Ecco

It's a beautiful space considering what used to happen at that corner years ago. The portions are on the small side for the price but my goodness I don't expect to be ignored when I'm paying over $20 for an entree! I won't return to this restaurant because of the poor service.

Pros: Great space

Cons: Terrible service

Posted 09/06/06

I will say it has a very nice atmosphere, however, that is ruined by horrible service and sub-par food. We saw our unfriendly/unpleasant waitress about every 15 minutes during our visit. This is fine while you are eating, but taking 30 minutes to get us a check and pay is insane. There are many other restaurants in the area that shine in comparison to Ecco, so they should probably get their act together, or they won't last too long.

Pros: Nice Atmosphere

Cons: SERVICE!!!

Posted 08/30/06

Ordered the asparagus (huge, bitter, overcooked and drenched in vinegar), shrimp (completely inedible, overcooked and over seasoned), sauteed eggplant (cold and slimy). Tried to find something else to order when the wait person finally suggested a piece of fish with spinach. Fish was overcooked and rubbery and the spinach was so garlicy you lost all sense of other flavors. To top it all off the wine list though vast has nothing in a reasonable price range that one would want to drink. Service was unhelpful and rude.

Pros: nothing

Cons: expensive, terrible food, unwelcoming staff

Posted 08/20/06

Wife's birthday and wanted something special and nice. Well we got it! This is a great restaurant with nice ambiance. Not too fancy (white table cloths on part of the tables) but with a classy, urban feel. We felt important with good service and good food. The appetizers were wonderful, the highlight of the night. The entries were definitely above average and enjoyable but not to the caliber of the appetizers. Good wine list. The $ were reasonable, certainly when compared to the enjoyment and quality of the night. This restaurant goes on my list of one I want to visit often. Good crowd with some excitement in the air. A nice dinning experience.

Pros: Good service, nice ambience, good appetizers

Cons: They were just a little inattentive when we came in.

Posted 08/10/06

This place is amazing! This is the first place we've dined in Atlanta that actually lived up to the hype. Every single thing we ate was incredibly delicious. The variety is astounding. The small plates can be very fun or very intimate, however you choose to view it.

The meats and cheeses on the antipasto plates were amazing. The prosciutto was meltingly tender. We had a delicious bruschetta of cured ham with figs, followed by Short rib stuffed piquillo peppers and Fried duck egg, truffle and potato (how can a simple pan-fried potato can be so delicious??).

We then shared the Chili braised pork with garlic and homemade pappardelle as a pasta course and had a Flank steak with a demi-glace reduction and pommes frites. Hard to believe, but I enjoyed that bit of flank steak more than any $50 cut I've had at Chops, NY Prime or Morton's. I mean, this is fajita meat -- how could they get it so tender and delicious?!?

Desert was sublime. The semifreddo was very good, and the Coffee panna cotta was sublime. A must-try!

Entree portions are small (but not rediculous) as they clearly intend for you to order 2 or 3 appetizers, but that is the whole idea of this wonderful restaurant.

For all of that food, including two mixed drinks and two bottles of Evian, we were out the door for $120 (tip extra).

Negatives? I would have preferred a little more space betwen the tables. Also, our waiter obviously had too many tables to work. Don't get me wrong -- we never felt like we weren't being attended to (nothing was forgotten, my glass was never empty) but our server was certainly "on the run". He never complained, but we could tell he was harried. I would gladly have paid 20% more for the food if they would add an extra server or two.

But in the end, this was one of the best meals we've ever had, in a beautiflu space, at a reasonable price. What's not to like?!

Pros: Incredible flavors, stunning variety

Cons: Mybe need more wait staff?

