This place was great. High ceilings and sort of a modern urban feel to the interior. The pick of the lot was the shrimp scampi appetizer. It had a generous portion of shrimp with some kind of buttery wine sauce and ample parsley over toast. For a drink I got something with gin, lemon, and evoo which I was skeptical about but it actually worked well and was delish. My entree was pappardelle with meatball and fresh mozzarella. My date got black truffle risotto with various mushrooms including porcini. It was solid. For dessert we got tiramisu which was a generous portion.

+2

Ella's owes us nothing! Matt madr our first time here an experience I won't forget! We celebrated my birthday here and everything from his suggestions to the dessert was so good! The marinara was amazing! And please get the meatballs! We will be back!

It’s hard to know where to begin. Laura was amazing. She is the BEST server I have ever had! How this place doesn’t have all 5 stars is beyond me. The food was very well crafted. The atmosphere was inviting and sophisticated, yet also casual at the same time. One thing to note is the portion sizes are on the larger side so I suggest to come hungry.

Needed some good food while staying at the Gaylord Opryland with the kids. Did not disappoint! The meatballs were a hit but the Star was the Pork Chop! Such a unique, tangy, juicy dish. The Shrimp appetizer also had a very nice flavor profile!

Came here when I was in town for a conference and glad I stopped by! The resturant was clean and had a modern urban vibe. I was quickly sat with no reservations required but this was also on a Monday. Had the cheese sticks which were heavenly but most definitely shareable, they are LARGE. Had a chicken pasta that I ordered as a special request and they were more than willing to comply with my request. Matt, my waiter was an absolute gem and was SO nice and attentive. If you're in the area, stop by if your in the mood for some good food.

+4

The restaurant is very nice and clean.. wait staff was great.. food was delicious.. will definitely go back again when I am in Nashville.

Great stop for breakfast. Not crowded during the off season (January). Great service. Recommend the Southern Eggs Benedict and the Brisket Hash. One little piece of ham on the All-American 😠

Went here for dinner with my husband and he’s coworkers, everything was awesome, the food was good Sarah our server was very attentive, good atmosphere. I recommend this place.

Went here on our 16th Anniversary! The food and service was amazing. Had the ribeye and cooked perfectly the way I asked. Rare with a Great sear! Great atmosphere and Ricky was great! Glad to have found this place before it becomes popular!

Celebrated 🍾 our 5th wedding anniversary here. Loved every moment of it, from the customer service, room, and food. Great choice hubbub.

+6

The most outstanding breakfast in a LONG time! 7 of us came to Ella’s for breakfast and we had the best meal. The food was just delicious. Between the 7 of us, we had the Caprese Fritta, the Classico, the Spicy Sausage Scramble, the Power Bowl, and the Benedict. Each of us agreed that it was the best breakfast we have had while visiting Nashville, and the best of 2022 overall! We already agreed to come back tomorrow! Thanks to our sweet waitress Heather for making this so memorable for us.

Savannah was our server & was absolutely phenomenal. We really appreciated her recommendations as they were top notch. We got shrimp scampi, salmon piccata and the alla vodka pasta. For my situationship’s birthday, she brought us an Italian coconut cake. Best date night ever!

Such an amazing experience overall. Our server was so kind and informative, offering us many options. They were so appreciative of our compliments and gave us 2 free slices of chocolate cake with our dessert for our compliments, which tasted impeccable. The atmosphere was beautiful, very relaxing and calm. The location is perfect if you’re looking to grab a bite while walking around the city and their hours are great as well. The prices are higher, but genuinely COMPLETELY WORTH IT!! The portion sizes are fair for the prices and I even had leftovers. Every dish was incredible to say the least and you can tell they have passion for their dishes. The pasta was packed with flavor, the steak was seasoned and cooked to perfection, the pork chop was soft, juicy, and flavorful, the chocolate cake and gelato just had the perfect taste. Definitely will be back again and recommend it to anyone who is visiting Nashville or nearby areas!

Ella's by Christian Petroni offers an exceptional dining experience in the heart of Downtown Nashville. Guests have praised the restaurant for it's excellent food & drinks and it absolutely lives up to the hype. A girlfriend and I went for the first time last night and was thoroughly impressed. Lot's of dining space and a bar area towards the left of the restaurant. The food was mouthwatering, very tasteful service & timing, and the music was great. Ella's provides a slightly quieter location away from the chaos, making it a perfect spot to enjoy a delightful meal!! Will be back again soon!!

This is a great place. Modern atmosphere, staff are lovely and knowledgeable and the food is fantastic. I had the slow cooked beef ribs. Cooked until the meat falls off the bone and served on creamy polenta. Fabulous.

New place! Clean, trendy decor, fresh and tasty food. Kitchen is half open, service is reasonable. Menu is limited but good options

+1

Savanah was absolutely amazing!!! She did not disappoint!! If you go in Savanah is your girl!!! She was knowledgeable about the food options and drinks. Gave great recommendations. Has a wonderful personality and beautiful blue eyes!!! The fastest service and the BEST food!!! Vodka pasta, meatballs, arugula salad, espresso martini, pecan coconut cake….amazing!!!

I can honestly say that I had the best steak I have ever had here at Ella’s!! Wifey and I came for date night - we started with the Pizette, a good-sized portion for two, then my wife ordered the short rib and I went with the 12oz New York Strip with a side of the crispy potatoes. Guys. That steak was absolutely incredible, the meat was so tender and juicy and the marble melted in your mouth like butter. It was seasoned well with sea salt, and had a very light cheese (parmesan I believe) melted on top. 10/10, I was geeking out to my wife after every bite. The “side” of potatoes were massive! Huge portion - super crispy, absolutely delicious. My wife’s short rib was also very tender and came apart just as it should. The service was fast, efficient, clean ambiance, great feel. 100% recommend, give this place a shot!

