Elysian Café, located in uptown Hoboken, has a European feel and simple, yet delicious food. This bar and restaurant was remodeled in 2003, turning the dark walls into refreshing shades of white. Yet the building has kept a few of the historical features like the mural in the bar room that dates back to 1895, and the ornate ceiling. These features give the elegant bistro a picturesque appeal.
Current owners Eugene and Joyce Flinn have restored the space into a beautiful landmark. New for the Café is the recent Monday night special, which offers customers a chance to sample two different items at the price of one dish. (Note: this special is not available as take-out.)
The atmosphere
Walking in, guests pass the long, velvet drapes that separate the outdoor café (which is open seasonally) from the interior. The dark mahogany bar is backlit in cool shades of blue that highlights the highly polished stacked glassware and mirror that spans the bar. The front bar room has leather banquets along the wall and straight-backed chairs tucked under the round and square café tables.
On the night we were there, patrons watched a movie on the few flat screen televisions and listened to jazz.
It is a quiet room for a bar and lends itself to intimate conversations and long meals. Staff members are friendly and efficient, and treat customers like old friends.
Starters
The Monday night special includes items off of the bar menu that has a selection of appetizers, soups, and sandwiches. The hearty fare is perfect as the weather grows colder. My companion and I started with the Chorizo clams. This appetizer was a savory stew of spicy sausage, leeks, potatoes, and clams, seasoned perfectly with garlic and cilantro.
When you are done working through the steaming platter, you’ll want to sop up the broth with some of the fresh bread. This dish was terrific!
Other appetizers from the bar menu include: crispy calamari, French onion soup, and garlic fries. The price range is $6 to $11.
Entrées
For dinner we opted for the grilled chicken sandwich and warm roast beef. The tender all white meat chicken was thinly sliced and layered with crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. The sandwich was served on warm rosemary foccacia bread and came with seasoned crispy fries. It was tasty and filling.
My companion loved the warm roast beef, which was flavored with a creamy mushroom sauce that had a peppery finish. The meat was stacked high and also came with the tasty fries.
Our server gladly wrapped up the other halves of our sandwiches, and I am happy to say that they held up to reheating the next day for lunch.
Other entrees include: grilled pizza with tomato, basil, spinach, Gruyere, and Parmesan; the Elysian burger; macaroni and cheese; steamed mussels with choice of sauce; and ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich. The price range is $9 to $13.50.
And…
Although we were full, we couldn’t pass up dessert. We chose the chocolate Grand Marnier pot de crème and the apple strudel. Both were beautifully presented and well worth the wait.
The apple strudel was served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries. This dessert melts in the mouth!
My companion loved the rich chocolate that had a consistency of custard. The Grand Marnier gave the whole thing an aftertaste of orange. Delicious!
Other tempting choices are: crème brulee, Key lime pie, and more. In addition, there is a fine selection of coffee drinks (Nutty Irishman, Irish Coffee, Nuts & Berries), dessert and port wines, and brandy and cordials.
Elysian Café has a full bar that includes a nice selection of wines. They are open for lunch, dinner, and brunch.
The “Two For One” Monday night special is from 5 to 11 p.m. and only includes the bar menu items.
Elysian Café is located on the corner of 10th and Washington streets in Hoboken. For more information, call (201) 798-5898 or visit: www.elysiancafe.com.