I brought my wife to Athens for her birthday weekend. As usual I look at Yelp for great recommendations. Looking for "Romantic Restaurants" this place came up. The reviews look really good so I made reservations on Resy. We arrived about 40 minutes early, not knowing the town or the parking situation. We were sat at the bar until our table became available. Wasn't too long of a wait. They got us in about 20 minutes early. One very positive thing I noticed was that masks are required for entry. All staff wore masks. Thanks. With omicron COVID being careful is more important than ever. The food was delicious. The wait staff was attentive and courteous. Our waiter Thomas was friendly and checked back often to make certain everything was satisfactory. He also takes good pictures. Perhaps he's a up and coming photographer. 5 stars to him alone. read more

The National - Dining room - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The National is a contemporary Mediterranean-inspired restaurant located in downtown Athens. It opened in 2008 and one of its chef/owners is Hugh Acheson of Atlanta's Empire State South. I visited for a 12-person Saturday night birthday dinner and really enjoyed the food. It was nicely executed and delicious. Some of my tablemates, all Atlantans, said they preferred the food here to Empire State South. In my book, Empire State South still wins by a hair, but there's no doubt the food at both establishments is very good. The restaurant has a low-key, non-descript storefront. Just look for the small independent movie theater, Cine, and the entrance to The National is located right next door in the same old, white-painted, brick building. It was expectedly very busy during our visit. The restaurant isn't terribly big. Both the dining room and bar were packed. I guesstimate the dining room we sat in can seat about 50-60 guests. Our group of 12 was squeezed in snugly against a wall as were two other large groups (there were several groups dining this particular night). The interior of the restaurant has a rustic, homey feel to it. The space has been repurposed, evidenced by exposed ductwork and strangely placed piping and valves. I wonder what this place used to be. There's a small outdoor patio too. Overall, the atmosphere is casual and classy. The place seems to handle groups well and conversely, also looks like a nice date spot. The dinner menu featured seven tapas (small plates) priced at $5-15 each, seven appetizers at $7-12 each, and five large plates at $20-29 each. Our table ordered a whole bunch of stuff. I tried four of the tapas and two of the large plates: Tapas: * Patatas Bravas ($6) - home fries with spicy tomato sauce and aioli * Hummus with Lamb ($10) - warm flatbread, spiced ground lamb with piquillo peppers, mint and pomegranate molasses * Stuffed Medjool Dates ($7) - celery, manchego cheese, smoked paprika * Crispy Brussels Sprouts ($7) - herb crema, sumac Large Plates: * Pan Roasted Oregon Flounder ($29) - creamy rice middlins with chard and mushrooms, red pepper-fennel broth, salad of shrimp, blood orange and pea tendrils * Crispy Pork Milanesa ($27) - panko-crusted pork loin, whipped sweet potato, shaved cabbage with onion and peanut-lime vinaigrette, ground peanuts, pineapple-pickle relish All of the dishes were beautifully plated and had great presentation. In general, I thought all of the food was tasty. Of the tapas, my favorite was the stuffed dates. These looked more like mini sandwich bites than stuffed dates. This was because the size of the celery and manchego cheese were way bigger than the dates. Five bites came to an order and they were terrific. Sweet and creamy. I highly recommend this one. The patatas bravas were fine. Chopped potatoes were served in a bowl topped with a tomato sauce that had a somewhat chunky consistency plus a dollop of creamy aioli sprinkled with what I believe was paprika. Hot, hearty, and comforting. The hummus with lamb was interesting not only because the hummus had a little bit of ground lamb in it, but also pomegranate as well. These components made for both a sweet and savory (mostly savory) hummus that was rich as well. The pita bread served with was buttered/oiled, fluffy, and crispy. The National adds a twist to crispy Brussels sprouts by adding an herb cream sauce and sumac, which is a fruity, tart spice used in Middle Eastern cuisine. I thought the Brussels sprouts were a little too oily and heavy, but they were definitely flavorful and the ingredient combination worked. The roasted flounder was wonderful. This seemed like a clean and relatively healthy dish, but with several different flavors. I enjoyed its light broth. The rice middlins (rice grits or broken rice) reminded me of a smooth-textured risotto. The fish itself was the best part. It was fresh and perfectly cooked with just the right amount of caramelization. The blood orange was a nice touch. Saving the best for last - The crispy pork milanesa was excellent. The breading and seasoning were wonderful. There were two pieces of pork loin and they were moist and tender. I did have one bite that wasn't good. It tasted off, like an organ or something, but it was just one bite. The rest of the dish was fantastic and colorful. The sweet potato puree was an appropriate accompaniment. I should also mention I had a special soda from Athens-based New Creation Soda Works, a local company specializing in Southern craft "farm to bottle" soda. It was on The National's menu and was called "Nada," a strawberry and habanero flavored soda ($5). It was outstanding. Very sweet with subtle heat. If you like sweet sodas, try it. Service was A-OK. No issues. I'm not sure if The National has its own parking lot. We just street-parked on W Hancock Ave in front of the restaurant. It's metered, Monday-Saturday, at a rate of $0.25 per 15 minutes (or $1 an hour). Street parking is free on Sunday. read more

