Avli - Winnetka

The food at Avli is always delicious, and especially with a bottle of Greek wine. Oops, I'm on a diet and was only going to eat half of my meal. But the Lake Superior Whitefish was beautifully prepared, so fresh I couldn't help myself.

Avli Restaurant is absolutely fantastic! The food is delicious - some of the best Greek food that I've had (and I've had a lot). The staff is super friendly and really went above and beyond to deliver amazing service. This is hands down one of the best experiences I've had in a restaurant. When my husband and I return to this area, we will definitely be coming back! If you've not been to Avli, you need to go ASAP! You don't know what you're missing!

Had the best restaurant experience ever, back in June at Avli Winnetka. Best Greek food we've ever had(sorry Detroit Greektown spots). Our incredible waiter, Demitri, helped our 7 year old conquer his fear of saganaki flames with some funny jokes and his warm demeanor. He brought Hunter out some ice cream after dinner, and it made his whole day. After that the manager asked us how our meal was and we gave a beaming review. He talked about how they may be opening a Detroit location, and he said he had something for us to take home with us. He gifted us a bottle of their house rose. Hands down some of the best food we've had in a long time, and the best hospitality I've ever experienced, anywhere. We ended up drinking the bottle in the woods on a camping trip and it was fantastic. Thanks again Avli!

Very good food, very good service. Elevated Greek!

The atmosphere was incredible and toasty on a cold winter night. We ordered a bunch of shared plates. The saganaki (fried cheese with a show!) is a must and the desserts were delicious and rich! Also, their mountain tea was surprisingly good!

The food, staff and environment was a 10/10. Such a great experience!!

Lovely place, excellent food and friendly staff. Best taramasalata on the planet.

Beautiful place...food was extraordinary as was the service! Pleasant staff, and a great experience all around 🙂

Shout out to Avli in Winnetka! We had an amazing Christmas Eve dinner there to night. Food was absolutely delicious, and the staff were all delightful. Started with their octopus appetizer which was cooked perfectly. Then we ordered the lamb chops and the black squid linguine with clams special. We left feeling happy and full. Thank you to all who worked on Christmas Eve.

A family favorite for many years! amazing food, great service, and always clean. great value for the money!

Sooo addicted to their food! Their new chef Billy has done such an exceptional job! If you haven’t visited this location I highly highly recommend! Everything he touches turns to gold. Hands down 5 star food!

Went here with my family and we were first impressed by the friendly staff and a server who seemed to really be interested in us having a great experience. Even the additional staff who came to refill water or take or remove plates were much friendlier than the average waitstaff. The food was excellent. My wife had the chicken skewers and I had the Pastichio which was divine. Our children shared a few appetizers, including a lovely hummus plate because they enjoy small bites and a bit of variety. Overall it was a great experience and we're anxious to return!

Amazing vibes and even better food! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was fun, warm, and inviting. Every dish we tried was incredible and the meat was so tender it literally melted in your mouth. This is the perfect spot to order a variety of plates and share because everything is that good, but the portions are also generous enough if you want your own dish. The desserts were absolutely amazing and a must-try, and the drinks were just as impressive! so flavorful and well made. Overall, an unforgettable experience and a place I can’t wait to come back to! It was also my first time trying greek food and now I am in love! Will from now on recommend this place to everyone!

I have not had a chance to eat the food at this restaurant, but I’m sure it’s wonderful. Classy and casual. Very bright atmosphere large money room inside of a small mall the restaurant takes up most of the location. I am writing this review for one special person. I’m sure everyone is wonderful there. And all the owners are in there they will check on their guests as I see everything as I walk in. I’ve seen the bartenders working hard to the waste app and always with a smile. The lady at the front desk always greeting us as we walk in and waiting patiently with us as our order is brought to us. But there is one special person that I hope she never leaves and grows within the company: A superstar named KATE🦸‍♀️!!!! I am an older six year DoorDasher. I do many deliveries for this location and with KATE being there SHE MAKES THE DAY THE NIGHT THE EXPERIENCE SO MUCH BETTER… As you enter the restaurant, she greets you with a smile she will let you know the exact time the food is ready and she’s never wrong. She will have you relax in a seat. she will bring your order to you and let you know how pleased she is that you stopped by. As Doordashers We work very hard at what we do to serve the people, the restaurant , and the company. with her being there makes the stress all go away. I say to the owners thank you for standing strong and staying in business so long. thank you for allowing us in your restaurant and greeting us like any other customer. We are the delivery guys… I feel special walking into this restaurant. Never let Kate go. An amazing staff , the people, and your angel at the front door. KATE!!! May you all stay blessed. May anyone read this please go enjoy the service and the food. I know it’ll be wonderful for you. I myself will take a day off and experience that part of the restaurant as well.

