I've been to Ellington's before for dinner in previous visits to Sanibel and never have had a problem. The servers at night are always attentive and accomodating. This year however, I decided to stay on property at the Sanibel Inn and get the full experience Ellington's has to offer. The night was still as I remembered it. The music was great, the service was friendly and professional, and the food was good too. Everything was great, until I walked in for breakfast. The continental breakfast was small and unorganized. I had to look all around for bowls and spoons for the cereal. Confussed at first, I asked an older lady that seemed to be working the breakfast for some help. She snaped back at me and pointed to the spoons and said she would go and get more bowls. I was so embarassed by the way she spoke to me, I couldn't dare tell her that I would like some coffee and there was none left in the coffee warmer. She came back up with the bowls, I thanked her, and she didn't even as much say "your welcome" or "no problem", she just rolled her eyes and walked away. Still needing my morning cup of coffee, and not wanting to get yelled at, I waited to see if anyone else was going to ask. Coffee arrived about 6 minutes later, but was so weak that I couldn't even drink it. All in all, if you want a good breakfast during your stay on Sanibel, go to the Lighthouse Cafe. If you are looking for a great dinner, then go to Ellington's.

I live south of Sanibel in Naples, Florida and welcome *any* opportunity to enjoy Ellington's. Two splendid opportunities came up for me in December: A family dinner, and then a return for dinner chez Ellington's before a show at Schoolhouse Theatre. On both occasions, it was the music that pushed the Ellington's experience to the top of the list labelled Great Night Out.

Ellington's decor suggests a neatly maintained '70s haunt. But it's a welcoming atmosphere thanks to sophisticated staff. One might imagine just barely missing the removal of hanging ferns cum macrame and ceiling hooks in the bar. And there's appropriately dim lighting for a jazz club, white table cloths, an intimate, handwritten placard on the table ("reserved for the "(name)" party), and a parquet dancefloor set 1930's style in front of the musicians. But without the Euro smoke. The menu is cleverly written. Ask the waitstaff for a laser light to read, if you don't carry a personal one. I noticed that the room temperature was comfortable each time, too. In southwest Florida, restaurant temps range inversely with the temp outside / The hotter it gets outside, the more frigid the inside dining room will be. Didn't have to use the Restaurant Sweater that's standard eqmt in most southwest FL cars, including mine.

But Ahhh the music. Definitely not pandering to the usual 'safe" MidWest suburban taste. This is jazz at its classical and egalitarian best . Rhythms for the arhythmic as well as for any natural musicians ; beats for the wise as well as the unHip; weird timing, riffs, and drum solos along with less ethereal yet lovely lovesongs. The Sinoff Quartet performed during my December visits. My 80-something Mom made sure the 20-something Sinoff pianist signed his CD for her as we reluctantly headed out at the end of the set.

On my second visit, curtain time kept me from staying for a whole set. But I was unexpectedly compensated by knowing that I shared the dining room that evening with Dave Brubeck himself. The maitre d' discretely signaled this jazz icon's entrance, enveloped by his family. How cool. So this is what Dave Brubeck does for a Great Night Out. He's at Ellington's for dinner and some music with his family - just like I'd decided to do (!) I stole some glances in Mr Brubeck's direction and decided that he may still be wearing his signature big glasses. As if he just came from the photo shoot for his 1954 Time Magazine cover, and didnt notice at all that his hair had turned snow white enroute from the parking lot.

That's the unique & timeless atmosphere offered by Ellington's.

I recommend it!

I was delighted with Ellington's.

While I cannot comment on the meat, which I did not have a chance to try, the fish is cooked to perfection and the recipes are intriguingly creative, yet respectful of the basic taste of high quality fresh fish. I would highly recommend their sea bass, which is the most tender I have tasted in a long time.

Service was punctual, but not overwhelming. It slowed down a bit as the place got crowded, but the personnel kept being thoughtful and charming.

The sophisticated and unintrusive jazz music complements the fine dining. All in all a very positive experience.

When I walked into Ellington’s I was excited. The ambiance and the music were great. The restaurant is set up for formal dining, but they allow a more casual dress. But once we were seated, it all went downhill.

Our waitress rarely came by and we actually had to flag her down a couple of times. At a place as nice as Ellington’s, I expected better service. Our water glasses were filled once and NEVER refilled. I had to catch the attention of our waitress to order another glass of wine. My husband and I had shared an appetizer and a salad, so all of our forks were dirty. Since this wasn’t a buffet, I left my dirty silverware on my appetizer and salad plate. When the main course came, all I had left was a spoon. The waitress sat my plate down and left. Try eating grilled fish with a spoon! Neither my husband nor I could get her back, so he reached over to another table and took a clean fork. He also had to deposit dirty dishes there because they were never picked up. Needless to say, we did not stick around for dessert!

For a formal restaurant, I expected much more. My advice -- eat elsewhere, then go to Ellington’s, sit at the bar and to listen to the great jazz.