Lyla Lila — Restaurant in Atlanta

I wish I could give this place a galaxy, because five stars isn’t enough. I love food. I’ve eaten a lot of food from all over the world. I married into an Italian family with a wife and a mother-in-law who can both cook really well. I grew up with a mom who is a great cook in a Baptist church full of great cooks. So I don’t say this lightly when I say this is the best meal I have ever eaten in my entire life. My wife and I went here for our fifth anniversary (woot!). The ambiance was perfect. Low light, but enough to comfortably see. Good taste of music, but not so loud you can’t carry on a conversation. Everything was timed perfectly. Hilary, our waitress, was a gem. Ask your servers for suggestions and listen to what they tell you. You will not be disappointed. We started the evening with some cocktails. I had the Fist of Fury (amazing!) and my wife had the Sunrise Strategy (probably amazing if you’re into that sort of thing). My drink was perfect. The flavor, the balance, the presentation…perfect. We moved on to the cold smoked scallops, suggested by Hilary. They were the perfect way to start the meal. Tender, flavorful, fresh, perfectly seasoned, and served with a delightfully crispy pane carasau. The Thai basil aioli was exactly what they needed. They did not disappoint. Next, we moved on to the main course. We ordered the Crispy Duck lasagna, the wagyu beef and black truffle ravioli, and the snapper in squash. We ordered the appetizer portion of the pasta dishes and I highly recommend doing so. The lasagna is a monster of a dish. I asked Hilary about the portions and she said the full size is a brick. She wasn’t kidding. If you would have held it up to a standard red brick, the lasagna would probably have been bigger. It’s 13 layers and then it’s flash fried so ALL THE EDGES ARE CRISPY! The layers were so thin and delicate and perfect. The carrot purée was silky smooth and packed full of flavor. It was unbelievable. The ravioli was a perfect bite. I’ve never had ravioli this good. The Parmesan hit my mouth first and I honestly could have just eaten that and been happy. But the ravioli itself was outstanding. My wife’s dish of the snapper was arguably the best seafood dish I’ve ever had. The fish was flakey and cooked perfectly. The lemon-crab butter was perfectly balanced with just the right amount of lemon. I don’t like pesto but I could have eaten a bowl of the basil-pistachio pesto they put on top. Truly and unbelievable dish (thanks again, Hilary). Finally, we had dessert. We ordered the chocolate mousse cake and the tiramisu. Oh. My. Goodness. The cake was really good. A little rich for me, but perfect for my wife and still delicious. The tiramisu was other-worldly. The balance of flavors was spot on. The cream was perfectly creamy, the coffee was noticeable but not overpowering, and the ladyfingers were magically not soggy. Every single bite was as good, if not better, than the last. Our dinner at Lyla Lila (pronounced lie-luh lie-luh, so you don’t have to ask your server) was truly an unforgettable experience. We were extravagant because we were celebrating, so it was expensive. But you could easily go and have a delicious entree at a very reasonable price. Reservations are strongly recommended. Give them a try. You will not be...

I've had my eye on Lyla Lila for a couple of months and my boyfriend and I finally came here for our anniversary last week! It was a very lovely time.

Drinks: For drinks, my boyfriend got the Virtual Insanity cocktail and I got the Disco Dancer cocktail. I tried his drink and didn't really like it, but I loved mine. Since we were celebrating an occasion, they even gave us each a complementary glass of wine to toast one another with and this was a very thoughtful surprise! My boyfriend thought he heard our waitress say "to toast your birthday" as she put down the wine glasses but I could have sworn she said "happy anniversary" (more on this later) so that was a funny topic of discussion. My drink was incredibly strong and full of flavor and I enjoyed it a lot.

