Apres Diem

The Scene – This busy hangout is equal parts coffee house, lounge and bistro. The inside space divides into comfortable rooms that feature dark paneling, deep couches and heavy louver blinds to shield you from the strip mall outside. In fair weather, the action spills over onto a large patio. It's the ideal place to sip espresso, smoke cigarettes and pretend to dig through "Ulysses." – – The Food – Known for its coffee drinks, desserts and bar scene more than its main menu, Apres Diem works best as a cool meet-the-friends place or a low-key late night date. Coffee…

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Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:: DJs from hot clubs spin in the main bar from 10pm-2am Thursdays through Sundays.
Save Money:: Wednesdays' free jazz performances--with music by professors from Georgia State, among others--make for a fun, inexpensive night out.
The Extras:: Groups of 20 or more should request the far lounge. There's no extra room charge.
Look Good:: Check out the mini gallery in the area leading to the restrooms. Art changes periodically and is available for purchase.

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User Reviews (65)

ambiance	95.05999565124512% positive	“came for Wednesday jazz night, and it set a very cool atmosphere.” “This is my favorite Atlanta hang-out the ambiance is great, candle-lit tables, good DJ's, comfy couches, gorgeous women and live jazz every wednesday evening!” “want to say that Apres Diem has a great atmosphere for a romantic first date in Atlanta.” “Apres Diem is the BEST place for a romantic night out.” “The atmosphere is great - not overpowering but never dull - check out the lounge area - amazing place for a long, drawn out evening with friends.” “Usually a great place for a first dates or meeting friends if you are prone to be more comfortable in casual environment.” “It has a great patio, it's convinient in spite of it's strip mall location and it's generally happening with a good looking, hip crowd.” “The DJ was spinning out the hits, the ambiance was romantic and the artwork gallery was compelling.” “While I think Apres Diem sets a nice atmosphere and the food is good, it is all but erased by the poor service and bad attitude of the many waitresses there.” “If I ever get a boyfriend, I'd definately take him here, because it would be a very romantic setting, it's dark with candles everywhere.” “Romantic atmosphere.” “have found that it's a versatile and dependable spot and no matter what, I am always comfortable.” “Love the location since it's right outside the Midtown Art Cinema.” “It's a great atmosphere, not too uptight but not too casual either.” “On the plus side, the atmosphere was nice.” “You can seat yourself and find a cozy spot to settle into.” “We sat outside and the atmosphere was great!” “The best ambiance, the best owner, the best wait staff, the best full meal, the best light snack, the best mixed drinks, the best coffee, the best desserts, the best live music.” “It's got killer ambiance, a fantastic wine selection and super good food.” “what a great atmosphere!” “Good atmosphere, but dirty inside” “This really compromised any romantic or relaxed ambiance that I had heard about.” “highly recommend this to anyone who wants to spend a romantic evening with a very resonable price.” “At night, they turn on candles on all tabels and that makes Diem romantic.” “few years ago, this was an intimate, cozy place to bring a date or catch up with your girlfriends, but now it's just bustling, overcrowded and smoke-filled.” “Great atmosphere, service and food!” “Park perfect location” “Great Euro atmosphere and the food is great.” “Great atmosphere and vibe”
dessert	98.75% positive	“The brunch is wonderful- the desserts are great, and the coffee is one of a kind!” “The desserts look good but just aren't flavorful.” “We ordered wine and dessert and $12 later had a wonderful late night treat, great attentive service and the promise that we would return soon.” “The best ambiance, the best owner, the best wait staff, the best full meal, the best light snack, the best mixed drinks, the best coffee, the best desserts, the best live music.” “The drinks and desserts all have that extra sparkle, making Apres Diem the perfect place for intimate conversation.” “The shrimp cakes were tasty.” “They have deserts from Alon's which are great.” “also had the most delicious cheesecake/chocolate custard cake ever, I forget what she called it though- sooo creamy complemented with raspberry sauce and whipped cream to make it absolutely heavenly.”
drinks	95.22000312805176% positive	“It is a wonderful place to come alone and read (early in the day) or to go with a first date to "talk over coffee.” “think Apres Diem is a great place to grab a bite, get a drink and chill with a friend or two.” “drinks were acceptable.” “It's got killer ambiance, a fantastic wine selection and super good food.” “The best ambiance, the best owner, the best wait staff, the best full meal, the best light snack, the best mixed drinks, the best coffee, the best desserts, the best live music.” “Better to go next door to The Highlander bar- it seemed to be a pretty awesome place.” “The food is always above average (I like the Salad Nicoise, Pastas, Hummus), they have a DJ spinning down tempo, one room is very lounge, and they have a good bar scene & patio.” “The brunch is wonderful- the desserts are great, and the coffee is one of a kind!” “The waitstaff is mostly attentive & friendly and the drinks are good.” “Inside, the music is good, the bar is busy, and the lounge couch seating is also nice.” “Yesterday I sipped some vanilla bean hot tea that the waitress recommended while my friends had coffee & a sandwich; we sat outside but under the shade & could have stayed for hours.” “The wine and drink list is extremely small, and the pinot noir that was recommended to my wife was horrid, but that no doubt was a reflection of the poor service that we had.” “had a Chai tea for only 2-dollars-something-cents, and it came in a huge mug, very delicious as well.” “great, diverse crowd of Atlanta-dwellers sporting accents from all over the world mingle at the bar, couples on dates grab two-top patio tables, and groups of old pals get ensconce themselves on the plush couches at this multi-purpose restaurant/bar/cof” “The food is so much