La Tavola

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992 Virginia Ave Ne (at North Highland Avenue)
Atlanta, GA 30306

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(404) 873-5430
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La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
La Tavola - Atlanta, GA
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Reviews
( 13 )
( 13 )
( 5 )
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( 1 )

Best

I'm very particular about food service, and this place is definitely high up on the list. The waiter (I forgot to get his name) was very nice and served us with a smile. The food ...

Worst

The waitress was rude to the point of telling us that she wasn't worried about a tip becuase it was already figured into the bill! Cons: bad service, food not that good

Editorial review from Citysearch 10/16/2013

FRESH FLAVORS RULE THE TABLE at LA TAVOLA\r It could be a trattoria in any small village in Umbria or even in the Maremma region of Tuscany, but it isn’t, your sitting in the trendy Virginia-Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta at La Tavola. This is the Fifth Group’s take on casual Italian dining with all of the romantic ambiance, cozy character, and deliciousness that one would find if in Italy. The word trattoria is derived from the Italian word trattarsi, which means, “to treat ones self”, and at La Tavola its all about treating ones self to a dining experience that’s indulges the senses with pleasure. The bustling kitchen is headed up by Executive Chef Brent Banda, whose passion is to make foods with bustling bright flavors. After a few bites, it becomes quite apparent that Chef Banda’s hallmark is all about letting the freshness of the ingredients to control the recipe and do they ever. \r \r If you think you had the best pasta this city has to offer, wait until you try Chef Banda’s interpretations on pasta. To make great pasta is a labor of love, but to taste that love is breathtaking. The Ricotta Rabbit gnocchi is simply a mind blow of rich robust flavors– the rabbit is braised for a few hours and made into a zesty ragu with fresh garlic and a tomato passata. The gnocchi is finished with fresh marjoram and grated Pecorino Romano giving these silky dumplings a mouth-watering appeal. Of all the pasta offerings, at least on one visit to La Tavola, the Squid Ink Linguine with Calamari and Thai Basil Pesto is a must. Fresh squid from Rhode Island are tossed with a lively Thai basil pesto, Calabria chili peppers and the most succulent long velvety noodles that one could ever want to taste. Go on Mondays, aka Molto Mondays, to treat yourself to a sampling of pastas for only $10. more
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great staff, wonderful food 6/30/2010

I'm very particular about food service, and this place is definitely high up on the list. The waiter (I forgot to get his name) was very nice and served us with a smile. The food was tasty and prepared quickly. The price tag may be a bit high, but the experience was worth it. more
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Wonderfully different brunch 2/21/2010

I had the Spaghetti Carbonara which was nothing like ordinary Spaghetti. It was made with home made guanciale with a buttery cream sauce caramelized onions, black pepper and an egg yolk on top. Oh so good! My wife had the Chicken Sausage with potato-leek hash, poached eggs and a spicy cherry pepper chutney. Anther great dish but not your ordinary dish either. The Deserts were fantastic too. Pros: Not your ordinary brunch Cons: Not your ordinary brunch more
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Best Date Spot In The Highlands 1/29/2010

We native New Yorkers can be pretty critical (ok, pretentious) about our Italian food, but this place never lets me down as a 'let's go somewhere nice, but not over the top' date spot by sticking to well executed 'rustic' grub presented by a friendly, organized and knowledgeable staff. Normally 'rustic' = overpaying for small portions of unexciting dishes you could probably slap together in your own kitchen after an inspired run to Whole Foods. In this case it actually means perfectly executed renditions of classic italian favorites that lend themselves easily to sharing. The grilled calamari alone (served with cauliflower, pickled(?) red onion and tomato) - an absolute must order- is worth a trip from the 'burbs, and all of the entrees (though it's probably best to stick with the hearty pastas and fresh seafood) make you wonder how a restaurant group can mass produce such densely elegant flavor. On a recent Thursday night I was promptly seated upon my arrival with a date for an 8:45 reservation at a cozy booth amongst a packed house of pretty people enjoying their food and company . Our waiter Raymond nailed the whole experience with a friendly intro that led directly into the appealing specials, lack of snootiness when we chose tap water over bottled, sincere food and wine recommendations (NOT just the most expensive thing on the menu) and demeanor that indicated he enjoyed being good at what he does. We shared the calamari (again, incredible), squash polenta (a little too salty), tagliatelle bolognese (fight-over-the-last-bits-of-sauce good) and trout special (perfect peppery crust). To cap it all off, none of the staff was giving us the stink eye and pressuring us to leave when we were the only customers left in the place chatting away the last drops of our wine. In a part of town that lacks a decent bang for your buck relatively fine dining experience (I'm looking at you Highland Tap), La Tavola consistently delivers a delicious and enjoyable experience. The Italian Sunday brunch is a nice break from the usual eggs-n-bacon too. Pros: rustic italian comfort food done right Cons: limited seating, so make a reservation...even on weeknights more
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Few menu items, but great staff. 12/28/2009

