The Table Bistro — Restaurant in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

Husband and I have a wonderful time whenever we visit The Table Bistro. Our most recent visit was on a Wednesday afternoon around 12pm, so we knew we were hitting the lunch rush. When we were seated, we were immediately warned that the kitchen was running about 45 minutes behind. I appreciated the upfront warning and let her know we were happy to wait. The food has always been worth the wait. Husband always gets the same thing: the coconut and macadamia crusted fish over a bed of rice ($15). I’ve enjoyed the fish, but have also liked the crabbed stuffed salmon over rice ($19,) the flounder almondine over rice ($16,) and a mushroom stuffed dish that I don’t think is on the menu anymore. Whenever the food come, my first thought is always how pretty it is. The presentation is top notch. No food is ever leftover on our plates. The seating area is fairly small. There is one unisex bathroom, but has always been clean and tidy. There’s a changing table, which I appreciate, but will likely never bring one of my babies here. I’ve always managed to find a parking spot, but I can see if getting filled up easily. The hours aren’t long, so I would suggest calling to check beforehand. Regardless of any inconveniences to dine here, I don’t hesitate to highly recommend going and thoroughly...

The Table Bistro has a wonderful variety of very fresh and beautifully prepared dishes for lunch and dinner. My husband and I have had lunch and dinner there and are very impressed with the quality of the food and the friendly service. I must have gluten-free and dairy-free cuisine, which is often a problem when eating out; but the owner was very happy to meet my needs by altering the preparation of some of the dishes (many of which were already gluten-free, but required modification to make them dairy-free). She then also asked for suggestions of dishes that I would like for them to add to the menu...and, in fact, when we returned a few weeks later they had added more gluten-free options to their menu! The prices are reasonable and there is an appealing variety of menu items; my husband really likes the blackened wasabi mahi-mahi sandwich and I am a fan of the Chef's salad with grilled salmon or chicken. Next time I plan to try the coconut and macadamia...

It's heartbreaking to say this, but we may not be returning. My family has truly loved this place - it’s been one of our favorite spots in Athens, and we've always made a point to support local businesses. That’s why this experience was especially disappointing.

We had a reservation for 5:30 pm and arrived at 5:39 pm, only to be turned away - 50 minutes before they were supposed to close. Then they shut the door in front of us and flipped the CLOSED sign right in our faces. It was incredibly disheartening, especially since this dinner was meant to be special as we were saying goodbye to a senior friend relocating out of Athens.

We’ve always respected and appreciated this restaurant, but this felt extremely disrespectful...