Spirit Elephant

  4.7 – 799 reviews   • Vegan restaurant

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Spirit Elephant is Chicago’s destination for elevated plant-based dining offering a warm, beautiful, full-service restaurant with globally inspired vegan cuisine and refined cocktails. Named Best Plant-Based Menu by the Chicago Tribune, Spirit Elephant is known for its elegant ambiance, thoughtful hospitality, and vibrant, satisfying dishes. Located just minutes north of Chicago in Winnetka.

Relaxed, greenery-filled spot for seasonal, plant-based fare with global influences & cocktails.

✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out Spirit Elephant 60093

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Order and Reservations

Reservations: spiritelephantrestaurant.comtripleseat.comopentable.com

spiritelephantrestaurant.com

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Reviews

Sushil
An Amazing Valentine’s Date at Spirit Elephant
We spent our Valentine’s Day at Spirit Elephant, and it was the perfect choice for a special date night. From the atmosphere to the menu, everything was excellent and truly amazing.
The Highlights
• Culti Wings (Garlic Parmesan): These were a standout! The garlic parmesan flavor was rich and savory, and the texture was spot on. Easily some of the best wings we’ve had.
• The Salad: Fresh, crisp, and a great balance to the bolder flavors of the meal.
• Non-Alcoholic Margaritas: We opted for the mocktails, and they did not disappoint. They were refreshing, zesty, and felt just as celebratory as a classic cocktail.
The Verdict
The food was top-tier and the service made our Valentine’s date feel truly special. If you’re looking for a spot that proves plant-based dining can be elevated and delicious, this is it. 10/10 experience!
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Megan
The food was incredible, we got half sweet chili and half bbq cauliflower as an appetizer and those were some of the best cauliflower wings I’ve ever had (vegan for 10 years) The BLT was super good! Our server was very attentive and kind (I believe her name was Sandra) and the restaurant itself had a great vibe, beautiful plant walls! Will definitely be back again and again!
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Karianna Cooper
We hosted our baby shower at Spirit Elephant, and it was truly perfect from start to finish! I could not be more grateful for the incredible experience.

A huge shoutout to Morgan, our event coordinator, who went above and beyond for us. She made the entire planning process feel effortless from helping us thoughtfully create the menu, finalize the floor plan, and making sure every detail aligned with our vision. On the day of the event, she was phenomenal. Calm, organized, and genuinely caring, she ensured everything ran seamlessly so we could simply enjoy celebrating with our loved ones.

The restaurant team working our event were equally wonderful. They were so kind, attentive, and warm with every one of our family and friends. We received so many compliments on the food, service and the atmosphere.

The food was delicious, the space was beautiful, and the whole experience was perfect. We can’t recommend Spirit Elephant enough for any special occasion. Thank you for helping make our baby shower unforgettable!
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Przemyslaw Wisniewski
We came here for my sister’s birthday last week.

First off, let’s just start by saying the name of this spot is incredibly creative—it sets the tone for the entire experience. If you are even remotely considering coming here, let me be clear: YOU NEED TO TRY THIS PLACE! When you first walk in and look at the menu, it can be a bit overwhelming and honestly a little confusing at first glance. You’ll see a massive variety ranging from “crab cakes” to hearty chicken sandwiches and spicy chorizo. However, the absolute kicker—and the reason you’ll be shocked—is that nothing is made with animal products. It is all 100% vegan! Despite being entirely plant-based, the food is nothing short of fantastic.

The Standout Dishes
The Chorizo: This was a total highlight. The seasoning is spot on, providing that perfect kick of spice you expect from traditional chorizo without any of the grease.

The Fries: These are game-changers. They are extremely crispy, and I’ll go on the record saying they are actually better than McDonald’s fries.

The Chicken Sandwich: If I hadn’t known better, I truly couldn’t tell this wasn’t made of real chicken. The texture and breading were flawless.

Crab Cakes: They use a genius combination of hearts of palm and artichokes to mimic the flaky texture of seafood. While mine could have used maybe one extra minute in the fryer for a bit more crunch, the flavors were authentic and delicious.

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings: These were another big win—perfectly sauced and a great way to start the meal.

