Our dinner reservations were at 9pm and even though we were late, we got seated promptly. The restaurant was packed with well dressed people who were lively and enjoyable. The calamari was delicious as an appetizer and the duck as an entree was exquisite. The tiramisu was delicious as well. Excellent birthday dinner.
This was simply an amazing experience. From the entrance to the table, everything felt really luxurious. The food itself was great, and the staff was so accommodating. They were prepared with recommendations, and had some ordering tips for us. I got to try the really delicious European black truffles. A lot of the food is seasonal, so it's worth it to go back and try something new. Beautiful restaurant with a delicious menu. I'd highly recommend it!
Excellent food, impeccable service, cozy atmosphere.
Love it! My waiter of 20 years started working there after Alfredo s closed. Went to school with the owner. FANTASTIC food and wine! My go-to for special occasions!
Great Italian restaurant. Waiter was good and very helpful with meal suggestions as well. Will definitely recommend.
Best Italian in town. Authentic, not compromised with local behaviour or habits regarding food. Pricey, yes, but well worth the $$ spent.
Best Italian food in Georgia!!!! Well worth the drive!!!!
Best of the best! My go to fabulous dinner for 35 years.
If you plan to propose, do NOT do it here. This is not a quiet romantic scene with room to propose. Our server was excellent, I haven't had service that great in a long time. Something is fishy about their parking. You can valet or self park, but the restaurant stays open later than the parking lot. I do not recommend late reservations. The food on the plate was very good, but was in small portions. When we got back to the hotel room I had to order pizza.
Only had the flourless chocolate torte, but it was wonderful. Got it as takeaway and they wrapped up the torte and the ice cream very well. They do a very good job with a covid safe handoff as well.
Great restaurant! Really terrific. Amazing food. Wonderful times. Just fantastic. This is one of two 5 star restaurant I've encountered in ATL. Save it for a special occasion!
italian food... so delicious. It was so savory. Really nothing but enjoyable experiences here, I'll be back. The place has an awesome atmosphere.
The pasta taste pretty fair, but their wait time sucks! I rather not spend all this money on food and get poor customer service.
An Atlanta institution. Highly recommend the mushroom risotto and the beggar's purses
Hmmm to that person who gave a one star rating, you may not think you need wine tasting lessons but I'll bet some etiquette and manners classes would make your life better! If you want the best fresh made pasta this is where you want to be, one of the best restaurants I've ever known of!
Nice walk around man-made lake. Feels natural. Good distance
Look we have been customers for over 10 years now and have always had great experiences with both the food and the service. I called to make a Mother s Day order for pickup, my Mother s Day gift because that s how much I ve loved this place. Everything was fine until I asked for a total and then sarcastically I was told a total would not be available until Sunday because that s when it would be rung up. But still I politely said that s okay and gave my debit card info anyways. Right after the lady asked if a gratuity for servers and staff would be okay and I said of course. She then asked if 20% was okay and I said that s fine. She had already asked to put me on hold before taking my card info so I just felt kind of rushed. After a couple of minutes of thinking about it I thought how can I commit to a 20% tip when I wasn t even given a total? I m a mother of 2 young kids and this kind of dinner is a splurge plus the drive to the city because we are not local to the area. I called back and the same employee answered, I m not going to name her directly, and I explained that of course we would leave a tip but could we decide that at the time of pickup? She said yes and she understood and then I got hung up on...no thank you or see you on Sunday, goodbye, just click. Keep in mind this was well over a $100 order. Just so unprofessional and flat out rude! And so unnecessary right now given the circumstances! Yes, everyone is under more stress and anxiety right now but that is no way to run a business! And I know all of those employees need support and extra help right now in restaurants and businesses everywhere. We could have chosen to support our local mom and pop restaurant businesses in our town but this is what I wanted for my Mother s Day. Lesson learned, if you are not a weekly regular of this restaurant, then do not expect anything extraordinary. And for the price you should be treated like queens and kings every single time. So, so disappointed but will be canceling the order first thing in the morning and not sure when we ll be back for dine in. Now more than ever is the time to be spreading positivity and kindness, not being unnecessarily disrespectful and rude.
Amazing food, amazing setting, and service. Some of the best Italian food I ve had. Definitely will be back.
