Arco Cafe & Lounge — Local services in Savannah

AN ABSOLUTE MUST-VISIT FOR ANY SAVANNAH VISITOR OR LOCAL

First and foremost, WOW! My wife and I just wrapped up our honeymoon trip to Savannah - a city we've frequented over recent years. With such a significant trip, we wanted to try a few new restaurants and bars that we either hadn't visited in the past or that were newer, at least to our knowledge. Arco was at the top of our list since we tend to enjoy tapas restaurants and the decor looked beautiful.

We made a reservation for 7:30pm, arrived at 7:00pm, and sat immediately without hesitation or issue. Admittedly, only one other couple was sitting in the restaurant at the time, so we would've been surprised otherwise.

Alex was our server and he was an uber-pleasant SCAD student who, you could see, took great pride in his waiting and personability. He made some great recommendations that guided our order and everything we had was stunning. Cocktails listed on their menu, off-menu classic espresso martinis, burrata with fantastic bread, filet mignon, and grilled shrimp highlighted our order.

Sincerely, everything was flawless. Menu, vibes, service. Top. To. Bottom. Perfection.

Genuinely, we struggled to return to our bed and breakfast and chat with the hotel manager about the location, because (being that it was so slow) we were unsure if Arco was a hidden gem, or if it was just due to more of an 'off-season' in Savannah. And now, we are yearning for Arco to be busy enough to where they become/remain a Savannah [and River Street] STAPLE, but we also - selfishly - always want the 'exclusive' experience we had to remain.

All of this to say, if you're visiting Savannah and enjoy a well-decorated cocktail lounge with great plates and apps, Arco needs to be at the top...

Skip it.

Very pretty place, ambience is very nice. Quiet and romantic vibe. This place would be a good first date place. However, I would stick to cocktails. My friend and I ordered a taste of a Rosé and Pinot Grigio that was by the glass so that we could determine which bottle of the wine we liked so we could order that and the waitress seemed to think that was odd and had an attitude the rest of the night. We got the charcuterie board and Burrata appetizer. The charcuterie plate had two small pieces of prosciutto and a good portion of cheese but none of the cheese had any flavor. The weirdest thing about the whole board was the fact that I counted 42 crackers on the plate- it was insane. No sauces, I requested stone ground mustard or some kind of jam if available and they told me they had ketchup. Like what??? Burrata itself was good but the bread served with it was too salty to eat. Tapas menu- is actually full sized plates. My friend got the steak and it was perfectly cooked but so salty she ate two bites. I ordered bass and the fish was delicious but the spinach risotto was bland. Honestly everything would have been a million times better if our waitress paid a ounce of attention to us. The plates just sat at our table for 30 minutes after we finished and were never cleared. I also kept standing up to find her so that we could pay. The only in person complaint I expressed when she came back was I said “why are there so many crackers and no meat when it says meat and cheese”, blank stare along with “people like extra crackers”. Worst dining experience of our whole trip. Price would be reasonable if the service was better, about...

Fantastic and underrated. Arco wasn't on our radar, and we happened to find it by chance as we walked down Bay Street. We decided to circle back for drinks before heading elsewhere for dinner, but we ended up staying for a couple of hours and dining in.

Drinks. The drinks are phenomenal, and the bartender Kayleigh (Kaylee?) was an absolute professional and delight to talk to throughout the night. I had two drinks, including a smoked old fashioned and found both to be expertly done. My wife had an el Diablo and loved it. Overall, the selection of spirits is excellent, and the mixology is on point.

Food. We didn't expect to eat dinner here, but two girls sitting at the bar recommended the steak and crab cake. So, naturally, we ordered both of those meals. Full disclaimer, the "Tapas" category is a misnomer. You do receive full sized entrees. The steak was superb, cooked to a perfect medium rare and paired with a house chimichurri sauce. The crab cakes were hefty and much more crab than filler (and we live in MD, so we know crab cakes). Also worth noting, this place has brunch, and the brunch menu is impressive.

Service. Perfect. Kayleigh already got a shoutout above. One of the other servers/hosts is from the UK, but we didn't catch his name. He was a delight to talk with and had a great sense of humor. The chef absolutely crushed it, and everything was expertly prepared. I can't say enough positive things about our experience.

TLDR: This is your spot for food and drinks during your next outing...