Rumi's Kitchen — Restaurant in Sandy Springs

Finally sitting down to write this review after a few days of reflection.

My sweet boyfriend made us a 7:30 reservation for Friday night. We arrived at 7:27, gave our keys to the valet, and opened the door to find a huge crowd of people standing by the door, presumably waiting to be seated. We were so glad we'd made a reservation! We checked in and were told it would just be a minute. We didn't mind, we were just so happy to be out together after a long work week. After a few minutes, a couple of seats opened up at the bar, which we jumped on. We ordered a glass of wine and made sure to stay within eyeshot of the hostess so she didn't miss us in the crowd. We talked and laughed and wondered aloud whether the huge naan above the ovens were just for show. We sipped our wine and perused the menu (neither of us had ever had Persian food before, but we agreed it sounded a lot like Mediterranean, which we love.) Around 8 we did start to wonder if maybe we'd been lost in the shuffle, so my boyfriend went to ask, and we offered to stay and eat at the bar if that was easier. Around 8:15 we were finally seated, a little tipsy and still happy as clams, mind you. Then out of nowhere, the manager, Manny, and at least two servers were at our table setting down dishes of naan and hummus and olives and spiced yogurt, and glasses of champagne. I actually tried to stop them, saying "oh I don't think that's for us-" and Manny stopped me to apologize profusely for having misplaced our name in the list and for how long we had to wait. I was honestly a bit shocked by the grandeur of the apology. We had waited, sure, but we were perfectly happy and understanding about it. We don't get to go out very often - certainly not to such beautiful restaurants - and this was the most incredible dining service either of us had ever experienced. Our waiter - Sameer, maybe? We tried so hard to get his name and just couldn't catch it - doted on us the whole night. He brought us a little jar of spices, and recommended the halibut we had been eyeing. We opted to share the halibut and falafel, after filling up on all of the hummus and yogurt and naan. The halibut came out beautifully plated separately, which was very thoughtful and appreciated- and my god, that halibut. We must have looked crazy to anyone watching. "How did they cook this? Did they marinate it in butter?! I need to know, we have to find out, it's actually melting on my tongue" and so on. It was close to a religious experience. The falafel was also delicious- plated with beet puree and tiny pickled okra? And some kind of delicious tahini sauce, I think. We never had to ask for a thing, Sameer refilled our bread and water before we knew it was low. When we absolutely could not eat another bite, Sameer whisked away what was left, packed it all up in boxes for us, and brought it back in mere moments like a magician. And then showed up again and coyly placed two small plates and two spoons in front of us. We eagerly awaited the final gift, specifically from managers Claudia and Manny- a beautiful, warm, moist cardamom cake with a globe of vanilla ice cream. UGH! We were so full already but obviously couldn't waste such a delicious dessert! So we giggled and ooed and awed over the cake and thanked Sameer profusely. Once we were finished, he brought us the check, and we were, again, stunned- to see that we'd been given an "anniversary/birthday" discount on our meal as well. Did they mistake one of us for a local food critic? Or a celebrity? We'll never know. But two whole days later, I am still thinking about that beautiful dinner. I'll never forget it. Maybe we've all just forgotten what service - truly exceptional service - is like, and what it's meant to do. I think it's meant to make you feel special. To feel seen and cared about. And we did. We're starting a huge new chapter of our life together and this felt like a sign of the luck and abundance to come.

To Manny, Claudia, and the whole Rumi's staff- thank you. We already can't wait...

I’ve been to Rumi’s a few times before this visit. Food has traditionally been very good, and for Mother’s Day, my husband took me & our daughter. He made reservations thinking 4:45 would be slightly ahead of the crowd. He was wrong. When we pulled into the parking lot there were ppl along the entirety of the wall to the left and the entirety of sidewalk (where the door is) on the right.

When we got inside ppl were jam packed around the hostess desk. Every table that I could see had ppl. The lady we ended up standing next to said her reservation was for 4:00. (We arrived at 4:35). Their process for finding ppl and getting them to a table is broken.

I saw there were enough seats at the bar that we could sit and wait for a text. My daughter & I got a Persian Sunset. ($15 ea) It was a little bit sweet for my taste, but good. There were @ least 3 couples having their Mother’s Day dinner at the bar☹️ My phone buzzed to let us know our table was ready (I think we waited about a half hour). Tables were pushed WAY too close together and so were chairs.

They played something that sounded like techno hip hop music 😡the entire time we were there. (HARDLY appropriate, and the constant thud,thud,thud gave me a slight headache). Our server arrived to take our order. We started with Hummusiya it’s basically lamb sausage with hummus. EXCELLENT! And Dolmeh, which is lamb sausage wrapped in grape leaves. It wasn’t served warm or hot like it’s been in the past, but still good. I’d been dreaming of the lamb rack all week after my husband told me where we going but when I ordered it, I was told they weren’t serving it because it takes too long. (Information that you prolly should have taped to your menu beforehand).😡 Based on the server’s recommendation, I got the Chicken Barg ($29) char grilled chicken breast would have been excellent except it arrived to the table warm, NOT hot. I sent it back. When the dish came back it was piping hot, but they put some kind of sweet sauce on it, which ruined it for me. My husband got Saltani (beef kabob) $38, and my daughter got the Chilean Sea Bass ($47) which was excellent. The restaurant was so jam packed I thought to myself “if there was fire, and people needed to get out quickly, a lot of folk won’t make it out”. It was a complete miss for me. Spent A LOT of $$$ to not get what I wanted, waiting, and so-so food. No One wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with strangers and getting beaten up by thumping music on...

Rumi's Kitchen has held a special place in my heart since I moved to Atlanta nearly 20 years ago. I remember the quaint charm of the original location and all the amazing memories I've created there. From first dates (including the one that led to meeting my wife) to countless celebrations, Rumi's has always been my go-to spot for incredible Persian food and a cozy yet elegant ambiance. I’ve even been to all three Georgia locations, and until last night, I would’ve confidently called myself one of their biggest fans.

But last night was a letdown – and not because of the food, which remains as stellar as ever, or the ambiance, which has improved beautifully over the years. It was the experience, specifically the lack of respect for our time, that left a bad taste in my mouth.

I made a reservation over a month ago to celebrate reuniting with some of my closest friends after two years apart. I’ve been living abroad for the last five years, so this dinner was incredibly special to me. I rushed straight from the airport, grabbed my rental car, dropped off my bags at the hotel, and sped through Atlanta traffic to make sure I was on time. I even emphasized punctuality to my guests, knowing how busy Rumi’s gets on a Friday night. We all showed up early, expecting the same respect and consideration we gave the restaurant.

Instead, we were met with excuse after excuse about why we couldn’t be seated. When we finally were, they crammed six of us at a four-person table – not exactly the warm welcome I had hoped for. The managers did their best to smooth things over, bringing free appetizers and offering apologies, but it was clear the root issue was overbooking. No amount of hummus can fix the feeling that our time, and by extension, our patronage, wasn’t valued.

This wasn’t just a one-off hiccup; it felt like a systemic issue of prioritizing capacity over customer experience. Rumi’s, you’ve been a part of my life for two decades, and I know you’re capable of doing better. I hope you take a hard look at how reservations are handled because respect for your customers’ time is just as important as the amazing food you serve.

I still have faith in Rumi’s and will give them another chance because of the great experiences I’ve had over the years. But last night reminded me that even beloved institutions need to keep evolving, not just in food and ambiance, but in how they treat the people who keep...