The duck breast was outstanding. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked, and beautifully composed. Every element on the plate had a purpose--from the crisp, rendered skin and tender duck to the greens, hazelnuts, and dried cherries that balanced the richness without competing with it. This is the dish I wanted to find before I left Athens! read more

The Expat - Excellently prepared duck dish - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I like the food here but the pork chop is where it's at!! It's unfortunately not pictured but trust me. Their menu changes here and there due to seasonality. Service and Ambiance: Service was good but nothing special. I don't care for the interior of the restaurant. The seats are cheap metal chairs and it just has so much more potential on the interior due to the history of the building. Also be prepared to wait in line for the bathroom. Food: Like I said the pork chop was awesome, but they rotate their menu often so when I was there the pork chop sides were some sort of green bean casserole and potatoes. I got the tagliatelle and it was just okay. My mom got the bacon rigatoni carbonara which was good but very meaty in flavor if you like that with large chunks of crispy bacon. As an appetizer we got the strawberry bruschetta but the bread was stale and difficult to cut and chew. Overall: good restaurant but could work on some things. Worth a try. read more

See all

We had yet ANOTHER AMAZING meal at The Expat tonight. They were kicking off their holiday extravaganza with over 18 MAGICAL COCKTAILS (plus an additional 3 zero proof options) .... We tried ALL of them believe it or not! Everyone involved with this restaurant is classy! We highly recommend an evening experience at The Expat!! read more

The Expat - Romie, Fason, and Sam gave us a night to remember! - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Went to The Expat for a date night and it couldn't have been more perfect. We sat outdoors right at sunset and the atmosphere was beautiful. Started with the bread service (so fresh and perfect with the pasta), then had the Crete di Gallo al Funghi, eggplant caponata, and the Ruby Slipper cocktail--all were delicious. The highlight of the night was definitely the tiramisu, hands down the best I've had--so creamy, fresh, and the perfect sweet ending. A wonderful spot for a cozy yet elevated night out. read more

The Expat - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Great menu, service was wonderful and a great bar too!! Will definitely be back! Best Tiramisu ever!

Just amazing. The duck is to die for. As is the short rib pasta. The service is perfect. I would come back anytime. Thank you so much

Came here for my graduation dinner, and thankfully we had a reservation. PSA if you cancel a reservation after the cut off time then you will have to pay $20/person + tax. Anyway, the inside is like a house, but is fully a restaurant. They also seem to change their menus every once in a while. I went ahead and ordered a blood orange spritz, the strawberry bruschetta, and the squid ink bucatini. Everything took a decent amount of time seeing they had to make it fresh. Everything was flavorful, staff was so nice, and the vibes were just everything. I highly recommend this place, especially because they have outdoor seating, but just be cautious of the limited parking spots per usual in Athens. read more

The Expat - squid ink bucatini - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I'm a bit miffed that they tried to pass off baby bella or a type of button mushroom as a wild mushroom. I did ask the waitress what type of mushroom it was. Typically these will be Chanterelles or Morells. Oysters and Lions mane you can find in the wild, but typically those are grown on a farm nowadays. Chanterelles aren't in season as they are a late summer mushroom. I asked the waitress what were the wild mushrooms and she didn't know. She offered to find out, but I took who designed the menu to be genuine that these were wild mushrooms and not the cheapest ones you can find at every grocery store. What was really undersold was how good their bread service was. The onion loaf and condiments were awesome. The crispy potatoes were a nice side dish. I really liked inside the restaurant. It was like being in a cute house. Bottom line, I think it's a decent place, just not happy they passed off everyday mushrooms as wild ones. read more

The Expat - "Wild" mushroom bruschetta. False advertisement. These were store bought baby bella mushrooms or a type of button mushroom. - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

A good bit of the experience was very good but I would not go back. First the good. The room is very nice, the service is good enough and the food is very good. How do we get to only 3 stars then? The first turn off was one of the appetizers. Although the mussels were good, the Strawberry Bruschetta was laughable. It's common place nowadays to list so many amazing sounding ingredients, then the dish arrives and good luck finding them. For $15 they have the audacity to serve 2 tiny pieces of toasted bread with a strawberry on each. I realize the surrounding neighborhood is wealthy but I also serve a wealthy clientele, and I don't charge more because they have money. I would have preferred you just came to the table and asked me for $15 if times are that tough. We both ordered pasta dishes and although both of them were excellent, the portions for the near $30 price point were very small. This has been the case also at other Italian restaurants in Athens we tried. If you want to offer our(Italian) food, we feed people. We also grew up eating primarily pasta because it was cheap and that was all we could afford. It's still cheap and you either need to lower your price point significantly, or put some food on the plate. You don't pay your people here in the States outside of chef, so I guess this is your early retirement plan at the expense of your clientele. read more