If you love real Italian food made with real fresh pasta and real ingredients then this is the place for you. It is a small restaurant with a very intimate setting and the best Italian food you will ever eat in your life. All of the waiters are very attentive to your needs. Dress code is business casual and reservations are a must!
Eduardo and Billy gave us the best service and recommendations. Food was out quickly and plated beautifully 10/10 would recommend.
Some claim this is the top Italian in Atlanta, but on our night it was good all around, but really few of the dishes are stunning--and at thes prices they should be. Service was friendly but not exactly attentive. M'd was great. We'll be back, but with lower expectations.
You wont go wrong this is a very nice place to have dinner, make reservation advisable
Italian food at this spot - super tasty. Great hospitality. Fast, efficient, and courteous service.
Whats good : beautiful outdoor patio. The end.
What's not : food was very mediocre. Service is timely given how busy they are but every plate I touched was wet all over and over like it was just washed and brought over, and the server told me it's "oil". Dessert was pretty flat as well.
Bottom line: there are better spots out in atl for mediocre pasta and wet plates.
Best Italian cuisine in ATL. Service, food, and atmosphere are all top notch
My "go to " place for important business dinners. Great food and service, but also quiet and not rushed atmosphere. Excellent wine list.
One of our favorites in Buckhead! The specials are always amazing!
Fabulous wait staff and valet parking. Restaurant had over 600 selections of wine. A great Italian fine dining experience.
The best Italian food in Atlanta!
Love it!
Excellent!!! Not much else one can say about perfection. Murray
Absolutely delicious!!!! The Aromas as you enter the restroom are only an indication of how delicious the food is. The service is exceptional!! The wine selection is perfect.
We like a lot to go out. Last night we arrived in this delicious restaurant which we didn t know before. We spent a delightful experience there with delicious cooking and an efficient crew and an impressive chef. We added this restaurant in our list and we will surely return soon. Highly recommended.
OK it's expensive (for me) I eat here with out of town guests yes, it's a bit high brow.. that's ok for the service you get this place will wow your guests too as well as it's sitting under a condo building. I've eaten here a few times in the last ten years. If I had to choose my favorite thing on the menu; beef carpaccio (sp). The clientele varies greatly which is evident by how folks dressed.. all men should be donning a tie a coat may be a nice gesture too.
Our favorite Atlanta restaurant for over twenty years.
I love the old New York feel with the elegant waiters who always make you feel remembered. The sausage stuff quail are incredible!
The food was great but the service was extremely slow. I was part of a party of 15. Resevations were made in advance. We were at the table for almost an hour before we could even place an order for appetizers. But the meal was great!!
Food is excellent authentic italian a nice place for a special occasion complimentary valet is offered as self park is a walk away . The location is odd restaurant is located ground floor in a condominium building so hard to find from the street otherwise great spot for fine dining . The veal is a must try definitely worth it
My husband and I went here for our anniversary. The experience from beginning to end was very amazing. All I'm going to say is try it out for yourself
Fine place for delicious Italian food. i love this place so much. i look forward to a return trip.
Delicious food. Fantastic service. Highly recommended. It s like a more intimate version of eating with your Italian grandparents.
Empire State South has always been on my list and I've had the pleasure of visiting them twice in the past year. The menu does rotate regularly based on what's in season and for the most part, all dishes are great, but there are some stand-out favorites.
They offer a large range of fresh food. I loved eating here. The employees are always friendly, prices are affordable and the place is always kept clean.
Celebrated a birthday there. Excellent food and service. Will go back anytime.
The Black Truffle Sacchetti was the best meal I've ever had! I love the atmosphere! And it's an adventure to find.
We had a delicious menu of the day for 12 Euros. The dishes were elaborated, served in a nice manner and of course tasty. I would recommend this places if you are looking where to have lunch. The service was OK.
Food is fantastic. Service on the patio is amazing. The receptionist/hostess is a nasty snotty (not nice person) very poor face of the business on the phone.
Great place to eat if you don t have to call for a reservation.
Amazing. We had a large party. Wait staff was very friendly and accommodating. Food was excellent. Shrimp fra diablo was great. Wine selection was good to.
Prices are very reasonable for the quality
This was our first visit and we will be back. The service was exemplary with Billy as our waiter. The food was amazing. Black truffles were in season and they were esquisite. My husband ordered the lamb chops and they were the best he ever had. My favorite was the spinach. I don't know what it was seasoned with, but it was amazing.
