09/01/09

What has happened to Southern Hospitality

by BurghDiner

This was my first trip back to Atlanta in many years. I have a huge amount of fond memories of dining in Atlanta. Great food and friendly people enticed me to move there on more than one occasion. This was the second of two very sad nights out with friends in Midtown. The guy who brought us the water knew more about the menu than any one of the 4 persons who could have been our waiter/waitress. We are still taking bets on that one as we never seemed to consistently see the same person twice in a row.

To say the service was poor would be an understatement and the quality of food was poor at best considering a Sunday night and light crowd, well considering anytime for the price paid. To top off the night the parking attendant was nowhere to be found so we retrieved our own keys to escape this train wreck of service. I still love Atlanta, but two bad outings in one week is unheard of for your fair city...now, where is that water boy.

• Pros: Fried Goat Cheese
• Cons: Not the Fried Goat Cheese

08/16/09

Always outstanding

by poggimer

I have been to Ecco many many times and every time it is great. Drinks are good, service is friendly and food is always outstanding. I have tried almost everything on the menu and can't find one item I would not recommend. our party was late arriving and even at 1030pm the kitchen was spot on. I even asked for a special vegetarian request not on the menu and it was no problem. I would seek out Ecco for a casual evening or a special event.

• Pros: Service, drinks, consistency
• Cons: Parking

03/12/09

Unique Experience

by JamieSlos

Excellent atmosphere and food. Was invited by a friend and had the pizza which was fresh and wonderful! Reminded me of a local restaurant in Tuscany. Great assortment of apps - calamari to die for! Urban atmosphere.

03/09/09

Ecco is so 5-star!

by ListenandLearn

Yeah, I love this place, never been disappointed. I dine out 3-4 nights a week and always come back here to "regroup". I laugh when I see remarks that this place is expensive - when is the last time these suburbanites ate out - 1985? Try a steak joint - now that is expensive! Anyway, I love the App menu and the carafes of boutique wines. I love the Manager - sommelier Vajra, he always recommends something great and priced right (he's pretty funny too). The best way to experience Ecco is to walk in with a big smile, grab a nice drink at the bar, chat up the super nice bar staff (guys and girls!) and share about 4 things on the menu with a friend (starting with a thin crusty pizza)......doesn't get much better than that folks.

• Pros: Location, ambience,staff, service, food, wine list, image, patio
• Cons: hard to get a table on saturday night

03/05/09

Truly Excellent

by DiamondOne

I went to Ecco for the first time the other night on a strong reccomendation from a friend. She said she dines there often and has yet to be dissapointed. I did a little research and found out that they are owned by Fifth Group Restaurants, who own another restaurant in The Virginia Highlands, La Tavola, that I have been to before.

Let me just say that I was very impressed. From the moment I pulled my car up to the valet (complimentary) to when I left, everyone I spoke to was extremely polite and genuine. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with a lively buzz coming from the busy dining room. Our hostess sat us along the wall where my wife got a great view of the open kitchen. Within moments we were greeted by our server who happily gave us first timers a quick rundown of the menu and wine list making suggestions along the way. We decided on a bottle of wine that the server informed us was only available at Ecco. I was a bit wary about this at first, but my fears were quickly put to rest when the bottle appeared, and the glasses were poured. It was magnificent. I can't remember the name, but I do remember that it was a traditionally Spanish varietal, but grown in California.

Now onto the food. We followed most of our server's suggestions, and handed him the menus. Within moments our Meat and Cheese platter arrived, along with an order of Fried Goat Cheese drizzled with Honey and black pepper (A must have!). For our main entrees I chose the grilled tenderloin and my wife had the seared duck breast, and we shared a side of braised kale and some roasted potatoes. These too were outstanding and the wine accompanied the food beautifully. My beef tenderoin was cooked to a perfect temperature as was my wife's duck. Unfortunately we were too full for desert, but they did have a few interesting selections that I hope to try in the near future. I will definately be back soon. A truly A+ experience.

• Pros: Great All around.
• Cons: None really.

03/05/09

Terrific

by NigelA

I loved this place. Friendly barstaff. Piquillo (sp?) peppers stuffed with some sort of mushroom medley were UNREAL. Our waiter was good -- knew his stuff on wine. Crispy pork entree excellent. My date loved it too - we shared everything and enjoyed it all. I will be back soon.

01/25/09

A unique dining experience that is both tasty and memorable

by willgrahamad12

Went to Ecco for the first time last night. Took my wife to celebrate her birthday. It was a surprise for her and a very pleasant one. The menu as fantastic, the service was great, and the fried goat cheese was to die for. Very memorable experience.

The server knew what he was talking about and gave the perfect recommendations. What made it especially unique was that the menu was less about "dishes" and more about food. I like that the menu started with "meats and cheeses" and encouraged sharing.

We did the "Speck" prosciutto and mild salami with gouda. Brought with that was the fried goat cheese with honey and black pepper. Glorious! After that the arugula salad was the best ever and contained almonds, dates and diced pecarino cheese. Next up was the pizza. The misses had selected the tomato, mozzarella and basil, and I had the eggplant and peppers. both were flat-bread, about the same size as the menu and perfect. We each had about three pieces left over to take home. Next was dessert, which we split. The chocolate-caramel tart was very unique and refreshing in its taste, like it had been thought out and prepared very carefully.

The ambiance is typical of Atlanta's finer, trendier "urban" restaurants.

• Pros: creativity in food preparation, finer tastes

01/17/09

Never Again

by SirM

Pros: Nice atmosphere, free valet parking, interesting menu, knowledgeable and friendly waiter, and plenty of eye candy both in the clientele and the staff.

Cons: $11 for a simple gin and tonic and don't come with a large group unless you're all in one car or everyone is timely. We booked our reservation over a week in advance for a birthday celebration including six people. They made us wait for our table for over an hour until all six arrived. - Never again.

08/29/08

i loved ecco!

by lalababy

Ecco was a great experience. From the moment I sat down I was warmly greeted by my server. I had a great time. The food and drinks were marvelous. I had cod and my buddy had the steak. Both were absolutely FABULOUS. They have pomme frittes (french fries) that are fresh cut and sweet and salty (just as good as McDonalds, not as fattening!) I recommend this place to anyone who enjoys Italian and American. It's a combination of both. The place is well lit for a "dark" area, and the atmosphere is great.

• Pros: food, service, ambience
• Cons: parking

08/19/08

Service, food, atmosphere- everything!

by CbgetwnGrl

The service here is outstanding along with the food choices. I highly recommend the fried goat cheese as an appetizer. It is truly excellent. We ordered several small plates and loved all of them. Also, the location in the heart of midtown is great and we had no problem with the parking situation and it was a friday night, as well. Oh! And the wine selection is phenomenal. We had a couple of different white wines with our dinner and loved all of them. Also, the bar is neat to sit at if you would like to simply enjoy a drink. I will definitely be back. We loved this place.

• Pros: Service, food, wine, ambience.