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I'm only giving the National 2 stars instead of 1 because the food was yummy. I have lived in Athens for 4 years and have always heard rave reviews about the National. My boyfriend and I finally decided to try it for our date night dinner on Saturday. We made a reservation for 5 and showed up 10 minutes early. They sat us at a 6 top and did not even bother separating the tables even though we made a reservation in advance. When we asked for a different table they told us they were "all reserved up for the night" even though we had a reservation as well. We stuck with the 6 top table and it was so spacious and awkward for just the two of us. We asked our server about his drink recommendations and he had absolutely no idea. He asked to see our menu - looked it over - said he hadn't even tried 3/5 of them- and recommended the first one. Great. We ordered our drinks and mine was subpar- though my boyfriends was a pretty tasty twist on a classic Manhattan. Next we ordered some appetizers- one of which our server came back to tell us they were out of even though they had just opened on Saturday night. Halfway through our apps I went to the bathroom. The bathroom was littered with paper towels all over the ground and had no toilet paper. Considering they had JUST opened 30 minutes before and this wasn't after the dinner rush this is unacceptable. We felt rushed to order entrees and when we finally did we sat staring at empty dirty appetizer plates for 20 minutes while we waited on our mains. Our server simply never cleared our table of old plates and glasses. We literally had to move our own plates and drinks out of the way so there was room to put down our main dinner plates. Our server never checked on our dinner and we actually had to end up hailing down another server to help with ordering desert and end of dinner drinks. For a fine dining restaurant "The National" did NOT live up to expectations. I was so excited to try it- but I will not go back. I can get good food and terrible service as well as dirty and awkward ambiance elsewhere. read more

I will give this place a third shot ,, first time around was great food great service , second time my arugula salad was some mystery greens , and my fish and risotto unfortunately were very dry. consistency in the restaurant business especially , is A key ingredient for success, because you don't want your guests to be guessing I wonder how the food is going to be tonight , it's just has to be good all the time and every time. Three stars I am being very generous. read more

Unique menu, with a variety of ingredients; menu changes periodically, with the seasons, and with local produce availability. More classic, less casual than the usual Athens venues. Food: 4/5. Known for their quality and imaginative recipes. We like their power lunch -a mixture of seasonal vegetables, some braised, with a few fruits, and a nice very light sherry dressing and a sesame dressing. Their other salads are packed with a variety of ingredients. Try the Mediterranean dishes -Athens doesn't have many Mediterranean/Greek food locations. They use vegetables freely and in interesting combinations. The " impossible" burger, although vegetarian, has the tase and texture of hamburger. Their fries are not a favorite -thin and floppy-swap for something else if they will allow it. The hummus is flavorful, not bland. They have a good beverage menu. Nice beverage menu. Service: 5/5 consistently servers are experienced and help make your meal enjoyable by being knowledgeable and attentive(but not overbearing) Food service for lunch at 2:30 but you can get tapas and drinks in the adjacent bar area until the dinner kitchen opens at 5. Facility: 3/5 It's very clean and well kept, in a nicely remodeled old tire building. It becomes noisy, making conversations difficult, with more than half the tables occupied. Location: 4:5. Convenient to the downtown and within walking distance from the university-but parking is very limited-mainly on the street with meters. Price: 4/5 comparable with other nice restaurants in the area. More expensive than many local places but the food quality and preparation makes it a nice place for dining. read more