My family and I enjoyed our experience at La Tavola, but the price and lack of variety on the menu are not very motivating. We can get better variety at Macaroni Grill and pay about $20 to $25 less (assuming we just want ""grub"" and not an ""occasion""). As to ""authenticity"", I'd have to say that La Tavola was on the mark for the most part. The food quality seemed to have a ""homemade"" flare to it. We did have one food blooper, but our server and the manager were on it. Problem was fixed, and we receive about $18 in free deserts (which were tasty) as an apology. It wasn't necessary, but it was certainly appreciated. I know I sound like I'm knocking La Tavola for the price and variety, but I'm not. I suppose I was expecting more since we were just out for a normal family dinner and not a date or business meeting. For example, a $7.50 ""bowl"" of soup contained roughly 1 measuring cup full of soup. To me, a ""bowl"" should contain at least 2 cups...at least. Perhaps I'm just being a cheap bastard. Non-smokers beware. If you choose to sit on the non-smoking covered patio, be aware that that smoke from Highland Tap will saturate the patio in the evening every time their door opens. (The patio is communal and shared between different restaurants.) Overall, I'm glad my wife choose La Tavola. She and I don't ""date"" much anymore, and this night was off the beaten path. Whatever was ""lacking"" with La Tavola, my wife and kids made ""right"" just by being there with me...and that's worth every penny we spent. - Still, I enjoyed the level of service the restaurant provided and had no quams about tipping 20%. Pros: Nice staff. Excellent manager. Cons: Price. Lack of variety. more
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A Local Treasure!!! 1/19/2009

Words cannot begin to convey the comfort and pleasure La Tavola consistently delivers. Fabulous service by really great people, great food, wonderful wine list and it's within walking distance!! What's not to love! Kris and Allie have it covered at the bar,Daniel on the floor and Chris and Chris at the door make it happen. Chef Craig and Brent work the kitchen and the food SINGS! Love you guys! Pros: Seasona l menus, great wines, lovely service Cons: What's not to love??? more
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rude hostess, great waitress 1/1/2008

we had a reservation for New Year's eve. The hostess seated us outside and when we requested a different table basically told us ""tough"". Extremely rude hostess. wonderful waitress and great food. Pros: great food, good service (besides hostess) Cons: small cramped space, patio is not always comfortable, maybe it would help to specify a table preference with the reservation more
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BEST BRUNCH Atlanta is MISSING!! 11/30/2007

I went to La Tavola a few weeks ago with my mother for brunch. We were a little apprehensive because it did not have the crowd seen at a neighboring establishment we typically frequent. I was overwhelming delighted with my experience at La Tavola. From the moment I walked in the door until the completion of our visit I was impressed with every aspect. Pros: Food, Service, Food more
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Great Italian 11/24/2007

I've eaten here many times and the food is excellent. The waitstaff can be a little sitff but the food makes up for it. Busy on weekends so be prepared. Order a drink and sit outside and watch the people. If you're cold natured don't sit in the outside patio seating!! Pros: great food Cons: service can be a little iffy more
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Great food, and great service. 10/18/2007

It is so amusing to read other reviews. I thought It was funny that someone complained about how cold it was outside. Tough buddy! The solution to your problem is don't go out on a cold night to a restaurant where most of the seating is located outside. I took my brother to this restaurant for his birthday. He doesn't dine out much, but he was very impressed, as was I. The night was a cool 60 something degrees. Everyone at the restaurant seemed to be having a great time. We were seated promptly, and the hostess was a bit weird, but after being seated I didn't see much of her. Seemed like she was having her time of the month. Our waiter was a great guy. He was very welcoming and promptly visited us and told us the specials and took our drink order. He asked us if we wanted to order our appetizer and entree together and I kind of got upset at that, but he quickly apologized and made sure we knew that he was in no way trying to rush us. He asked us for our appetizer, I recommend the assortment appetizer and the appetizer topped with tomatoes and chesse (i forget the exact name). Both were very excellent. Then we moved on to the entrees, my brother had the veal and I had the grilled steak. Again, both were great. I thought the entrees were a bit typical of the Virginia Highland restaurant menus, but still the steak was tender, and my bro told me his veal was tender and has a nice lemon zest to it. Then we moved on to the desserts. The dessers were great, the crustada? and the torta were excellent. Again, the flavors were typical and a bit boring but they were great none the less. I recommend this restaurant to anyone. It is a nice place, not too fancy but not too casual. A better Italian restaurant is Pricci, Sotto Sotto, or Antica Pasta, but you get what you pay for. This place did not have much decor to it, but again that is the Virginia Highland restaurant atmosphere. There are a ton of yuppies in this part of town, but that is the Virginia Highlands for you. Pros: Great food, great service. Cons: Food is great but lacks originality and italian feel. more
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Best Service Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hidden treasure??? 9/14/2007

