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The Optimist vs Bacchanalia
Both restaurants are endorsed by those who travel for a living. On balance, Bacchanalia is the choice of most writers compared to The Optimist. Bacchanalia scores 95 with approval from 13 reviewers like Tasting Table, Frommer's and Zagat.
The Optimist
Fodor's
Zagat
BlackBook
Gayot
Travel + Leisure
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914 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30318
From $31 /night
Fodor's
"Named Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurant of 2012, the Optimist lives up to the hype, serving top-notch seafood in a dazzingly refurbished warehouse space."
Full review
Zagat
4.5
"This Westside seafooder from owner Ford Fry (his JCT. Kitchen & Bar is just a clam's throw away) baits crowds with a range of raw to roasted fin fare and beachy cocktails."
Full review
BlackBook
"Upscale fish spot from chef Ford Fry raises the oyster to an art form."
Gayot
14.0
"Styled after a fish camp, The Optimist fields both a restaurant and a raw bar operation adjacent to the main dining room."
Full review
Travel + Leisure
"Whether you swing by the first-come, first-served oyster bar or go for a full meal at the barrel-vaulted main restaurant, it's clear that chef Adam Evans knows seafood."
Full review
Bacchanalia
Fodor's
Frommer's
Travel + Leisure
BlackBook
Gayot
Show All Reviews
1198 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30318
From $50 /night
Fodor's
"Often called the city's best restaurant, Bacchanalia has been a destination since it opened in Buckhead in 1993."
Full review
Frommer's
"Bacchanalia's edgy and sophisticated space in a meatpacking plant on the outskirts of an industrial area takes first-time diners aback, but just for a second."
Full review
Travel + Leisure
"Since 1993, partner chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison have drawn raves for their seasonally changing, all-organic menus—often using produce grown on their own organic farm."
Full review
BlackBook
"Chef-owners Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano pluck many ingredients from their own farm. Ultra-fresh fish, broad cheese selection, killer wine list and attentive service."
Gayot
17.0
"The cooking of owner-chefs Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano, with Andy Carson as executive chef, is rich with detail and labor-intensive, but never froufrou."
Full review
