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Closed?

3 Posted on 01 / 25 / 2013

Stopped by to eat on a Friday at noon. Dark inside and boxes piled up by the windows. Might be closed?

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Great

5 Posted on 06 / 29 / 2012

loved this place, my sister took me here. Small, but it has a cool vibe. I had the roasted beet and fennel and it was amazing. When I first looked at the food going around I thought the portions looked small, but I ended up not finishing it, the food was very filling everyone took leftovers. The flavors were so rich that you felt satisfied quickly. Awesome place, would go again next time I'm in L.A.

Pros: Quality of the food, Friendly, Vibe
Cons: Price

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meh

2 Posted on 06 / 07 / 2012

food is ok, but too pretentious for their own good...

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Good Food

5 Posted on 01 / 06 / 2012

I had read about this place on happycow and stopped in for dinner once. Here's my Elf Cafe review.

It's easy to overlook Elf Cafe because there is no visible sign from the street, so my friends and I just looked for the number.

The restaurant is rather small but very cozy with interesting eclectic music playing in the background. Long lamps hang from the ceiling gave off a warm glow to the interior, and a candle shed light on each small table. There is also a counter where guests can sit.

At first glance, the menu seemed to consist of mainly dishes with cheese, but upon further examination, we were able find several vegan dishes. We ordered a handful and shared. And we enjoyed them all. Each dish was brought to our table nicely arranged and warm.

Personally, I liked the vegetable tagine (moroccan spiced vegetables over couscous) and the kale salad with citrus dressing. The roasted beet and braised fennel was quite delicious as well. Our party finished every bit of food and left very satisfied.

Overall, the food at Elf Cafe is certainly more creative and unique than many other veg restaurants in Los Angeles. I highly recommend it -- go early before the crowd gets there cuz it can get really busy.

Pros: friendly service, gourmet & organic, head chef onsite

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Why haven't I gone here sooner?

5 Posted on 02 / 26 / 2009

Elf is like a dream come true. I instantly felt like I was transported to Paris upon walking through the door. Come with your own bottle of wine, good friends and relaxing conversation. Elf is an experience to enjoy. The Elf Salad is gigantic and can be split. The meals are works of art with plants as paint.

Pros: Atmosphere
Cons: Cash Only

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Best vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles

5 Posted on 07 / 14 / 2008

I've been to Elf at least a dozen times and its never disappointed me. The food is top notch and the service is unusually attentive.
I recommend the big stuffed portabello mushroom, torte, asparagus starter, tahini avocado starter, the soup, crepe with goat cheese butter, beet and fennel or any of the salads. Remember to bring a bottle of wine.

Pros: food, service, atmosphere
Cons: small size, wish they had lunch

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OK Food; Lousy Service

2 Posted on 04 / 12 / 2008

Food's the sort startng vegetarians make--pastas and savory pastries loaded with cheese, because you don't know how else to flavour the food. Mac & cheese is a more sophisticated version of what Kraft dishes out--nothing like the real deal, which is fragrant with becahemel & bay leaves.

Don't go here for polite service. The cook and waiters glare at you stonily (the place is so small you cannot avoid looking at them), as if to reproach you for imposing your business on them. Our waitress coolly forgot to mention the daily special to us, then lied that it wasn't ready when we were seated (we saw the special, a stuffed onion deal, on the counter!).

Pros: vegetarian
Cons: lousy service, too small space, no wine

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Good Food, Nice Staff

4 Posted on 12 / 17 / 2007

I went to Elf with my Mum as we are always excited to try new veg restaurants. We thought Elf was pretty good, the kale salad made me feel like superwoman, so much healthful goodness. I remember their dessert special (pear torte?) was good too. It is on the pricey side, but worth a try.

Pros: good food, healthy cuisine
Cons: expensive, small, limited parking

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Pretty Good

4 Posted on 11 / 06 / 2007

The place is tiny, but it sure gets busy with lots of local hipsters. The food is pretty good, a mix of lacto-veg and a few vegan choices. Friendly servers. Prices are reasonable for the type of cuisine but not cheap.

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I like the vibe and the food

5 Posted on 08 / 30 / 2007

It was good to be prepared on the no-credit/debit card front & it can be a bit crowded, but the service and food are unfailingly lovely. I've been four or five times now, with different sets of friends, and everyone has enjoyed it. Dishes I enjoyed: avocado hummus, tomatoes and feta, th Elf salad (I think that's what it was caled), the red pepper tart, and more. It's wonderful to have another vegetarian restaurant that obviously cares a lot about food and the whole dining experience.

Pros: great savory tarts, friendly, sexy staff, chefs who care
Cons: a tad crowded, cash required, closed Sun-Tues I think