I cannot believe that this restaurant has been open for eight years and no one talks about it. I walked into Latavola and had one of the best meals ever. I was greeted by Kevin, a muscular blonde server, who asked us if we had ever been in before. When I said no, he took over. He went through the wine list, which is enormous. He knew evryone one of the wines. We got a super-tuscan and an obscure varietal that he sold us on. We received great help with menu. Th foold was incredible. Kevin recommended the amazing beet salad, the shrimp rissotto appetizer and the tuna served over these delicious beans. My freinds got the appetizer of manicotti and the pork dish. We really wanted to try the prosciutto, and get this, the chef sent out some to sample. Dessert was topped because we had this mosit olive oil cake with a delicious sparkling dessert wine, rosa something. We had an amazing time and we will go back as often as we can. Our server was professional and hillarious and all the otheer servers seemed like they really loved being there. What a thrill to find such a hidden treasure. Kudos to the chef. Pros: Service, food, wine list Cons: Kinda tiny, recommmed reservations more
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Long wait. 3/30/2007

I dislike to cast judgment based upon one visit to a restaurant, so I'm going to give La Tavola the benefit of the doubt because other people have told me they like it so much. However, we did wait a full HOUR AND A HALF before we were seated, this after the hostess told us our wait would be 45 minutes. I don't mind waiting 45 minutes, but double that? I really think that's outrageous. I think I saw other people getting seated before us, and that's when I got mad. Then they finally seated us, and gave us free appetizers. Okay, that's very nice and all, but they didn't ask us what kind of apps we wanted, just plonked them on our table. Then as I was paying the bill I saw at the bottom that someone had keyed in ""Long Wait"", which tells me they must have a code for just this sort of occurrence. As though it happens frequently. Anyway, I will go back to give it another chance, because the food was fine (although I was kind of plastered after having three full drinks on an empty stomach while waiting, so I don't remember much about it! heh) and it could have been an off night. For them, and for me! Pros: Um, the wine I had was good. Don't remember much else. Cons: The very, very, very long wait. more
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Authentic Italian 2/14/2007

one of our favorite restaurants .... Pros: friendly waite staff; good food; consistent Cons: don't agree to the patio in winter more
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Enjoyable ambience, nice evening out 2/2/2007

Went for dinner on a Tuesday night. The place filled up so reservations are in order apparently any evening they're open. Started with a polenta, mushroom, fontina cheese and truffle oil appetizer. Really flavorful. Next, the entrees. I had pork loin stuffed with red onions. Got really excited at the first bite. It was nice to taste the red onion and some fresh spices. However, the second and third bite made it apparent that the stuffing was just red onions that weren't even cooked. Not too impressed once I realized that. Nice idea, poorly executed. The trout entree was, however, delicious as was the brussel sprout side order. Do not miss the desserts. The mascarpone cheesecake was absolutely sensational and the chocolate ice cream was yummy. So, I think we need to give this place another try because I really liked the ambience and most of the food was very very good. We'll be back for sure. Pros: Delightful ambience, good food Cons: Some dishes a little iffy, parking has to be difficult on weekends more
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Another Great Find 7/29/2006

What a great food weekend we have had. This place was recommended to us by the folks at Vine Friday night and what an excellent recommendation. I am not sure which place I enjoyed more, both were first class restaurants with excellent food. We did have to wait a little while for our table and the bar was full so we stood outside. In about 10 minutes they came and got us. We were glad we got seated inside. I loved the music and our server was excellent. The place had a very comfortable sophisticated feel. Pittsburgh has a number of excellent Italian restaurants with the heavy ethnic population. But most are quantity not quality and too home style. The food here was creative and delicious and most dishes are not what you would call traditional Italian. After a wonderful meal at Vine on Friday and then a repeat performance at LaTavola, we are in love with this area of Atlanta. Pros: Excellent, food, atmosphere and music Cons: table spacing is tight more
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impressive wine list, personal staff, great food 7/26/2006