I tried the new menu at Avli, and everything was genuinely so good. The Meze Platter was amazing and had such a nice variety. From the Mezede section, the octapodi and phyllo shrimp ended up being my absolute favorites, both were really well done and full of flavor. I also had the salmon, which was delicious and cooked perfectly. Overall, the new menu is impressive, and every dish I tried was a hit. I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

Avli in Winnetka truly delivered. We ordered the Meze Platter, broccolini, marrow, octapodi, and the Mediterranean steak, and every single dish was amazing. The flavors were on point, portions were great, and everything felt very fairly priced for the quality. On top of that, the service was excellent, attentive, friendly, and well-timed. This new menu is an easy 5 stars, and I can’t wait to come back to try more. The new space is calming, relaxing and beautiful.

A bit hard to find but worth it. The dining area and quiet and comfortable. Good menu with plenty of good choices. Some good wine choices. Food is well prepared and delicious. Well spiced and served hot. The soup is fantastic. Service is attentive and our server was very knowledgeable about the menu.

Our waiter, Dimitri, was exceptional. He didn’t rush us and helped us order just the right amount of food! And a big shout out to the Mac, the Manager, who accommodated our special table request! My book group had a fabulous dinner and an overall fantastic experience!!!

I came here with my family and we had such a great time. The waiter we had was super nice and the food was stellar. The flaming cheese is a 10/10 recommend.

Very good. Appetizers were outstanding. My beef skewers were very good but slightly to some.

Food: Very good. We ordered the following, each nicely and never gargantuanly-portioned other than for one: Sharable Octapodi was grilled and presented unchopped, making for a welcome break from very same-y offerings elsewhere. Its seasonings and sauce constantly allured, and its grilled textures were fabulous. Lavraki (Branzino) was well received, as was the Linguine Clam Special, which came with a tempting pasta I _wanted_ to try. It wasn't my order but very likely the best of the lot, because he ate every bit of it. The Arni Burger was a bit of an oddball. The burger was definitely lamb but very, very dense. Its thickness and heft easily made it sharable. It came with "feta fries" which didn't include a bit of feta cheese. Our server was kind enough to bring some when asked. Doughy table bread didn't have much chance to stand out. Olive oil was present but neither salt nor pepper nor cheese of any sort was until after being requested. Ordered drinks were canned Coca-Cola products, just as one would receive if at a grill in Greece. But no Loux or Epsa -- each, a lightly carbonated lemonade brand -- was offered. I don't know if either was available. Dessert: Portokalopita, or orange filo cake which, here, was served with pistachio ice cream, was (i) cold, (ii) deceptively soaking, since it didn't look it, and (iii) sweet. In other words, it was just the way Mom used to make and a wonderful treat! The ice cream was mild in comparison and had a smooth texture. Greek coffees, two "very sweet" (but based on competitors, not!), and one, unsweetened and rather bitter, hinted that the coffee brand was Nestlé-owned Loumidis/Papagalos. There's nothing wrong with that; Loumidis is the standard in Greece when its younger generations aren't guzzling frappes...which are also made with Nestlé coffee. Service: We came at a slow time and so only one waiter handled the entire floor. While not fully attentive as a result, he was always pleasant and deserving of a decent tip, as was the busboy. Atmosphere: It's located in The (adorable) Laundry. Parking was available in one lot but packed in another to which Maps led me. From what I saw, this delightful restaurant had a tiny bar area, a small party room, a large-ish dining area which wasn't in use, and a smaller dining area with a fireplace and wine cellar which was. That smaller dining area was charming, from its looks to its mix of upbeat bossa nova(?) and Greek instrumental background music.