better than regular bar food, showing a fair amount of quality and creativity, and the DJ spins some nice tunes that contribute to the relaxed vibe.” “We ordered wine and dessert and $12 later had a wonderful late night treat, great attentive service and the promise that we would return soon.” “However coffee and drinks are good!” “Also server wine education would be wonderful or they might should even employing a sommelier that could update and refresh the wine selection.” “Also server wine education would be wonderful or they might should even employ a sommelier that could update and refresh the wine selection.” “The drinks and desserts all have that extra sparkle, making Apres Diem the perfect place for intimate conversation.” “The food is great, unpretentious and tasty and the wine list is extensive and very affordable.” “In the warmer months, grab a table outdoors and split a bottle of wine and enjoy the people watching.” “The couches, good food, art, coffee, and Dj combined with the dim lighting are combined to produce great environment where people can connect.”
food quality	85.53000450134277% positive	“cool place, but the food?” “My bf loves the sandwiches.” “Food : I really recommend the "Pork Confit", the quality of this dish varies during time (from excellent to average) but it is very rare to find such a good quality for this price in this area.” “Don't know what's happened since then, but when i went recently, it was bland food and not a good vibe.” “The shrimp cakes were tasty.” “Unrinsed fruit, uncooked chicken sandwiches, cold food that should be hot.” “The food is better and the setting is cool too.” “It's got killer ambiance, a fantastic wine selection and super good food.” “have read some not so great reviews on here about Apres' food but every time I eat there (great sandwiches) I think it's delicious & fresh.” “Awesome DJ, Fresh food, Good Service,Cheap Cocktails” “Great Euro atmosphere and the food is great.” “We have been many times and the food is consistently good.” “The waitress was incompetent and rude the entire meal, the entire staff was impolite, and the food (I hear) wasn't even worth the wait.” “The food is always above average (I like the Salad Nicoise, Pastas, Hummus), they have a DJ spinning down tempo, one room is very lounge, and they have a good bar scene & patio.” “Great food and great service!” “While I think Apres Diem sets a nice atmosphere and the food is good, it is all but erased by the poor service and bad attitude of the many waitresses there.” “The Greek salad is wonderful.” “Great atmosphere, service and food!” “The food was awful especially the calamari.” “Background noise is great but part of going to dinner is to have conversation over a meal and that is not possible when you can't hear one another.” “Come here and enjoy yourself with tasty beverages and light snack food.” “Yesterday I sipped some vanilla bean hot tea that the waitress recommended while my friends had coffee & a sandwich; we sat outside but under the shade & could have stayed for hours.” “The menu features Mediterranean-tinged small plates and dishes including a delicious gyro sandwich and a huge fruit and cheese plate that is perfect for sharing after a movie next door.” “The food is so much better than regular bar food, showing a fair amount of quality and creativity, and the DJ spins some nice tunes that contribute to the relaxed vibe.” “had a Chai tea for only 2-dollars-something-cents, and it came in a huge mug, very delicious as well.” “Sometimes in Atlanta, you never know what you are going to get, attitude, or poor service/food, etc.” “had the salmon farfalle and my husband had the fettucini, both dishes were excellent.” “The first time I ate here, years ago, the food was pretty good.” “had a really yummy salmon pasta here as well.” “The food is great, unpretentious and tasty and the wine list is extensive and very affordable.” “So, overall, our service was speedy and efficient, the food was great and we didn't spend much money at all.” “With so many choices for good food in the Midtown Promenade shopping center, you're making the wrong decision if you stop here to eat.” “The couches, good food, art, coffee, and Dj combined with the dim lighting are combined to produce great environment where people can connect.” “The food is good, but not filling.” “Prices for the apps, pasta, sandwiches, and salads are good.” “The food was good, but not good enough to offset every other aspect of the experience.” “(granted, we didn't order a well-done steak or anything) I had the Greek salad with shrimp and it very fresh and delicious.” “The best ambiance, the best owner, the best wait staff, the best full meal, the best light snack, the best mixed drinks, the best coffee, the best desserts, the best live music.” “also had the most delicious cheesecake/chocolate custard cake ever, I forget what she called it though- sooo creamy complemented with raspberry sauce and whipped cream to make it absolutely heavenly.” “The service was good, the food was decent, and the music was just right.” “Didn't like the sandwiches, but the gyro is delicious and meaty (get the feta!)”
menu variety	90.0% positive	“Also server wine education would be wonderful or they might should even employ a sommelier that could update and refresh the wine selection.” “think that the prices are great here, but the variety is limited.” “The menu features Mediterranean-tinged small plates and dishes including a delicious gyro sandwich and a huge fruit and cheese plate that is perfect for sharing after a movie next door.” “Also server wine education would be wonderful or they might should even employing a sommelier that could update and refresh the wine selection.” “the menu is tired and not a good value.” “great, diverse crowd of Atlanta-dwellers sporting accents from all over the world mingle at the bar, couples on dates grab two-top patio tables, and groups of old pals get ensconce themselves on the plush couches at this multi-purpose restaurant/bar/cof” “It is a very strange selection to say the least, but the entrees were surpisingly good.” “With so many choices for good food in the Midtown Promenade shopping center, you're making the wrong decision if you stop here to eat.” “The food is great, unpretentious and tasty and the wine list is extensive and very affordable.” “It's got killer ambiance, a fantastic wine selection and super good food.”
