We had the opportunity to dine at Elise last night and I was blown away by the entire night. The service, the food, the cocktails, the sommelier, the ambiance, the attention to detail! I am very glad we had this new restaurant in ATL, and will be excited to come back and try their tasting menu next time! We tried something from every section of the menu and every single thing was delicious, well balanced, and so flavorful. Bravo team, we will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa M
David was our waiter and he was so accommodating! He worked with the bartender to create a delicious sweet cocktail with bourbon, apricot, vanilla, and other ingredients I can’t remember. We ate the burgers and they were easily the best burgers I’ve eaten ever! The meat was seasoned to perfection, the bun was toasted and soft, the cheese melted, the onions grilled, the lettuce fresh! It really didn’t need ketchup AND the fries were cut, seasoned and fried to perfection! And for 2 meals, it was very affordable! All of the staff were so kind and knowledgeable. Even the host opened the door for us as we departed! Drinks, meal, service, ambience… JUST LOVELY! I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
April Hardeman
We had a fantastic experience at our first visit to Elise. The food and space were lovely however what really made the experience unforgettable was our waitress. She was knowledgeable, personable and professional. Would love to make it back to eat at Elise in the near future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Matt Kibildis
I’ve passed through Atlanta’s airport many times but this was the first time time I’ve had the opportunity to spend any time in the city itself.
Elise has set the bar very high for fine dining in Atlanta, and perhaps anywhere.
The staff was accommodating, knowledgeable, and seemed to really take pride in their service and what they were serving.
I first had the bread service which consisted of a hunk of sourdough bread and cornbread with salty and savory butter. The butter was a perfect texture of soft and spreadable. It’s a wonder that many restaurants still serve cold and hard butter. But alas, Elise triumphs in serving excellent butter in a convenient manner.
For a drink… did I forget to mention that this restaurant has invested in their vermouth selection? For those not aware, this is a greater lower alcohol alternative to standard cocktails but offers a similar if not exceedingly enhanced flavor experience. This is not your roadside liquor store’s Carpano Antica, but instead selections from Spain etc that are often consumed as standalone beverages. In my case, I ordered one that featured a dry Spanish vermouth along with a bit of calvados as well as basque cider for a sublime dry cocktail that could go with anything.
For a main course I had the duck breast, which consisted of perfectly prepared medium rare duck, along with turnips and a fermented blackberry reduction.
I had a feeing I would enjoy this one, especially the reduction, so I saved some bread for it and mopped up it up at the end. Highly recommended.
Finally, I had the pistachio gelato. Admittedly, if I see this on a menu anywhere i order it because I feel like it is the standard for which gelato’s inherent freshness and flavour should be judged. In this instance, it was light, slightly salty, and ultimately satisfying. Awesome stuff.
Overall, I took a chance on this newish restaurant as my first Atlanta restaurant experience and I feel like I’ve started at the top.
Kudos to the Elise team
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rom Papadopoulos
An amazing dining experience. Elise is a jewel in the midtown Atlanta market. Chef Craig Richards is a culinary wizard. We love LylaLila and are loyal to that restaurant, staff and menu but with Elise, Chef Richards has elevated his game to the “stars” in the heaven.
We started off with their “a breeze” portion of the menu - snapper and tuna tartar that was mind blowing in complexity of tastes and textures - hamachi crudo and fluke crudo distinctively different and both again well balanced acidity and earthiness.
We then moved on to the “a touch of sun” menu with an order of the charred, crushed Persian cucumbers with pistachio-chili butter, mint, tahini, pumpkin seed oil - maybe one of the most interesting dishes we have ever enjoyed. Not enough adjectives in the English language to capture the stunning flavors in this elevated dish.
We then shared 2 “twirl and spoon” dishes and 2 “fulfillment” dishes. The first was the tagliatelle with rabbit ragu, taggiasca olives, soffritto, juniper, herbs and the second was Risotto cacio e pepe. Both in their own unique way elevated to the next level of mouthwatering delight.