Exceptional service, the giro I think its one of the best I've had in the Chicago and suburbs, holding the 5 stars because of the cocktails and the Fish which are good as well, will revise review in the next visit.

I liked the restaurant, the atmosphere and the service. The food was ok for me, though I expected it to be more flavorful.

Great food and service... gyros a little dry but all in all enjoyed the restaurant

Def a high 4 star! The soup was very nice and the waiters were great. We ordered some kind of cheese dish. It was a cool spectacle.

Beer tasted cold, Maria the bartender unfortunately was not wearing her apron

Located inside the Laundry building so it was a little confusing to find. The area is super cute and would love to revisit the patio when the weather is nicer. Surprising full restaurant for lunch on a Sunday but was still able get seated right away. Service was good but food wasn't that great, especially for vegetarians. We tried a couple small plates: the flatbread, saganaki and spanakopita. They also started us off with some bread and butter. Everyone raved about the saganaki but we found it a little too salty to be enjoyable. Ended with the small bites dessert, which was perfect. Overall, the food is only ok - wish they would have more vegetarian options.

Friendly staff and a nice looking restaurant, so why is it empty? Perhaps because the food just isn’t that good. Had salmon which came wrapped in paper that was rather bland, sitting on top of a bunch of mushy, unidentifiable vegetables. We started with hummus and eggplant and a couple of other appetizers, none of which were special. The pita was damp, as if it had been sitting in a steamer. We shared three desserts, which were again far more attractive than tasty.

So this place gets three stars solely based on the attitude of the hostess who was a complete C... We had reservations and arrived on time, my mother who is older and going through chemo walks slowly, had a very hard time keeping up with her. The hostess was clearly annoyed. She disappeared into the dining room, dropped our menus on the table and headed back to the door. As she passed us on her way back, I asked which table was ours, she looked at me blankly and said over there with out turning around or giving any indication. I wanted to walk out. She was disrespectful, rude, and could not care less. That said, the waiter turned everything around. He was excellent and so was the food. Just another example of a great restaurant left in the hands of an employee that does not deserve a job. On the way out she ignored us. As good as the food was and service, I will never go back. But hey, if you want to be treated as if you are doing the hostess a favor by existing, this is the place.

We were looking forward to visiting this restaurant, but I’m sorry to say that it Fell short of expectations. The positive1st, absolutely five stars for excellent service. Our server was knowledgeable and helpful. The ambience was good nothing special, but very comfortable and welcoming. The location in downtown with Winnetka Excellent. We ordered the house Cabernet, which was Nothing remarkable, but it’s a house wine so I have no opinion on that. We had egg lemon soup, village salad, the braised lamb, and the moussaka. The entrees came with rice or potatoes and bread butter and olive oil are offered when you’re seated. The olive oil oil was excellent among the best that I’ve ever tasted the bread not so much. The Lemon soup was very good! The salad was completely unimaginative, the ingredients so so and the dressing totally uninspired. my date’s braised lamb was not all That good, stringy and kind of on the tough side. The most prevalent taste was that of salt. I had the moussaka and it was disappointing, a complete departure from the traditional dish. I think the chef struck out on this one. Way too much ground beef very little eggplant no other vegetables were detected and instead of olive oil it was baked in a cream sauce. Again, a lot of salt. I doubt the person in the kitchen has had any Greek cuisine training. Definitely they need to try harder. I will not be going back.

Great atmosphere but unfortunately the food and service didn’t match the space. The chicken kabob was burnt and the salmon was not very good. The eggplant appetizer we ordered was not the best either. They had many other appetizers that other tables seemed to enjoy. Unfortunately the service was not really friendly from the get go. Not sure why, maybe she was having a bad day but the table beside us also made a comment about her not wanting to be there.

3 of 4 dinners overcooked. Even before they got very busy service from server and especially busing was inattentive. It had been much better over the past many years. Too bad on a downward quality slide. Also poor value for the steep prices.

Good food but it was a typical Greek menu. No "wow" factor or interesting dishes. Everything ala carte. Service was great and attentive. Big wine list.