Veronica made our visit!! First stop on a girls trip and it was the best!! She was so accommodating and the drinks were delicious!! Thank you!!

Blown away by the drinks, red sauce, pizza and dessert! Beautiful open layout not too loud so we can all talk yet it feels intimate at the same time. One of the best meals we had in Nashville.

Ella’s was excellent in Food, Ambiance and Service! I was truly Blessed when the Company I retired from invited me to Nashville for some marketing meetings. They also invited me to dinner at Ella’s in Nashville. What a wonderful venue seemingly tailor-made to combine a high-end dining experience with really great Italian. Our Server, Laura, and her attention to detail really made my experience even better!

Delicious. We couldn’t get a dinner reservation so we decided to go early at 1:30. When we left at 4:30 the place was still empty so not sure why we couldn’t have arrived at even 3 or 3:30 The lunch menu wasn’t very big but was still delicious. We ordered more appys than we needed to. :) Certainly not cheap but what is in Nashville downtown right. Would still go back again.

This was my first time coming here. Don’t let the fact the restaurant is in a hotel fool you. The food was delicious! The fried mozzarella is the best! They give you big portions, so you can share. The coconut cake was my favorite! Our server was the sweetest, and attentive to us. I’ll be back again the next time in Nashville!

Restaurant is beautiful. Food was good. Enjoyed the mozz sticks, fried meatballs, papparadelle. Highlight of the night, however, was our server Savannah. She was so sweet, funny and attentive. We really liked her.

My wife and I were visiting from San Antonio, TX. We were both excited to finally get to eat at a food network Chef’s restaurant!! We both showed up in our “Ruizing” shirts. If you know you know. The environment was very upbeat and elegant at the same time. Staff from the hostess to our server to the expo ( pretty sure he was the manager) were amazing!! That kitchen worked like a symphony it was amazing to watch. The food came out fast hot and delicious! My wife had the wild mushroom pizza, thin crispy and was amazing! I had the pork chop cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious! We couldn’t have been more satisfied. We really enjoyed ourselves! Thanks for the great experience!!! Hope to be back soon!! Sorry forgot to take pictures!!

Excellent Valentine's meal. The dinner had great flavor and dessert was spot on! Definitely better than the 4.3 I saw before posting this.

We had the brunch buffet. The food was amazing! Chef Daniel talked to my boys, who are 25, and they thought he was the coolest guy. He's so passionate about his creative dishes. I can not explain in words how much my sons who are a little picky loved it as much as I did. Chef Daniel is so kind, and we had a great time talking to him about the new dishes he prepared that he just learned from a chef event in New York. This place is a must try while you are visiting Nashville!

I have been here twice and can confidently say this is the best vodka pasta in the city. Also, the drinks are amazing and absolutely worth it. Also, our waitress Savanah was the best!!

Happened to find this gem on my way home from Nashville Airport. We follow Christan on Instagram and love his enthusiasm and love of food! It was just as good as we expected! Also grabbed his cookbook while there. We will definitely be back! Already made our reservations for New Years Eve!!

Probably the best breakfast in Nashville. Beautifully presented and healthy food delivered in a jiffy. Good alternative to the usual waffle and pancakes- and much healthier!

Went here with my mom a few weeks ago. As a local, I enjoyed the environment. Not too loud, no live music, but walking distance to everything. My server Matt was great and the cheese is AMAZING

Ashley is the best bartender in Nashville! Not only did she make the best drinks.....she was so fun and gave us great recommendations for the area. Highly recommend 10/10. Thanks ashley!!

Where do I start! Super impressed by the entire experiance. Savanah our server was on top of It. Very friendly, personable and perfectly attentive. Charles in the kitchen also was amazing. The food was incredible. Chicken parm and the Pappadelle was a favorite. My wife is extremely picky when it comes to Italian food, and has worked in Italian restaurants for over 10 years. She loved the apps, Main, and the dessert. We will be back. Thank you all!

Everything was absolutely wonderful! We came for lunch and truly enjoyed all of it, the food, drinks & dessert! Everything was super thoughtful and delicious

+3

Beautiful restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor seating is bright and airy. Service is on point and matches the quality of the food. I ordered the Arugula and Apple Salad with Chicken and also appreciated their help finding gluten free options on the menu. Note this restaurant is within walking distance of several other hotels and offers seating for large groups.

Great customer service! My husband accidentally made our reservation for 7:15 am instead of pm. When we showed up and they figured out what happened they kindly found us a high top that was available. We really appreciated it because they didn’t have to do that. Our waitress was amazing. Food was great. We will definitely be back.

While staying at the Hyatt Centric Downtown, I had dinner here and it was fabulous. Sarah was my server and was top notch. Chef Daniel created a crab, asparagus and sundried tomato risotto that made me want to crawl into the bowl. I finished with chocolate Budino which was decadent. Adrian made sure I was well taken care of. I highly recommend it!

We came tonight (11/22) for my birthday and it was beyond wonderful. Savanah was our server and she suggested picks we wouldn't have usually picked on our own and they were *wonderful*. The chocolate tarte was LIFE CHANGING. The ravioli? 10/10. The vodka sauce? 10/10. The ambiance? 10/10. Don't skip this place!!

Fantastic smash burger and some of the best fries downtown! Staff is great. I walked in and was seated quickly for an awesome late lunch.

We ended up at Ella’s to hide away from rain, and this place turned out to be one of the best meals I’ve ever had! Savanah was an excellent steward on our delightful journey of excellent cocktails, yummy-licious food, and spectacular desert drinks! 👨‍🍳💋 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had the time of my life and Savanah was the best waitress in this city! This restaurant is the gift that keeps on giving. If you want to come to a restaurant that welcomes you with good drinks, good food, and immaculate vibes, this is the place for you!