Nice find once I discovered it - it looks like part of the movie theater. We didn't have reservations but were able to sit at the bar. Ordered calamari, hummus with lamb ap & pizette with apple, Gorgonzola & bacon. The hummus was definitely my favorite! Nice ambiance & cocktails read more

Absolutely lovely dining experience! My brother and I got a last minute reservation on a Friday night. We had the date appetizer and I had the salmon for dinner. It was the BEST salmon I've ever had. For dessert, apple cake and ice cream - delicious. They recommended a great wine to go with the food and the service was excellent. Would love to go back next time I can spend a little more money for a fancy dinner. read more

The power lunch is not to be missed nor are the boquerones! Loved it so much that I enjoyed two meals here while on a "guest lecture" on diversity and inclusion at University of Georgia. read more

The National - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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The National is one of Athens' best medium-fine dining restaurants. The squash pizzette was so good (and they have gf flatbread). The roast chicken is really good. The veggie plate is a bit pricy for what you get--beats, sweet potato, green beans with chili flakes, red rice--but the crispy cauliflower was delicious (I'd get a whole order just of that). I liked the rich flourless chocolate cake better than the Basque cherry cake, which is more of a plain cake with a bit of cherry sauce. They have really interesting cocktails. read more

Excellent food and knowledgeable and friendly service. Great option for small or large plates in the classic city.

Amazing appetizers, definitely recommend ordering a few appetizers and sharing. The Hanger Steak was good and so was the dessert. read more

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Great service, awesome food I dine there every time I visit my daughter. Ambiance is open dining, but plenty of room as it didn't feel crowded. Fine star dining. read more

Awesome, good food and drinks. The bar tenders know their stuff. Yum! Very shareable portions we got grilled pork chops when we went there last and they are so good. So tender and juicy. Not over cooked shoe leather like most places serve. Hope to return some day for a date night. read more

Really enjoy this small, quaint restaurant. Most recently I loved their California Chardonnay and extremely yummy patatas bravas. Everything was great. read more

The National - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The National in Athens was a great spot to enjoy a fun dinner with friends that provided dishes which were more inventive and exciting than most in the area. The menu is mediterranean biased and arranged in smaller but sharable dishes. Even with this the the restaurant strives to source local ingredients. This desire and intimate atmosphere give a local cafe feel that can easily serve as a date or relaxing night out which is very different than most in Athens. I appreciated the attention to highlighting some hard to find ingredients and overall the night was a pleasant one. If in town they are worth while seeking out a reservation! read more

The National is the spot for higher-end food in a comfortable, but still elegant, atmosphere in Athens. We decided on this spot during our recent weekend in Athens because we wanted something a little more elevated than the gastropub or sports bar offerings more common in this college town. We were seated in their main dining room, which is beautifully decorated and cozy enough to feel like you were in someone's home. For drinks, we started with wine- a white for her and a red for me, before digging into their menu. We started with the delicious local bread basket, served with butter and oil, followed by an order of their delicious hummus and patatas bravas. The highlight, however, was the date and manchego bites, making for a sweet and salty treat at the beginning of our meal. For our entree, we sampled their vegetable plate- a produce-focused vegetarian option that I am always grateful for, instead of a usual pasta- heavy option usually offered at similar establishments. It was perfect- a bountiful mix of various vegetable and grain salads, sometimes salty, sometimes earthy, sometimes citrusy, making for a perfect and interesting meal. All in all, the National is the best option in Athens for a comfortable evening out with a refined menu and cozy vibes. read more