La Grotta is absolutely amazing. The service is impeccable. The food is some of the best in Atlanta. If you have the opportunity to go when truffles are in season DO NOT MISS OUT. The sachetti with shaved white truffles is my favorite meal. Perfect for a special occasion. We went for my husband s birthday with a group of 11. Our glasses stayed full and we never wanted for a thing. It was just as intimate as a dinner date. We came back less than a week later because our dinner was so delicious. Can not recommend enough.
It's one of the finest restaurants that I have been to in Atlanta. The place itself felt like a nice cosy Italian home. Their food is to die for. I did not know what fine-dining meant until I visited this place. My favorite was the 'Sacchetti di Formaggio e Tartufi Neri', black truffle & cheese stuffed pasta with marsala cream sauce. Every bite, till the last, melts in your mouth with a burst of flavors. Perfect for special occasions. I went for a Valentine's date and it has been the best one. The staff is courteous and graciously accommodate your specifications. Perfect combination of amazing food and great ambience.
Great food, service and bar server.
We had a sizable group and everyone was taken care of. Drinks were always filled, food was always being delivered to the table and servers had a wonderful disposition with class and humor.
Each dish was as good as the next. Desert sampler plate killed !
Our favorite restaurant in Buckhead. Great food, great staff. Eat outside on the patio if the weather allows.
Not at all what I expected....First, we found a piece of plastic in our Caesar salad...my halibut was 4 out 5 stars, but husbands filet was tough...wine list is so over whelming...and ended up with 2 glasses at 20 bucks each OUCH....service was slow..would not go back
What s a trip to Atlanta, or any metropolis for that matter, with out trying one of the best restaurants in the area. After getting dressed up, drove to Buckhead to try out La Grotta. Pulling up the restaurant isn t what you d expect as it s in the basement of an office building, but they do have complimentary valet. Once we took the elevator to the garden level I felt like I was in some underground Tuscan jewel. The maitre d advised us they were setting our table at the time. The halls are adorned with celebrities who have dined here, Shaq, Magic Johnson, John Lithgow and others. I knew it had to be fantastic. As we walked into the dining room it was packed. As we sat down, staff pulled our chairs out and covered us with napkins and discussed a drink menu. Ordered two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and some pellagrino. The food was absolutely fantastic, in fact the best I have ever had. Which paired with the staff. At my own fault, I cannot Remember our waiters names. But both were from Sicily and offered great pairing for the wine and food. It appears in December they offer European Black Truffle with select meals and you can rack up a bill quickly. But at $116 for 1 appetizer, 2 glasses of wine, two entrees, tiramisu and a dessert Irish coffee. I was more than satisfied. I cannot stress enough how delicious, authentic and fresh the food was.
Make reservations! Had dinner here and it was delicious! I saw like two vegetarian options for entrees. Reading the other reviews it sounds like they re accommodating but I loved what I got. I got the Sacchetti di Formaggio e Tartufi Neri. Absolutely delicious! I loved the truffle. I loved the nuts. I loved the sauce. Fresh black pepper on top was perfect! The portions kinda small. We also got the tiramisu. It was pretty good! Creamy but it looked a little flat. It had an almond flavor to it. I also got the cappuccino mocha. It has baileys in it FYI lol. Also very delicious. You can taste the chocolate and the Bailey s. Parking - valet is your best bet. To get to the restaurant you take the elevators down. We sat outside and there were heaters on the patio. Didn t feel super chilly at all. The patio was really nice. Would love to come back for dinner again.
Five stars from top to bottom. I highly recommend the Tortellini Della Casa. The best. Simple The Best
Great scene for tasty Italian food. Definitely one of the best places in the area. Had a friend come into town and asked me to take him here again. It has a great interior.
There's a reason it's considered one of Atlanta's best! The food was delicious, the service was fantastic, and the atmosphere was impressive, even more so considering it's in a basement.
It's not an every day restaurant, at least on our budget ($110 for 2 people), but for special occasions, this will be definitely be at the top of our considerations.
This is a wonderful little cove of authentic Italian fare. The ambiance and service surpasses expectations.
I dined on the lamb chops which were tender and flavorful and paired well with the house Reisling.
My family enjoyed Bolangese, Halibut, Beef Tenderloin and Prawns.
I will be returning soon.
We went here for my wife's birthday. We had a very good experience. The food was delicious and they gave us complementary cake and campaign
Fantastic food and service, bring family, friends or date.