I had the pleasure of staying at the Hyatt centric for six days for a work trip and dined at Ella’s for breakfast many days as well as room service. The menu is excellent, each dish was delicious and the servers are all so kind (especially Veronica!)

Worked with Walter at the Hyatt to host a dinner in a private space which was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We had a private dinner from Ella's which was delicious. The servers were also fantastic and attentive.

We just had brunch here and it was delicious!!! The bread was thick and toasty, eggs cooked to our exact specifications, butter creamy and delicious and the ricotta pancakes - resplendent! It is the Hyatt’s house restaurant but it was worth it! Also the hostess, and our waiter, Kelly, were e accommodating and very pleasant!

Well this year we went for Galentine’s day. This place was so cute. We really loved the atmosphere. We weren’t rushed to leave we had a party of 6 and were seated comfortably. The food was amazing ! Our waitress was so sweet and kind and fun, I really wished I remembered her name. I didn’t even mind the added tip to everyone bill. We will definitely be back. Also the drinks were top notch .

It was a nice atmosphere. The waitress we had was so nice and friendly! She charge one of our phones and had no problem with it! The food was beyond delicious! Very good pasta. I would come back here again!

Absolutely fabulous experience! Veronica was my server and she enhanced the delicious food with great suggestions and made my breakfast such a great time! Will absolutely return!

Dani

Went for the pre-fixe lunch menu and had the meatballs, pasta, and tiramisu—all were absolutely delicious. The pasta was especially memorable - it looked really simple and unassuming but I kept going back for more bites despite being full. Also tried the fig and goat cheese pizza, which had a really nice thin and crispy crust. The bathrooms were also overall really clean! Great experience overall!

kay d

I had a wonderful time at the Hyatt Centric and dined at this restaurant a few times. The service was absolutely amazing! Ashley was so friendly and attentive. I absolutely loved the salmon dish, but I also tried their wings and shrimp pasta, and they were both delicious! I highly recommend this place. The drinks were great too, and I really enjoyed their happy hour.

James B

The fusilli alla vodka was next-level—hands down the best pasta I’ve ever had. Our server brought great energy, and the Caesar salad plus pepperoni-hot honey pizza hit all the right notes. Despite the buzz from the Hyatt bar next door, the open kitchen vibe, knockout flavors, and warm service made it a standout experience. 10/10 would recommend—this place leaves a mark.

Cynthia J

My boyfriend and I came here for my 25th birthday dinner. We had the margarita pizza to start with, we’ve had better but it was good. I had a rigatoni pasta and it was delicious. He had the salmon and he ate everything. They were also sweet enough to give me a chocolate cheesecake for my birthday. Overall, it was a lovely experience. 🥳

Izzy Choy

It was a nice atmosphere. The waitress we had was so nice and friendly! She charge one of our phones and had no problem with it! The food was beyond delicious! Very good pasta. I would come back here again!

Wendy LooHoo

We just had brunch here and it was delicious!!! The bread was thick and toasty, eggs cooked to our exact specifications, butter creamy and delicious and the ricotta pancakes - resplendent! It is the Hyatt’s house restaurant but it was worth it! Also the hostess, and our waiter, Kelly, were e accommodating and very pleasant!

Kera Arias

Came here when I was in town for a conference and glad I stopped by! The resturant was clean and had a modern urban vibe. I was quickly sat with no reservations required but this was also on a Monday. Had the cheese sticks which were heavenly but most definitely shareable, they are LARGE. Had a chicken pasta that I ordered as a special request and they were more than willing to comply with my request. Matt, my waiter was an absolute gem and was SO nice and attentive. If you're in the area, stop by if your in the mood for some good food.

Terressa Thompson

Ella's owes us nothing! Matt madr our first time here an experience I won't forget! We celebrated my birthday here and everything from his suggestions to the dessert was so good! The marinara was amazing! And please get the meatballs! We will be back!

My boyfriend and I came here for my 25th birthday dinner. We had the margarita pizza to start with, we’ve had better but it was good. I had a rigatoni pasta and it was delicious. He had the salmon and he ate everything. They were also sweet enough to give me a chocolate cheesecake for my birthday. Overall, it was a lovely experience. 🥳

+2

The fusilli alla vodka was next-level—hands down the best pasta I’ve ever had. Our server brought great energy, and the Caesar salad plus pepperoni-hot honey pizza hit all the right notes. Despite the buzz from the Hyatt bar next door, the open kitchen vibe, knockout flavors, and warm service made it a standout experience. 10/10 would recommend—this place leaves a mark.

I had a wonderful time at the Hyatt Centric and dined at this restaurant a few times. The service was absolutely amazing! Ashley was so friendly and attentive. I absolutely loved the salmon dish, but I also tried their wings and shrimp pasta, and they were both delicious! I highly recommend this place. The drinks were great too, and I really enjoyed their happy hour.

Went for the pre-fixe lunch menu and had the meatballs, pasta, and tiramisu—all were absolutely delicious. The pasta was especially memorable - it looked really simple and unassuming but I kept going back for more bites despite being full. Also tried the fig and goat cheese pizza, which had a really nice thin and crispy crust. The bathrooms were also overall really clean! Great experience overall!

+1

We came in for Valentines Day and had a great time! We’re the kind of people who like to read a menu before going somewhere and our server Matthew’s knowledge of the menu convinced us both to try something different than we thought we’d want. Food was excellent and we’re excited to come back and try more options!

I work in fine dining and have a very hard time separating myself from that enough to enjoy a nice night out at another restaurant; Ella’s and our server Laura knocked it out of the park! Not only was the food delicious and the portions generous, but Laura was so knowledgeable and welcoming. I asked her for a couple different tastes of wine to see what I’d like better with dinner and she came over telling me really cool facts about the wine that I didn’t know. It was so nice to chit chat about wine with her. And on top of all that, she made our anniversary dinner so special. Highly recommend asking for Laura if you come here! With so many restaurants opening up every week in town and you never know how good they really are, this is definitely one that we’ll be coming back to.