I love LA TAVOLA! A wonderful neighborhood restaurant that is A+ across the board. This restaurant has a loyal following. An impressive wine list, a fantastic dinner menu, and top notch service. The staff is very knowledgable with their product. They are quick to offer recommendations of wine and their personal favorites on the menu. Highlights from the menu: Baked manicotti with perfect sleeves of pasta filled with our AMAZING bolognese meat ragu, mozzarella, spinach and red sauce. They are delicate and delicious. The Smoked Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli is a house favorite! The Georgia Trout with roasted fennel, grilled red onions, oven roasted potatoes in a white wine/butter sauce - OMG! Chef Craig richards has brought La Tavola up to the next echelon. The new in house made desserts are spectacular, especially the daily fruit crostada served with vanilla gelato. If you like dining at the bar, come visit Alli or Kris. They will make you feel at home at the quaint tiny bar. Sit next to one of the regulars and you will leave feeling like you have made a new friend. Also, check out SUNDAY BRUNCH! They say Italians do not eat brunch, but we have some awesome entrees that will have you back every week! French toast with mascapone honey and fresh berries, frittatas with mixed greens, chicken sausage with cherry peppers and poached eggs, just to name a few. Pros: Great service, impressive wine list, amazing food Cons: N O N E more
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When you want a perfect meal with a client or your spouse this is the place. 7/20/2006

We've been eating here since it opened about 10 years ago. In the 30+ visits we have never been disappointed with the food or the service. If the weather is good, the back patio is great, otherwise get a booth. This is Italian food at it's best and the waiters provide 4 star service and are very knowledgeable about the food and the wine. We usually get the special recomended by the waiter. Pros: Constant top performing restaurant Cons: The aisle tables can be a little cramped more
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flawless 8/31/2005

Recently I ate at la tavola for the first time in a while and I had an exceptional experience. The new chef Craig Richards is a wonderful addition- his pork ribs and rissoto were my favorites that I tried. The food has always been good, but it is certainly better than it has ever been. Our server britton guided us through the wine list and helped us select an awesome Italian red wine that was actually quite affordable. She was enthusiastic and fun, but still professional which certainly added to our experience. I will most certainly go back there soon and will continue to recomend La tavola to everyone! more
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Good Food, Poor Service 7/1/2005

My experience dining at La Tavola was mixed. While the food was very good, I was very disappointed with the quality of the service. Perhaps it was because the server was in training that caused his trainer to ""over compensate"" but it was not a pleasant experience. The trainee was poorly briefed on the menu and wine list, so the trainer felt the need to go into great detail about many items. I found her need to push additional items to pad the bill very annoying. I also did not appreciate the table being cleared before we were completely finished with the food. The two projected an aura of pretentiousness that conflicted with their dress of jeans, t-shirt and leather studded belt. Pros: Good food, Extensive wine list Cons: Parking is limited, Got crowded and noisy, Poor service more
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La Tavola best Italian trattoria 2/1/2005

Excellent antipasto plate of artichoke hearts, mozzerella/tomatoes/red pepper in olive oil, capers, prosciutto, carpaccio, olives, more ?, and fresh bread accompanying it. We had manicotti, sage ravioli, and a special of seared sea scallops with a Ga. silver queen & gold corn risotto. Everything was very good and we all shared. The ravioli and the manicotti were my favorites and some of the best Italian food I have had in Atlanta. The cheescake was killer and we all shared a bit of each. The chocolate cake was very good as well. Total bill for 3 entrees, 2 beers, and about 4 glasses of wine was ~ $100. Great food everytime. Pros: highly recommended, reserve a booth more
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Menu for La Tavola


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Owner Message

  • La Tavola is a classic, cozy Italian trattoria in Atlanta's famous Virginia Highland neighborhood. Featuring exposed brick, dark wood floors, rustic colors and an open exhibition kitchen, we offer a balance of elegant simplicity and innovative creativity.

    Chef Banda has worked for Fifth Group Restaurants since 2004, starting as sous chef at Food Studio, then as sous chef at La Tavola and now serving as the restaurant's executive chef. Banda studied culinary arts at the Art Institute of Atlanta and has staged at Maialino, Esca and Hearth in New York City.

    A FIFTH GROUP RESTAURANTS CONCEPT

Editorial

  • In Short
    La Tavola is rarely mentioned in the conversation for best Italian in Atlanta, but combining charm and elegance in one of the city?s true neighborhoods, dining there makes you...

  • 3/22/2010 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Thurs: 5:30pm-11pm Fri & Sat: 5:30pm-12am Sun: 11am-3pm; 5:30pm-10pm
  • Payments: Visa, Master Card, Cash, American Express
  • Neighborhoods: Northeast, Virginia Highland
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