Cafe lllyria
214 E. State St. (map it!)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 227-3330
Open Mon-Fri, 8a-2:30p (bfast served until 10:30a)
Last month for the Dispatch I was off exploring breakfast at the tiny Cafe Illyria downtown. It was my first time there, even though it’s been around for a while, but I knew what to expect, being familiar with their sister location, the Warehouse Cafe. (You can read about my visit to Cafe Illyria in my Columbus Dispatch review.)
Although I don’t have much to share, I had to give you a little peek. After all, Cafe Illyria is a nice little hidden gem downtown, located on the lower floor of a building on State Street. The entire restaurant is one room, including a counter for ordering your breakfast or lunch, plus a small dining room.
Here’s a look at the breakfast menu, which is served until 10:30 a.m., Monday to Friday. You can see, like the Warehouse Cafe, that they have all the basics covered: pancakes, French toast, omelets, breakfast sandwiches.
I sampled a couple house specialties – the Greek omelet and this: the Albanian breakfast plate.
It’s essentially a giant, colorful scramble with eggs, feta, spinach, onion, and tomato, garnished with olives and toast. It’s a hearty and flavorful dish, and showcases their skill at simple but comforting breakfasts.
And it’s hard to beat the subterranean location.
Although you’ll have to schedule a breakfast outing to Cafe Illyria during the week, I think it’s worth putting on your list!
