VELE - (Near Springfield, IL)

5 /5 Brian Camp: Let me just say why, as soon as you walk in? Youre indulged in elegance. The staff is extremely friendly. Theyre very knowledgeable about their dishes and drinks. Drinks was a smoked glass of Rye and Espresso mixed drink. For the Entrée I ordered the seared Halibut, served over a bed of coosgoos, sun-dried tomatoes, and sautéed asparagus. The wife had the seafood spaghetti with squid ink noodles. Both dishes were absolutely Devine. Our server went above and beyond he was absolutely amazing.

1 /5 Guilherme Andrey Martins: My partner and I were really looking forward to trying VELE for the first time, especially because we were celebrating a special day. Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing. We checked online before going, and the restaurant showed that it closed at 10:00 PM. We arrived at 9:00 PM, so we believed we had plenty of time for a normal dinner service. When we walked in, there was no host at the stand for about two minutes. Once someone finally came, we asked for a table for two. She left, and when she returned, she informed us that there were no tables available. The only seating available was at the bar, as the servers had already “closed out” for the night. This was confusing and frustrating - if the restaurant is listed as open until 10:00 PM, guests arriving at 9:00 PM should still be seated normally, especially in a fine-dining establishment. It felt like the staff simply didnt want to take new tables anymore, even though the restaurant was technically open. For a place with such great reviews and a beautiful ambience, we expected a much better welcome, especially on a day that was meaningful to us. Sadly, our first impression was not positive.

5 /5 Andy Odom: Fantastic! The location, being in a strip mall setting, kind of threw me off and lowered my expectations for a "fancy" joint. The service, food quality, food timing, and everything else with the experience far exceeded any kind of expectations. I was on a 1-day work trip at work paid, so I bought extra just to try it out. However, I did have to pay for the smoked old fashioned out of pocket. The presentation and mixture of the old fashion were perfect. Never had a smoked old fashioned but its made for a cool picture.Haaa. Appetizer- Shrimp & Crab cakes - Amazing Eggplant bruschetta - Good quality, but Ill stick to a traditional bruschetta. Entree- Ribeye, Med-rare. Wow, 6/5 stars. Im a steak snob and rarely order a steak from a restaurant these days as I hate paying for disappointment and mediocracy. I grill steak pretty much weekly all year round, and my preferred method is reverse Sear. The cook on this steak was beyond what I can do. Kudos, Mr. Grillmaster. The french fries that come with it or excellent french fries. However, on my next trip back, I will substitute those for mashed. Dessert- I typically dont order desserts, but hey, not on my dime, so I ordered two! -Blooming tiramisu- Again, quality was there, but as for a Tiramisu, I would stick with a traditional. The presentation was awesome, but I didnt know I was getting ice cream. -Cheesecake- That was amazing! Overall, 112 out of 5 stars!

5 /5 Jessica Jordan: Our server was very knowledgeable of the menu and gave great recommendations. I had a tequila cocktail that was Amazing. The oysters were succulent, shrimp/ crab cake was amazing and the salmon was cooked to perfection. I highly recommend this place.

5 /5 Anthony Bucci: The food was top notch. The appetizer were filet bites on Bleu cheese and marscapone orzo pasta with a cherry balsamic reduction. The meat was so tender and flavorful and the pasta added a creamy component to it. It was delightful. I had a wild mushroom campanelle pasta with truffle mushroom cream sauce. It was a rich and decadent pasta. We shared the tiramisu for dessert. The lady fingers were nice and crunchy and the tiramisu was awesome. Our waiter was super friendly and attentive. The restaurant was very cozy and romantic. You do need reservations. The price was a little on the high side but well worth our meal. I really really enjoyed Vele and there arent many places like it in Springfield.