Restaurant in New York City, United States
Book it if tasting menus bore you.
Ilis is Mads Refslund's Nordic-American tasting menu restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, ranked #61 on OAD North America 2025 and Esquire's #1 Best New Restaurant in 2023. The four- and seven-course menus rotate with the seasons, drawing on regional sourcing for dishes that run earthy and precise rather than rich. Booking is relatively easy for Manhattan fine dining, with dinner service Tuesday through Saturday.
Yes — if you want a fine dining experience that diverges from Manhattan's French-leaning tasting menu circuit, Ilis is worth the trip to Greenpoint. Chef Mads Refslund's Nordic-American cooking, set inside a moody warehouse on Green Street, earned the #1 spot on Esquire's Leading New Restaurants list in 2023 and has since climbed to #61 on Opinionated About Dining's North America ranking in 2025. For a celebration dinner that doesn't feel like a repeat of everywhere else, this is a strong choice.
The format is structured around choice at two levels: a four-course menu (Terra or Flora) or a seven-course menu, with optional add-ons including market vegetables, caviar, or tuna done two ways. The kitchen leans heavily on sourcing from nearby regions, which means what's on the plate shifts with the seasons. Dishes like Spanish mackerel, lobster, squab, and duck represent the protein range, while grilled mushrooms with black garlic and a goat cheese yogurt with carrot granita illustrate the restrained, produce-driven approach that defines the cooking here. Flavor profiles tend toward earthy, clean, and precise rather than rich or sauce-heavy — closer to what you'd expect from a Scandinavian kitchen than a New York tasting room.
Because the menu rotates with the market and seasonal sourcing, timing your visit matters. Autumn and early winter tend to favor game-forward dishes , squab and duck are more likely to appear during these months. Spring and summer shift the balance toward lighter proteins, shellfish, and the Flora menu's vegetable-driven options. If you have a preference between the two menus, it's worth checking in with the restaurant closer to your booking date to understand what's currently anchoring each course. The seven-course format gives you the widest cross-section of the kitchen's range, and for a special occasion, it's the better investment.
The dining room itself , a large, warehouse-scale space with an eco-conscious fit-out , is better suited to a celebratory dinner than an intimate date where proximity matters. The atmosphere is moody and deliberate, not loud and social. Wine is handled by Wine Director Steven Flores and Sommelier Jason Santiago, with a list of 885 selections and 2,800 bottles in inventory. The program covers Champagne, Burgundy, Germany, Italy, and California at $$$ pricing, with a $75 corkage fee if you bring your own. For a special occasion pairing, the depth is there.
Ilis is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner only (5:30–10 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30–11 pm Friday and Saturday). Sunday and Monday are closed. Cuisine pricing sits at $$$, meaning a typical two-course meal runs $66 or more before beverages and tip. Budget accordingly for the seven-course with wine pairing , this is a full-evening commitment at fine dining prices.
Booking is rated Easy, meaning you don't need to plan months out the way you would for Atomix or Masa. That said, for weekend dinners and special occasions, reserve at least two to three weeks ahead. Google reviews sit at 4.5 across 235 ratings, which is a solid signal for consistency.
If you're comparing Ilis against other Nordic-influenced or produce-driven destinations across the country, the closest analogues include Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg and Lazy Bear in San Francisco for the same commitment to regional sourcing and tasting menu structure. For more on dining in New York, see our full New York City restaurants guide.
Quick reference: Dinner only, Tue–Sat from 5:30 pm; $$$; 150 Green St, Brooklyn; booking is Easy; wine list 885 selections at $$$ pricing; $75 corkage.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilis | Easy | — | |
| Le Bernardin | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Masa | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Ilis measures up.
Book at least 3 to 4 weeks out, more for Friday and Saturday. Ilis operates Tuesday through Saturday for dinner only, which limits availability significantly. With an OAD Top 61 North America ranking in 2025 and no lunch service, demand is concentrated into a narrow window each week. Check Resy or the restaurant's booking platform early in the month.
The venue data does not confirm a walk-in bar dining option. Ilis is a structured fine dining operation in a warehouse-scale space in Greenpoint — the format centres on pre-booked table sittings with a four- or seven-course menu. Assume a reservation is required rather than counting on counter availability.
Atomix in Midtown is the closest comparison in ambition and format — both offer multi-course tasting menus built around a non-French culinary tradition, both rank on OAD's North America list, and both price at $$$+. Eleven Madison Park is the choice if you want a longer, more theatrical experience with a plant-based focus. For French-rooted precision at the top of the market, Le Bernardin or Per Se are the standard — but neither offers the same Nordic-inflected produce-driven cooking that defines Ilis.
Ilis does not serve lunch — dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday, from 5:30 pm. There is no choice to make here. If your schedule only allows a weekend visit, Friday and Saturday run until 11 pm, giving more flexibility than the weeknight 10 pm close.
The warehouse setting and Esquire's No. 1 Best New Restaurant (2023) recognition suggest Ilis can handle larger parties in a way that many tasting counter formats cannot. That said, the structured menu format — four or seven courses with limited options per course — suits groups that are aligned on the fine dining format. Mixed groups where some diners want flexibility may find the fixed progression frustrating. Confirm group booking policies directly with the restaurant.
It works for solo diners who are comfortable with a multi-course dinner format and a $$$+ price point without a companion to split the experience. The moody warehouse atmosphere is social without being loud, and the structured menu removes the pressure of ordering decisions. If solo bar dining is your preference, this may not be the right fit — see the bar question above.
The venue's own description points to an eco-chic aesthetic in a warehouse space — the dress expectation aligns with that: considered but not formal. A jacket is not required, but showing up in athleisure at a $$$+ OAD-ranked restaurant would be out of place. Think smart casual with some intention behind it.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
