Elysian Cafe

I really enjoy the Elysian. It is one of the only places I bring out-​of-​towners– my mother included, who is tough to please– because of the restaurant’s consistency as an establishment. The waitstaff is always friendly, and the food is nice and always out in a timely manner. I have only had a bad experience at the Elysian perhaps once, and that was on a day when they were clearly short staffed (it was a holiday, if I remember correctly). My out-​of-​town friend griped, but it was really a one time thing. I suppose what I like the best about the Elysian is that I know what to expect. However, that isn’t to say the dishes or atmosphere are boring alternatives to Hoboken’s other places– it is always quite lively when it should be (i.e. During a busy dinner) and quiet when it should be (i.e on a Wednesday afternoon). I love the smoked salmon sandwich, my best friend swears by the tacos and the steak sandwich, and the mussels are great, too. Oh! And the French onion soup– yum.

Only there for a drink at the bar. Had the usual patrons sitting at the bar reading their phones. Would have loved to have tried some of the food, looking at the pics below it looks really tasty

The drinks are wonderful and the French fare almost authentic. The Elysian really goes out of it’s way to provide a nice ambience and French «feel» in the middle of Hoboken. Another fine date place. Outdoor dining is a lot of fun on a nice day. The bar is a cool hang and there is a friendly crowd.
The only drag– the folks who insist on bringing children into a bar/​restaurant and blocking the space with double wide baby carriages. Hint– this is a bar. Get a sitter.

This place has so much charm and character, both indoors and out. The food here is also delicious! I have been here for weekend brunch and weekday lunch and both were lovely. Things that are really good: smoked salmon club, french fries, croque monseiur.
One negative: they don’t have iced tea? A few people tried ordering it on a hot afternoon while sitting outside and they said they didn’t «have it». Seems like they could have made some?

I’ve never been disappointed with this place, no matter when I come. They have a solid brunch, lunch, and dinner menu. Awesome décor inside, and nice little terrace outside for warmer weather. Best Fish & Chips in town!

Delicious food. Always fresh. My favorite place for breakfast or lunch. If you are coming for a weekend brunch on a nice day try to get there before 11am to avoid waiting. There is beautiful garden style seating. One of my favorite items on the brunch menu is the eggs benedict. I get it with the French fries and a bellini. Service is always friendly and attentive.

Best brunch spot in the area. The staff is friendly. And it’s easy to become a regular. Norm at cheers anyone? Yup pretty much. The food is good. The staff is friendly. Prices are good and so are the drinks. All around fan. Only thing I would say is they need a better wine selection. Other than that we are good.

I came here with my boyfriend for the first time. It was nice out so we sat outside, seated very quickly. Server was very nice and attentive. I ordered steak tacos and he ordered a steak. My tacos were sort of bland, no flavor on the meat itself. My boyfriend said he enjoyed the steak but has had better. We might come back to try out their other menu items.

Visited the café for brunch with a friend for the first time. Arrived around 12:30p and the wait was about 20 minutes not bad. However this place tends to get super packed therefore I would anticipate for a wait time. They have outdoor seating as well which is perfect for warmer days.
Ambience was great and they have a beautiful décor. The prices are very reasonable, mimosa was about $ 6 and the brunch entrees are less then $ 20.00. I ordered the salmon eggs benedict with fries which were excellent. My friend ordered the blueberry pancakes which were delicious. I would recommend this place for brunch. I gave it a 4 star because of the service. Our waitress was not the most pleasant and attentive and she seemed like she didnt want to be bothered. I had to look for her just to order a refill for my coffee.
If your looking for good food and atmosphere in Hoboken for brunch then this is the place to check out.

