The food and service were exceptional our server Holden took great care of us, looking to dining there again soon.
Jarred
We had a fantastic dinner at The Optimist last night and just had to share. We ordered the Shrimp à la Plancha, which was spot on with its chili butter and lime. The Cod Cheeks were a delightful surprise—definitely a standout new dish on the menu. For sides, we enjoyed the Lady Peas with Blue Crab and the Basmati Rice (I think it was the Kedgeree with smoked haddock and peanut), which was packed with flavor. The main star was the Whole Filleted Redfish—beautifully done and easy to share. We paired everything with a bottle of Albariño, which matched the seafood perfectly. The pacing was spot on, our server was wonderful, and we ended with a tres leches dessert and a couple of finishing cocktails. Overall, a fantastic experience and absolutely a place we'd recommend (and return to!).
Shelby
Delicious food. They were able to guide us through the menu for the gluten free options. Left fully satisfied.
SuperFoodie
I wanted to love this dining experience. But lobster shouldn't be tough and friend fish shouldn't be flavorless. The location and overall feel of the restaurant is good. The valet was super convenient and only $6. The wait staff was nice and attentive (maybe a little too attentive).
karl
Only reason the experience wasn't 5star was the 25 min wait between appetizers and the main courses
Yvette
The food was good and the staff was amazing. From the host to the manager, everyone was friendly and welcoming. Our waiter Craig was fun and knowledgeable about the menu, and his recommendations were spot on.
Orson
It was a wonderful experience. The oysters are always delicious and the wine menu is excellent. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly and flexible since we had a lot to discuss and he served up our next course at our convenience. Always a great place to have dinner in Atlanta. I look forward to my next visit there.
Roger
We visited the Optimist for our wedding anniversary and my wife and I agreed that it was the perfect choice. The food is exquisite and the portions are large for such a nice place. The service and atmosphere were both great.
Kimberly
Everything we ate was delicious. It's rare that I can truly call a restaurant a 5 star, but this was it. We had the fish croquettes, hush-puppies (best in life), crispy haddock, whole roasted lobster, and kedgeree. WOW, wow, wow! Everything was so fresh and flavorful. We sat outside, and it was refreshing to have servers who were so attentive. Michael was our waiter and he was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. I also loved that there were multiple areas to choose to sit that provided a little different vibe. Overall, this was a top notch experience that made a much needed date night special. Can't wait to go back.
Jerald
Great time and decent food! The she crab soup was totally missing the crab but a great date
The Optimist is some of the best seafood in town. I want to try new things but I just can't get away from the scallops. They're to die for. Holden made sure we had an incredible time and got us the perfect wine to pair with our meal. Can't wait to go back!
Shaka
Best Oyster Bar in Atlanta! They have 12 different types of oysters to choose from and they all are 10/10 highly recommend! I had the Butter Burger and it was melt in your mouth delicious, my date had the chicken it was slightly overcooked but the sauce was amazing. Overall the ambience was amazing food was amazing the optimist is AMAZING!
Tracy
This was our first visit to The Optimist. It is inviting and has a vibrant ambience. But frankly I am not sure what all the hype is about. The food and service was average at best and majority of menu is overpriced. Granted it was busy when we arrived for a 730pm reservation, but it took forever to receive initial drinks after the order was placed and at least 15-20 minutes to receive the "famous rolls" (which were delicious) after server said they would be right out. Oysters were good, as well as She Crab soup. The Halibut ($42) is one small piece of fish on a plate, nothing else --and it had so much sauce (with no flavor) slathered over the fish I could not eat it. The Lobster Rolls were bite size with more mayo than lobster. I would not recommend this restaurant to my friends nor return. Very disappointed.
Ashlee
Great time for our birthday girl! We all enjoyed our dinner and our serves Austin was amazing. He had a good amount of tables but, with our big party he still made it one of the best services that we had in a while. Thanks for the team all around!
Veronica
Our Server Kelly was amazing! She was very polite and attentive! She knew the menu very well and made some very good suggestions! All and all it was a great experience! Excellent food and drinks!!!
