04/19/09

"Exotic" and Enjoyable

by atlgirlie

The decor is a fanciful Westerner's take on Asia...and it does take you to an imaginary peaceful and exotic place. Service was very good, and the menu was nice. The portions were small (as to be expected), but the food (cod and short ribs) tasted good. As others have said, yes, you can get cheaper food on Buford Hwy, but you are coming here for the ambience and atmosphere, which is magical. Nice, inventive cocktails, as well. Loved the banana, kiwi, pineapple dessert with white pepper ice cream and coconut macaroons. This place is pricey, but it is great for a special occasion.

• Pros: Beautiful decor, good food and service
• Cons: Pricey

02/23/09

Great place to impress a date!

by jbrown472

I took my date for Valentines Day and had a WONDERFUL experience, the food was AMAZING, obvioulsy the portions are quite small, but that was too be expected. It is also family style dining, which was a HUGE PLUS, it was nice sharing food together and it made dinner fun. I highly recommend for any occassion.

• Pros: Atmosphere, Famile Style Dining and Food Quality
• Cons: Price

01/20/09

Jean-George's worst nightmare

by nikegirlatl

Please, please, please think thrice before checking out this place. If you want a nice ambience, overpriced food (okay if it was good), mediocre service, and dishes overpowered by scallions to hide any real sauces, then this is the place for you. For me, it's just another trendy wannabe restaurant in a fancy hotel in Atlanta. I cannot believe Jean-George is giving his blessings and name to this location. Gordon Ramsey should come here to help fix this disaster.

• Pros: nice hotel and modern
• Cons: food is terrible and lacks taste

11/13/08

Sub-standard food, Mediocre Service

by katje13

Spice Market was a complete disappointment. My boyfriend had made a reservation several days beforehand for my birthday and had specifically requested a romantic table for two. Instead, we were seated in the worst seat in the house. Not only were we seated in a small table with the worst traffic in the restaurant, but we saw other diners seated in nice booths after us. These diners were not even on a romantic night out and they were seated in nice booths so they could sit next to each other.

As for the food, you could get the same food for a much lower price at any restaurant in Buford. For the lackluster ambience we got, we would have been much happier at a restaurant in Buford and left with more money in our pockets. The service was adequate, but nothing what we would expect from what we were paying.

If Spice Market's aim is to be at the top lists of Atlanta's top restaurants, I suggest they fix their maitre d' training to incorporate making sure EVERY diner's request is met. If not, they will unfortunately be at the same place all trendy restaurants fall when the fad has run out - closed for business.

• Pros: Beautiful decor
• Cons: Price, Service, Ambience

10/09/08

Left me with a bad after-taste

by snithersby

I went to Spice market a couple weeks ago, and was quite impressed with the interior and ambiance of the W restaurant. Unfortunately, the food and even worse, the service, tarnished my experience. I was surprised at how limited the menu was. I was with a large party and several of us asked for recommendations. The staff seemed irritated when asked questions. I personally enjoyed my selection, the short ribs, but many from my party did not enjoy their dishes. When the wait staff came around and asked for dessert requests, everyone declined. This was due to the fact that most of us were unsatisfied with the entrees, in addition to a prearranged agreement with Spice Market management. It had been prearranged & approved for us to bring in our own birthday cake. Instead we were confronted by the wait staff and management, as if it had not been discussed. They proceeded to charge us $2 for every piece that was passed out. I think this was a tacky and tasteless act, especially since we had literally spent hundreds in the restaurant, not to mention agreed with the powers that be, beforehand. So if you decide to try out the Spice Market, be mindful, you may leave with a bad taste in your mouth.

10/02/08

Great for lunch

by atlwriter

Love the bento boxes -- as well as the tasty vegetarian choices -- including the vegetable green curry and the soba noodles with soft tofus. And the cod -- I could eat it every day. The ice cream and sorbets, frozen in Chinese takeout boxes are worth the extra calories.