overall	100.0% positive	“If you want to show someone some wormth it is a good place to bring someone special there.” “This is a good place to go when you are too lazy to go out, but want to eat and have the feeling that you went out.” “great date spot or a place to take the 'rents when they're in town visiting.” “think Apres Diem is a great place to grab a bite, get a drink and chill with a friend or two.” “However, it's a great place to feel the trendy city vibe and hang out with friends.” “few years ago this was a good place.” “The atmosphere is great - not overpowering but never dull - check out the lounge area - amazing place for a long, drawn out evening with friends.” “Usually a great place for a first dates or meeting friends if you are prone to be more comfortable in casual environment.”
return potential	100.0% positive	“We ordered wine and dessert and $12 later had a wonderful late night treat, great attentive service and the promise that we would return soon.”
service	70.45000076293945% positive	“So what if the service sucks.” “The manager was awful and did nothing to help ease such an awful restaurant experience.” “Food was decent service, however, the service was poor.” “While I think Apres Diem sets a nice atmosphere and the food is good, it is all but erased by the poor service and bad attitude of the many waitresses there.” “The service was good, the food was decent, and the music was just right.” “The staff are friendly and jovial and Chef Ciro is the greatest!” “The bartenders and waitstaff are a HUGE improvement (especially if you go Wednesday night).” “The service normally good, but you feel the squeeze when they're busy.” “Overall I would have to discourage this restaurant until they can get some more pleasant help staff.” “The waitress was incompetent and rude the entire meal, the entire staff was impolite, and the food (I hear) wasn't even worth the wait.” “We ordered the fruit and cheese plate that our server recommended and were again very satisfied.” “The staff was very rude not to mention extremely slow.” “The servers are all beautiful.” “can see why on the surface, a lot of people like Apres Diem.” “The couches, good food, art, coffee, and Dj combined with the dim lighting are combined to produce great environment where people can connect.” “First of all, excelent service, great athmoshpere.” “Great atmosphere, service and food!” “Was with a group of people and the service was attentive.” “Basically, we had the worst service ever.” “We ordered wine and dessert and $12 later had a wonderful late night treat, great attentive service and the promise that we would return soon.” “The staff is friendly and the music is pumping-go on a Sunday to hear DJ Bigg H. Check it out.” “Sometimes in Atlanta, you never know what you are going to get, attitude, or poor service/food, etc.” “The best ambiance, the best owner, the best wait staff, the best full meal, the best light snack, the best mixed drinks, the best coffee, the best desserts, the best live music.” “So, overall, our service was speedy and efficient, the food was great and we didn't spend much money at all.” “The servers are wonderful as well, very polite and friendly.” “Also server wine education would be wonderful or they might should even employing a sommelier that could update and refresh the wine selection.” “While the restaurant has some good servers, at least half of them act like it is you, the customer, who should be grateful that they are gracing you with their presence.” “Also server wine education would be wonderful or they might should even employ a sommelier that could update and refresh the wine selection.” “will say that the patio was full, but our waitress forgot everything, 2 or 3 times, and left a plate of mussels sitting on our table for 20 minutes after we were finished.” “This is the comment I submited in an email to the manager, Big surpised that it was bounce back as unable to deliver mail box full:” “The wine and drink list is extremely small, and the pinot noir that was recommended to my wife was horrid, but that no doubt was a reflection of the poor service that we had.” “The waitstaff is mostly attentive & friendly and the drinks are good.” “Great food and great service!” “I have been to a lot of restaurants in this country and some abroad and have never had such a thing written on the ticket especially not when such poor service was provided.” “Yesterday I sipped some vanilla bean hot tea that the waitress recommended while my friends had coffee & a sandwich; we sat outside but under the shade & could have stayed for hours.” “In the warmer months, grab a table outdoors and split a bottle of wine and enjoy the people watching.” “Here's why this place works - the owner is always there - the staff is constantly attentive & polite - the product is consistent & keeps you coming back.”
value	77.77999877929688% positive	“The food is great, unpretentious and tasty and the wine list is extensive and very affordable.” “the menu is tired and not a good value.” “highly recommend this to anyone who wants to spend a romantic evening with a very resonable price.” “had a Chai tea for only 2-dollars-something-cents, and it came in a huge mug, very delicious as well.” “The menu features Mediterranean-tinged small plates and dishes including a delicious gyro sandwich and a huge fruit and cheese plate that is perfect for sharing after a movie next door.” “Food : I really recommend the "Pork Confit", the quality of this dish varies during time (from excellent to average) but it is very rare to find such a good quality for this price in this area.” “The waitress was incompetent and rude the entire meal, the entire staff was impolite, and the food (I hear) wasn't even worth the wait.” “think that the prices are great here, but the variety is limited.” “So, overall, our service was speedy and efficient, the food was great and we didn't spend much money at all.”
wait time	33.3299994468689% positive	“will say that the patio was full, but our waitress forgot everything, 2 or 3 times, and left a plate of mussels sitting on our table for 20 minutes after we were finished.” “The staff was very rude not to mention extremely slow.” “The atmosphere is great - not overpowering but never dull - check out the lounge area - amazing place for a long, drawn out evening with friends.”