I go to Elysian at least once a week, mainly for their happy hour. From 5pm — 7pm Monday — Friday happy hour is half off all cocktails and selected wine and beer. Their cocktails are my favorite in all of Hoboken mainly because they are always STRONG. The bartenders have been there forever and aren’t the friendliest, but get the job done. The most friendly bartender is Tommy, but he only works on Fridays. It’s definitely not a «craft cocktail» bar, but it’s better than most of your run of the mill pubs.
Favorite cocktails:
Car Chase and Jalapeño Margarita
Maybe one of the best things about Elysian is the décor and ambiance. The owner has done a great job restoring the traditional décor. It is unlike any other café/​bar in Hoboken, much less any other place I have been. The patio in the spring and summer is picturesque and occupied 100% of the time. The entire experience is worth it just to get a seat on the patio during those seasons. The café is lit up at night with café lights that are help add to the charm.
My only complaint about the establishment is the bathrooms. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a restaurant puts so much effort in to the aesthetic and cleanliness of the restaurant and completely gives up on the bathroom. The restroom is always unkempt and feels like a stadium bathroom.
The food is mediocre, but pretty par for the course for bar food. The pommes frites are insanely good and are a weakness every time I go. There isn’t anything particularly «healthy» on the menu.
I would recommend:
the burger — big and juicy
the grilled chicken sandwich –not healthy at all, but decent flavors. the chicken is often dry, but I power through. the rosemary focaccia bread is tasty, but too bready. I usually end up dissecting the sandwich and eating the chicken individually
Fish N Chips — decent portions of fish, make sure to ask for them crispy, sometimes they can come out soggy
Grilled Cheese — really good and made with sourdough bread
Mussels and Pommes Frites — giant portion of Mussels
Chicken Caesar Salad — the dressing comes with anchovies so be sure to specify if you want them or not, again the chicken is usually dry

I truly enjoy this spot for brunches and late night drinks. Their food is always above average and atmosphere is always on point but may be a bit crowded for those who are unaware. The place does fill up, and rightfully so as they do a good job on all aspects of the restaurant. The price point on their brunch is certainly affordable and their $ 6.00 bloody marys on their brunch specials are always great. The inconsistency of the level of spicy within the bloody marys was dramatic this last Sunday afternoon. My boyfriend couldn’t drink the second one he ordered. Not a big deal but just a heads up for those sensitive to a kick. The waiter was good but a little spacey in communication. For example, «what starch?» was asked to my friend when she ordered her brunch eggs. She looked at him puzzled and he didn’t clear up what types were available or what he meant so I jumped in to break the silence, «uh. potatoes ok Jill? you guys have potatoes?» he nodded and walked away. No a big ordeal but one of a few conversations we had where they could of been more clear. My steak was teasty but a bit chewier than I am used too. Overall, I’ll always be a fan of this place and do enjoy myself. Good job Elysian.

Came here for brunch last weekend with my girlfriend. I love the vibe and décor inside and look forward to eating outside once the weather gets warmer. The Elysian corner truly gets some of the best sunlight in the warmer months, at any time of day.
The food was between average and good, we started with a classic Caesar salad. Nice ratio of dressing to lettuce, with a few croutons and an anchovy on top.
I opted for the Eggs Benedict, which was pretty good. The poach on the egg was spot on and it definitely fulfilled my craving. The frites were pretty bland in flavor. Go with the lyonnaise potatoes if you want some starch.
My girlfriend ordered a Croque Madame, which couldn’t have been further from a true Croque Madame if it tried. The egg was in the middle instead of on top and the whole sandwich resembled an American grilled cheese rather than a sandwich with French flair.
3 stars for food, 4 for ambiance. I look forward to coming here for dinner come spring.

Review only for brunch:
If you are looking for a place with affordable drinks in Hoboken you’ve found it. You can’t really beat $ 6 for a mimosa! (If you can, call me).
The food tastes good but it’s nothing out of the ordinary or anything special. They have all the brunch classics like omelets, French toast, and eggs Benedict.
Some of dishes are steak are reasonably priced but other are over priced. Egg white omelet with potatoes for $ 11 (reasonable) but Cesar salad for $ 8 and adding shrimp costing another $ 11 (not so reasonable).

I’ve came here a few times for drinks in my Hoboken days because my friend is the bartender and it was a great spot for a drink to start my night. I met my dad for brunch with our girlfriends and we were very lucky because it’s December and it was 60+ degrees so we got the chance to sit outside.
I’m a big hot cocoa fan (my inner little kid). I loved that they give you an actual container for refills. It’s a small thing, but it really made me happy.
I ordered the steak and eggs with a side of crispy bacon. The steak was cooked to my liking, and the eggs were great too. I’m not even the biggest bacon fan like most, but this bacon was delicious. Crispy and worthy of ordering again.
For price, atmosphere, and service, this is one of the better brunches you can get in Hoboken.