Had lunch of shrimp and grits. Tasted a little strange so I stopped eating after a few spoonfuls. 5 hrs later had the classic symptoms of food poisoning. read more

"i and my guest for the evening went to The National for an early old folks dinner. Our combined ages were more that 150 years, we had a lot of catching up to to do. When we presented ourselves at 5 p.m. i told my waiter that we would take a while, please don't try to turn the table, and I would make it worth his while. We dined in fine style, running up a tab of about $150. We were at about 2 hours and a "posse" of staff showed up, announced that they had reservations, and we would have to finish our meal at the bar, Our check had not been presented. We had no choice as our table was being bused, my glass of wine seized, and we were shuffled to the bar. My 81 year old guest who has to use a cane excused herself, and I was forced to go to the bar. There were no seat at the bar. Our option was to stand at the bar if we wished to complete our meal. Then suddenly two seat opened at the side bar, and the person who I presume had some managerial capacity, gleefully announced that now there were 2 seats for us, right among the dirty plates, dirty glasses, water rings, and tossed napkins of the former occupants of those seats. Please remember I am running a $150 tab. It was clear that our patronage was no longer welcomed, and I asked for my check, which still had not been presented, It took some while for the check to be prepared and presented, as apparently no one exactly knew who was responsible for preparing it. I paid the check, left a generous tip for the server, but not the tip I would have left if I and my guest had been allowed to finish our meal. I have eaten in a lot of the best restaurants in the United States and Europe, and I have never seen some kicked out of their table to make way for someone with reservations. I have been the one with reservations, and have had to wait an hour or more for a table to open, and the really classy establishments will guide you to bar, and comp a drink, maybe an hor d'ourve. I have even volunteered to go in and move people off their tables, and the management has respectfully declined my offer of aid. Never ever has someone been booted off a table so that I could move in, i hesitated to publish this review, but I have a social group of mature people of independent means, who are world travelers , with a much broader experience base than mine, and I presented this story and asked if I was out of touch with the time. These people have literally traveled the 7 continents, and they said they had never heard of such a thing. They all were familiar with having to cool you heals if you had a reservation, but had never heard of someone being evicted from a table to accommodate a reservation. The shame is that I am a local professional who previously had recommended this establishment to the many out of town professionals with whom I interact. Now I will have to tell them that it is just another college town pub grub establishment. The food was excellent, that's why we kept ordering it. But apparently the Covid shutdown or something has changed the business plan from fine dining to "dine and dash" oriented toward the college crowd, I certainly will make it a point to tell my many acquaintances of advanced years, but with a healthy bank account, that they should consider other establishments more sensitive to their needs - unless they are capable of dining standing up cheek to jowl with the bar patrons, they should take their business elsewhere. Apparently $150 doesn't get you the respect and service it used to. $10 at Waffle House will. So sad, BTW, I'm afraid of being typed as "the grumpy old man" if I didn't see that 3 of the last 4 reviews are 2 stars, expressing much of the same type concerns. Appears to me management needs to have a gut check instead of throwing out platitudes about rainbows and sparkles. read more

Good service. Nice folks. But weird food. If you're looking for good eating. I would not suggest this. But if you're looking for trending food pics to post to your insta story. Then this is the place for you. read more