04/21/11

My favorite place in Atlanta

by mydarkstar

I've lived in Atlanta for 17 years now and this is my favorite place in the entire city. The words that I always use to describe it are : intimate, loose, hip, stylish, inviting, sexy, and most of all : just plain fun.

First of all, the location is awesome. It's right in midtown - but slightly secluded in the Midtown Plaza, and literally 30 feet away from Landmark Theater. I don't even know how many times I've gone there for a drink right after a movie.

The layout of the place is just perfect. This is not a place which is easy to categorize. It's part bar, part restaurant, part outside bistro, and part lounge. So, because of that the layout of the place is very important. If the layout doesn't work then you will have an atmosphere that feels confused or cluttered. But the layout of Apres Diem allows for each different part of the place to seem independent , while still maintaining the all around atmosphere & feel of the place. The patio is bigger than you might think because not only does it extend out to the front, but it also wraps around the entire side of the place - which gives it another 8 or 10 tables. Inside the bar is long and narrow - but it doesn't feel cramped. The restaurant area is separated from the bar area with a single wall\divider. The lounge is also separated from the bar & restaurant. It has a great intimate & sexy lighting to it, with low & deep couches & tables. It's perfect for private 2 person conversations - or a very social get together of about 5 friends.

You could go to this place for just about any type of social scenario spanning from an intimate drink to a large group dinner. On a couple of occasions I've seen them set up a large table for what was obviously a pre-planned get together by a large group - and it worked perfectly right in the lounge. If somebody were to tell me they were gonna do that I would think it would be intrusive to the rest of the wine sipping loungers, but it wasn't. Another night I went there they had salsa dancing within the lounge. Again, I would have thought it would be too intrusive to the rest of the loungers - but it wasn't. Some people were partaking in it - and others were just ignoring it and having their own private conversations on the couches.