As for the two “fulfillments” we dined on Snapper, green romesco, preserved tomatoes, avocado, petite herbs and Halibut, fermented field peas, potatoes, butter lettuce, ginger beurre blanc, caviar. The snapper was perfectly prepared and the flavor combinations were exquisite. As for the halibut, perhaps one of the best, if not the best dishes I’ve ever tried. An unexpectedly hearty dish bursting with flavors that reminded me of an elegant Sole meunière but with a meaty, dense halibut cooked perfectly. A must try on any fish lovers list. Extraordinary.
Chris Blackburn, director of hospitality, has the dining room humming with professional, knowledgeable and passionate service. He and Chef Richards have also put together an excellent wine and spirits menu with some hard to find jewels embedded in that wine menu. Our culinary guide, David (a Josh Gad doppelgänger), walked us through their elevated water and sparkling water menu and closed out our dining experience by suggesting we try the lemon tart which was excellent. In closing, what can I say other than - wow!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Singer
One of the best steaks I've ever had!
Nicole Fuglewicz
Elise delivers an elevated dining experience that feels both refined and effortlessly cool. The main dining room’s stunning artwork sets a colorful, sophisticated tone, while the front room and bar area are modern glamour with dramatic scarlet décor. The menu is creative and diverse, with all kinds of proteins, plants, and pastas. We had a hard time deciding and ending up ordering multiple dishes to share. The smoked oysters with crème fraîche were bright, creamy, and perfectly balanced, and the anchovy bruschetta was rich and buttery; it literally melted in my mouth. The gazpacho with parmigiana ice cream deserves its own Michelin star - truly unforgettable. The tagliatelle with rabbit ragu was seasoned and balanced to perfection, and the filet, paired with savory mushrooms and velvety pomme purée, was cooked flawlessly. Our sommelier’s wine recommendation was spot-on; the wine list is curated yet approachable. I’m not sure how, but we made room for two house made gelatos (the pistachio is incredible!) and a unique white grape sorbet. I’m so glad we didn’t skip dessert. I highly recommend this new Atlanta gem; we will be back VERY soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sachi Puri
Went to Elise for my mom’s birthday and the service was incredible. We were served by David who was so kind and helped us make it a great celebration. I would definitely recommend focusing on the pastas when ordering but all around a great experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andy Goetschalckx
I would give this a 4.5 Let me start out by saying that the service issues mentioned in the previous reviews seem to have been solved. Service was top notch and bad service is a huge pet peeve of mine at expensive restaurants. I even kept an eye out on other tables and it looked good all around. I will say they were probably about half full, but they were attentive. So, you will be taken care of, do not fret.
Onto the details!
I think Elise is a perfectly good fine dining spot. Is it the best? No. Is it a good meal? Yes. Especially if you are in the area for a show it is absolutely worth stopping in at for dinner and a show/museum. I don't know if you could do any better if you have a night planned around this area.
Food was pretty good, with a couple of weird misses. The Duck breast entree and Rabbit pasta were stellar. The lettuces salad was pretty meh. And the corn bread from the bread service was just so salty and almost no sweet, we didn't really eat more than a bite.
Drinks were interesting, and not in the good way. If you follow me you know I trend cocktails, and their house cocktails were just not balanced right. I think we had 3 and I would say all of them were just OK. But I spotted a bottle of green chartreuse on the bar and they made me a last word that was pretty on point.
All told I think it is a little pricey for what you get, but I understand that is likely due to the location. If you have a night around this planned or if someone is taking you out to dinner GO, it is a good meal and you will have a great night. Maybe not worth a special trip, but certainly not something to avoid.