We've dined twice at The National and both times weren't fabulous. The first time we ate here was for lunch back in May, and we had a reservation. But alas, we still had to wait in the bar area for a bit. When we were finally seated, we waited some more, and more, and more, and were basically ignored by staff. Finally I flagged someone down and asked if we had a server. Oops! No one knew who was assigned to us! But we did eventually get a waiter and an apology and from then on, service was fine. Two out of three of us enjoyed our entrees, the only bad one being a very tough inedible piece of meat. The hummus and pita bread appetizer was yummy. Our second visit was recent, and again we had a reservation for lunch. And again we had to wait on our table for about 10 minutes. We did actually have a known server this time and she promptly brought us beverages. The restaurant was slammed and as far as we could tell there were only three servers, and therefore tables weren't being turned efficiently once meals were finished. Hence the waits for folks with reservations. Of course we started with the hummus and delicious pita bread, but the second round of pita was dry and flavorless - the olive oil and seasoning were left off, so they tasted like cardboard. As far as our meals, our table enjoyed the impossible burgers (except for the overly toasted bun), but found the power lunch meal just OK - the beans tasted bitter and weren't eaten. Because there weren't enough servers for a completely packed place, it took ages to get our bill which I'm sure caused a delay for someone else's reservation. We thought our first visit and the waits were a one-off but our second trip to The National had its time challenges as well. read more

Excellent cocktails, service, delicious food & great ambience! I always make good friends when I dine at the bar. The desserts are fantastic. One of Athen's very best! read more

Seriously the best meal I've eaten in Athens Georgia. The staff was extremely attentive. The bread was absolutely delicious. The hummus was amazing. The roasted pork shoulder was amazing and the hanger steak was amazing. If you're looking for a restaurant to eat at in Athens you must come here. read more

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I wanted to be sure to visit The National twice before I wrote anything about it. I'm happy to say both visits were excellent. The National is an upscale, refined establishment on the Athens scene. They serve Mediterranean inspired food, bringing locally farmed, season-specific food to the table, to produce some real items of distinction. All served within something of a European feeling atmosphere. The National is an excellent spot for a nice date. Or even a polished business meeting. You should probably not go to The National if you're just looking for a burger and fries. (Just as I would not go to a Five Guys and look for stuffed dates and hummus.) I could tell you what I had, but by the time you get to The National, the menu will have changed. The seasonal, farm-to-table thing means they're printing out a new menu probably every day. And their results are fantastic. I've had a mushroom bisque here that was really stellar. The chicken salad is a total crowd pleaser. My friends like the hangar steak. There's lots to try in Athens. Keep The National on your radar. Holler if you want some company. read more

I liked this place but its not one I would rave about and count the days to my next visit. Considering its pedigree, I was frankly expecting more. But don't get me wrong, it's quite good! Unassuming inside - guess a former tire retread factory has that effect - its not overly large but comfortable and unpretentious. Our server was good, although I can see room for improvement in service in general. The menu isn't large but it is certainly adequate and reflects the fresh ingredients that you'd expect in a restaurant of this caliber. I would have preferred a better beer selection although the wine list was fairly extensive and fairly priced. We started with the Crispy Brussel Sprouts and stuffed Medjool dates - both or which were outstanding. I don't know how you get brussel sprouts to taste that good without cooking them with bacon but these rank right up there as top 2 I've ever had. Wow. I could turn vegetarian just on those alone! And the dates? Are you kidding me? Something as pedestrian as dates that taste like that? There's magic somewhere in that kitchen! My fish special of the day was a fresh King Clap - a firm white fish that was cooked extremely well. Portion size was about what I expected and it definitely was fresh. It was under seasoned to my taste and despite looking beautiful on the plate wasn't as flavorful as I'd hoped. It was lacking something but I can't put my finger on it. I would NOT order it again. My wife's hangar steak was cooked medium rare and was, to my judgment, a little tough. I love hangar steak and when it's done well, it is amazing. This fell slightly short of that. Good, but not great. To their credit, the menu is priced very well and considering the quality of food you get you might even consider it cheap. I'd come back but I'd order a different entree. But count me in for the sprouts and the dates!! read more

The National - Yep, this is the front of the restaurant! - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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Went here for a date night once. Got the patatas bravas and a cheese/bruschetta/greens toast thing for appetizers. The patatas bravas were great (and a shockingly good deal for only $6) as was the toast. For the main course, I got the pork shoulder on black rice and my date got the vegetable plate. My date was not thrilled with the vegetable plate -- it mainly consisted of cold salads and vegetables and was one of the only vegetarian options. My braised pork was good but too salty. Portions are pretty generous. We enjoyed sitting in the outdoor area outside of Cine. read more

