The Optimist

Other than the restaurant stating I didn’t make my reservation... it was a nice experience. They went above and beyond to acknowledge the special occasion I did notes in the reservation

Sides were amazing, the redfish was very good, the mahi mahi was somewhat bland, and the wine was delicious

Lucille was exceptionally knowledgeable of her cuisines, herbs and spices. Loved it!!

Made it a very special birthday for my gf—was as if everyone in the restaurant knew it was her day and gave her best wishes. Great experience, we will definitely be back!

The Optimist never disappoints. The food is delicious (DINNER ROLLS!)!! The food always exceeds my expectations!

I was so looking forward to going here. What a disappointment!
The service was rude and slow. If the food had been good I could have overlooked that.
Neither one of us liked it, almost not edible. Very loud. Wish we hadn't gone. Don't waste
your time and money.

Too pricey for cost and limited food options. Just not my taste.

The best seafood I have ever had. Great location. Love the openness of the dining room. Highly recommend the "hush puppies, swordfish & the opti old fashion."

Never disappointed with The Optimist. Amazing over and over.

The food is excellent along with the service. Highly recommend giving it a shot. Just enough food to enjoy without being stuffed. So much flavor in the dishes.

Always good food. Friendly staff and excellent service.

Excellent service and great food. Nice wine selection and at a reasonable price. Will definitely make this a regular stop when visiting Atlanta.

The dinner was very good. The service was terrific. The portions for the price were very small -- especially since you have to order sides separately. Wine prices are also high. I had 4 scallops, brussels sprouts and two glasses of wine for something like $86 with tip. It was very good. But just more than I would pay on a normal evening for dinner.

Went with family for special occasion, and our experience was heightened by our server, Eli, a true joy and great addition to the delicious meal we enjoyed.

Very nice experience.

Food was great although I liked my date’s grouper more than my swordfish.

Waiter was excellent - attentive and willing to talk us through the menu.

Individual presenting our wine educated us in a friendly way on our wine choices and told a fun anecdotal story of the winery that provided our choice of wine.

Neat atmosphere. A little too close to our neighbors for my taste - but I think that is more of a personal preference.

Everything here is delicous, from the rolls to the entrees to the special mocktail that our server asked the bartender to create for me. I love the cool vibe of this place, the great energy coming from the diners who were obviously enjoying their meals and having a great time. Our server, Topher, was knowledgeable about every aspect of the dining experience, recommending both outstanding wine to my dining companion and entrees for both of us. He was efficient and friendly and added to the wonderful dining experience.

We loved this restaurant- great oyster selection, the me u changes daily, everything is fresh. The branding was the best I’ve ever had, and we loved the side dish options as well. Great food, friendly and knowledgeable service. It is loud and busy, so not for a super cozy date, but great for fun and people watching. The seating isn’t elegant either but it was fine for us. We’ll be back.

All it was cracked up to be! Definitely going back!

We had a fabulous dinner. It could not have been better! The food and atmosphere are excellent.

Great restaurant . Leslie is a fantastic , ask for her tables

Wonderful atmosphere. Delicious food. It was hard to make a decision on what to order but our waiter was really great and knowledgeable. The rolls were to die for. I would recommend highly.

Good food, great atmosphere. Fresh seafood

Absolutely worth every penny. Amazing service and good. We will definitely be back.

As always, we had a great meal and experience at The Optimist. The service was outstanding. The grouper and the brussel sprouts we're amazing and of course the rolls are to die for!

Great experience for my anniversary and the food was phenomenal. Highly recommend.

The oysters and grilled octopus was amazing.

I'm a true New York City Foodie. The food was some of the best I've EVER had. Totally unique combinations of spice and ingredients. The smoked fish chowder was fabulous. I've never had smoked fish in a soup and it worked. The shrimp "la plancha" appetizer was so delicious we kept dunking our bread into the remaining sauce. Has a good kick -- messy and worth every bit. The branzino was one of the best version I had. The hush puppies side was like having dessert and a meal at once. Phenomenal mushrooms. Service outstanding. Ambiance eclectic, casual and fun.

Great experience overall! Food was delicious. And Eli did such a nice job that our experience was even further enhanced. Would recommend to anyone living in or visiting ATL.

Great experience with great customer service.

Probably the best meal I’ve had in Atlanta. Everything from appetizers to dessert was AMAZING!

Amazing food! Excellent oysters. I love this place!!

Phenomenal experience!

Food was great. Our server was amazing and the overall first time experience was worth what I paid for my wife to enjoy her birthday.

Just lovely. A little pricey but warm, competent staff and clear concern with getting it right and providing a positive experience. Great seafood.

Excellent food service and all around place

Always a wonderful time at The Optimist. The food is delicious - just crazy good. The only drawback is that you don't get any side items with your order - they are all separate. It would be nice to just get a few vegetables with your order.
Get the branzino, though - wow! The lemon butter sauce just makes this fish delish!

Anniversary

New Years Eve

Outstanding meal and service

The food and service was amazing. However it was too loud for our party to talk to each other easily.