Excellent food and service. I’ve never had so many cutlery swap outs before. After the appetizer we got a new fork and knife, after the salad we got a new fork and knife, after the main course we got a new fork, knife and spoon for dessert. It was really neat how they came through and swapped it all out between every course. Top notch service!! Recently ate at Luogo’s and this by far was a much much better experience.

Tonight was our first time dining at Ella's. Very upbeat and easy going atmosphere for a night out. Our server was exceptional (Savannah). My husband and I had a filet special. The filet was sitting on mashed potatoes and broccolini. It also came with a special sauce. It was my favorite steak dinner I've had in Nashville and I am a local Nashvillian. We also had the mozzarella sticks and potato croquettes. All were delicious. The dessert was great. It was a signature dessert- coconut pecan cake. It was enough to feed 4-6 people but it was so good that I had half of it myself. We will definitely go back and tell others to try this restaurant.

Ella’s on 2nd delivered an absolutely amazing family dinner last night~Jay was hands-down one of the best servers in Nashville: empty dishes and glasses disappeared instantly, and his personality kept the whole table laughing and engaged. The menu selection is outstanding, and the family-style dining makes everything even better. Fried meatballs, chicken parm, and that coconut cake… chef’s kiss 🤌 Can’t say enough good things~already looking forward to our next visit.

Amy McCarthy

Ella’s on 2nd delivered an absolutely amazing family dinner last night~Jay was hands-down one of the best servers in Nashville: empty dishes and glasses disappeared instantly, and his personality kept the whole table laughing and engaged. The menu selection is outstanding, and the family-style dining makes everything even better. Fried meatballs, chicken parm, and that coconut cake… chef’s kiss 🤌 Can’t say enough good things~already looking forward to our next visit.

Alley Warner

I work in fine dining and have a very hard time separating myself from that enough to enjoy a nice night out at another restaurant; Ella’s and our server Laura knocked it out of the park! Not only was the food delicious and the portions generous, but Laura was so knowledgeable and welcoming. I asked her for a couple different tastes of wine to see what I’d like better with dinner and she came over telling me really cool facts about the wine that I didn’t know. It was so nice to chit chat about wine with her. And on top of all that, she made our anniversary dinner so special. Highly recommend asking for Laura if you come here! With so many restaurants opening up every week in town and you never know how good they really are, this is definitely one that we’ll be coming back to.

Margie Prather

Tonight was our first time dining at Ella's. Very upbeat and easy going atmosphere for a night out. Our server was exceptional (Savannah). My husband and I had a filet special. The filet was sitting on mashed potatoes and broccolini. It also came with a special sauce. It was my favorite steak dinner I've had in Nashville and I am a local Nashvillian. We also had the mozzarella sticks and potato croquettes. All were delicious. The dessert was great. It was a signature dessert- coconut pecan cake. It was enough to feed 4-6 people but it was so good that I had half of it myself. We will definitely go back and tell others to try this restaurant.

We had a nice meal at Ella's this evening. The atmosphere is very clean, white and almost sterile like (too many) modern establishments. Service was good but a bit mechanical almost. The food was all prepared quite well. The cheesesticks are HUGE! and the red sauce is pretty tasty. The shrimp scampi had a touch of heat from some Calabrian chili that was a nice touch, my only complaint is that it should come with some additional bread to sop up the sauce. The mushroom pie was thin and crispy and the toppings were superb. My porkchop dish was very well balanced and the potato croquettes (not sure how traditonally Italian) were delicious and soaked up the gravy. The Key Lime Pie dessert cocktail was very fun. The coconut-pecan cake was big (too big) and while not bad it was a little too sweet; I suspect in my be outsourced. Overall a good meal and we had a nice time.

+6

The atmosphere is upscale and the food is delicious. Lots of thought goes into every detail including how the napkins are folded. The service was fast and friendly with everyone working as a team to ensure that the experience was good.

Food was ok. My chicken parm was severely overcooked. Didn’t have time for our outstanding waiter Jay to get us another one. Mozzarella sticks were cold on the inside. However…their 8hr slow cooked sauce is divine. Would return and try another dish with that sauce. Did not eat the chicken parm, but there was enough pasta for me not to leave hungry and it was delicious.

Went for our honeymoon. They brought out bubbly for a congratulations and then charged us for it. And we didnt ask. Thought it was just a going the extra mile thing that they did. But they gave us the cake for free and we asked for it.🤔🤷🏼‍♀️

+2

fun low key place. server at dinner was excellent ! food was good i just ordered the wrong thing but my friend loved his salmon we go back again

Good food and service, had reservations and seated fast, great atmosphere in restaurant, server was very friendly, had two great appetizers, the shrimp and fresh made mozzarella sticks, both were amazing, very good tastes and the fresh mozzarella was a great touch, unfortunately the last appetizer of eggplant was not good at all, tasted overcooked and old : let the server know and he took it off check , thank you, my friends had the salmon and both enjoyed it, service and atmosphere was five stars as well as most of the food , hope to be back again, thank you.

TikTok led us here for the dining experience. We made reservations in advance but arrived early and were pleasantly seated 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The restaurant’s ambiance was perfect for a date night, offering an intimate setting with dim lighting. Our waiter was fantastic—despite managing multiple tables, he remained attentive to our requests and needs. For appetizers, we started with mozzarella sticks and steak fries. Both came out hot, fresh, and satisfying, easing our hunger. For the main course: • Chicken Rigatoni and Ragu: 6.5/10 • Lemon Ravioli with Salmon: 7.5/10 The pasta was clearly Italian-inspired, featuring al dente noodles and a bright lemon zest. The salmon was seared to perfection on both sides, complementing the dish beautifully. Though we were too full for dessert, our waiter surprised us with a rich dark chocolate fudge cake with strawberries and whipped cream in celebration of our friend’s engagement. The tiramisu also seemed like a popular choice—nearly every table had one! Pro tip: Valet parking is recommended. It’s $10 after applying the restaurant’s discount code. We’re not locals, but the area seems to offer some exciting nightlife options nearby—definitely worth exploring after dinner!