Came by this place to meet a friend. We had a couple of drinks and shared the charcuterie board. Added in some burrata. I am always open to trying places a second time. I found the ex pat to be a bit pricey for what they offered and the location they are in. The pasta dishes looked a bit lean in the amounts you are given as we sat at the bar. The burratta add on was almost hard. Usually buttatta is very soft and creamy. This was anything but that. The meats they put in the dish too were a bit anemic in quantity. I usually do try places a second time but this might be a strain on the pocket book. A few drinks and charcuterie plate were a bit much. read more

The Expat wins the title for the most underrated restaurant in Athens. I just discovered it last week after living here four years and it's already my favorite restaurant in the city. My girlfriend and I arrived 10 minutes early for our reservation, so the hosts didn't have a table just yet but were so nice they apologized and acted as if it was fault of their own! Things only got better from there, our server was amazing, the cocktails were amazing, and my girlfriends pasta was the best I've ever had in Athens, narrowly beating out ZZ & Simone's and blowing DePalmas out of the water. My lamb special was top notch too, a welcome surprise since at many restaurants the "special" can be iffy. My only critique is the interior decor was a little elementary, though pleasing enough where I didn't think too hard about it Thanks Expat! I'll be back. read more

See all

We've been here twice and while it's small & quaint, the food and service packs a perfect punch. Highly recommend for a date night, girls night or just family/friends in town. It's small so make reservations if you can. read more

The food here was wonderful, fresh, flavorful, well-prepared, and consistently satisfying. The service is also on point: attentive, friendly, and efficient without being overbearing. That said, a couple of things to be aware of: they serve tap water at room temperature, and since the AC inside barely works, the water can actually feel warm and not exactly refreshing, especially during the hotter months. So you have to ask for ice. I've visited several times in the summer and it's always the same. So definitely dress light, because you'll be sweating. Still, despite the temperature issue, the overall experience is a good one. If they can sort out the cooling situation, it would be much better. read more

Recently, some friends and I visited The Expat, and after an evening filled with highs and the occasional perplexing low, I can say I recommend it--enthusiastically, in fact. That said, a few easily fixable quirks keep it from being one of my favorite restaurants in town. Fix those, and I'll gladly become a regular. First, the appetizers: we started with the Roman artichoke, burrata, and a cheeseboard - all great. The duck? Exceptional--definitely in the top two or three of my life. At this point, I was mentally composing sonnets to the chef. Unfortunately, my friends weren't so lucky. They ordered the carbonara, a dish meant to cradle you in its rich, creamy embrace. Instead, they were served a plate of dry pasta, as though someone had forgotten the egg yolks and simply hoped no one would notice. The only thing this carbonara cradled was my friends' need for several glasses of water to choke it down. We begged for oil, butter--anything to give this poor dish a fighting chance to slide down our throats without incident. The server offered to take it off the bill and tried to make it right by bringing extra butter and cheese to the table. IMHO, the appropriate way to handle it is to have the manager come, apologize, and have everyone's remade appropriately by the head chef instead of whatever apprentice they had doing it rather than leaving it to the server to figure out. That's not her job- that's the owner/chef's job. Then, there was the final puzzle: the restaurant's new "no tipping" policy. Now, in theory, I have no problem with this. In fact, I welcome it, particularly since our server was fantastic. But it's the execution that left me feeling like I'd wandered into an economics seminar instead of a nice Italian meal. First, they added a 20% gratuity--fine, that's expected and more than acceptable. But then they tacked on an additional 5% "service fee." Isn't that what the 20% gratuity is for? I felt as though I'd been thrust into a financial riddle. And just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was another 3% charge, this time for health insurance (you have the option of telling the server you want that 3% taken off- and wish them well on their upcoming MRI). I have no issue with paying for people's health care--I like to imagine a world where everyone has access to a doctor and good pasta--but by this point, 28% of our bill was going toward something other than food. Not necessarily unreasonable, but why not just fold it into the price of the dishes? Mark them up appropriately, slap on a "this-is-what-it-costs" price tag, and call it a day. The $11 artichokes? They're $14. Everyone's happy. Instead, we were left scratching our heads, not because we minded paying, but because we didn't understand why it needed to be this complicated. With just a few adjustments, The Expat could easily become a favorite. For now, I'll keep going--for the duck, of course--and maybe bring my own oil for the carbonara. read more