Yet another wonderful Hugh Acheson restaurant, and a super place to go for lunch! This is what we ordered, all of which we'd recommend: **Stuffed dates, a signature dish of The National, is a blend of flavors and textures: sweet dates, manchego cheese, celery ... a tasty combination. ** Chicken salad -- a generous portion, served with a yogurt herb dressing, arugala, radishes, walnuts, and grapes. I found the chicken a tad bland, but a sprinkling of salt flakes brought out the flavor. ** My daughter had the black forest ham sandwich -- a winning lunch -- served on toasted ciabattini with swiss cheese, arugala and a grainy fennel mustard. The sandwich came with a salad (I think it was bibb lettuce) and Zapp's chips. ** My husband tried the special: lamb sausage and stew -- very spicy! -- neutralized with couscous and chunks of sweet potato. (Not a drop was left on his plate.) Our server Aaron was efficient and accommodating. I wasn't sure about the wine, other than knowing I wanted a bottle akin to chardonnay. Aaron conferred with the bartender and brought out whites for us to sample. We ended up with Tariquet Cotes de Gascogne, which worked nicely with our food. Lunch is casual, and walk-ins are welcome. To ensure a table at dinner, you might make a reservation. The National clearly has a dedicated following with its interesting and well-executed menu. 5/15 Update: Yeah, this place is good. Maybe 4.5 stars. Everything we got was the bomb: stuffed dates, monkfish, pork, even the little pizette. Infused with flavor, cooked to perfection -- even though my daughter graduated, I'll come to Athens for the food! read more

Great place!!! When seat at the bar for lunch. Bartender was great. Had a couple bloody Marie's that were awesome. He made good suggestions. We had the hummus as app, I had the chicken salad and my wife had the shrimp and polenta. Both were awesome. Can't wait to go for dinner to try the hummus with lamb. read more

We're avid fans of Top Chef and Top Chef Masters so of course we made reservations at one of Hugh Acheson's restaurants while we visited Athens, GA. If we'd been there a bit longer, we'd have gone to 5 & 10, too. We almost missed it from the outside because it's in an old factory and looks very unassuming from the exterior. We drove up the street twice before we saw it. It's also very low key inside with a comfortable down home type feel topped by sparkly chandeliers. There were enough choices on the bottled beer list to satisfy us so that was an easy choice. Their wine list looked interesting and not super pricey. Entree prices are also very reasonable. We ordered the crispy brussels sprouts with herb crema and the stuffed medjool dates with celery, manchego cheese & smoked paprika tapas to start. Oh my goodness, these were amazing! I've searched continuously for that brussels recipe online ever since I ate these. I don't know how they get them so crispy and flavorful but I want to know in the worst way! These brussels sprouts are perfection on a plate and completely vegetarian, which is even more amazing. Those crispy crunchy pieces only added to the flavor. The stuffed dates were truly the perfect bite that they always talk about on Top Chef. They nailed it with these! Those 2 dishes were 5 star all the way. Our entrees, although really delicious, weren't quite the caliber of the openers. I ordered the Grilled Hanger Steak medium rare with romesco sauce, arugula, braised green vidalia onions & radishes. The steak was flavorful, as was the sauce it was sitting on. The other items on the plate didn't enhance it in any way and the radishes were lacking in flavor and didn't really provide a crunch that was needed. I definitely needed my steak knife and there wasn't that melt in your mouth quality I was sort of expecting from my steak. My husband ordered the fish special which was a Costa Rican king clap. It tasted super fresh and was perfectly cooked. It's a fish neither of us were familiar with before but really liked. He also felt the accompaniments on the plate could be improved upon to make the dish better. We would certainly return to The National and yes, we'd definitely order those brussels and dates again! read more

The National - Best Brussels Sprouts EVER!!! - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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We ate here our first night in town with our 30-something daughter. Everything was absolutely perfect, from heated outdoor seating to great recs on wine through delicious food and ending with shared dessert. Service was quick and knowledgeable. Thank you, National, for letting us treat our college "kid!" read more