The Overall Experience
One of the best things about eating here is the “feel-good” factor. You will get incredibly full because the portions are generous, but you don’t leave feeling heavy or bloated. Everything feels very “clean” and high-quality.

And please, do not skip dessert! The sweets are out of this world. The Whoopie Pie was a personal favorite—it was so creamy and decadent that it’s hard to believe it’s vegan. I will definitely be coming back here again and again. Whether you are a dedicated vegan or a total meat-eater, this place will blow your mind.
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Michael Telesky
Had an amazing lunch today at Spirit Elephant. Started with a delicious mushroom soup, followed by the best buffalo chicken egg rolls I’ve had. Main course was a double smash impossible burger with garlic aioli and Gouda cheese. I was stuffed, but I miss carrot cake so when I saw it on the menu I had to order it. Hands down the best carrot cake vegan or not! I should add, service was outstanding, from being greeted immediately when I walked in, water service and Sandra, my server it was top notch amazing service.
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Jason Rodriguez
This was not my first time at Spirit Elephant and it will not be my last. The food was amazing as always. We had New England Crab Cakes, Mango Toro Tuna Stack, Rigatoni Alla Vodka, and Cast-Iron Tenderloin, Macallan Scotch Flight and a Blood Mary. Everything was delicious! The Tuna Stack and Tenderloin were outstanding – I can go on and on. Our server was pleasant and made the experience even better. My only complaint is that I didn’t have room for dessert. If you’re considering this place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or happy hour – do yourself a favor and drop in.
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Don Walling
We only make it to the Chicago area once per year, but spirit elephant is a must-see every time. The selection of vegan dishes is amazing. Our favorites on the most recent visit were the spring rolls, Southwest salad, rigatoni, strawberry cake and carrot cake.
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J L
My girlfriend and I have been wanting to try this place for quite some time, but live south of Chicago.

Today we had our chance. We ordered through DoorDash, and the order was accurate, and everything was delicious.

Because of our location AND our shared anticipation, we decided to get three things off of the brunch menu: the Breakfast Burrito, Ranchero Skillet, and Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich.

The Breakfast Burrito was rolled tightly, and you could see all of the different fresh ingredients before devouring. It was cut in half, making consumption and sharing convenient. We chose to have this made with Just Egg, but tofu is an option as well. The food had a little spice to it, which I loved, but my partner, who is more sensitive to spice, focused her attention on other items.

Such as… her favorite, which was the Ranchero Skillet. This was made with scrambled tofu, chorizo, ranchero sauce, and an assortment of other toppings (e.g., peppers, onion, avocado, tortilla strips). Each spoonful consisted of an array of flavors comparable to a sophisticated burrito bowl(?).

The Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich was a little sloppy but in the most endearing way. The chicken was tender and not at all chewy, unlike anything I had ever had previously, with delicious breading all around the outside. Presumably this is something they make in house. This came with coleslaw on the sandwich, and the pickles were so fresh they still looked like cucumbers (i.e., not like store bought pickles typically found in restaurants). We passed the sandwich this and forth until it was gone.

There are different sides to choose from, from which we chose fries and the crispy potatoes. Both were good and the crispy potatoes are a nice alternative to more basic forms of potatoes that are often served in restaurants with breakfast foods.

We hope to visit in person in the near future and try more of the items from their menus. I’m sure it’s all great.
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Kyle Eckles
In my 10 years of vegan is this is hands down the best most complete vegan restaurant experience I’ve ever had! Granted I haven’t been to eleven park but I cannot imagine it can be a level above this. Nothing was anything less than perfect. Although I think my favorite items were the egg nog cocktail and the cesear salad. I need to eat a pound of that cesear a day I think.
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Maria Diaz
Spirit Elephant is the best!
I love the cauliflower wings and don’t miss out on the Forbidden Bowl! Everything I’ve had here has been delicious! I love that it’s right around the corner from me. Could I be luckier?

The atmosphere is upscale, you can have conversations but nothing feels too loud – not the music, not the other people around us – it feels like we’re the only ones – even though the restaurant is packed!

This is the best local spot, even for non-locals. It’s worth the drive.

I highly recommend Spirit Elephant!
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