Posted 07/30/06

The space is gorgeous! Very open and sensual. I recommend getting there when it is still light out to see how the restaurant transforms. The windows bring in beautiful natural light that is easy on the eye. When the lights go down, the room has a warm, alluring glow that brings comfort to your ambience. Start off at the bar and have a drink with SETH. A charming bartender that knows how to make a cocktail...he is pretty cute too! We dined in one of the semi-circle booths that allows you to see the entire restaurant. Our server, Nathan ( I believe ), was very knowledgable with everything Ecco has to offer. He made recommendations for us and was efficient with his service. I suggest starting off with the cheese/charcuiterie plates. It is cool to pick and choose from an array of spanish, french, and italian meats and cheeses. Start off with some Italian Prosecco and get the meal off to a great beginning. The tuna crudo with chili oil and chive was fresh and clean with a hint of heat. It is soooo good! We also enjoyed the Lobster with bucatini. This was incredible--plump portions of fresh lobster with perfectly cooked organic pasta was heaven. The skirt steak with salsa verde and wilted greens was cooked to perfection. We finished the meal off with roasted strawberries with crushed almond semifreddo and the mixed berry crostata with vanilla ice milk. Y U M M Y ! A perfect meal, with the perfect server in the most perfect restaurant. One of Atlanta's best dining experiences for sure!

Pros: Ambience, Food, Drinks

Cons: N O N E

Posted 07/26/06

I work hard and am blessed to be able to enjoy a meal for two for a total of $189.00 but I expect for this cost a "WOW that was awesome" at the end of the meal. The only WOW at ECCO is the bill. There were no table cloths as in the picture reviews. The waiter was clearly struggling to provide three star service but had to buss his own tables. The veal breast was just a veal potroast type of thing where they went stingy on the potatoes. The garlic soup was nice but just wasn't that special. The almond ice cream sort of dessert was nice but no WOW. The coffee was nice but no WOW. In spite of my new bi-focals the lighting at the table was so bad I could barely read the menu or make out the receipt. ALL in all it was like having the Picadilly cafeteria Sunday special dinner in a nicer dining room. They could also upgrade the glassware to something less common but the silverware was funky nice, especially the not needed steak knife on the fork tender veal potroast. The rest of the menu was in competition with the new Pie Bar restaurant on Monroe. Maybe if we stuck to the house carafe of wine with the 5 apetizers for $18.00 we would have been happy with the "dinner".

Pros: the patio this fall

Cons: they just don't have it together yet at this location

Posted 07/20/06

I had a great time at ECCO last Friday. My boyfriend and I hung out at the bar and had tapas, pizza and lots of great wine. I really enjoyed looking around the restaurant. The kitchen is open and you can see for you self the fresh preparation of your food.

Also of important note... I also loved the European style private restrooms....believe it or not....these 4 or 5 WCs are very nice....complete with stunning KOHLER sinks and all. This is just an example of how closely the management seems to paying to details to make their patrons experience 100% satifactory.

I am looking forwad to my next visit for a serious meal!

Pros: Great place for an intimate dinner or a raucous good time with family and friends. BRAVO

Cons: Wine is a little pricey; but selection is good

Posted 07/09/06

I'm not sure where I heard about Ecco, but I'm glad I gave it a go. They have an extensive wine list and judging from the tables around us, an extensive bar selection. The dish I had was the chili braised pork something made with pappardelle noodles. Yum! It was so delish that I wanted to get a portion to go. My friend had the mushroom pizza with cremini and oyster mushrooms. Fabu! Try Ecco! You'll love it!

Pros: food, parking, ambience

Cons: I didn't get any water. I didn't ask for any, though. Hmmm....

Posted 07/08/06

I'm finding it difficult to find new words to describe this delightful dining experience. I guess I should just say that everything you read is correct. The food is fantastic, the wait staff and management are attentive and very knowlegeable and the ambience is comfortable but still gives you a feeling of a special evening out. We're new to Atlanta and if this is any indication of the type of cooking they're doing in this city than we've got a lot to look forward to. Ecco has set the bar very very high. Well done!!!

Pros: Everything is Fantastic

Cons: It's your loss if you haven't been yet

Posted 07/06/06

Had the absolute pleasure of dinning at Ecco and left feel that the whole experience was as close to perfection as I have had at any restaurant in a very long time. The atmosphere was great, music fit the experience, food was very good, wines were unique (the little wine card on wood was a very nice touch) and service was friendly, but still professional. The ONLY thing i would suggest is a few more entree choices. Well done 5th group.