Food: For our appetizers, we got the Buffalo Mozzarella Peaches and the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio. I did not like the Wagyu that much (mostly a texture thing for me- flavor was good though) but I really loved the Peaches. Both were presented very nicely as well. For our main entrées, we ordered the Cappelletti Ravioli with Buffalo Mozzarella, Wagyu Beef and Black Truffle Ravioli, and the Crispy Duck Lasagna. Everything was just absolutely delicious, but my favorite would have to be the Wagyu Beef Black Truffle Ravioli. I was so impressed with how packed each dish was with flavor. Each dish has such interesting combinations of flavors that worked so incredibly well together. For dessert, we got the Lemon Cheesecake and it was the best cheesecake I've ever had in my life. It was so good that I would go back just to order an entire cheesecake to take with me.

Service: Our server was kind but slightly forgetful. There were multiple occasions where she would take our order and then come back a minute or two later to ask us what we wanted again. She did seem very knowledgeable on the menu though and tried to be helpful once we mentioned to her that it was our first time there. Before she brought the cheesecake to our table, I noticed her scrambling around with it for a bit before bringing it to us, and then realized that she was looking for a candle lighter. When she brought the cake to our table, there was a birthday candle next to the cake and when she put it down she said "happy birthday". This made my boyfriend and I chuckle because we both said "thank you" since it was neither of our birthdays LOL. We didn't care much about this and had a good laugh, but it did make me wonder if she had properly read the note about it being our anniversary when we originally made our reservation. Overall, I just assumed that she may have been a little tired or had a long day but it did not ruin our dinner experience or make it any less enjoyable.

Atmosphere: Lyla Lila has a gorgeous and romantic interior. We went in the evening so the lights were dimmed and there is a candle lit at every table. Although it is not the largest space, I feel as though they do a phenomenal job spacing the tables out so that each table has a good amount of space and you don't feel like other tables can hear your conversation. The bar is also beautiful.

Overall, Lyla Lila is a beautiful restaurant with delicious food. I would love to come back...

If you’re looking for an amazing restaurant experience in Atlanta, look no further than Lyla Lila. My fiancé and I went for a special date night on Saturday night, and we were excited to try this new restaurant. We were about 20 minutes early for our reservation but were immediately sat by a warm, welcoming hostess at a beautiful corner booth in front of a large window with great views. Our waitress, Dione, greeted us within moments of sitting down. We got waters and ordered the bread with house butter, wildflower honey, and black pepper. We also ordered the beet and blackberry salad with baby fennel, green coriander, and smoked ricotta. The butter that came with the bread was fluffy and had a subtle sweetness that was delicious paired with the soft bread. The beet salad was the stuff dreams are made of. The blackberries were tart and fresh, and the earthiness of the beets were complemented perfectly by the smoked ricotta. For our main courses, my fiancé ordered the chef’s signature “cacio e pepe” with tagliolini, four peppercorns, parmigiano, and pecorino romano, and I ordered the smoked pork rack with molasses, polenta, crispy mushrooms, and hearth onion. His dish was simple in appearance, but not simple in flavor! The peppery pasta was buttery, rich, and filling. My pork dish was the best pork I’ve ever tasted. It was succulent and cooked to perfection. Every bite was tender and delicious, and the mushrooms and onions added sweetness and texture. The sauce on the plate was so smooth and rich, and there was the perfect amount of it for every bite of pork. We both cleaned our plates! While we ate, we noticed the ambiance of the restaurant. Everything down to the gray stoneware dishes and heavy silverware to the crisp linens to the style elements of the booth and the surrounding decor with the simplicity of the candlelight contributed to an overall sense of refinement and elegance while still feeling modern and inviting. We also noticed how everyone who worked there clearly cared and were quick and attentive. Our waitress, Dione, in particular was the best waitress we’ve ever had. She was personable and kind, proactive in asking us what we needed and keeping our drinks full. She was polite and friendly and was so good at anticipating our needs, we joked that she was reading our minds! When it was time for dessert, we ordered the tiramisu, and it’s good that we ordered one to split because it was huge! The tiramisu was light and fluffy and the perfect balance of sweetness and coffee flavor. I am a professional pastry chef, and I couldn’t find a single thing wrong with it. Best tiramisu I’ve ever had. We also had coffee with our dessert, and it was a seriously good cup, freshly brewed and strong. Every moment of our dinner was magical and perfect, aided by the wonderful food and the remarkable staff. We will definitely...