The food and service were exceptional our server Holden took great care of us, looking to dining there again soon.
We had a fantastic dinner at The Optimist last night and just had to share. We ordered the Shrimp à la Plancha, which was spot on with its chili butter and lime. The Cod Cheeks were a delightful surprise—definitely a standout new dish on the menu. For sides, we enjoyed the Lady Peas with Blue Crab and the Basmati Rice (I think it was the Kedgeree with smoked haddock and peanut), which was packed with flavor. The main star was the Whole Filleted Redfish—beautifully done and easy to share. We paired everything with a bottle of Albariño, which matched the seafood perfectly. The pacing was spot on, our server was wonderful, and we ended with a tres leches dessert and a couple of finishing cocktails. Overall, a fantastic experience and absolutely a place we'd recommend (and return to!).
Delicious food. They were able to guide us through the menu for the gluten free options. Left fully satisfied.
I wanted to love this dining experience. But lobster shouldn't be tough and friend fish shouldn't be flavorless. The location and overall feel of the restaurant is good. The valet was super convenient and only $6. The wait staff was nice and attentive (maybe a little too attentive).
Only reason the experience wasn't 5star was the 25 min wait between appetizers and the main courses
The food was good and the staff was amazing. From the host to the manager, everyone was friendly and welcoming. Our waiter Craig was fun and knowledgeable about the menu, and his recommendations were spot on.
It was a wonderful experience. The oysters are always delicious and the wine menu is excellent. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly and flexible since we had a lot to discuss and he served up our next course at our convenience. Always a great place to have dinner in Atlanta. I look forward to my next visit there.
We visited the Optimist for our wedding anniversary and my wife and I agreed that it was the perfect choice. The food is exquisite and the portions are large for such a nice place. The service and atmosphere were both great.
Everything we ate was delicious. It's rare that I can truly call a restaurant a 5 star, but this was it. We had the fish croquettes, hush-puppies (best in life), crispy haddock, whole roasted lobster, and kedgeree. WOW, wow, wow! Everything was so fresh and flavorful. We sat outside, and it was refreshing to have servers who were so attentive. Michael was our waiter and he was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. I also loved that there were multiple areas to choose to sit that provided a little different vibe. Overall, this was a top notch experience that made a much needed date night special. Can't wait to go back.
Great time and decent food! The she crab soup was totally missing the crab but a great date
Restaurantji Recommends
The Optimist is some of the best seafood in town. I want to try new things but I just can't get away from the scallops. They're to die for. Holden made sure we had an incredible time and got us the perfect wine to pair with our meal. Can't wait to go back!
Best Oyster Bar in Atlanta! They have 12 different types of oysters to choose from and they all are 10/10 highly recommend! I had the Butter Burger and it was melt in your mouth delicious, my date had the chicken it was slightly overcooked but the sauce was amazing. Overall the ambience was amazing food was amazing the optimist is AMAZING!
This was our first visit to The Optimist. It is inviting and has a vibrant ambience. But frankly I am not sure what all the hype is about. The food and service was average at best and majority of menu is overpriced. Granted it was busy when we arrived for a 730pm reservation, but it took forever to receive initial drinks after the order was placed and at least 15-20 minutes to receive the "famous rolls" (which were delicious) after server said they would be right out. Oysters were good, as well as She Crab soup. The Halibut ($42) is one small piece of fish on a plate, nothing else --and it had so much sauce (with no flavor) slathered over the fish I could not eat it. The Lobster Rolls were bite size with more mayo than lobster. I would not recommend this restaurant to my friends nor return. Very disappointed.
Great time for our birthday girl! We all enjoyed our dinner and our serves Austin was amazing. He had a good amount of tables but, with our big party he still made it one of the best services that we had in a while. Thanks for the team all around!
Our Server Kelly was amazing! She was very polite and attentive! She knew the menu very well and made some very good suggestions! All and all it was a great experience! Excellent food and drinks!!!
Loading...