The Optimist Reviews

Fantastic service, great food. Love the seafood and steak. Casual attire is the best way to go.

The oysters are fresh and tasty, but my favorite must have every time is the GA whole shrimp with the toast. Yum! The sopping toast that comes with it to drink up all the New Orleans reminiscent sauce is to die for! The drinks are classy and clean. And the fish dip doesn't taste like it's from Kroger- they actually make in house crackers that are really good.

Very well executed seafood.

The restaurant was very busy, but the well trained wait staff stayed on top of things. Top notch organization.

Great service, great food with excellent ambiance. A real gem

This place sucks. Overpriced with small portions. Half of the menu is served on ice! I'm sorry, but if I'm paying a butt-load of cash for a seafood dinner, I want it to be hot.

The tables we spaced out very well. Lemon drop martinis and mojito were delicious. The Refuge was wonderful. I would've really liked to know what oysters we were served and what dip was which. The rolls and crackers seemed made in-house, More

Simply sensational. Atlanta maybe 267 miles from the nearest ocean beach, but the finest seafood is here. We are Scottish. We are surrounded by sea, but this was just fabulous. The very best oysters I ve ever eaten anywhere in the world. The halibut with scallions (spring onions) with the savouriness of Iberico ham was out of this world. The cocktails were very different but all the better for it. And the staff were smart, authentic and interested. Wonderful. One watch out - the broccoli was a bit stringy. But I m picking faults here. Totally top seafood restaurant. Can t wait to visit again. Well done to all the team

great atmosphere, outstanding food and excellent service.

Only place i trust to get oysters in Atlanta! The ambiance is appropriate for that date night where you want a great meal and conversation. The crowd is great is great as well. Just remember to take cash to tip the Valet

Excellent service, great food and relaxing ambiance!!

Great food, great service. Had the swordfish, and it was perfect.

Top restaurant! Service and the food are amazing. Have to try the Spanish Octopus, it s pretty special

Tasty, and usually you''ll see someone from the film industry. Don't even bother ordering dinner, just do drinks and a sheet pan of their Brioche dinner rolls

Great great service and the food is delicious, I had few oysters and a lobster and it was so tasty. I love sea food and ate in different sea food restaurants around the world and I have to say I can count The Optimist in my top 10.

Wow what a experience. Just coolest place with incredible dishes and cocktails.

This is a great place to take someone on a first date. The chips were really Good and I think that they were homemade. They have a Great seafood menu and their open pretty late.

Cohen the manager was very nice even when my boyfriend got loud after being dissatisfied with something he was so smoothly able to calm him down. Craig was our server awesome customer service, made the entire experience great, and I was not even interested in being out that night. On top of the customer service being phenomenal the food was spectacular!! Will definitely be back! Ask for Craig to Serve you.

Octopus stood out. The lobster roll was good, but for the price, I'd coin flip next time on getting it again. Everything was great
Could expand the top shelf whisky selection

I've been looking for lobster rolls, and found a STANDOUT example on their lunch menu. Went in on a Friday afternoon, sat at the bar in the main dining room, and tried a couple of drinks with my meal - everything was delicious. The fries served with the lobster roll were great, and the gentleman behind the bar surprised me with an awesome cocktail made with a splash of beet juice, of all things!

Fabulous food, interesting, well prepared, great drinks.

We entertained an out of town candidate for drinks before dinner at The Optimist. The old fashioned went over very well, which I knew would be the case as any cocktail at The Optimist is a good cocktail.

Lovely seafood establishment with delicious, fresh fare and a great ambiance. We visited The Optimist for a birthday dinner at the end of December 2017, and had a great experience. Food-wise, the oyster sampler and the seafood mix, including king crab legs, lobster, and seafood, were the best--fresh and flavorful. Drinks were pretty good. Staff is nice without being overly intrusive. Atmosphere is fun and lively.

I expect more from fine dinning, but a bit disappointed service and food are just ... "ok", not quite sure our waiter is that knowledgeable, and tend a bit rush (Not quite sure what for?). Food: our Duck breast was chewy and dry (perhaps, bc it's not fresh). The sauce on the octopus didn't quite go with the dish. It looks good though. The sauteed wild mushroom and roasted oyster is probably save the day.

