cody Hussey

A pleasant surprise, I came here and sat at the bar. The bartender was excellent and suggested a few things off the menu which I ended up ordering. Authentic style pita, feta, and other staples with a well polished presentation in a warm space. Would recommend to most if you're okay spending a bit above average.

Bob Cleaves

Love this restaurant. Food is fabulous. But more importantly John and his staff make you will feel at home. And the service is top rate. I’ve lived in Maine for 50 plus years. This is my fave.

matt bodine

Outstanding Greek Cuisine! High quality service to match in an intimate venue. If your a foodie, you must go here!

Elaine dougherty

Delicious food great service.

Bethany M

Greek salad was best I ever had!!!

Charles Miranda

My second time there and Another great meal

Mitchell Stein

Great Greek food but check the menu first because of limited menu (and high prices)

Rebecca Cannon

Excellent food excellent service!

Angela Krisko

Great food. Good portion sizes

Max Murdock

Best Greek in Maine

Lisa Sutton

The waitress was amazing and on point! The food....Greek heaven in a corner! Definitely will be back.

Mark Nahorney

A delightful place with atmosphere, great staff and very good food. We will be back to continue to sample the menu.

Michael Kress

Great atmosphere, great food, great service. Top notch at every level

Dottie 1

Absolutely delightful. The food is fabulous and the atmosphere refined and relaxing. The employees are accommodating and attentive. Highly recommended. Enjoy!

David Clark

Tables are too close together. They charge extra to share plates. On the plus side the chicken souvlaki was excellent. The rest of the food was good, and some of it just OK. Our server was excellent.

Star Pelsue

Service was excellent and the meal was fabulous! Appetizer of house made pork sausage was delicious. The beet salad was tasty, the vinaigrette well balanced. The lamb chops were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Dessert wasn't needed but after a meal like the one we just ate we had to try. Rice pudding with a hint of orange was superb. My husband had the chocolate yogurt cheesecake which was a silky, richness with a slight tanginess, I had to have a bite ....or two. The chef and staff get a 5 star rating!

Augie Salom

The food was delicious. Portions were reasonable and came quickly. Definitely a bit pricy but its worth the money if you're feeling like splurging every once in a while.

Blake Burman

Good service and great tasting Greek food, but the serving sizes are very small and the prices are utterly ridiculous especially when taking into account the amount of food you get. The menu is also very small and limited, even for an upscale restaurant. If money is of no issue, this is your place- if you value your money, stay away.

Carle Henry

Overall, food was ok but service pulled it down. During restaurant week, my wife and I stopped by and were told by John (owner? manager?) that they had no room and he turned us away at the door. He had done the same thing to us the week before so this time we asked 'how long is the wait?' 'Probably an hour' was his response which was fine with us. He made a reservation for us at 8:30pm and said a table would probably be open earlier so to come back at 8:15pm. Upon returning, there were only 5-6 tables taken so lots of vacancy. John was right: we were hungry and ready to take a seat since there were many, many open tables. We were greeted upon entry but were not seated until 8:43pm. At that time, there were only 3 tables with guests. With so many options, John sat us in between two other occupied tables which interrupted 2 other parties and broke their privacy. We were 2 feet away from the other guests on each side of us. The waitress was pleasant but 'impersonal and slow' - we both ordered a drink and it took 20 min to get them. During the 20 min, she stopped by 3x to get our order so we had to say 'please get us our drink and we will' which finally triggered her to take action. Her 3 visits gave us the impression that they were in a hurry so we quickly felt a bit pressured/uncomfortable. Re the drink, I ordered one of the wines paired with my entree. Unlike other pairing experiences at other restaurants, this particular recommendation did nothing to bring out the flavors of the dinner so I was really disappointed. I truly think they just pulled a white wine off their typical menu without any true regard. The restaurant closes at 9pm & our drinks did not arrive until after closing. Our neighbors were both into dessert so we quickly found ourselves alone in the restaurant with just the staff. Since they were closed, the staff cleaned the floor, tables, joking, etc all around us. Some were literally on their hands/knees under the table 2 feet away from us while we ate our food. As it was restaurant week, we tried the fixed menu. I was blown away to find that, when served, 2 of the entrees were identical except for a smallish kebab on each plate. Yes, the food was good but not spectacular. Restaurant week is a time to try restaurants and to order a variety to explore options so one can assess an establishment. It was disappointing (again) to order two different dinners and find they were identical in every way, except the protein. Feeling 'pushed out', we ate most of our dessert and left around 9:45pm abruptly. Could not stand hearing the staff all around us talking about how they are understaffed and overworked. $100+ dollars spent to have average-to-good Greek food (small portions too) but the service experience really tipped the scale to write this negative review. We rarely write reviews but his experience drove us to do so......Emilitsa is over rated. While our two experiences may have been isolated, they are in no way a 4-5 star restaurant, as others report.