Came for dinner in between CMA events and was pleasantly surprised. The House made cheese sticks were amazing. The lemon Ravioli with Salmon special was cooked to perfection with a perfect crunch on the Salmon and the perfect amount of lemon to not overpower the other flavors in this dish.

Carlos Leon

Ella’s on the floor level of the Hyatt Centric is a good option if you’re in the area or staying at the hotel. I ordered the chicken parm, which is my favorite plate in general, and it was a large portion. The taste was a bit different than what I am used to, more of a smokey taste but it was good nonetheless. Had the tiramisu for dessert and all portions were very large!

Christopher Cada

Came for dinner in between CMA events and was pleasantly surprised. The House made cheese sticks were amazing. The lemon Ravioli with Salmon special was cooked to perfection with a perfect crunch on the Salmon and the perfect amount of lemon to not overpower the other flavors in this dish.

Ted Faulkner

We had a nice meal at Ella's this evening. The atmosphere is very clean, white and almost sterile like (too many) modern establishments. Service was good but a bit mechanical almost. The food was all prepared quite well. The cheesesticks are HUGE! and the red sauce is pretty tasty. The shrimp scampi had a touch of heat from some Calabrian chili that was a nice touch, my only complaint is that it should come with some additional bread to sop up the sauce. The mushroom pie was thin and crispy and the toppings were superb. My porkchop dish was very well balanced and the potato croquettes (not sure how traditonally Italian) were delicious and soaked up the gravy. The Key Lime Pie dessert cocktail was very fun. The coconut-pecan cake was big (too big) and while not bad it was a little too sweet; I suspect in my be outsourced. Overall a good meal and we had a nice time.

Bri Gee

TikTok led us here for the dining experience. We made reservations in advance but arrived early and were pleasantly seated 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The restaurant’s ambiance was perfect for a date night, offering an intimate setting with dim lighting. Our waiter was fantastic—despite managing multiple tables, he remained attentive to our requests and needs. For appetizers, we started with mozzarella sticks and steak fries. Both came out hot, fresh, and satisfying, easing our hunger. For the main course: • Chicken Rigatoni and Ragu: 6.5/10 • Lemon Ravioli with Salmon: 7.5/10 The pasta was clearly Italian-inspired, featuring al dente noodles and a bright lemon zest. The salmon was seared to perfection on both sides, complementing the dish beautifully. Though we were too full for dessert, our waiter surprised us with a rich dark chocolate fudge cake with strawberries and whipped cream in celebration of our friend’s engagement. The tiramisu also seemed like a popular choice—nearly every table had one! Pro tip: Valet parking is recommended. It’s $10 after applying the restaurant’s discount code. We’re not locals, but the area seems to offer some exciting nightlife options nearby—definitely worth exploring after dinner!

Ella’s on the floor level of the Hyatt Centric is a good option if you’re in the area or staying at the hotel. I ordered the chicken parm, which is my favorite plate in general, and it was a large portion. The taste was a bit different than what I am used to, more of a smokey taste but it was good nonetheless. Had the tiramisu for dessert and all portions were very large!

The fam and I went last night for a special meal before heading to the Symphony. Unfortunately, all 5 of us decided the food was just average and none of us would order what we got a second time. The food was pretty and all... the taste didn't stand up to the visual. For example... the chicken parm had a thick breading (almost as thick as the chicken) and the spagetti was there... the salmon piccata was flavorful but underwhelming... the veal milanese was overcooked and like jerky in spots... the rigatoni with chicken was okay but the pasta was over cooked and fell apart when you tried to pick up a piece. Overall - the server was awesome. The atmosphere was solidly good. But we don't plan to be back - I expected better for a $300 meal.

Place looks nice. Food is nothing special. Maybe a step above Olive Garden which was very disappointing at the price point. Portions were decent though. Cocktails were good.

First time in Nashville. My sister took us here on our final night, I have no idea who the celebrity chef is honestly and was unsure about eating here. Should have went with my gut. Service was excellent by the way, our server was very friendly and offered us suggestions of local places to visit. The food though...it was definitely a miss. Not worth all that money and I thought the sauce in one of the pasta was too salty. Very underwhelming. My entire family thought the same thing. The restaurant inside was beautiful and all but I left feeling empty. Later that night we went and got food to go elsewhere.

Sub par restaurant trying to disguise as a ‘chic’ restaurant. While the decor and ambiance is cute, the service and food was severely lacking. I had the chicken Caprese Chicken Sandwich, bread and sauce on the side. When it came, there was no pesto aioli. I asked the server if I could get it, and he brought me Sriracha aioli. I also asked for mustard and he said ‘let me check to see if we have mustard’, which I thought was odd because they are a hotel restaurant with burgers on the menu so they should have mustard. It came in packets. For this nice of a restaurant they should at least have dijon or put it in a better presentation. Other issues like ordering Orange Juice but never got it (wasn’t charged for it so the server must have forgotten). I am being picky with my review because for a nice restaurant that has 4+ star review, I think it’s lacking in a lot of areas. If you are staying in the hotel then it’s a fine option, but don’t waste the time or money otherwise.