Great place for a fancy dinner. The veal was spectacular. The chef can also do what you want if they have the ingredients, too bad they did not have octopus. Why 4 stars for the best restaurant in town according to "experts"? Any italien restaurant that respected themselves should have a proper barista (espresso) or at least trained staff for it. It was terrible. Even pods would have been better. So simple when you know how to do it properly. The waiter brought me another one, as bad. Another interesting thing to know, the restaurant is hidden in the basement and restrooms are very small. If you are a connaisseur for wine, they have very limited and rare bottles.
You think you died and went to Italian heaven. There aren t enough superlatives to describe it!
Every dish was delicious without question. Excellent place to spend NYE with good food. Staff was very polite and provided excellent suggestions.
Wonderful white table cloth fine dining experience. This restaurant is snuggled in an old building in the basement...a hidden secret. It reminds me of an old Mafia type restaurant from the movies...lol. The purse pasta with white truffles just melts in your mouth and is my favorite dish. The owner is super friendly and the ambiance is sexy. It can get crowded on weekends, so call to make reservations way ahead of time. I've already been twice and will definitely be a repeat customer.
Still our #1 restaurant after 20 years. Food service and place simply the best
Excellent restaurant. Normal size portion, good variety , professional al and delicious. A bit pricey but I don't regret! If back in Atlanta, I'll go back to La Grotta!
The wait is horrible despite reservation; had to wait for one hour!
A hidden treasure. Tucked away underneath a residential building lies this great Italian restaurant. The vibe is classy and the food is good. The menu is full options that look equally tantalizing. The Linguini Neri con Calmari was a great choice for me. A balanced dose of sauce and calamari accented the black linguini noodles comprising this dish. Although portions were somewhat small, I would definitely go back for more.
Fabulous food, wonderful attentive but unobtrusive service. And we sat on the patio - it was beautiful! A delight all around!
On a quick business trip to Atlanta, I stopped by this gem based on the great Google reviews. But, having eaten a meal here, it appears this place needs to stop reading its own press. To start, when I checked in, the hostess and bartender openly bickered with one another regarding whether I should be seated at the bar or an individual table. Not a good sign.
After that unpleasant exchange and once I was seated, a left-over champagne cooler lingered next to table for a good ten minutes. My server eventually approached the table and barked "do you want anything to drink?" (his first words to me) before I even had an opportunity to look at the menu. I requested regular water while I looked at the wine menu. My server returned after about ten minutes and rudely asked "are you good?" Notwithstanding his lack of decorum, I ordered a wine without my server inquiring about either appetizers or salad. No bread arrived.
The wine eventually came and I requested an appetizer despite my "server" not discussing any specials (a different server next to my table spent at least three minutes greeting his table and discussing the specials) or asking about whether I wanted an appetizer. I politely asked about the lack of bread. To his credit, my server apologized and bread soon arrived.
The appetizer was okay. Once I finished my appetizer, my server appeared five minutes later and asked again if I was okay. I placed an order for a meat dish to be cooked medium rare. Fifteen minutes later, the meat arrived cooked medium well. Flavor-wise, it was also just "okay." I was tempted to order some pasta given the good reviews, but I was so frustrated by the experience up to that point, I declined. I was also irritated that my server not once asked if my food was prepared properly.
Unassuming Northern Italian restaurant tucked away into a residential building. The wait staff was very welcoming and had a lot of experience. Very knowledge. The food was amazing! All fresh, quality ingredients. I started off with the beet salad and for my entree had lobster over house-made pasta. I finished dinner with a fresh peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla gelato. I can't wait to return!
Came in for the first time for my fiance's birthday and it definitely exceeded our expectations. The food was amazing and the staff was more than friendly. Greatly appreciated the wonderful night.
Special dinner with my dear brother. The "off-menu" veal chop parmigiana was incredible. Never had anything like it at an Italian restaurant. Truly takes veal parmigiana to another level. Beyond the food being fantastic, both our servers were great. Took wonderful care of us all night long, making our time together even more special. Highly recommended!
The entire menu is delicious and service is top notch
Beautiful place ether way dining inside or out side both are great, and the food was so delicious . I ordered broccoli soup as a starter and chicken parmesan with penne pasta and vodka sauce. It was so yum . I really recommend for a date or party.
lagrottaatlanta.com