Love this place and everything about it. So great to have Chef Richards at this location and closer to my neighborhood. Beautiful space. Super cool water list with Wossa! Geeky wine from Guiberteau. Fabulous martini. Loved the steak and duck. Chef always crushes pasta. Sumac tartare! Loved it so much! We’ve been back 4 times including a celebration for my 23 year old son’s birthday and again for my birthday! Chef Richards continues to raise the bar with each new restaurant. Frank Sinatra dines here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Will Atkinson
The room is spectacular and the food really hits the spot. Flavorful and satisfying, but fresh and not furnishing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Timothy Murray
Very pretty restaurant and the staff were friendly, but time and effort should be reallocated from ironing tablecloths to teaching/learning the basics in restaurant service (there was a lot of runway for this one, why not make the effort to get it right?). Better to deliver plates straight from the kitchen rather than passing them between staff in the dining room asking diners whether what they have is what they ordered. It's generally good to wait to clear the table until everyone is done eating. 3.5 ounce wine pours are dorky, I know the margins are tight, but no one ever made it big on the short pour. When it comes to getting a restaurant right, overstaffing doesn't accommodate for not bothering to train. The result feels lazy, disappointing, and out of synch.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Sarah Crawford
Amazing experience all around - food, drinks, service, atmosphere are all amazing. My new dream date night is dinner at Elise & a night at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, or seeing something at the Alliance theater. Super excited to come back for lunch too, would be perfect for a nice work lunch or a treat before / after a High Museum visit! Huge shoutout to chef Craig & the whole team for creating such a lovely spot, we need places like this in Atlanta. Can’t wait to come back again soon for birthdays, holidays, anniversarys, and more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anja Weller
Elise is a beautiful restaurant with great potential. The design of the restaurant is gorgeous and the atmosphere was great, though it was slightly loud once a big group came in. The waitress was friendly and helpful.
We ordered the tuna tartare, cucumbers, rabbit pasta, seafood pasta, and lemon tart for dessert. The tuna was unfortunately suuuper salty. The cucumbers were uniquely prepared and quite good. The pastas were good as well, though the seafood one was also very salty. The lemon tart was delicious for dessert! Overall good but could be improved for the price point. My only other complaint is that water service could’ve been more frequent.
We had the opportunity to dine at Elise last night and I was blown away by the entire night. The service, the food, the cocktails, the sommelier, the ambiance, the attention to detail! I am very glad we had this new restaurant in ATL, and will be excited to come back and try their tasting menu next time! We tried something from every section of the menu and every single thing was delicious, well balanced, and so flavorful. Bravo team, we will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David was our waiter and he was so accommodating! He worked with the bartender to create a delicious sweet cocktail with bourbon, apricot, vanilla, and other ingredients I can’t remember. We ate the burgers and they were easily the best burgers I’ve eaten ever! The meat was seasoned to perfection, the bun was toasted and soft, the cheese melted, the onions grilled, the lettuce fresh! It really didn’t need ketchup AND the fries were cut, seasoned and fried to perfection! And for 2 meals, it was very affordable! All of the staff were so kind and knowledgeable. Even the host opened the door for us as we departed! Drinks, meal, service, ambience… JUST LOVELY! I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a fantastic experience at our first visit to Elise. The food and space were lovely however what really made the experience unforgettable was our waitress. She was knowledgeable, personable and professional. Would love to make it back to eat at Elise in the near future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I’ve passed through Atlanta’s airport many times but this was the first time time I’ve had the opportunity to spend any time in the city itself.
Elise has set the bar very high for fine dining in Atlanta, and perhaps anywhere.
The staff was accommodating, knowledgeable, and seemed to really take pride in their service and what they were serving.
I first had the bread service which consisted of a hunk of sourdough bread and cornbread with salty and savory butter. The butter was a perfect texture of soft and spreadable. It’s a wonder that many restaurants still serve cold and hard butter. But alas, Elise triumphs in serving excellent butter in a convenient manner.