So the hostess was a bit fake nice, but I didn’t really care. Short interaction. Then, the service was slow, but the place was empty, so that was odd. Then, I saw a fly buzzing around and that’s never a good sign. I just figured, you know, it’s a one-off fly. Probably got in somehow. Should be ok. Husband and I shared the filo shrimp starter (4 shrimp total btw), and I had the Moussakka and he had the Chicago style gyro plate. I thought the food needed a bit more salt at least. But overall not bad… that is until later when my husband was throwing up and we both felt nauseous. As I’m writing this, my stomach is in pain. Both of us feel super off. I’m so sad. I wanted to like this place but I think it probably used to be good and then they changed their food/staff. Not worth the prices they’re charging anymore. They need to either dumb down their prices and appeal to a new audience… or ramp up kitchen quality and sanitation, URGENTLY.

Visiting Avli April 2023, we found much disappointment. The food has really gone down hill over the past two years. I ordered their gyros plate for the first time thinking Greek restaurant it should be great! It was dry and tasteless. There was only one tomato slice and a few slivers of red onion. My wife ordered her usual skewered chicken, and it was over cooked and hardened on the skewers and the rice was overcooked and bland. The best dish ordered was the pasta with shrimp 🍤. They serve cold bread and butter packs like a diner. We had to ask for olive oil, which is their own brand. We then had to ask for Parmesan cheese and pepper. After dinning here many times, it has become a disappointment to say the least. Prior review below. The second time visiting Avli turned out much better than the first back in 2019. Sitting out in the courtyard allowed us to be more comfortable with Covid and all. The service was much improved from the prior time, as our waiter was personable and attentive but not over bearing. Even the busboys seemed to be better trained. We started with a drink and dolmaldes while waiting for our guests. These dolmaldes were the best I’ve ever had. The plates was dressed with a slightly sweet amber sauce that contrasted the lemon tartness of the grape leaves, while the rice meat mixture was delicious. The menu has its basic Greek menu items and then the not so basic to chose from. I actually had the lamb chops with their Greek rice. The chops were ordered medium rare and very thin medium well came out. I didn’t send them back because they were well seasoned and tasty. Even the broccoli was well seasoned and grilled with just right amount for the grill browning and flavor. My mother-in-law is vegan, and there are plenty of items on the menu for her to order. The only desserts ordered were ice cream and the cheese cake. The cheese cake was ok but not great. Please before you leave, look below 👇 and tap on the thumbs up 👍.

Avli experience was disappointing. We ordered two spreads and small fish and it was so bland that we decided to eat the main course somewhere else. Hummus was very coarse and not smooth. The eggplant spread was ok. The zucchini fritters were the most bland food I had ever tasted in my life. Service at the restaurant is fine but the outside sitting area has a strange vibe. The fake flower decoration on the wall and in the plant bed feels very tacky. That's all that can be overlooked if the food had some taste.

Very rude and condescending host, Milton. I have dined here several times without issue, but when I ordered for pickup Milton was very rude when explaining the pickup process – as if I was supposed to know it. Maybe he assumed I was an Uber eats driver, and thinks it’s acceptable to speak to them that way? Who knows.

My sister and I stopped to eat at this restaurant for lunch today, but I have never imagine that I’ll be eating next to crawling roaches. I reported this to the manager , because it’s a safety issue. Everyone please be careful to eat at this place, is a serious safety violation.

A delivery order from Avli was very disappointing. Especially for the price. They advertise a whole sea bass, but instead, i was sent fish that was removed in advance and sent in a plastic container. My 11-year-old son said "its not even fileted. It looks like a toddler pulled the meat off.This is not what I wanted and ordered. The management attempted to correct it. But it doesn't matter. Correctly advertise your food. I gave this restaurant another try, and it was equally disappointing. Small portions. Hot dog joints have better gyros. At a third of the price. I've there for removed a star from the food rating.

We visited Avli today for my husband birthday and was very disappointed in the quality of food and service good we received. Our waiter Dimitir took our order and we didn’t see him again until we finished eating and brought our check. My husband was kind enough to leave him tip. The Greek salad we ordered some of the tomato and cucumber was bad. For a small side cost 14$ Greek Style Rice was had no flavor. French fries looked dry my husband did even eat it. All in all it’s not a cheap restaurant and the quality of food should be top notch. I feel so disappointed that I took him there for his special occasions. Never again!