08/26/08

Special Experience

by j_ian_irby

Spice Market has the buzz, and it has everything to back that up. The service is a cut above, the atmosphere is impressive, and the food is mostly transcendental (capturing the tastes of southeast Asian markets in, say, Cambodia). For example, the chicken samosas or the chili rubbed beef appetizers both have a depth of flavor unmatched in most Atlanta cuisine. As you may know, much of the food of Asia historically is considered incomplete if it doesn't contain five flavors: sour, sweet, bitter, savory, and spicy. (And a new flavor has recently been discovered called umami.) Spice Market's chefs clearly do their best to impart the five flavors to the cuisine they serve, even in the above-mentioned appetizers. For a main course, the char-grilled chicken with kumquat & lemongrass dressing impresses for the same reason: the variety of flavor for the discerning palate. About the only disappointment on our visit was the spicy Shanghai noodles with silken tofu. First, I have had several Shanghai dishes before, and these noodles themselves seem like garden variety udon / chow mein noodles (rather than thinner rice or bean noodles). Second, the spice seemed to be imparted solely from tiny jalapenos. The dish was bland, not too spicy, but more important, not too rich in flavor profile either. The tofu was the best thing about the noodle dish. Finally, we had ovaltine kulfi and ginger ice cream. The kulfi is a special dish, and although it is heavier than other kulfi I have had, the interesting carmelized popcorn and banana that came with it created a far above average dish overall. The ginger ice cream contained just a hint of that spice, but I would recommend ordering it with the kulfi, because the balance between those two desserts was priceless. Overall, from beginning with a nice chai and enjoying the atmosphere, to basking in good service, to enjoying flavors from another world, this was a great experience.

• Pros: Food, ambience, service
• Cons: Seating a bit uncomfortable, restaurant a bit too open to the remainder of the hotel

07/22/08

Great service , so so food

by normancat

We went with a group and were seated in a spacious rounded booth. The restaurant was not very busy but the atmosphere remained warm and inviting, almost cozy.

Our server immediately appeared and engaged us in lighthearted conversation. She went over the highlights of the menu and was also very knowledgeable of the wine list. She was on top of everything throughout the night.

We loved the fresh ingredients of the food, but the right mix of flavor wasn't there. The food needs some improvements.

• Pros: service, decor, valet parking, nice hotel
• Cons: food

06/30/08

Delicious Food, Good Service

by neatomosquito

First time at Spice Market last Wednesday. Had reservs. no problem. Our waitperson was charming/delightful. Plenty of staff to boot. So food? First course, samosas. Lighter than what I've had before. Good but not exceptional. Next, the crispy squid salad. I enjoyed that immensely. Fresh ingredients and while the squid was crispy fried it was not oily and the squid melted in your mouth. How do they do that??? Tried two entrees; the curried duck and the short ribs. Both were delicious. They brought rice with the duck so you could soak up the yummy sauce in the small bowls that they suggested we use. Must mention the ginger margarita. Superb....To recap.....very good service, very good drink, very good food. Was this outstanding??? No but it was close. To me this was a moderately priced, very competently prepared meal in an interesting setting and most importantly, one I'd come back to. Ah..do want to address the setting. Me lives very close to W. Been through the lobby.....not my scene. Heard Whiskey Park turns you away if you aren't one of the beautiful people even with empty tables. I had an attitude for sure. But, Spice Market fixed some of that. Yeah, the music was at times kind of techno but I liked it. It gave the place an interesting energy. OK, so the uniforms were a nice try but looked uncomfortable and a bit odd so why bother. Could get the same effect with something a little simpler. But I was comfortable there and I was frankly a bit surprised. So, how would I compare it to the NYC Jean Georges? Not the same but then I didn't expect it to be. I think JG did a good thing in Atlanta. Keep up the good work. Oh, a brief aside here. Enough of this judgmental stuff. Atlanta is full of people who have traveled all over the world and eaten at fine restaurants. We all get to say what we feel. I tend to check to see what other reviews those people have written. That's helpful in determining how much their opinion matters.

• Pros: Tasty food, interesting comfortable ambience
• Cons: Can't think of any

05/28/08

amazing food, knowledgeable staff, friendly management

by atlfooddawg

so, is it my imagination, or are the only people who take the time to write reviews angry, bitter people who happened to be the one group that fell through the cracks at a restaurant. i have been in this industry for a very long time, and am well aware of the multitude of things that can and more frequently than we would like, do go wrong. But what do you say we stick to what we do know and not the word of a possibly disgruntled employee.

i have eaten at jean-georges' restaurants both in ny and his newest addition here in atlanta. i am sure that with any new opening and especially one so eagerly anticipated as this, there have been some bumps in the road. i can say however, that this restaurant, the staff, and the management team are doing a fantastic job.

having eaten at spice market three times since it opened its doors, twice in the restaurant and once for room service while staying at the w, i was pleased with both the food and the level of service. the shrimp and pineapple appetizer is to die for, and the lobster and short ribs are amazing.

the staff was both friendly and knowledgeable, if although at times, slightly slower than expected. but where the staff may have fallen below expectations, the managers were there to pick up the slack. while dining there i have had the opportunity to meet both the head chef and the gm (unfortunately i am terrible with names) who could not have been nicer and more accomodating. the girls at the front door (although cute and bubbly with little in between their ears) did well to find our table quickly and without any fuss.

i will return to spice market as long i continue to receive such excellent food and service

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