Review: Atlas delivers daring dishes to high-rollers in Buckhead

Atlas has transformed completely since John Kessler first reviewed it in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in March 2015, praising its restrained menu and classic, a la carte service style. There’s still an a la carte tavern menu, but the main attraction is the $220 tasting menu.

Introduced by Culinary Director Freddy Money, whose resume includes experience under such chefs as Ferran Adria and Alain Ducasse, the tasting menu at Atlas certainly delivers on spectacle. It balances between the modernist technique made famous at Adria’s El Bulli — which brings the wow factor — and the French classicism of Ducasse, which lets you know you’re getting your money’s worth.

The first dish on the December tasting menu was a perfect illustration of that balance: A glittering, generous dollop of Kristal caviar was served in a nest of crisp strips of winter vegetables over a creamy vegetable puree. The earthy root vegetable “confetti” paired beautifully with the bright salinity of the caviar, dissolving on the tongue to make way for the delightful texture of the roe. It was one of the best things I ate in 2023, and an example of the incredible highs achieved at Atlas.

Credit: Atlas

Credit: Atlas

A supplemental course of white truffle risotto turned out to be a wild card. The first time we ordered the $95 add-on, the risotto was bland and undercooked, and the freshly shaved white truffle was devoid of flavor. The dish was executed much better on our next visit, brimming with the rich flavors of Parmesan broth and a much more pungent truffle. However, the dish created some sort of issue in the kitchen that led to a lengthy delay between courses. The pacing never recovered, and our meal ended up lasting about four hours.

Credit: Atlas

Credit: Atlas

Atlas is one of the few tasting-menu restaurants that truly works to accommodate vegans, vegetarians and omnivores at the same table. The three options cost the same and share a surprising number of components. What the meatless menus lack in protein, they make up for in creativity.

One example is the hen’s egg, a vegetarian dish so popular it was added to the traditional menu. The soft-boiled egg is coated in a vibrant green herb gel. It gleams like an enormous emerald. After breaking it, the liquid yolk mixes with tender morels in a creamy sauce resulting in a well-rounded, sumptuous dish.

Occasionally, the different menu experiences don’t quite align. The grand finale on the traditional menu presented to my dining partner was a squab dish that joined the caviar as one of the best things I ate all year. A whole squab was presented in four different preparations: a bit of liver mousse on a piece of brioche, the head and neck stuffed with sausage, a roasted leg crusted in lavender and a perfectly seared breast. It was a master class in using every part of an animal. Meanwhile, my vegetarian finale included three butternut squash ravioli. The ravioli were good, with tender pasta encasing the sweet-savory squash filling, but the dish was nowhere near as dramatic or creative as the squab.

Credit: Atlas

Credit: Atlas

Beyond the food, Atlas perfectly hit all the other fine dining notes. The service was wonderful, and the comfortable, attractive dining room was filled with energy. When the truffle risotto derailed the timing of our meal, our server removed it from our bill, even though we hadn’t asked or complained.

The wine pairings — an extra $150 for the basic option — were magnificent. Our meal included seven selections poured as small tasting portions. Our favorite was the Ink Grade, a rich, textured California cabernet sauvignon served with the squab.

Dining at Atlas is guaranteed to be luxurious and memorable, but it’s up to the individual to decide whether it’s worth gambling on the restaurant’s inconsistencies. You’ll likely experience a few moments of staggering culinary excellence, but don’t expect seamless perfection.

When a dinner for two with wine pairings and gratuity can approach $1,000, would you be willing to roll the dice? For a special occasion, I’d be happy to ante up and go another round.

ATLAS

3 out of 4 stars (excellent)

The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.

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