For a drink… did I forget to mention that this restaurant has invested in their vermouth selection? For those not aware, this is a greater lower alcohol alternative to standard cocktails but offers a similar if not exceedingly enhanced flavor experience. This is not your roadside liquor store’s Carpano Antica, but instead selections from Spain etc that are often consumed as standalone beverages. In my case, I ordered one that featured a dry Spanish vermouth along with a bit of calvados as well as basque cider for a sublime dry cocktail that could go with anything.
For a main course I had the duck breast, which consisted of perfectly prepared medium rare duck, along with turnips and a fermented blackberry reduction.
I had a feeing I would enjoy this one, especially the reduction, so I saved some bread for it and mopped up it up at the end. Highly recommended.
Finally, I had the pistachio gelato. Admittedly, if I see this on a menu anywhere i order it because I feel like it is the standard for which gelato’s inherent freshness and flavour should be judged. In this instance, it was light, slightly salty, and ultimately satisfying. Awesome stuff.
Overall, I took a chance on this newish restaurant as my first Atlanta restaurant experience and I feel like I’ve started at the top.
Kudos to the Elise team
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
An amazing dining experience. Elise is a jewel in the midtown Atlanta market. Chef Craig Richards is a culinary wizard. We love LylaLila and are loyal to that restaurant, staff and menu but with Elise, Chef Richards has elevated his game to the “stars” in the heaven.
We started off with their “a breeze” portion of the menu - snapper and tuna tartar that was mind blowing in complexity of tastes and textures - hamachi crudo and fluke crudo distinctively different and both again well balanced acidity and earthiness.
We then moved on to the “a touch of sun” menu with an order of the charred, crushed Persian cucumbers with pistachio-chili butter, mint, tahini, pumpkin seed oil - maybe one of the most interesting dishes we have ever enjoyed. Not enough adjectives in the English language to capture the stunning flavors in this elevated dish.
We then shared 2 “twirl and spoon” dishes and 2 “fulfillment” dishes. The first was the tagliatelle with rabbit ragu, taggiasca olives, soffritto, juniper, herbs and the second was Risotto cacio e pepe. Both in their own unique way elevated to the next level of mouthwatering delight.
As for the two “fulfillments” we dined on Snapper, green romesco, preserved tomatoes, avocado, petite herbs and Halibut, fermented field peas, potatoes, butter lettuce, ginger beurre blanc, caviar. The snapper was perfectly prepared and the flavor combinations were exquisite. As for the halibut, perhaps one of the best, if not the best dishes I’ve ever tried. An unexpectedly hearty dish bursting with flavors that reminded me of an elegant Sole meunière but with a meaty, dense halibut cooked perfectly. A must try on any fish lovers list. Extraordinary.
Chris Blackburn, director of hospitality, has the dining room humming with professional, knowledgeable and passionate service. He and Chef Richards have also put together an excellent wine and spirits menu with some hard to find jewels embedded in that wine menu. Our culinary guide, David (a Josh Gad doppelgänger), walked us through their elevated water and sparkling water menu and closed out our dining experience by suggesting we try the lemon tart which was excellent. In closing, what can I say other than - wow!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best steaks I've ever had!
Elise delivers an elevated dining experience that feels both refined and effortlessly cool. The main dining room’s stunning artwork sets a colorful, sophisticated tone, while the front room and bar area are modern glamour with dramatic scarlet décor.
The menu is creative and diverse, with all kinds of proteins, plants, and pastas. We had a hard time deciding and ending up ordering multiple dishes to share. The smoked oysters with crème fraîche were bright, creamy, and perfectly balanced, and the anchovy bruschetta was rich and buttery; it literally melted in my mouth. The gazpacho with parmigiana ice cream deserves its own Michelin star - truly unforgettable.
The tagliatelle with rabbit ragu was seasoned and balanced to perfection, and the filet, paired with savory mushrooms and velvety pomme purée, was cooked flawlessly. Our sommelier’s wine recommendation was spot-on; the wine list is curated yet approachable.
