Atlas — Restaurant in Atlanta

A few mistakes were made in the service department but I'd say they absolutely made up for it. I'd rate it 4.5 stars after they made up for it but I really did want the night to go smoothly and perfect to begin with :/

Food was fantastic!! I wish we had ordered even more to go. Portions were just right for the amount of courses. I'd say the "smaller" I ordered ended up being more food than the actual "entree", but other than not finishing that I was perfectly satisfied. I ordered from the vegan menu and everything I had was delicious!

The environment was exactly what we were looking for. I'd personally call it an eclectic posh study with slytherin common room vibes. The only thing I found annoying is that the music did not at all match the vibe. Not even in a fun atypical way. And though I personally liked the music choice, it just wasn't the right puzzle piece for the experience. They were playing beetles and queen type music, so again, music I love but not the vibe I'm personally going for.

Now for the service mishaps. Again, they already made up for it by adjusting the bill which was very kind of them so thank you for that!

1. we went out for my boyfriends milestone birthday and they called earlier to ask if it was a special occasion. I let them know it was. And when we entered and checked in for the reservation he was greeted with a "happy birthday" which was perfect! But when we ordered our dessert, no candle, no happy birthday written, nothing. Just dessert, nothing special about it. I asked the server if there was any "birthday" stuff and he said because my bf couldn't have dairy that they didn't do the happy birthday writing because it's not dairy free ... but they didn't even do the candle which IS dairy free. So it sounded like an excuse to make it seem like he didn't forget. He immediately came out with a dessert with the candle and the writing though which was nice, just wished I did not have to say anything since I had already spoken about it.

2. the second issue (and this one is BIG) is that when they called earlier, they asked about dietary restrictions which was AMAZING for us. We are a couple with unique restrictions so it was very helpful to not have to explain it all at diner. Well when we were sat down, the server asked us our dietary restrictions rather than confirming what was on file. So we were asked twice now and said the same thing as before. And they still brought us food that went against our dietary restrictions 😑 come on guys. We could have had allergic reactions at the restaurant even though we talked in depth about our allergies twice. I was atleast given a vegan menu but my bf was given the regular menu without aaannnyyy guidance as to what didn't have his allergies or options/ideas of what he was able to order. So not only did we have to announce our dietary restrictions when we had done so in private already, we also almost ate what we are allergic to and the only reason we didn't is because I asked if our allergy was in any if the food. They quickly apologized and brought out repeats of the bites we could have, but didn't ask if we preferred some or the others. So to me the entire dietary restriction thing was a whole mess and made it feel like our server didn't pay attention to anything on file or take the initiative to alert the person that brings the starting bites out to switch stuff out to begin with. When the breads were brought out it also seemed like the person wasn't super confident in which had our allergy or not, which is not a big deal at all but it just adds to the situation.

3. This one isn't big. I believe someone was in training since she accidentally came to our table once, and then had to be told what to do and how to handle something a few other times at our table. Normally doesn't bother me but when paying these prices there is a higher level of expectation

Which to be fair, they did adjust the bill without us having to ask, but I would have preferred to pay full price and just have a near perfect and smooth evening for this milestone...

Put on your Sundays Finest if you plan on making a stop to Atlas, as it is one of the most formal experiences in Atlanta.

Valet, which the restraunt validates, is first class and expedient. Upon entry to Atlas, you are met with a very quiet and dark atmosphere, definitely a good place to go if you enjoy privacy and peace.

Beyond the ambiance, I'm here for one thing - the food. I had the chef's tasting menu with a couple of drinks, and here's what I thought.

Amuse - tasty and good quality. You have 3 different flavor profiles to experience and contrast greatly. Nothing too exciting or unique. 5/10

Smoked Eel - cold dish served with caviar and cauliflower. Muted flavors, taste, and texture all combine for a very lackluster opening dish. The flavors didn't work well together and just felt strange. 4/10

Borscht - another cold dish - a red cabbage and pumpernickel soup with a delicate beet and some garnishing. The beet was very soft, and this dish overall had some good flavor. 7/10.

Then some bread service - pretzel roll, potato roll, and brioche roll. Served with hot salted butter. Bread didn't taste overly fresh, but it was heated up. 4/10

Next comes the first big main - the scallop dish. Served with a piece of steamed asparagus and a beetroot dashi, this dish just didn't hit the mark for me. Whatever they top the scallop with gives you an unchewable crunch, with the potential to crack any dental fillings you have. Like little pebbles. The dashi is very muted in flavor.. and the asparagus.. is asparagus. The scallop had a decent sear. 5/10. Flavors just weren't great here.

Next is 'green eggs and ham' with supplemental truffles. Really boring dish, I must say. A soft boiled egg in a forgettable sauce. There's not much else going on flavorwise. The truffles added nothing other than a dent in the bill. 65 extra. 3/10. Flavorless and boring.