Mixed feelings about this place. Had a wonderful lunch here. The food was amazing. Went for some coffee and then the tomato bisque, turkey sub and antipasto salad. The food was absolutely lovely and that in itself was 5/5. Unfortunately the lady who served us was terrible. She brought us over some water and left it for us. Not bothered to even pour it in the glass (we were the only 2 people in the restaurant). She then got inpatient with us and said “I’m still waiting” (as in to take our order). She brought all our food over at the same time despite even asking us if we wanted the soup and sub separately (which we did) So by the time we finished the soup, the fries and sub were cold and soggy. She stood around with her hands in her pockets doing nothing, chatting away while completely neglecting to take any finished plates off our table. The whole image was just terrible. It was worse than it sounds. Compared to the outstanding service in Nashville. This was disappointing and we really resented even tipping her.

Traveling from Chicago, I dined here by myself a few weeks ago while staying at the hotel for a conference I had nearby. It was convenient as it is a part of the hotel, just off the main lobby. After a full day of meetings I stopped by at the bar for a nightcap and a small bite. I was greeted by a woman, I forget her name, it started with a G. She was a bit rude, even though I introduced myself with a warm greeting. I then asked her to make me a not-so complicated cocktail. I watched her make it multiple times as she appeared to not really know what she was doing. She seemed frustrated which made it a bit awkward. She brought it to me and it just wasn't right. I get uncomfortable complaining but the tall brunette bartender she was working with (I believe Joey) saw that I visibly did not like the drink. He was extremely kind and made me a new one, which was so thoughtful and attentive! It was a small gesture but honestly made the experience much better. You can tell he really knows what he’s doing behind the bar and cares about the guest experience. Five stars to him. Also, the mozzarella sticks are amazing. I wish I could have tried more of the food but it was a bit late.

Went here for Valentine’s Day with a friend couple. The kitchen is disorganized, my steak tasted like chalk. They were sold out of the burrata and NY strip on Valentine’s Day at 730pm. I hate to say it but I’m not coming back. Waitress was nice but being blunt food sucked and the wait time was worse.

Our group was here for a work conference and wanted a sit down meal together so we made reservations as it was close to our hotel and had good reviews. We were required to use a credit card for the reservation, and only had the option for outdoor seating. When we arrived we discovered there was no lighting, ambiance or heating outdoors for the colder temps so asked to be seated indoors. We were told we could seat ourselves in the bar area and would receive full service but all tables had reservations. We sat for over 10 minutes before someone came and dropped menus to say “I’ll let you look at these and I’ll be back”, had to ask for water. Our food was overall pretty good. However we had to ask for bread, and only received enough for half of the table to get a single piece. No drink refills offered etc. And when we left 1.5 hours later at least 6 of those “reserved” tables were still empty. I would not recommend this place.

Giving three stars across the board. Our waiter, Jay, was ok. Occasionally, he would ask if we needed anything or if everything was ok…but he definitely didn’t wait for us both to respond. He wasn’t attentive even before they were “busy”. Our food was ok, the salad was not even close to what was described after asked about. Both appetizers that we tried were “OK”. My husband’s Chicken Parmesan wasn’t at all hot when it came to the table . My fig/goat cheese pizza was delicious…I would definitely eat that again. I mentioned our distaste for the evening to the manager on our way out and she seemed pretty flippant about it. For $180+ for a meal for two this should have been a much better experience.

My daughter recommended this place because she had enjoyed a wonderful meal at Christian’s book signing. My friend and I were so excited to try this restaurant because you cant find good Italian food in Nashville. My friend and I enjoyed everything Except our waitress Laura was horrible. I eat out often, I was in the food business, and I am not a picky customer. Her attitude from the time we sat down till the receipt was undesirably. She had an annoying attitude every time we said something . It could even be a compliment. We didn’t complain once about the food . All we did was compliment it. We got the feeling she didn’t like out of towners but little did she know we live in Franklin. She put a damper on our evening because of her bad attitude. Dinners aren’t not cheap these days. The parking was another issue. We got charged for parking in the hotel which the restaurant affiliated with . All other hotels in Nashville give you free parking and a few hours to eat when dining at the restaurant in the hotel. Christian has a great place with amazing food but needs to get better help and accommodate his clients with free parking for a two hours .

Zab Eton

My wife and I visited Nashville for few days, and wanted an Italian dinner. We saw the good reviews for this place and decided to give it a go. Trust me, Nashville has a lot of options. We were really disappointed. I was expecting more from this restaurant. The service was great. No complaints there. However, the food was not good at all, just average. The eggplant and pasta, both were salty! My chicken parm was better, not good. The wine was good. The size is big, which is good, depending your appetite. The prices are acceptable. I’m sorry to say I do not recommend it, and I will not be back.

Aaron Carlton

Went here for a birthday party with friends and family. The location is easy to find, and there’s a parking garage directly overhead if you prefer to self-park. We paid $25 for our time there. They also offer valet parking for $25, but I believe the restaurant can validate it down to $10. We had a reservation and they had our table ready. When they took the reservation, they also asked for a card to charge in case you have to cancel within 24 hours of the reservation, it is a $25 per person charge for cancelling within that window. Fair policy. The atmosphere was very nice. Warmly lit, comfortable, and a great setting for a group dinner. The food was excellent all the way around, easily a 10/10. We especially loved the arugula salad, pork chops, and desserts. Where things fell short was the service. Our server was slow to take our order and seemed somewhat disengaged. At one point he called me “buddy,” which I did not appreciate as it’s a personal pet peeve of mine and just unprofessional in general. When it came time to settle up, we were told that checks could only be split three ways, which made things inconvenient for a larger group. Maybe that’s a limitation of their system, but it still left a poor impression and would have been nice to know from the beginning. What also didn’t sit well was the automatic gratuity. For our group of seven, a 20% tip was automatically added on food and beverages before tax. When our server mentioned it, he referred to it as a “17% tip included,” which felt misleading and disingenuous. All that said, the food and atmosphere were wonderful, and I’d definitely give the restaurant another try in hopes of a better service experience next time.

