Cafe Lily

This was my first dinner experience there, having had lunch there a couple of times. While the dinner menu was varied and interesting, the flavors missed the mark some in my opinion. The cocktail, an old fashioned with cardamom, was quite bitter and masked the flavor of the bourbon. My main course, the celebrated lamb on their menu as a “ favorite” was heavily salted and very lemony, and the flavors just did not blend well enough to be delicious. The lamb was cooked well and juicy though. My son had the pasta with the beef/pork ragout and it was somewhat bland. Pasta had no flavor and the sauce just was not that well seasoned.
Again, nothing was bad, just not that good for a place of this reputation.

The weekend special Ragu Bolognese sauce was delicious over zucchini noodles! Rich, complex and hearty. The artichoke hearts wrapped in Serrano ham were excellent.

Cafe Lily is consistently the best choice for dinner in downtown Decatur. The lamb pinchitos are a favorite as is the lemon sponge custard and scallops with asparagus and risotto. Sound level makes conversation possible.

This was our first visit to Cafe Lily and we will definitely be back! From the appetizer to the dessert, the food was fabulous. Definitely recommend this restaurant.

Wonderful food as always!

Brunch menu is inventive but a bit pricey. Service and ambience is very nice for a Sunday brunch setting.

August was a fabulous server! Food and cocktails were wonderful.

Christian was our waiter, he was excellent. Great service, no hovering, met our needs and requests.
Also the female manager, whose name we did not get, was very helpful and had a lovely manner.
Only disappointment - no complimentary dessert for the birthday girl.

From the food to the service, Cafe Lily never disappoints. I enjoyed the clam and vegetable soup appetizer and the grilled bread and EVOO dipping oil was quite nice.

The Mahi Mahi entree special was tender and very tasty with it's Kalamata olive and lemon topping. My wife really liked her Salmon.

I even took some Kibbeh home for layer enjoyment.

As always, the LaVazza coffee was an excellent flavor.

Excellent service and always interesting and delicious menu options.

Our favorite local bistro to meet with friends and have good food

The stuffed filet mignon was cooked perfectly. Goat cheese stuffed ravioli was very good. I didn’t care for the falafel but the hummus was good.

GREAT FOOD GREAT PLACE TO HAVE DINNER FRIENDLY SERVICE

Guests in town—a very nice place to go

Wonderful service! Great care was taken in regards to my food allergy. Knowledgeable and friendly wait staff! Thank you to the manager for calling the day before our reservation to ask clarifying questions regarding my food allergy.

This was our second visit to this lovely restaurant. We were celebrating my birthday. As it was before, the food and service were amazing. We started with their craft cocktails and the calamari...excellent start! For the entrees, my husband had their signature lamb dish and I had the seafood soup dish...excellent explosion of flavors! And, to finish, we had the delightful tiramisu. We look forward to another visit :-)

We both had the red snapper special. It was delicious. A big portion of perfectly cooked fish with tomatoes, onions and olives over very tasty sliced zucchini. Great attentive service by friendly staff. We’ll be going back soon!

Good service and good food.
There was no wait and the brunch was great options

our experience was terrific for just going to a restaurant based on reviews and menu.
Service was excellent as well as all 4 guests food preparation and taste.
Life the fact that they have 1/2 portions- allowing more appetizers and tastes.

Had a party of 7 and we were very well taken care of

Love this place!!! Such a beautiful neighborhood gem. The food is always amazing!!! The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Solid go to restaurant.

Our group of 8 had a wonderful time. Food was delicious and service attentive. Thank you!

Delighted all at the table in all aspects.

A favorite bistro that we often frequent for a congenial and tasty meal

My daughter and I were in Atlanta for a show at the Fox and I had been to Cafe Lily several times before but never had their brunch menu. Portion sizes were perfect and the fruit was perfectly ripe. My daughter had the half portion of french toast and fruit and I had grilled chicken Caesar salad. Everything was wonderful!

Service was good until the waiter/clean staff threw out leftovers that i had asked him to pack up to take home. The staff however was agreeable to make another dish for us which we took home.
The food is well priced and a good value and a nice change from Buckhead

Comfortable and relaxed.

Great dinner with friends.

Outstanding food with very professional and attentive service. The calamari and ravioli were excellent. Thanks to Brittany for those suggestions. Cafe Lily would be a regular stop if we were not just passing through Decatur.

had to wait over an our for our lunch becausethey had to first fill 25 take out orders.The waitress and manager were very nice but the wait was terrible, the toast was burnt.overall not a very good experience. they should really come up with a way to handle that volume of takeout out orders.

This is a lovely place and amenable to conversation -- unlike many restaurants in Atlanta. Other than the ambiance, the three of us were disappointed in the food.

Service was very good. Menu is big with a nice variety. Prices are reasonable. Decent wine list. We will be going back!

I did not care for the fact that the waitress spoke to the young children in our group telling them to be quiet. Those children are 7,4 and <2. Perfectly fine (and should have) to have spoken with the adults, but why would you presume you should scold someone else's children? Very poor. We had a large party celebrating my daughter's White Coat Ceremony @ Emory School of Medicine. Cafe Lily was, I thought a perfect spot because of its warm intimacy... but I don't believe I will celebrate there again.

We celebrated our daughter's arts performance with extended family and enjoyed a leisurely meal in their private room. The food and service were well paced and delightful. The Pompano fish special was a hit at the table. Bravo!
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Amazing amazing amazing! One of Atlanta's best little secrets!

John was great. Helpful. Food was very good. Wine excellent.

Wonderful experience! The food was fabulous and the service was friendly. Would definitely go back.

We’ve been coming to Cafe Lily for 20 years and it is just as amazing now as it was then. Our entrees were fresh and flavorful and the service was fantastic. We will keep coming back!

Always a great time at Cafe Lily! It's so consistent!