What a charming little place. If you want a little luxury or a really nice place to take your date in Athens, look no further. Super romantic with pretty candlelight, you come for the ambiance and stay for the food. I recommend the Brussels sprouts appetizer. And no, I don't like Brussels sprouts. But these are amazing. Crispy, savory, creamy, delicious. Very filling so you should share. The stuffed dates appetizer was also good, but I'd prefer melted cheese or creamier cheese. The date was halved with a slice of cheese and some celery inside. Good flavor combination but a bit too chewy for me. Also super filling. We had to share an entree (called a large plate here) because we were so stuffed from the two apps. Split the angus steak and vegetables. Cooked perfectly. Super yum! Definitely give The National a try. It's in Hugh Acheson's (of ESS, 5&10) capable hands, and it doesn't disappoint! read more

The National - On the small white plate: stuffed dates. On the other: crispy Brussels sprouts (get these!!) - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

We just had a wonderful dinner... the selection was wonderful (had the flounder), the service was fabulous (thank you Owen and the lovely hostess), and the patio heaters were very effective. The chocolate decadence was the perfect finale. read more

I make it a point to visit this place every time I'm back in Athens. I'm never disappointed! Vegans, if you want a somewhat upscale dining option, this is definitely your place! The veggie plate is a standard menu item, with 4-5 dishes (not all vegan, but they will adapt the dishes to your needs, which is great!). The items change seasonally too, so it's not the same old same old. They usually have a vegan soup (the butternut squash with cashew-cilantro pesto was one of the best soups I've ever had) and a few vegan or veganizable small plates. Love their take on hummus, which is smooth and creamy and topped with pine nuts and sumac. And served with pillowy, delicious flat bread. They also have several wines by the glass, microbrew beers, and a seasonal specialty drink menu. Would love for them to offer some vegan lunch options... and maybe a vegan dessert option, even though I'm usually too full to even think about dessert. It's not cheap, but it's worth it! read more

The National - Veggie Plate - June 2010: black eyed peas, sugar snap peas, red quinoa, chanterelles, harissa - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I started out with high hopes of this establishment. We began by ordering a bottle of wine in which the waitress reached across the table to pour the wine and spilled it on to our menus. After we were served our appetizers without being told of any specials or updates, I go to order the ravioli to find out that the waitress had forgotten to let us know that they were out for the night. I do not plan to come back with service like this. read more

One of Athens top place for elegant dining. The atmosphere is great except for the seating there is a little odd. Some of the tables are squished together so privacy and romance might be lacking with some people here, was not the case with myself. The food was great! My significant other had a flounder dish that was superb while I had a steak dish, both were great. It is a little pricey at an average cost of 20$ a plate for dinner, but it should be what you expect for the level of food. The owners of Five and Ten own this restaurants also. I would dress business casual at the least here. Here is a great date idea: On Monday and Tuesdays The National has a dinner and a movie special which includes a tapa, entre, drink and a movie ticket to the movie theater next door for 25$. The movie theater next door is really neat and actually has a full serviced bar with great prices! There I had a Guinness float (mmm mmm). At the movie theater they have two pictures showing that usually are of superb quality (we saw atonement, great flick). This theater is kind of a secret in Athens and sure to impress any date. read more

I will start by saying the service was not very good, and the wine list was a little disappointing to me, then again I'm not a big international wine drinker, so to each his own. Even with those 2 complications the national still gets the highly coveted 5 Star because of one reason: The Food, oh yes..... The Food is phenomenal!! I started the meal with the cheese plate and stuffed dates. I don't even like dates but that all changes when I eat at the national. I always order the stuffed dates, they quite possibly could change your life. The cheese plate, although I can not remember all 3 cheeses, was delish. It's a big deal to me when I order my entree, inform the server I am splitting it, and the entree does not come to the table split on 2 separate plates.... Thank goodness that was not the case here. I split the vegetable plate with my wife, it came to the table split and was absolutely amazing. The dessert was nothing short of delectable. Warm gooey chocolate brownie, topped with a scoop of sweet and salty pistachio gelato. The only thing that would have made it better was another scoop of gelato. read more

