A new tasting-menu restaurant has opened above the Reedy River in downtown Greenville, and its five-course and eight-course dinners are already turning heads with prices to match the ambition: $125 and $175 a plate. Enlō, located at 170 Riverfront, opened Tuesday as the latest project from a chef who once earned a Michelin star in New York City within six months of opening his own restaurant.
A French-Trained Chef Lands in Greenville
Enlō is the work of Executive Chef Nico Abello, who launched the New York City restaurant L'Appart in 2016 and held onto its Michelin star for six consecutive years, according to the Post and Courier. Abello's path to that acclaim started early: he began culinary school outside Paris at age 15 and apprenticed at the two-Michelin-star restaurant Les Trois Marches in Versailles, per the same account. He joined Table 301 as corporate chef in 2022 after relocating his family to South Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlet reports.
The restaurant's name is itself a family tribute. Enlō is a portmanteau Abello created by combining the names of his two children, Enzo and Milo, according to The Local Palate. Abello and his culinary team reportedly spent months testing other names before settling on one anchored in family, the publication notes. As reported by Greenville Online, the restaurant opened Tuesday as a riverfront tasting-menu destination in downtown Greenville, with photography from Ken Ruinard capturing the space ahead of its debut.
Table 301's Latest Bet on Fine Dining
Enlō is a joint venture between Abello and Table 301 Hospitality, the group founded by Carl Sobocinski that already runs Soby's, CAMP, The Lazy Goat, and The Jones Oyster Co. in Greenville, the Post and Courier reports. The 52-seat space sits above The Lazy Goat and was designed by Rockwell Group in partnership with Table 301 and Abello, featuring hand-finished oak, marble, jewel-toned velvets, and three glass walls overlooking the Reedy River, according to Enlō. The design was meant to recreate the intimate feeling of walking into a Southern home, the restaurant says.
Diners here won't get a printed menu at the table. Instead, guests watch dishes prepared in an open kitchen as part of the five-course or eight-course tasting menus, which come with optional wine or non-alcoholic pairings and rotate monthly, the Post and Courier reports. Chef de Cuisine Kyle Swartzendruber previously cooked at Soby's and The Lazy Goat, while Pastry Chef Lindsay Beck brought experience from other Table 301 properties; the team also includes Sous Chef Jacque Metras and Guest Relations Manager Nikki Voelz, according to Enlō.
Three Years of Sold-Out Pop-Ups Led to This
Before Enlō had a physical address, Abello spent nearly three years testing the concept on Greenville diners through local tasting-menu pop-up dinners, including a guest chef series where one event sold out in eight minutes, per The Local Palate. Those pop-ups let the culinary team gauge interest and refine menu concepts long before committing to a brick-and-mortar build-out, the outlet notes.
The debut menu leans into that experimentation, pairing serious technique with unexpected touches. Dishes include sweet potato brioche with cultured butter, lamb with huckleberry and salsify, and monkfish, alongside playful elements like Dippin' Dots palate cleansers and popcorn worked into pasta, according to Enlō. Despite the elevated price point, Abello has emphasized that he wants guests to feel comfortable rather than intimidated by the fine-dining setting, the Post and Courier reports.
Art, Family Heirlooms Greet Guests at the Door
The entryway sets an intimate tone before the first course even arrives. Painted red, it features a mixed-media installation titled Enlo: 41 Questions by artist Ilka Rasch, which incorporates personal family letters and heirlooms from Abello, according to Enlō. The installation is surrounded by walls lined with curated wine bottles, the restaurant notes.
Riding Greenville's Michelin Momentum
Enlō's opening lands as Greenville's culinary reputation is on the rise. The Michelin Guide hosted its inaugural American South ceremony at Greenville's Peace Center in November 2025, the Post and Courier reports, and local French bistro Scoundrel walked away with a Michelin star during that event. The arrival of a pure tasting-menu concept from a chef with his own Michelin pedigree adds another marker to that momentum, even as Enlō carves out a dining format not previously seen in the local market.