Coral grouper - 2 oz piece of white fish, which was expertly seared and cooked. Served with various veggies and split peas. This was one of the better dishes. Good flavors and synergy. 7/10

Squab - you're given the 'whole' pigeon presented 4 ways. A foie gras brioche, whole leg, neck sausage, and breast meat. This one was good if you don't mind bird feet and head on your table. Not common in American cuisine, so it can surprise people. Beyond that, the dish is well executed and each part of the dish was very tasty. 8/10. Good job on this one.

The comes another supplemental - a9 Australian wagyu cap. About 3 oz of rare-cooked meat with various flavor accompaniments. Not bad to try out, but not something I'd get again. Steak was very tender and somewhat chewy in the center. 6/10. Wagyu is just never worth it in my opinion.

Dessert 1 - citrus sorbet with white chocolate powder and raspberry reduction. Decent, muted flavors, light and airy. 5/10.

FM Rocher. Ice cream with a gold coated chocolate shell filled with melted hazelnut chocolate. Like a big Ferrero Rocher candy. Dipping things in gold does not make it taste better. 5/10.

Finally, various treats which are essentially just candy. Kind of a strange assortment at that. 3/10.

Please don't come here if you want to experience the food. It is simply not worth it. The menu feels dated and unimaginative. Prices are very high as well for what you get. Seems like these places tend to think that Michelin star recognition is a license to charge exorbant costs. Many dishes are bland and forgettable. Sorry Freddy, but you gotta step it up. Do some more work in sourcing fresh and local ingredients with a new and imaginative menu. This just feels like the same old same old. Service is fantastic, but that is to be expected.

See you...

This is a very irritating 4 star review. Allow me to explain.

In regards to the food, it's a simple 5/5. The starting finger snacks were the first indicator this was gonna be a meal unlike any I'd ever had. The Parmesan tart was a lot of complex and intricate flavors in a single bite-sized pastry.

After this we were given a "palate cleanser," which is a small glass of what I gathered to be tea (or it perhaps was just tea-like) mixed with mushrooms. Up until today, I detested mushrooms, could never stand them, and after trying that I wanted nothing more than a pitcher of Chef Money's mushroom juice.

The kristal caviar took it up a notch further. I'm not the biggest fan of root vegetables, but the caviar, mixed with the pure and vegetable stalks, not only created a fabulous and satisfying texture, but downright made me forget this is something I wouldn't eat if my mother prepared it. Chef Money taught me that I like a lot of things a lot more than I thought I did.

Next was bread service and a creamy mushroom soup. Again, not really a mushroom person, but again, I was proven wrong. I've never craved mushrooms so badly in my life than when I was at Atlas. And kale as well! Combinations of things I wouldn't ordinarily like, but here they're cooked and prepared in a way that every flavor becomes unique from anything I've had.

The bread service. It's bread. You really can't go wrong.

I think you see a pattern. The food was near flawless. If I were to change one thing in regards to it, I would have preferred the desert end on a lighter note, but the desserts seemed to get heavier. It being my birthday, I received an extra dessert course.

Regardless, my issue was not with the food, nor the service (necessarily). My waitress was very attentive, and I had no issues with her. I tipped her a little extra, she was great.

My issue was with the patron next to our table. Our table that was quite close to his as we shared a booth. Why does this affect the restaurant review?

Because that patron was an "influencer" that will be left unnamed. I'd never heard of him, but apparently his whole shtick is high end restaurant coverage, with an emphasis on Michelin restaurants. The staff knew who he was and that he would be attending. Chef Money came out to his table multiple times to service him personally. Chef Money actually then came over to us after the first time and asked how we were doing. It was pretty easy to tell he frankly did not care what we thought, he was simply being polite. That's all fine and understandable. Not a big deal.

My issue is that every single time he filmed his food, he recorded with the back camera, held away from him. Which meant his bright phone screen was 2 feet from my face every single time. It was also very easy to tell that my girlfriend and I likely ended up in some of the shots unless he cuts out those parts.

Look, this isn't Waffle House. If this was any other restaurant, I literally would not care. But this was a near $1,000 dinner for two. I am not an upper class echelon of society. I'm a working class HVAC tech out for my birthday. This is a once a year occasion for me, and the second most memorable takeaway of the evening was a phone screen lighting me up the whole time.

If the staff knew who he was and what he did, they should have sat him somewhere his TikTok videos would not have detracted from my dinner.

You, a potential consumer reading this. You will not have this experience. I guarantee you will enjoy a wonderful evening at Atlas with zero issue. This is not a reflection of Atlas' food or service. This is just how my evening in particular went due to a very specific set of...