Went here for a birthday party with friends and family. The location is easy to find, and there’s a parking garage directly overhead if you prefer to self-park. We paid $25 for our time there. They also offer valet parking for $25, but I believe the restaurant can validate it down to $10. We had a reservation and they had our table ready. When they took the reservation, they also asked for a card to charge in case you have to cancel within 24 hours of the reservation, it is a $25 per person charge for cancelling within that window. Fair policy. The atmosphere was very nice. Warmly lit, comfortable, and a great setting for a group dinner. The food was excellent all the way around, easily a 10/10. We especially loved the arugula salad, pork chops, and desserts. Where things fell short was the service. Our server was slow to take our order and seemed somewhat disengaged. At one point he called me “buddy,” which I did not appreciate as it’s a personal pet peeve of mine and just unprofessional in general. When it came time to settle up, we were told that checks could only be split three ways, which made things inconvenient for a larger group. Maybe that’s a limitation of their system, but it still left a poor impression and would have been nice to know from the beginning. What also didn’t sit well was the automatic gratuity. For our group of seven, a 20% tip was automatically added on food and beverages before tax. When our server mentioned it, he referred to it as a “17% tip included,” which felt misleading and disingenuous. All that said, the food and atmosphere were wonderful, and I’d definitely give the restaurant another try in hopes of a better service experience next time.

+1

My wife and I visited Nashville for few days, and wanted an Italian dinner. We saw the good reviews for this place and decided to give it a go. Trust me, Nashville has a lot of options. We were really disappointed. I was expecting more from this restaurant. The service was great. No complaints there. However, the food was not good at all, just average. The eggplant and pasta, both were salty! My chicken parm was better, not good. The wine was good. The size is big, which is good, depending your appetite. The prices are acceptable. I’m sorry to say I do not recommend it, and I will not be back.

Marina Distefano

My daughter recommended this place because she had enjoyed a wonderful meal at Christian’s book signing. My friend and I were so excited to try this restaurant because you cant find good Italian food in Nashville. My friend and I enjoyed everything Except our waitress Laura was horrible. I eat out often, I was in the food business, and I am not a picky customer. Her attitude from the time we sat down till the receipt was undesirably. She had an annoying attitude every time we said something . It could even be a compliment. We didn’t complain once about the food . All we did was compliment it. We got the feeling she didn’t like out of towners but little did she know we live in Franklin. She put a damper on our evening because of her bad attitude. Dinners aren’t not cheap these days. The parking was another issue. We got charged for parking in the hotel which the restaurant affiliated with . All other hotels in Nashville give you free parking and a few hours to eat when dining at the restaurant in the hotel. Christian has a great place with amazing food but needs to get better help and accommodate his clients with free parking for a two hours .

Nice to see celebrity chefs opening restaurants outside of the typical NYC-LA-Vegas markets. Ella's is housed in a beautiful open space on the 1st floor of a hotel in a lively part of Nashville. The service was excellent as our server was engaged, attentive and polite. Food...ummm....well....Chef Christian...let's just say that if you were judging the food on one of the many Food Network shows you make an appearance on, strong chance that you'd have a lot of criticisms. Somebody would've gotten "chopped" or sent home. I think the best word for the food was flavorless. There was almost no flavor from any of the multiple courses we tried. Even the dessert was tasteless. How do you pull that off? If you go for drinks and people watching, Ella's can be your spot. If you're going for the food....good luck!

I’m not too impressed with the food and the prices. The place is definitely over priced for no reason. The portion can be improved. Valet is $20/hr. The only saving Grace is customer service and location. 2/5 stars

I went early on Sunday morning before my family woke up, just by myself. I stood at the front for quite a while before someone came to greet me. The hostess told me there would be a 15-minute wait and put me on the waitlist, even though the restaurant was only less than half full. My waitlist number showed as #1. Out of curiosity, I checked online and saw plenty of immediate reservation slots available, including one just 5 minutes later. I booked that spot and mentioned it to her, but she said I would still have to wait 15 minutes even with a reservation. Strangely, when a larger group walked in, she seated me right away—perhaps to avoid it looking discriminatory. Once I was seated, my server was wonderful and the food was excellent. But the initial experience with the hostess made me think twice about recommending this place to others for a relaxing Sunday morning. It felt like you have to strategize how to be seated promptly, which takes away from the enjoyment.

The restaurant provided our group with a check that had the subtotal and a line for a tip. We tipped appropriately resulting around 79 dollars for the tip. When we asked for an itemized receipt for reimbursement, we later discovered there was an automatic 20% gratuity resulting in us tipping a total of 140$ on a 30$ meal. This was very deceptive and I would NOT recommend eating here

Very little positive to be said about our experience at Ella's. We were seated on time for our reservation - a reservation we definitely didn't need since only 2 other tables were occupied. We got the mozzarella sticks to start. They're way too thick - the ratio of cheese is just too much. We got the vodka sauce and chicken parm as mains and shared the pepperoni and hot honey pizza. The vodka sauce was good but the chopped basil was bitter and threw the whole dish off. The pasta shape for this dish is giant - nothing like something I've had before. The chicken parm was hardly a cutlet - way too thick. It's a huge piece of chicken with an alright flavor, but the thickness takes it away from being chicken parm. The marinara sauce on the occupying spaghetti is not good - like the vodka sauce it had one element that was off-putting. The pizza was gross - globbed on cheese atop floppy crust. They did give us a free chocolate tart dessert for a birthday we were celebrating. It was very good - the best part of the meal. Service was okay. Other tables that ordered after us got their food first. Our waiter kept our waters full but was slow to check in on us, clear plates, and bring the bill. He was friendly enough though - one of the other waiters seemed much better. I wouldn't recommend Ella's whatsoever.