The Expat is one of Athens' upscale/fancy restaurants offering a charming ambiance, excellent staff, and a yummy meal. I treat myself with a dinning experience here on a special occasion or compromise with a drink + appetizer lower-cost option. The vibes here are very different from most restaurants in Athens. It is quieter, dimly lit, sophisticated, while still maintaining the unique Athenian cultural flare. It recently went from prioritizing French cuisine to Italian, which I will say was a bit of a disappointment, but still has lots of great food options to try. They are constantly experimenting with dishes, which is something I love about this place. If the mussels are on the menu, I would recommend 10/10! The steak and potatoes is also a yummy entree and I once had an ice cream sandwich there that blew my tastebuds out of the water. The staff are fun to engage with and get recommendations from. From my multiple visits, I always enjoy the food and experience. Thanks, Expat! read more

See all

Food, service and drinks were excellent. Will definitely return when we come back to Athens

$3 for a single can of soda is price gouging and, unfortunately, indicative of my dinner at The Expat--not worth the price. The perfectly cooked artichokes were the highlight of the meal. Not sure if they were out of ciabatta, but the Wild Mushroom Bruschetta was served on a pretty flat cracker. The Green Goddess salad, Strawberry salad, and Tomato salad were all pretty good. Props to them for having gluten free pasta. The Crispy Torn Potatoes tasted like barbecue chips (in a good way) and the Butter Roasted Carrots and Roasted Cauliflower were good, too. Converted houses are tricky to decorate, but the backroom where we sat was very plain and not in a cool, minimalist way. The service was good. read more

This was my second visit to The Expat. The service was very friendly and efficient. Our table of four ordered 4 different pasta dishes. One of them was in error, but our diner decided to eat it anyway rather than go to the trouble of sending it back. Then the server came back and admitted the error after our diner had already eaten some of the dish. The server took the wrong plate away, which I am guessing would have been discarded in the kitchen. Why not just let him keep the plate and leave him the correct plate for the rest of the table to share rather than waste the errant plate? It might have been a nice goodwill gesture. My Cacio e Pepe dish was very dry. The chef does not know how to make this dish. This should be a very creamy dish without the use of cream. I would not order this dish again at The Expat, but one of our diners was very enthusiastic about his seafood pasta entree, so that evened out the score. Ambiance was casual, artsy, and nice. This restaurant is pricey, but overall, not bad. read more

Food was great but A/C sucks. It was hot and steamy. Not usually this way but it ruined the night.

The Expat was a wonderful experience. Our server gave solid recommendations. The pork chop and pasta were incredible.

Wow - incredible! Absolutely delicious food for every single item we got. Every dish has unique flavor pairings, packs a great punch of flavor, and is delicious authentic Italian food with a great flair. Pasta and everything else tastes fresh, homemade, and made with love. All reasonably priced too. We got the following: Burrata board Brussel sprout side Cesar salad - sisters said best they ever had Tomato wedge salad - out of this world, the vinaigrette elevated to the next level Bucatini - a lil spicy for my taste but very fresh pasta and super tasty Tarragon seafood pasta dish - lots of seafood for a pasta dish and great flavor Risotto - super tasty Mushroom pasta - incredibly flavorful, perfect sauce to balance out the dish Steak - seems like a house favorite, very tasty and the crispy potato side was delicious read more

See all

Decent food, but little menu diversity over time. We spent our 35th anniversary there, and it was OK, but a week later we were there, sitting at the bar on a quiet evening, only to be consistently interrupted by "HEY" from the kitchen. Apparently, that is their loud announcement of "Order UP", which was wholly unnecessary, given the quiet evening. The bartender was apologetic. After quietly complaining about the matter to servicing staff, the frequency went down, but not completely, and seemed "HEY" had become an inside joke. Rather than solitude, there were random, thought more quiet "HEY" exclamations later through our meal -- particularly when we left. We'll not return. They need to hire adults in their kitchen or an adult in as their manager. read more

This was the best meal my mom and I have ever had! We sat at the bar and received great service and recommendations from the staff. Each dish that came out exceeded our expectations and was the perfect balance of flavor. Hands down my new favorite restaurant in Athens! The ambiance was great as well. read more