Their wine selection is great. I discovered some of my favorite wines there. Their dessert bar selection is also awesome. You could go there to have a simple lunch, a large dinner, or just a dessert. The whole menu is great.

The staff is also great. I always have long conversations with my server whenever I'm chilling in the lounge - or my bartender whenever I'm having a drink. And the rest of the crowd there is very cool. I don't know exactly what it is but it's just a very inviting and hip crowd - but not with a hipster type of attitude.

They often have a DJ spinning there at night and it always works very well in bringing a very united & coherent feel to all of the individual sections of the place. And ultimately that's the thing that makes this place so great : It just seems so coherent. Each section seems to slightly bleed into one another in a very smooth way.

There are several other places in Atlanta which are comparable to Apres Diem, but none of them succeed so perfectly in each different type of section : bar ; lounge ; restaurant ; outdoor bistro ; dessert bar...whatever you want to call it.

I would give it 10 stars if I could.

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10/24/10

Just Alright......

by sasulou

We chose Apres Diem for a late night birthday dinner, a party of 5, when we arrived we had to wait a few minutes for a table, which was not a problem, so two of us went to the bar to have a quick shot and a drink. $27 for 2 cocktails and 2 shots!!!!!! What a rip off.

When we were sat, it took the server about 10 minutes to even approach our table, while many staff members were standing around by the window and counter just hanging out, it was not that busy in there.

The server had zero personality, barely said hello, took our appetizer order and food order at the same time.

The apps came out fairly quickly, and not 5 minutes later, so did our meals.....

The table was already small enough for 5 people, and thankfully the hostess who brought us our food, helped take plates and things away to make room for everything.

Our server approached, my boyfriend ordered a beer and we were almost finished eating by the time it came, about 15 minutes.

The food was just alright, my gyro was missing the one thing that gyros are known for, the tzatki sauce. I was unable to ask for any since our server was nowhere to be found and we were essentially ignored by the rest of the staff, even the ones I made eye contact with.

The salads ordered at the table were nothing special, something you could get in any restaurant. The "Greek Islands" salad that was ordered had few olives and hardly any feta on it.

The baba ganouj, which I love anywhere else, tasted bland and boring. The calamari was pretty basic also. Not much flavor.

The only true highlight was the pate, it was wonderful, but since it is pre-made it seems like the late night kitchen staff couldn't really disappoint on it.

We did have a good time, it was hot in the restaurant, but the DJ was good and we were in good company. Just disappointed with the service and the food was just alright..... I might go back, I might not. I definitely won't recommend it to friends......

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07/29/10

All Around the World

by Mayor of Ponce

Seize the day, or go ahead and get lively and commence celebration after the day has already been seized. From the same people who brought you Carpe Diem, Carrol St. Cafe, & AMUSE!, it's the old standby, always accountable for foreign pleasure, Apre Diem. Don't let the shopping center location fool you, this international bistro coffee house is a great place to take a date, it's definatly an experience. Get cozy on the couches, or cozy up to the bar, the place might not be outta this world, but it's surely outta this continent.

Pros: Gorgeous, internatiuonal wait staff, the desserts
Cons: parking, shopping center isn't exactly exotic

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03/23/10

Fun Relaxed Atmosphere

by Divanoir

The staff are friendly and jovial and Chef Ciro is the greatest!

Pros: Fried calamari is the bomb, the best I've had in Atlanta!
Cons: Not much space to move in and out of the tables

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03/16/10

A Romantic Spot with European Swagger

by ryansims

A great, diverse crowd of Atlanta-dwellers sporting accents from all over the world mingle at the bar, couples on dates grab two-top patio tables, and groups of old pals get ensconce themselves on the plush couches at this multi-purpose restaurant/bar/coffee shop. The menu features Mediterranean-tinged small plates and dishes including a delicious gyro sandwich and a huge fruit and cheese plate that is perfect for sharing after a movie next door. In the warmer months, grab a table outdoors and split a bottle of wine and enjoy the people watching.

Apres Diem

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What People Are Saying About Apres Diem

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Editor's Tips

04/21/11

My favorite place in Atlanta

by mydarkstar

10/24/10

Just Alright......

by sasulou

07/29/10

All Around the World

by Mayor of Ponce

03/23/10

Fun Relaxed Atmosphere

by Divanoir

03/16/10

A Romantic Spot with European Swagger

by ryansims

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