Lane

Very little positive to be said about our experience at Ella's. We were seated on time for our reservation - a reservation we definitely didn't need since only 2 other tables were occupied. We got the mozzarella sticks to start. They're way too thick - the ratio of cheese is just too much. We got the vodka sauce and chicken parm as mains and shared the pepperoni and hot honey pizza. The vodka sauce was good but the chopped basil was bitter and threw the whole dish off. The pasta shape for this dish is giant - nothing like something I've had before. The chicken parm was hardly a cutlet - way too thick. It's a huge piece of chicken with an alright flavor, but the thickness takes it away from being chicken parm. The marinara sauce on the occupying spaghetti is not good - like the vodka sauce it had one element that was off-putting. The pizza was gross - globbed on cheese atop floppy crust. They did give us a free chocolate tart dessert for a birthday we were celebrating. It was very good - the best part of the meal. Service was okay. Other tables that ordered after us got their food first. Our waiter kept our waters full but was slow to check in on us, clear plates, and bring the bill. He was friendly enough though - one of the other waiters seemed much better. I wouldn't recommend Ella's whatsoever.

I recently dined at Ella’s by Christian petroni this past weekend. The ambiance and reputation I planned on leaving with a Wow experience. Unfortunately, the experience was underwhelming. While the service was impeccable – attentive, friendly, and prompt – the food completely missed the mark. For a mid-to-high-end establishment, I expected flavors that would excite the palate, but what I got was the opposite. The pizza we got for an appetizer was cold/floppy and lacked any real depth of flavor, almost as if it had been sitting under a heat lamp for too long. The main course, a pork scarpariello was equally disappointing – the meat was PRE-CUT into little cubes which I thought was extremely odd, even thought waitress told me bone in ! Some of those pre cut cubes were tough/chewy and almost felt raw, while some of the pieces felt over cooked and dry and the accompanying croquets were bland and unseasoned and the scarpariello sauce was absolute flavorless. The entire meal felt lackluster and uninspired, leaving me questioning how a restaurant with such high reviews and a celebrity “Chef” could let something as important as flavor slip through the cracks. It was a shame, because the atmosphere and service were fantastic, but ultimately, I came for the food – and that’s where the experience fell flat. I don’t think I’ll be returning anytime soon unless they significantly improve their kitchen

Made a reservation for 4 at 7:30. Showed up on time and were told that our table would be another 30 mins. They asked us to sit at the bar area, which we reluctantly did. This shouldn’t happen with a reservation. It is not the same dining experience sitting in the bar. Food was ok, nothing exceptional however. Waitress was nice but was probably handling too many tables.

Spaghetti and clams was way too salty and smelled old. Risotto with black truffles had no seasoning at all and was cold. Tiramisu has not good, not sweet. Never got the second drink order. We won't go back.

The day we went, the food was extremely disappointing — the only decent thing was the risotto. The pizza arrived cold and hard, and the red sauce on both the pizza and the pasta tasted straight out of a can, with zero preparation. The waiter who attended us from the moment we arrived at 8 p.m. kept insisting multiple times that they were “about to close,” even though the kitchen closes at 9 p.m. When the rest of our group joined the table, he didn’t even bother to offer them a drink. I would never go back — both the food and the service were terrible.

Server did not want to split checks even after maximum consumption of $750 for party of 12. Asked to place a to go order 1 hr before leaving to avoid having to wait when Asking him about to go order he says “ I forgot to send the order” said it would not take longer than 5 minutes , I let him know it was fine as long as no longer than time said.20 minutes go by and I ask about order he than days “the kitchen was closed its not my fault “ . Said he couldn't do anything about it .tall chuby man with the beard . Not the best customer service for the place. He also messed our order up and had one us wait another 15 minutes to get the food

We had a very disappointing experience. We originally made a reservation for 15 people, but a day in advance and again on the same day, we notified the restaurant that our party would be 12 people instead. Despite this, we were still forced to meet a $700 minimum spend, with no flexibility whatsoever. On top of that, we were told that the check could only be split into a maximum of 6 payments, which is completely unreasonable for a party of 12. There is no logical explanation for why the bill couldn’t be split per person or at least more evenly. Because of these rigid policies, we were forced to order items we didn’t want or need, including bottles of wine and extra food when we were already full, just to reach the required minimum. This created frustration and took away from what should have been an enjoyable experience. The food may be good, but the lack of flexibility and poor handling of group reservations completely overshadowed it. We would not return and do not recommend this place for large parties

You get better food at a fast food restaurant, save the money and go elsewhere. The food was cold, the chicken Parmesan was about an inch and a half thick and had all the personality of a deep fried piece of leather smothered in tomato sauce straight from the can. This is not cuisine. It’s not even food.

Leslie Cosme (Leli)

Super disappointed in the food quality. The Caesar salad was literally just iceberg lettuce with dressing that had no flavor at all. It did not taste like Caesar—very plain and more like sour cream. After trying it, we didn’t eat the salads. We ordered two salads at $14 each, and spending nearly $30 on something we couldn’t eat is ridiculous. The pizza was also extremely overpriced. For $22, it was about the size of a small to medium Domino’s pizza and had very little flavor. The tomato sauce tasted spoiled, like it had gone bad, which made it completely unappetizing. Overall, the food was not worth the price at all. I expected much better quality from a restaurant in a Hyatt hotel. Very disappointing.

Super disappointed in the food quality. The Caesar salad was literally just iceberg lettuce with dressing that had no flavor at all. It did not taste like Caesar—very plain and more like sour cream. After trying it, we didn’t eat the salads. We ordered two salads at $14 each, and spending nearly $30 on something we couldn’t eat is ridiculous. The pizza was also extremely overpriced. For $22, it was about the size of a small to medium Domino’s pizza and had very little flavor. The tomato sauce tasted spoiled, like it had gone bad, which made it completely unappetizing. Overall, the food was not worth the price at all. I expected much better quality from a restaurant in a Hyatt hotel. Very disappointing.