See all

During my recent two-week trip to the South, I ate at many great restaurants and enjoyed most of it. But The Expat takes the cake! Everything we had: squid and shishito for starter, seafood saffron pasta, grouper for main and the blueberry cake for dessert, all were fabulous! Plus chill atmosphere and great service. Who could ask for more? read more

While visiting our son in Athens we got reservations and went to dinner at the Expat. It's an older converter home which is nice. It reduces the impersonal feel of one large room. Staff was prompt and seemed friendly. We ordered an appetizer for the four of us which arrived in good time. The menu is full of fancy words in an attempt to seem worldly. My wife and I found them very annoying. In Athens it seems to be that restaurants try hard to cater to those people that think they are the elite and sophisticated. We found menu choices to be limited to only a few options. Food is prepared with many non traditional ingredients in the attempt to be "intellectual". My wife had the steak which she found good. I had a pasta dish which was very spicy. Being Italian by birth and growing up in an Italian home I found this very disturbing. I couldn't finish the plate. Our son and his girlfriend (who live in Athens) found their food to be top notch and very sophisticated. When it came time for dessert, I opted for the banana pudding. When I lived in Alabama I learned to love banana pudding. What I received was some sort of fancy intellectual version of Banana pudding. It was like an ice cream bar which vaguely tasted of banana. Again, I was very disappointed. What it boils down to is that if your an Athens local, out on Friday or Saturday night you will love the sophisticated and worldly presentation. If you are used to restaurants of all types from dives through expensive, I believe that you will find that the Expat just plain tries too hard to be worldly. The tricky words on the menu and tricky ingredients in its food presentation fail to impress. Yes, it's nice to find somewhere that has a new twist or unique offering but this place misses the boat. The overall cleanliness, promptness, and staff made my dinner tolerable and keeps it at three stars. Would I go back. NO. Find somewhere less pretentious. read more

EVERY meal we have had has been excellent. The friendly atmosphere complements the experience. Our Favorite!

The patio is really nice, even on a hot night. We made a reservation for 4, and had no problem getting our table on time. Both the service and the food were amazing. Everything tasted fresh, and homemade. We started with an Antipasti board. it was a well-rounded sampling of meats, cheese, pickled items, honey and jam. My only dislike was it didn't come with enough bread. Each of us had 1 piece each, but we had plenty of soft cheese, and meats left over, and no non-messy way to eat them. Next time, I'll order a few extra pieces of bread. For our mains we had Tagliatelle, Creste Di Gallo Ai Funghi x2, and the Saffron Mafalde. The portions were good size, although the Creste Di Gallo Ai Funghi - were ordered the same way, but came out 2 different portions, plated differently, not a compliant, just odd. Fir dessert, we enjoyed the Herbs de Provence Pound Cake, and the Butterscotch Budino. Everyone really enjoyed their meals, and the service was top notch. Drinks were filled, and refilled, extra silverware for each course was delivered when needed. The y really pay attention to your table. We will definitely go back. My best advice is to go hungry, and make a reservation! read more

See all

This is our go to date night spot when we want to be a little more fancy or if we're celebrating something. Pasta dishes are always delicious, and we dream about the Brussel sprouts appetizer. Cocktails are always on point, particularly love the one with Balsamic vinegar in it because it's so different. Yes it's a little pricey, which is why we only come for a special occasions. Staff is always very nice and give great service. We love this place! read more

Came here for a solo dinner around 5:30 on a Saturday and the place was pretty empty. Got seated by the window and the waitress was super attentive and friendly. Squash ravioli (seasonal special) - loved the salt flakes and acid from the tomatoes. Ravioli was cooked perfectly al dente but I was expecting more of a squash purée inside but there were crunchy pieces of veg. The smell was a little off putting (maybe from cooked tomatoes) but the taste was awesome. I would definitely get this again. Fried eggplant pieces were also delicious Butter toffee pudding - this is a bread pudding. The cherries made this a little too tart. I was expecting more of a buttery taste like the butter toffee bits on the side but overall the cake was a little on the dry side Portions are small and prices are high, but the chef does savory dishes well read more

