Upscale hotel restaurants often come with a lot of hype, only to fall flat. Elektra is an exception.
Situated on the fourth floor of the new Forth Hotel in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, Elektra lives up to its name, which comes from a mythological Greek character and means “the bright one.” The restaurant offers beautiful, Mediterranean-inspired food presented in an equally alluring setting where floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors, floral wall patterns, greenery and rattan lighting fixtures create a breezy coastal atmosphere.
The hot and cold mezze and shareable entrees, which pop with color, were developed by executive chef Jonathan McDowell, who spent time at Delbar, Barcelona Wine Bar and the now defunct Roya Mediterranean after moving to Atlanta from his native California in 2010.
Credit: Matthew Williams
Credit: Matthew Williams
Expect to be dazzled by the $32 mezze platter, which brings prettily garnished spreads — hummus, labneh, muhammara and baba ghanoush — plus a chef’s selection of chilled vegetable and fruit presentations and pita. We swiped up every bit of that thick, garlicky, dill-studded labneh with warm, soft toasted pita made locally by Leon’s International Foods. You might want to ask for more bread (no extra charge!) to clean out ramekins of hummus topped with paprika and roasted garbanzos; compressed fruit; and olives coated in pomegranate molasses and walnuts.
The kitchen puts fresh produce on a pedestal. Fattoush salad was so full of juicy flavor from radishes, red onions, tomatoes, melon and mint that it barely needed dressing. Beets and berries was a satisfying grain salad, while flash-fried cauliflower coated in tahini thinned with lemon juice took the white florets to golden heights.
Standout seafood dishes included steamed mussels in a broth with the concentrated flavors of tomato, white wine, fennel and a sausage sofrito; and Spanish octopus that had been cooked in three steps — blanch, sous vide, flash fry — resulting in tentacles that were crispy outside and tender inside.
Credit: Emily Dorio
Credit: Emily Dorio
Octopus, grilled prawns, a shish kebab stacked with cubes of New York strip and whole branzino all benefited from the bright, spicy Middle Eastern hot sauce zhoug. Meanwhile, the bold, creamy Lebanese garlic sauce toum appeared with tender lamb kofta, as well as harissa-seasoned fries. The latter was one of the few dishes that disappointed: The thick potato wedges needed more frying time.
Another letdown, despite being highly recommended by a server, was the pilaf. It was studded with lentils, currants, dates and almonds, but without the heady fragrance of basmati rice. Also, excess dried fruit resulted in an overly sweet dish.
The pilaf is the closest thing to a plant-based entree; otherwise, vegetarians and vegans must stick to the mezze items, since every main dish features meat, poultry, fish or seafood. However, pescatarians and carnivores are in for a treat.
The skin of a superbly flaky whole, butterflied branzino was crowned with spiralized carrots, squash and greenery. The tableside unveiling of a tagine revealed a feast perfect for fall: generous cuts of lamb shoulder resting on a bed of couscous dotted with almonds and golden raisins, with braised carrots and green patty pan squash tucked in for good measure. Don’t be alarmed by the price of the $68 branzino or $72 lamb. In both instances, my party of four had its fill.
It’s more difficult to split the dinky portion of saffron pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. Instead, try the deconstructed baklava cheesecake bar. It’s creative, though everyone in my party wished phyllo dough had been used as a base layer under the pistachio-walnut graham crust. As it is, the “crust” was more of a soft filling.
Credit: Emily Dorio
Credit: Emily Dorio
The bar menu overseen by beverage director Gordon Kelley is polished, with fresh interpretations of classic cocktails, including a cucumber-forward martini and a sweet-tart apricot bourbon sour. Precise execution by the bar team, etched glassware and thoughtful garnishes made these cocktails worth the $11-$17 price.
The wine list caters to a wide variety of tastes. Besides the Mediterranean big three — France, Italy and Spain — it includes wines from Lebanon, Greece and even Armenia. Beer offerings include a pilsner from Lebanon and a lager from Greece.
Servers were well-versed on the menu and adept at coursing meals. Runners, however, tended to rush things, repeatedly attempting to remove plates that still held food. And the staff provided inconsistent information about parking validation and which areas of the outdoor terrace are open for patrons to admire the highly promoted view.
No matter, Elektra’s food and drink also are worthy of promotion.
ELEKTRA
2 out of 4 stars (very good)
Food: mostly Mediterranean-inspired small plates or shareable dishes
Service: attentive, but sometimes with a rush to remove plates
Noise level: average (above average during peak weekend dinner hours)
Recommended dishes: hummus, labneh, beets and berries, fattoush salad, mezze platter, fried arnabeet, octopus, mussels and merguez, lamb kofta, lamb shoulder, whole branzino
Vegetarian dishes: all the cold mezze (dips/spreads, salads), falafel, fried arnabeet, pilaf, harissa fries
Alcohol: full bar
Price range: $50-$75 per person, excluding drinks, tax and gratuity
Hours: breakfast 7-10:30 a.m. daily, dinner 5-11 p.m. daily
Accessibility: ADA-compliant, fourth-floor restaurant is accessed via elevator
Parking: free for up to two hours in hotel garage with restaurant-validated ticket
MARTA station: no
Reservations: recommended on weekends
Outdoor dining: covered patio on terrace
Takeout: no
Address, phone: 800 Rankin St. NE, Atlanta. 470-470-8022
Website: elektraatlanta.com
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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