elda

Visiting Maine for the first time and coming from the mid south, Elda was the most spectacular opener. The food was incredibly exciting. I’ve had the privilege of splurging on many fine dining foods both nationally and internationally. I do believe this was the most creative tasting menu I’ve had without relying on any bells and whistles. I mean, extracted oil from foraged cherrywood?! The staff were wonderful. The chef and his wife frequently came to the table to present their uniquely crafted dishes. She even provided us a mini list of recommendations for stopovers on our vacation. If anything, the only negative to this experience is that it may have spoiled us a little too early on in our vacation as nothing else will compare. Look forward to coming back as it seems from the review photos that their menu frequently changes.

We just visited Maine to experience Elda and it was incredible!! Our whole group was blown away by every bite in our 13+ courses. The head chef literally forages for the unique farm to table ingredients and sources only the best seafood and meats locally and internationally. Every course is so creative, thoughtfully prepared, perfectly balanced and beautifully presented. My daughter who doesn’t like mushrooms absolutely LOVED their Lobster and Hen of the Woods Mushrooms - they were so freaking delicious! The location and decor is amazing and the attentive service was fantastic. We all really enjoyed the thoughtful descriptions of each course! I highly recommend anyone who is a foodie on the East Coast to experience Elda. The wine or juice pairing is also fantastic and totally worth it! And it’s a small restaurant, so make reservations early to ensure your spot!

A truly wonderful culinary experience! Travel through several small courses which include local produce with a Japanese flair. A variety of foraged delectables were added to the dishes; ramps, nettles and sea herbs. Beautifully prepared and presented, art for all your senses.

Absolutely out of this world dining experience. Everything was perfect. I had smoked bluefish, cured fluke, grilled pork and torrent with pear roasted in honey. Will be back... So often. Please just go here. You will not regret it.

2022:Elda moved to a new location on the second floor of an old mill on Main street in Biddeford. It is spacious and the tables are well spaced out for the pandemic time dining. The food was innovative and interesting, but I was not as blown away by it as the first time we ate at Elda in 2019. 17 course tasting menu was $540 for two people with a juice pairing. Juice pairing was a mistake, I did not like the flavors. 2019:Outstanding! Elda has two dining options: a four course dinner or selections from the bar menu. In the four course option we had a choice of pork or fish, and desert chocolate or not chocolate. The first course consisted of three cold appetizers and three warm appertizers. This was not a choice, you got them all. Each one was absolutely delicious: scallop, oyster, nori, jonah crab in an egg, uni. Next was cod stew, I did not know it was possible to make this humble fish taste so good. The main entre was pork and carrots. Again, outstanding. Desert was my least favorite part of the meal, I did not care for the salted strawberries. Excellent meal, we will be back. Parking is a little tricky, as we were leaving I noticed a sign for public parking sign pointing to the street on the opposite side.

Every single thing about Elda was amazing. The ambiance, the service, and the FOOD was unbelievable! My friend and I were legitimately dancing at our table cause everything was so good! You can tell that everything was made with care and love! Do yourself a favor and go there!

2022: We came back tonight for the first time since COVID started. They've moved to a new location, they are in an old mill now. The format has changed also. They now serve a prix fixe tasting menu. We had a 17 course meal. It's a great experience. The one thing we don't recommend is the juice pairings. We aren't drinkers so we didn't take the wine paring. As an alternative they offer a pairing of juices and infusions. Neither of us liked the juices. Portland has been ground zero for an explosion of great restaurants, it's now extended to Biddeford. I've eaten at Chef Brown's previous restaurant in Salt Lakes City, Forage. Forage was considered to be the best restaurant in SLC but Elda is much better. Elda is a very small restaurant and from it's appearance you wouldn't expect anything special but you would be wrong. Elda is one of the best restaurants in the region and that's saying a lot because this part of Maine has the best restaurants on the East Coast. It's a prix fixe four course meal but that's a little misleading because the first course is really five courses. We loved everything. The food was very innovative and terrifically prepared.

Do not miss! Gorgeous food. pri fix $64 pp, 4+ course changes daily. Exceptional blend of flavors. Open kitchen, cozy seating and atmosphere with impressive service. Reservations a must for this incredible dining experience.