I found this restaurant on another's Instagram and saw that they took reservations on resy (which usually tells me this place is upscale and the food is good.) This place is pretty new and reminded me of places in New Orleans and Atlanta so I thought I'd give it a shot. The bar program downstairs seemed nice but I went to the lounge after dinner so I didn't try drinks downstairs. Servers were nice and knowledgeable of the menu. FYI the rug in the back area abutted my chair and I almost tripped on it multiple times getting up to go to the restroom, out of my seat etc. I ordered a burger. I am a burger snob so here goes: My burger was really tasty and reminded me of the burger I had in warbucks on magazine in Nola. That being said 15 bucks for a burger (yes a high quality one) without fries is a little steep. I've had "upscale" burgers for 15 bucks or less with fries in west midtown, poncey-highlands and New Orleans again the key is WITH FRIES. So I felt a little gypped when it came to the burger here. I guess the positive without fries was I able to go get dessert at condor and not feel overstuffed? Now for the lounge: really cool. I liked that it was intimate and quiet upstairs. I got a sazerac that was really good. It made me miss New Orleans. I wish I was in the lounge during happy hour so I could've gotten more bang for my buck. I noticed the lounge upstairs has cathead vodka which is from Mississippi but I usually see it around nola so points for that. Loved the vinyls and intimacy. Reminded me of 8arm's ink but more chill and less pretentious. Overall I'd come here for a date night or special occasion for the food as it is a bit pricey. The lounge I'd come to for happy hour. read more

The Expat - Burger with bacon - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

My wife and I went to The Expat restaurant for the first time looking for a special dinner for our anniversary. Unfortunately, that's not what we experienced. The food was mediocre at best, the service was OK but nothing exceptional. And the ambience was poor. The restaurant was very loud, hard surfaces everywhere, nothing to absorb sound so conversations and the sound of plates and utensils normal to people eating, bounced around and made what we hoped to be an intimate dinner experience barely tolerable. I was telling an acquaintance about the dinner a few days later, and couldn't remember the name of the restaurant and as soon as I started to describe it, she immediately asked me, what is The Expat? I agreed, and she said that the restaurant was really overrated. I have to agree. read more

Booker & Weller selections, say no more. Just the vibe I was looking for. Photos do no justice. I'd love to have a place like this when I'm on my 'expat seasons' elsewhere. A gem to check out -- will easily become a locals' favorite. Jerry -- The sorghum and Booker recipe is exceptional. read more

The Expat - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Amazing! The pasta and bread was so fresh and delicious- drinks were great too. Highly recommend the burrata board

This is my new place to enjoy great food & drinks! Had smoked trout and Martini followed by amazing pasta. read more

The Expat - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia

This is a wonderful restaurant for special occasions and everyday celebrations! This is our go to!!

The Expat in 5 points is an intimate bistro with a focus on Italian cuisine. And from what Ive heard recently transitioned from French fare. For our Friday night dinner it was a pleasure to sit outside and watch the kitchen through the window. Set inside an old cottage gives a cozy feel and certainly more calm than downtown locations. Their menu is heavily weighted in pasta that is house made and filled with uncommon varieties which was exciting. Not to be outdone, the cocktail menu is impressive as well with mixtures and flare that rival those from more metropolitan areas. Visiting for the first time from Atlanta overall I was thrilled with the experience as college town restaurants usually leave much to be desired. I went with the Creste di Gallo Ai Funghi which paired perfect with a pinot and wonderful fall temperatures. read more

The Brussels sprouts were amazing. The asparagus and salmon salad was great too. It was delicious.

This was our first time here, but certainly won't be the last! Spoke with the owner, Jerry, who was charming and open and explained the history and background of both the restaurant and his personal journey. As former New Yorkers, we have had a wide variety of restaurant experiences, ranging from 5 star to horrendous and this was definitely a 5 star experience. The food was exceptional (I ate way too much!) and the tiramisu was fantastic. Word of mouth matters for a restaurant and they understand this with the details. Excellent bar, wait staff, even the lighting and music were curated and thoughtful. read more

Great food but tiny portions and not great value for money. Food was well thought out and nicely elevated with a mix of flavours. We went for lunch and I thought the lunch menu could have included more of the French twist that the ambience and dinner menu promised. Portions were tiny though, and left you wanting more. The pasta dish was excellently seasoned, just plated in a tiny bowl which made cutting the ribbons of pappardelle difficult. The macaroon cake was a little dry but the flavours were delicious. Waitress was wonderfully attentive. read more

Great menu, delicious, and wonderful service!! I had the mushroom risotto, and my friend had the ragú. Both were great. read more

The Expat - Mushroom Risotto and a Christmas cocktail-delicious! - French Near Me - Athens, Georgia