I’m not sure how, but we made room for two house made gelatos (the pistachio is incredible!) and a unique white grape sorbet. I’m so glad we didn’t skip dessert. I highly recommend this new Atlanta gem; we will be back VERY soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went to Elise for my mom’s birthday and the service was incredible. We were served by David who was so kind and helped us make it a great celebration. I would definitely recommend focusing on the pastas when ordering but all around a great experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I would give this a 4.5
Let me start out by saying that the service issues mentioned in the previous reviews seem to have been solved. Service was top notch and bad service is a huge pet peeve of mine at expensive restaurants. I even kept an eye out on other tables and it looked good all around. I will say they were probably about half full, but they were attentive. So, you will be taken care of, do not fret.
Onto the details!
I think Elise is a perfectly good fine dining spot. Is it the best? No. Is it a good meal? Yes. Especially if you are in the area for a show it is absolutely worth stopping in at for dinner and a show/museum. I don't know if you could do any better if you have a night planned around this area.
Food was pretty good, with a couple of weird misses. The Duck breast entree and Rabbit pasta were stellar. The lettuces salad was pretty meh. And the corn bread from the bread service was just so salty and almost no sweet, we didn't really eat more than a bite.
Drinks were interesting, and not in the good way. If you follow me you know I trend cocktails, and their house cocktails were just not balanced right. I think we had 3 and I would say all of them were just OK. But I spotted a bottle of green chartreuse on the bar and they made me a last word that was pretty on point.
All told I think it is a little pricey for what you get, but I understand that is likely due to the location. If you have a night around this planned or if someone is taking you out to dinner GO, it is a good meal and you will have a great night. Maybe not worth a special trip, but certainly not something to avoid.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Gorgeous space, exciting and delicious menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Love this place and everything about it. So great to have Chef Richards at this location and closer to my neighborhood. Beautiful space. Super cool water list with Wossa! Geeky wine from Guiberteau. Fabulous martini. Loved the steak and duck. Chef always crushes pasta. Sumac tartare! Loved it so much! We’ve been back 4 times including a celebration for my 23 year old son’s birthday and again for my birthday! Chef Richards continues to raise the bar with each new restaurant. Frank Sinatra dines here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The room is spectacular and the food really hits the spot. Flavorful and satisfying, but fresh and not furnishing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very pretty restaurant and the staff were friendly, but time and effort should be reallocated from ironing tablecloths to teaching/learning the basics in restaurant service (there was a lot of runway for this one, why not make the effort to get it right?). Better to deliver plates straight from the kitchen rather than passing them between staff in the dining room asking diners whether what they have is what they ordered. It's generally good to wait to clear the table until everyone is done eating. 3.5 ounce wine pours are dorky, I know the margins are tight, but no one ever made it big on the short pour. When it comes to getting a restaurant right, overstaffing doesn't accommodate for not bothering to train. The result feels lazy, disappointing, and out of synch.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Amazing experience all around - food, drinks, service, atmosphere are all amazing. My new dream date night is dinner at Elise & a night at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, or seeing something at the Alliance theater. Super excited to come back for lunch too, would be perfect for a nice work lunch or a treat before / after a High Museum visit! Huge shoutout to chef Craig & the whole team for creating such a lovely spot, we need places like this in Atlanta. Can’t wait to come back again soon for birthdays, holidays, anniversarys, and more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elise is a beautiful restaurant with great potential. The design of the restaurant is gorgeous and the atmosphere was great, though it was slightly loud once a big group came in. The waitress was friendly and helpful.
We ordered the tuna tartare, cucumbers, rabbit pasta, seafood pasta, and lemon tart for dessert. The tuna was unfortunately suuuper salty. The cucumbers were uniquely prepared and quite good. The pastas were good as well, though the seafood one was also very salty. The lemon tart was delicious for dessert! Overall good but could be improved for the price point. My only other complaint is that water service could’ve been more frequent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
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