Pros: Everything

Cons: not much, but maybe a few more entrees

Posted 07/02/06

What a fabulous find and a wonderfull addition to the Atlanta intown dining scene. We visited Ecco recently with another couple and had a marvelous experience. The food was simple in nature but perfectly prepared. We sampled a variety of small plates and appetizes including the meat and cheese board, asparagus, risotto, flank steak pannini, and some outrageous chocolate dessert. The service was knowledgable and enthusiastic and the vibe at the place (both inside the dining room and outside on the patio) was perfect for the area. Finally the martini's were excellent and not at all watered down.

This is one well run restaurant which is all the more amazing considering it has only been opened for a month. We enjoyed the dining and overall scene every bit as much at we have places like Rathbuns.

Posted 06/19/06

In Midtown and looking for an ultra-chic restaurant to dine at? Try Ecco -you won't regret it! Upon entering, diners are immediately taken in by the restaurant's stunning atmosphere and design: rich materials such as dark walnut, leather and Italian Carrera marble are utilized to bring out old-world style with a new world twist. Continue through the restaurant and diners are instantly drawn to the oversized, open bar area and the open kitchen, which features a tile wrapped wood burning oven.

Thirsty? Not a problem at Ecco. The restaurant serves innovative cocktails such as the Mandarin Ice T Knee with Hangar One Mandarin Blossom vodka, Maison Prunier Orange Liqueur and Lillet alongside boutique old and new-world wines, palate-pleasing cognacs, fortified wines and other delectable specialty drinks only found at Ecco.

Hungry? Now we're talking. Ecco offers seasonal, European-inspired food such as wood-fired seafood and steaks, fresh, simple pastas and salads, and items to share like roasted shellfish bowls, wood-fired pizza, taste and share plates and build-your-own charcuterie and cheese boards. Of course, save room for delectable homemade desserts such as burnt honey and gorgonzola ice milk and coffee panna cotta with hazelnut praline and chilled zabaglione.

Pros: Free valet parking, reasonably priced menu, great service

Posted 06/11/06

This is a very cozy and sexy neighborhood restaurant. I bet the chef has theme in cured meat. They serve many varieties of sliced meat, and I was especially impressed by the Carbonara they offered. Home made pasta with great tasting bacon and finished with egg. This is the best Carbonara Ive ever tasted in South. I can hardly wait for next tasting-visit to learn other eye opener dishes. Great wine, cocktail and cognac selections. They could add some summer time hard liqueurs in the menu in the future. Welcome to our neighborhood!!

Pros: food, ambience, service

Cons: if you are looking for big portion, this is not the place

Posted 06/07/06

I was impressed the minute I walked in - this place is DYNAMITE! Its very sexy, but comfortable (how did they do that?) it just feels good. The wine list is awesome - who ever wrote the descriptions should take a bow! We ordered 2 "Ecco exclusives" wines by the carafe, they were great. Started out with meats and cheese board (i was licking my fingers...) and a neat wood fired pizza to share. We also shared this incredible egg and fingerling potatoe app (sounds odd but its DELICIOUS) and short rib stuffed pequieno peppers (my spelling may be off...) Then the main courses - Can I just say I found my own little slice of heaven in midtown - ECCO

Pros: atmosphere, food, wine list

Posted 06/04/06

cool new place. free valet parking was a blessing, overall the place felt casual (we wore jeans) yet about half the crowd was dressed better, big bar area with friendly bartender that helped us with the 27 wines by the glass (bit overwhelming), European decor (upscale italian meets french bistro meets industrial warehouse), the food was great pretty much across the board and the our party had a great time. highly reccommended. nice to see a new restaurant do it right.

Pros: cool ambiance, friendly staff, great food

Cons: pricey drinks

Posted 05/22/06