From the President:
I was anxious to try Element although there did not appear
to be much on their menu that suited my taste. I had been to the bar previously and the
flatbread had looked good and the reviews of Element had been impressive.
Element is an interesting location, a stone’s throw away
from the old St. Louis City Hospital which is now The Georgian condominums. There is a spacious
parking lot available across the street from the building that houses Element. Unfortunately one of our diners suffered a
broken rear windshield while we were dining so our party definitely had
concerns about the security of the area. There is a rock climbing facility in the front
of the building so it is an interesting walk through the building to the
restaurant. The restaurant is modern and
well-decorated. I really like an open
kitchen but other diners were not impressed. Overall look was very attractive, sleek and
sharp. Unfortunately that lack of sound
absorbent material does not lend itself to a comfortable dining experience. The restaurant was very loud and we could not
really carry on a conversation across the table.
Diners gave Element 3 stars for a fair atmosphere.
Our waiter was very pleasant, attentive and accommodating. There was some displeasure with the delay in
getting the bill after we asked for the check to be split, but I am always just
grateful when a restaurant makes it easy on the customer to pay in a group like
ours.
Diners gave Element 3 ½ stars for pretty good service.
I believe that we all felt that the food was not anything for
which any of us would be compelled to return. There were complaints about the temperature of
some of the dishes when they came out to our table. Diners gave good remarks on the drinks.
Diners gave Element 3 stars for having fairly good food.
Overall I was glad to have had the chance to try Element and
would not be opposed to returning. The
bar was a really great space to enjoy drinks with friends so I would be more
likely to return there over the restaurant.
Generally diners felt the food was not worth the price and they were not
likely to return to the restaurant.
Diners gave Element 3 stars for being a fairly good restaurant.
The service and wait staff were really great. There was an awfully long time between asking about separate checks to when we actually got the checks, but other than that, everyone was friendly and informative.
ReplyDeleteI ordered the Red snapper and risotto. While everything was tasty and plated well, my risotto was a little on the cold side. Overall the menu was limited.
ReplyDeleteThe salmon in the "Creole Salmon" was replaced by red snapper - not a huge deal, but it seemed like one let-down led to the next. The whole dish was pretty cold when it came out which was disappointing. The snapper was seared nicely, but the potato crisps on top were over-charred and not very good. The wild mushrooms in the risotto were very salty, which made the dish less desirable.
ReplyDeleteInside was really nice and modern. Comfortable. When I walked out of the restaurant I noticed that someone had thrown a rock through the window of my truck. Shattering the entire rear window. The neighborhood isn't the best, so they should definitely have security or cameras outside. Other than that parking wasn't bad.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly the dining area was very loud. It seemed like we were almost yelling at each other at the table. As far as the overall dining area, it seemed as though there was a conflict between being considered "casual" and "fine dining". Open kitchens read to me as a bit more casual, while the presentation (decor, eccentric dishes, wine menu, food plating, etc) gave the impression that Element considers themselves the upper echelon of restaurants.
ReplyDeleteFood and drinks were good. The noise level was a bit annoying in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would come back for dinner. The drinks on the other hand were pretty well crafted, so I'd definitely come back for cocktails.
ReplyDeleteBit overpriced for the quality of food and beverage.
ReplyDelete