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Had lunch at this establishment on game day. It was great that they took reservations since a lot of other places downtown in Athens do not. The menu was 3/4 alcoholic drinks. The rest was a very limited choice menu for food. Interesting twist on foods. Very vegetable based but the food was good. My husband and I opted for the vegetable plate and the impossible burger. Both were good and have good portions. Priced average for a table cloth type of restaurant. Enjoyed it enough that I might consider going back. Service was good. read more

The National - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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Great food! The service was a little slow during lunch but everything tasted so delicious!

Having grown up in Athens in the '70s and '80s, I gotta say that it almost seems ludicrous that my hometown now has its own "celebrity chef." Back in the day, "fine dining" in Athens consisted of the Peddler Steak House, Steak and Ale, and Red Lobster. I am not frigging kidding. As both Biggie Smalls and Junior Kimbrough said, things done changed. I don't know what Hugh Acheson's role, if any, is at the National, besides being a "partner." (The guy seems to have his hands in everything now, and, with all such characters, you have to wonder if he will spread himself too thin.) But based on one lunch experience, I'd say the National is in good hands with Chef Dale, regardless of Acheson's level of involvement. So I've only been for lunch, and that's often not enough to draw a bead on what a restaurant is all about, but the general quality of the food and the attention to detail--even at lunchtime--seem to warrant at least four stars. The general Italian/Spanish orientation of the National leads to a heavy vegetable and seafood concentration and small-plates options. At lunchtime, there are a number of sandwiches, salads, and soups. The "Power Lunch," which others at the table got, is a kind of high-end veggie/salad plate that looked terrific. I ordered a "BLT" ("BHT"?) special, which was with a pan-fried haddock; the sandwich was delicious and fresh and came with a nice little side salad. Decor in the small-ish dining room qualifies as a bit of stripped-down shabby chic and is nice enough. Only complaint about the meal was that the service was a little on the inattentive side, but was otherwise competent and friendly. During a future visit I'll definitely have to get back for dinner, the menu for which indicates that the kitchen challenges itself a bit more than it does at lunch. read more

Went there for dinner tonight, while on business travel, with a few coworkers... Food was very good, healthy, and correctly portioned... The menu is somewhat limited, and it's maybe a little pricey, but all in all, we were very impressed with the place! The dress code shows as dressy, but really, most everyone in there was what I would classify as business casual... Service was excellent! A good place to look for when in Athens! read more

Went for dinner on New Year's Eve- knew we had arrived later in the evening so decided to order some appetizers as the meal for the sake of time and convenience and also as a courtesy to the wait staff. That being said- our waiter provided the worst service (we sat outside on a cold night and the heating lamps did minimal to keep us warm (not sure why they provide that option and are underprepared to accommodate for that). The food was mid, it may have had potential but the starters left a lot to be desired especially for the price. I am not opposed to paying more for high quality food but again, this was not worth it. THE WORST PART was when I was reviewing my bank statement a week later and saw that I was charged an extra $30 than what my bill had been. I left no tip for the how horrible the service was (we were cold outside, had to ask for the one refill we rcv'd, had to ask for the check four times while waiting in the cold and the waiter was no where to be found (not always a big deal but it's a slap in the face when the waiter was friends with the party of six next to us and giving exceptional white glove service plus free food and drinks to them while completely neglecting our table). Came to find out that the waiter/restaurant took the liberty to give themselves a $30 tip. Completely unacceptable. I was able to get this issue resolved but I encourage anyone who comes to this restaurant to check your bank accounts. I happened to look at my statement for something else and only noticed this because of how unsatisfied I was with the experience, I CANT IMAGINE HOW OFTEN THEY DO THIS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DO NOT NOTICE. BEWARE. read more