Anticipated German Village-area restaurant from owners of Roy’s Avenue Supper Club opening this summer

Brûléed milk bread, porcini pate, and smoked chili oil; photo via Isla's Instagram

The moment Columbus foodies have collectively been waiting on for years is almost here.

Chef Andrew Smith, mastermind behind the private, tasting-menu focused dinners, called Roy’s Avenue Supper Club is expecting to open the anticipated Merion Village restaurant this summer, called Isla, with his wife, Devoney Mills. Isla will be located at 116 Moler St., right next to Jennings Java, and is expected to open towards the end of next month, pending inspections.

When first announced, Isla was initially going to be located in the Hilltop area of Broad St. “The buildout was going to take awhile though,” explained Smith. “It didn’t match up with our timeline.” Many of Smith’s private clients live in the German Village and Merion Village, and he’s excited to be part of the other surrounding concepts. “Law Bird, Agni, Cobra – we feel like it’s a good part of town to be in right now,” Smith emphasized.

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If you know anything about Chef Smith’s other concept, Roy’s Avenue Supper Club, you know that his expertise is in creating upscale, coursed tasting menus. Isla will be an extension of that. It will be open for reservation only dining service on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays only, with a seating capacity of 14 at 6:00 and another 14 people at 7:30, overlapping each other by a course of two. “But no one is obligated to leave,” Smith explained. Your seat is your seat for the entire evening if you want to stick around for more drinks.

*Isla is located at 116 E. Moler St. in Merion Village and expected to open in late June. Photo courtesy of Chef Smith.*

The tasting menu will be 7-8 courses, all decided by what’s in season that month or even week. “The best way I can describe it is, ‘We just want to cook the things we want to eat and we hope other people like it,’” said Smith. With tasting menus, Smith is excited to experiment with different items and to create less waste in his restaurant. While a vegan menu won’t be available, the chefs can accommodate pescetarian and vegetarian diets with a 72 hour notice, as well as any allergies.

A wine pairing option won’t be available, but they’re teaming up with local aficionados to create fine wines that will change with the menu. Cocktails will be available too, but specifically ones that complement the food.

Outside of the W/F/S dinner service, a “Chef’s Counter” seating will be available on Thursdays, offering a more intimate way of dining. At a higher price point, you’ll be able to see the chefs making specialized dishes for you. On the other evenings, expect chef collaborations, cooking classes, private pirates, and even brunch “every once in a while.”

Chef Smith went to culinary school in Portland, working at restaurants there before moving to Columbus to be closer to family. We’re excited he’s here, bringing an upscale and unique dining experience to Columbus.

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