Likely my wife's favorite restaurant on the planet. Amazing food choices and wonderful people caring for you. The octopus blew her away on our last visit.

What an optimistic experience!!

Everything about this spot was amazing. My family and I ran into it, as we are from out of town and we were looking for something to eat around 9:45pm. We were originally wondering if they would seat us since closing time said 10pm. They were nothing but welcoming and willing to serve.

From the get, the service was stellar. Bryce was so nice, attentive, and very knowledgeable on each dish. This made the experience very smooth and pleasant.
The service was very quick as well. The ambience is wonderful. They make a large space feel cozy.

Now, Let s talk about the food!

To begin with, the shecrap soup was creamy, dreamy however light and perfect. The shrimp toast that accompanies it is nothing less than absolutely DELICIOUS. Such a cool concept.

The roasted oysters were also very very tasty.

The family favorite was the Halibut steak. WHAT A DISH. The fish was soft on the inside and perfectly crisp on the outside. The salsa verde was the perfect compliment.

Andddd my personal favorite, the lychee-rose sorbet.
The freshest, yummiest of all.

Overall, this experience was quite perfect and we look forward to coming back when we revisit ATL.

Thank you guys at The Optimist !

Everything was so good! From appetizers to entrees to sides and desserts. The service was excellent too.

Great food. Great service. Modern design. Noise level too high especially at the tables on main floor. Made difficult to have conversation. Also reason o did not give 5 stars. But I will be back. Try the duck fat seared swordfish....I will be back for more...

Everything from the valet, wait staff, food, and atmosphere was top notch! Perfect place for a more high end date.

A solid combination of quality food, cordial service, and great atmosphere makes this a must visit in West Midtown

My husband and I had a wonderful time at the Optimist on Saturday night. The oysters were fresh, Bread served was great too. Excellent services!This has become my go to spot for tasty fresh oysters.

Dress appropriately, and parking is limited.

After seeing them on Netflix, decided to go there on business and it did not disappoint.

Another jewel in the crown of the culinary empire presided over by Ford Fry. Just in the same way that I fell in love with Beetlecat's laid back sophistication, The Optimist offers a real fine dining experience NEXT TO a laid back oyster bar. It is the best of both worlds as the main room offers up a lovely full bar set up mirrored by the open kitchen and pass that is currently presided over by Top Chef Season 13 alum, Wesley True. While immediately off the main room, the section nearest to the main entrance, offers a more casual looking oyster bar with outdoor tables and a small putt-putt green with more benches to lounge about on...yes, putt-putt. You didn't misread that.
Food. Oysters. You have to start with some. Amazing. Check off a variety on the card at your table. Start with a half-dozen and really you should have gotten a dozen and tell yourself next time that you MUST order more. Bread service: try and resist the sweet buttery and salty housemade rolls that are dropped...I dare you. I asked for more. Starters: she-crab soup. The flavors are out of this world. Entrees: The most perfectly cooked bass that I have had that is restaurant quality. The mussels are also a can't miss. The flavor in the broth is just so incredible. Sides: Hushpuppies and Brussel Sprouts. I would eat these all day long. Seriously. Sweet and Salty. Can't go wrong.
Service: Incredible. Friendly and attentive and professional.
Has to be one of the top places for me to eat in the city. I will be back!!!

This is my favorite restaurant in Atlanta by a mile. So much so that my wife and I came here on our wedding weekend to celebrate. Everything on their menu is inspirational and absolutely delicious. They have a happy hour with half priced oysters from 5 to 6 so be sure to check that out. My favorite dish is their octopus. They occasionally change how it is prepared but I have been blown away each time by its preparation. If there's a wait, they have a little putting green outside to entertain you. If you decide to come here, prepare to be dazzled

The best octopus you will ever eat in your entire life.

Wow. One of the best restaurants we happened to be. Everything that we ate was just great. The Serbia attentive, the oysters were fresh. The shrimps is really much recommended.
We celebrated birthday and we will return again.

One of my favorite seafood restaurants. High quality five star restaurant.

Best fish in Atlanta. Amazing service and super fun atmosphere!