I had a pretty average experince at Elysian Café. Came here on a Saturday and was able to sit outside… which was nice until I waited about 15 minutes until someone helped us. Ok. finally ordered and got the egg white veggie omelette with home fries and friend ordered the three cheese omlette. It was pretty basic… the home fries were kind of cold and plain and the three cheese was super tiny. Then the waitress spilled 3 drinks on us by accident, which they comp’d our mimosas in the end so I give them a few points for that. Needless to say I was still hungry afterwards and went straight to get somthing more substantial to eat.

Outdoor patio on this unusually warm December day had a great ambiance and was perfect for brunch. Fresh squeezed OJ in my mimosa which was served in a regular glass as opposed to a champagne glass which I would say is a negative however I definitely got way more mimosa for my buck ($ 6) this way. I ordered the egg white omelette with a side of bacon. The omelette was pretty good and served with goat cheese which I love, and the bacon was thick, crispy, and to die for! The fries taste like gourmet BK fries, in a good way. Prices are fair here, will be back!

Unfortunately, this place has become mediocre at best. The décor and ambiance is very charming and the service is good however, neither can mask the underwhelming taste buds experience.
I’ve been here for brunch and dinner a few times and have never left impressed. Most recently for brunch, I had the egg white omelette with potatoes. The potatoes were roasted without salt and pepper thus, very very bland and the omelette was also missing basic seasonings. This has happened one too many times for me so it’ll be a while before I come back.

Came here for a work function — and everything on the menu looked spot on.
I want to come back and try all the entrée items, all of them looked so good. The portions were perfect. I tried the Flank steak with Risotto, and it hit the spot real well. I want to go back for the Lobster Roll and maybe the pasta with the «Sunday Sauce».
This place has a fully stocked bar with a wide selection. I was able to get some kind of grapefruit summer shandy which was great.
The service was really good too. Would definitely recommend to others and go back.

Elysian truly looks like a French café, with it’s open air seating. My BF and I had walked by constantly, and decided to go on a particularly beautiful night when we were able to go and eat outside. Such a cute place for a date, or brunch/​dinner out with some friends — particularly if you can grab an outdoor seat.
Our first trip there was for dinner, and thanks to making a reservation, we were seated almost instantly. The service was great from the get go, the wine was poured generously (and brought out quickly), and the garlic fries are the ultimate. The menu is varied without being overly extensive — some French dishes mixed in with American. Playing into that type of menu, my boyfriend ordered the Steak Frites, while I settled on the lobster roll (because we were coming back from a Maine trip and I couldn’t get enough). The oyster selection also looked delish, so that will have to be reserved for another trip!
After hearing from a girlfriend that the brunch at Elysian is perfection, we headed there one weekend for a Saturday brunch. She wasn’t lying — brunch was incredible. Again, our server was lovely, and though it was busy, she made sure we were taken care of. The screwdrivers were strong, the steel cut oatmeal delicious (seriously, it CAN be fucked up so don’t laugh), and BF got the gateaux chauds (pancakes), which looked incredible and apparently were since he gobbled them up. I also ordered a side of the Lyonnaise potatoes, which spoiler — are home fries (really, really good ones). It was a perfect brunch with an amazing atmosphere, and the perfect view for people watching (insider hint: bring sunglasses to fully take advantage of this opportunity). Prices are also REALLY reasonable for brunch, so extra worthwhile.
Great service, great prices, beautiful location, and amazing atmosphere on a whole. Definitely worth a brunch trip or dinner trip for some delicious food and a few drinks.

Coming here for years. Perfect neighborhood bistro gets it right every… single… time. Consistently delicious and service is always gracious. Lunch menu will restore your faith in sandwiches. Even the grilled cheese is special (I think they put bits of leek in the cheese). I like to get mine with an upgraded salad of frisée, bacon and goat cheese. Do not miss their Reuben or grilled chicken sandwich. Sounds simple but their versions are the gold standard.
Dinner is equally consistent but no pics. I always eat before I get a chance to take a picture.