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Essence Restaurant + Bar, Elkhart, IN

Essence Restaurant + Bar

4.9
4.9
396 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Great for fine wines
A culinary playground centered around unwavering hospitality and creatively curated cuisine, wine and spirits.

Welcome home.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (574) 327-6143
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Juan Rodriguez

What 396 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.8Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Indiana

    Best Overall

  • Indiana

    Best Food

  • Indiana

    Best Service

  • Indiana

    Best Ambiance

  • Indiana

    Best Value

  • Indiana

    Innovative

  • Indiana

    American

  • South Bend

    Best Overall

  • South Bend

    Best Food

  • South Bend

    Best Service

  • South Bend

    Best Ambiance

  • South Bend

    Best Value

  • South Bend

    Healthy

  • South Bend

    Hot spot

  • South Bend

    Neighborhood gem

  • South Bend

    Great for fine wines

  • South Bend

    Romantic

  • South Bend

    Good for special occasions

  • South Bend

    Lively

  • South Bend

    American

  • South Bend

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Essence Restaurant + Bar offers an extraordinary dining experience in Elkhart. Guests rave about its "phenomenal food" and "exceptional service," with owner Brad personally ensuring each visit is memorable. The menu features creative dishes like wild boar and Iberico pork, complemented by a "welcoming atmosphere" and a "graceful ambiance," perfect for special occasions.

396 Reviews
  1. Greg

    Houston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We took my daughter and son-in-law for a birthday celebration dinner. She was greeted with a handwritten card at her place. That set the tone for an evening of outstanding food and service! The appetizers, entrees and desserts were all delicious and memorable. We highly recommend and we will return soon!

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  2. Greg

    Indiana

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another great meal at Essence! I started with a special margarita, the Fresno. Flavorful and a great spice to it. My wife opted for a glass of a nice champagne from Brut. The bread was hot and fresh, the salad was delicious and we were already enjoying a great level of friendly service from Chelsea! She made the whole evening fun while ensuring all of our dining needs were met. My wife had the Short Rib braised in a delicious red wine. Flavorful, tender, and accompanied by perfect side dishes. I opted for the Linguine al Limone and it was fantastic as well. The housemade linguine was cooked to a perfect al dente condition, the scallops were expertly finished and the sauce was a perfect compliment without overpowering the flavors of the shrimp, scallops and lobster. We finished the meal with a great rendition of a carrot cake and a chocolate and cherry presentation that was as beautiful as it was delicious. Besides enjoying fabulous food, the ambiance is hard to beat as we enjoyed the glow of the fireplace, a energetic but not noisy dining area, and a warm welcoming staff from beginning to end. They go the extra mile with little touches of personal connection and attention. The owner is ever present and visited us several times over the course of our meal to checkin with us. The head chef and his team always do an amazing job with a constantly evolving menu. It is easy to see why they just got a four diamond rating from Triple A! We can't wait until our next visit.

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  3. James

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is undeniably one of the best restaurants I have visited. Brad is an exceptional proprietor and has the a professional and quite knowledgeable staff. We always save this spot for a special occasion and they make us feel as if we are the only people in the restaurant. The food is exceptional in quality and presentation. The menu rotates so you are always going to experience something unique and exciting. Thank you to everyone at Essence for making our anniversary night a truly memorable experience.

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  4. Coletin

    Indiana

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had an amazing night at the Essence & Carissa along with the staff treated us like royalty. They set the standard for hospitality & for amazing food! You won’t be disappointed!

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  5. Paulina

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful place! Wonderful staff! Food was AMAZING! We tried the sweet potato and flautas for starters and both were very good! The sweet potato definitely was a larger portion and more than enough for everyone. Entree wise we ordered 2 filets and 2 waygu burgers. Both were fantastic! The filet was definitely probably the best steak I’ve had in my life, as well as the green beans with bone marrow drizzle. Found our new date night spot and it’s centrally located too right downtown

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  6. Don

    Indiana

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the time we arrived we were treated like family greeted, seated and waited on quickly. Our server Christina was knowledgeable of the menu and answered all questions thoroughly. As always a wonderful dining experience truly a gem for the city of Elkhart.

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  7. J Darrell

    Indiana

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Again this evening was a Master Class in Excellence. My son was intently observing the quality of the service, ambiance, and food as a learning of what excellence looked, sounds and tastes like. He was so pleasantly surprised by the dessert! Thank you all for your continued attention to detail and your hospitality. To see it through my son’s eyes was so rewarding. I trust the staff know how meaningful they make these experiences for us. Deeply grateful.

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  8. Dana

    Indiana

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was great. Service was exceptional. Wonderful evening out.

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  9. Bill

    Naples

    31 reviews

    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding high quality restaurant, excellent and unique meals. A really extensive wine and liquor selection. We’ll be back!!!

    1 person found this helpful

  10. mayra

    Indiana

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Exceptional!!! The atmosphere, the servers, and the services amazing! The food is absolutely phenomenal from taste to detail.

    1 person found this helpful

FAQs

Essence Restaurant + Bar is rated 4.9 stars by 396 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today
Google Map for Essence Restaurant + Bar

333 Nibco Pkwy, Elkhart, IN 46516-3565

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Elkhart
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Executive chef
    Juan Rodriguez
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Vegan, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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