Outstanding food. Very good service. Great atmosphere (albeit loud, nothing to absorb sound, which was a bit of a pain) but the halibut was exceptional. Good enough that I didn't worry that I couldn't talk to anyone

Literally my 3 year renewing!!! Couldn t be happier with the change of maintenance managers & a fresh team! Great location in the heart of buckhead! Great price for the location

The food was delicious! I highly recommend the fish.

Great atmosphere, wonderful service and impeccable food. Need I saw more!? Parking is a little tricky but the service is outstanding and the menu is very eccentric. A must visit!

Amazing food and amazing service from Mike last week!

Pricey, but this well-heeled seafood restaurant delivers great tastes in a modern and trendy atmosphere, complete with putting and bocce courts to pass the time while you wait for a table. Don't expect much if you don't eat seafood here - the only options are a single bone-in steak (which is delicious) and chicken. Otherwise you can expect the full compliment of seafood favorites, from deep-fried offerings to the fresh and raw stuff.

Oysters are highly recommended. Duck breast is too rare

Atmosphere is really relaxed, food was great. I had the scallops it was delicious we will be back very soon.

The BEST place I have been to in a long while. Michael our server was amazing! He was helpful and not pushy and definitely made some incredible recommendations. The food was outstanding! Everything was prepared with such precision and attention to detail. We absolutely loved everything!

Great oyster happy hour. Another excellent Ford fry restaurant

The halibut and oysters were superb. The service was excellent as well.

Great food and a very helpful wait staff. The oysters and the beignet hush puppies were outstanding

Terrific service, the waitperson was very well versed on the food (and extremely handsome).

Easily the best/freshest seafood in Atlanta. Legal seafood had a pretty good lobster roll before they closed their downtown location (and they flew their lobster in twice a day), but the lobster roll here is on another level. The hush puppies are a little dessert like, but that s not a bad thing if you ask me, and it didn t stop me from eating them with my meal. The shrimp poboy was also good.

Everything about our experience was top notch. Highlights include the octopus, lobster roll and the hush puppies!

Fresh seafood on the daily with attention to detail that drives home the quality (event eh menu s are printed daily.) And for those that aren t the seafaring variety during lunch they have an amazing burger that s hand ground in house which is far batter than it has any right to be at a seafood restaurant. Also if you need a moment there s a putting green outside (the founders apparently went on a cross country trip in their youth and all their restaurants have a touch of that experience.)

Went for lunch, and it was amazing! It's not fair that the shrimp burger tastes that good

I took my wife here for her birthday and we loved this place. The ambiance at night was romantic & dark with an industrial design. Food matched the decor as well & was delicious. They give you dinner rolls as a starter (free of charge). My wife had a fish, (whose name I can not remember because it was the first time we both saw it) paired with grits and sweet potatoes. I had fish n chips which was excellent and well worth the price. The cod was half the size of the plate and the potatoes were crisp and salted. We will definitely return!

I think it's a kind and delicious restaurant. I forgot the name of the food.

Expensive drinks! Very much over priced... I guess it's the area.

It was a nice dining experience. Fried oysters were excellent and the scallops were very good also. My waiter, Mike, was excellent.

Really good food and fun vibe. Great service too. Only 3 stars because of the value for what you get. I'd go back in a heartbeat it the menu and drinks were a little less pricey. I understand good food and drink costs the restaurant more. But, for example, to charge almost $10 per scallop with no sides doesn't make sense to me.

Slightly overpriced but delicious. The "lemonade" will knock you on your butt!

Fresh menu and fresh ingredients! Great spot for lunch.

Amazing food...Not so on service. Slow and a little snarky.

I the aesthetic and overall feel of The Optimist, one of my favorite spots in Atlanta.

Was here on a Saturday night. The service was excellent. The atmosphere is busy but if you really want to talk this is not the place. It is noisy. Very noisy. Two people can hear each other but more than that no way. The food was good. The She-crab soup was generous and extremely rich. The Lobster Roll was disappointing. There was a good deal of lobster meat but virtually nothing else in the bun which made it dry and unexciting. The Grouper was good but not great. Drinks here are good but border on tiny. Given the price I would expect a full martini class not half full. Again the service from the hostess to the waiter was excellent. I think the kitchen just needs to up their game.