Great place for business and leisure. The halibut was amazing don't pass it up. Had the beats salad was delicious. It is a little noisy hard to hear across the table. read more

Awesome food and atmosphere. One of my all time fav's if only to sit at the bar drink and order the apps.

We recently relocated to Atlanta and The Optimist has been our go to spot for incredibly fresh and delicious food!! Everything we have tried has been excellent and has us coming back weekly for our fix. The staff is very well versed in the food and cocktail/wine programs. Thank's for making us feel so welcome! read more

A few years ago, we made reservations to celebrate our 7 year anniversary. For starters, we ordered a dozen and a half oysters and I loved how they clean the oysters, remove it from the muscle/foot and explain the difference between the two varieties. I also ordered the swordfish which was cooked to perfection so it wasn't tough or undercooked. The papaya salad paired nicely, but the prosciutto was my favorite part of the salad. We ordered 2 beers and a glass of wine to accompany our meal. The atmosphere is laid back with great service. They talked with my boyfriend about his seafood allergies and ensured nothing he ordered was even cooked with other potentially dangerous ingredients. They also called immediately when I accidentally left my scarf behind. A few months, I revisited during happy hour with a few friends on a Friday. With less than an hour remaining to take advantage of the raw oyster special, we ordered about 6 dozen oysters to share among 4. We also ordered a variety of oysters, an appetizer, and a few cocktails which we enjoyed in the outdoor seating before the dinner rush. We devoured every bite and look forward to the next time we can gather friends for happy hour. read more

This is a great spot for a special occasion. We went to dinner to celebrate our engagement a few nights earlier, along our cross country road trip- and this meal was in our top 3 from the entire trip! We could not have asked for a better meal- each of our seafood dishes was cooked perfectly, and complemented very well by the pairings of wine that our server recommended. The oysters were SO fresh and yummy, and the cocktails were great too. The hush puppies are a standout- a MUST order. Desserts were worth it as well. We couldn't find a complaint at all, though it is not an inexpensive restaurant. The building is a really cool space and it was amazing just to look around. Five stars! read more

I came to The Optimist on a Thursday evening with a pretty nice sized group. Our waiter was super attentive and cool. He made our dining experience great! My group started with about 4 different appetizers. We had a oyster platter that had a variety of oysters and some sauces, salmon toast (my absolute favorite), octopus (very delicious), and something else, which I can't remember. For my entrée, I ordered the red snapper, which was a little too greasy in my opinion. In addition to the food, my group ordered about 4 different bottles of wines. The server was very knowledgeable and helped us choose some very delicious wines. For dessert, I had the blondie, which consisted of vanilla ice cream in a waffle bowl dipped in chocolate and topped with nuts. I didn't care too much for the dessert. The ice cream just did not taste like ice cream...super weird. Others at the table had similar desserts as well. Overall, I thought Optimist was pretty good. I would probably come again. read more

perfection in every way. service: bustling restaurant, crowded and all but our server james was wonderful... attentive, wonderful recommendations, on top of it all. f ood: perfection. seriously we were a large group and therefore were able to taste a bit of everything... the she-crab soup was spectacular, the spicy grilled octopus was spectacular, the oysters were good, the wedge salad as good as it gets but unless you are craving leafs get seafood... and for the entrees... every bite perfection! the fish and chips were the best we've ever tasted. no joke. the seared tuna cooked just right. and the desserts! omg you can't go wrong!!! i'm not a merenge fan but at the optimist i am, and the apple strudel - wholly molly. don't forget the banana pudding... ha seriously you can't go wrong with anything on the menu here. oh yeah and even the design of the restaurant is perfection. pricey but worth it read more

This is about as good as it gets. The room is huge, yet beautifully lit and welcoming and not too loud. The food will simply knock your socks off. Perfect oysters, stupendous mussels served with a broth I wanted to drink like a soup. The mussels also come with a thick piece of toasted bread that, when dunked into the broth had me singing "halleuiah!" The sides of Brussels sprouts are worth a trip (what?? yes). The lemon tart is exquisite as are the beignets. The service is attentive without being overbearing or precious. I can't wait to go back. In fact, in the time it took me to confirm this review, I've been back three times and feel just as enthusiastic. read more

On point. Seafood is fresh. Oysters are great. Good service. Cool vibe. Impress people by going here.

Great food. Really busy, make resi. Lots of famous peeps in and out of here. Beautiful restaurant.

I came here for my birthday and was blown away by the restaurant. The vibe of the restaurant is very relaxed. The food was excellent and very filling. I had the she crab soup to start and it was very flavorful and filling. I also had the redfish as my entree and it was just as flavorful. For dessert, I had the banoffee pudding cake and it was just sinful it was so good. The service here was exceptional also. The hostess was very friendly and inviting when I arrived. It was a large party of us and the waitress was very helpful in answering questions and being patient. She made sure to explain everything to us since it was everyone's first time. I would definitely go back and recommend this place for s good date night. read more

Great oysters, great service, nice environment. Overall I give The Optimist 4 Stars. Only one complaint is that as a Georgia native I eat saltines with my oysters. I brought my own and have no problem with that. Good job! Add saltines to the mix and I'm a customer every week. read more

Holy yum! Really enjoy taking clients here for lunch. Service is always on point and the food excellent. Easy in and out, even if you self park or if you valet. read more

Last night, my coworker and I decided to have an early dinner at The Optimist. This was not my first dining experience at the restaurant and I wanted her to have a good meal since she was visiting from Florida. First course, I ordered the mussels and she ordered the shrimp a la plancha. She really enjoyed her appetizer but my mussel appetizer fell short in the flavor and quality department. The mussels were not fresh and most of them were closed. While we were finishing our appetizers, a customer sitting next to our table noticed a big COCKROACH crawling up the side of the kitchen wall. Needless to say, my coworker was completely grossed out and she barely touched her second course. I was very disappointed and I do not recommend this restaurant. I gave it one star for our waitress, she was professional and attentive. read more

Great food!! Love the service & the chef is amazing!! I love this place! Fresh seafood, smiles & people!

I took several out-of-town clients here for a working lunch and everyone LOVED this place. We tried the fried oysters (YUM) and the grilled calamari to start. We also split an order of the hushpuppies for the table; you MUST try these! I had the shrimp burger/sandwich, which I thought was really yummy once I got past the enormous bun. The only plate we didn't lick clean was the calamari, and our wonderful waiter Stefano (sp?) removed it from our bill for us. Highly recommended! read more

I go here for the "Lobster Roll" and the "Lobster Roll" only!!! its delish. I love the atmoshere. casual with girlfriends, date night, or staff/team outing. Live performances outdoors on the patio. Not to mention the mini gulf turf is a cute added feature!! read more

It had a nice feel to the insides. Waitress was polite and on her game. Appetizers were tasty and the right amount and wanting more. Main course was over the top. Had the sea scallops with beans and ham bits. The scallops were great, not a bit of grit in any bite. Long fingerling potatoes with honey glazed pork belly bits dusted with crushed red peppers. Great flavor. Wife is not a seafood lover and she ate every bite of her cobia fish. I think she might enjoy seafood now. On to desserts. WOW, cranberry sorbet with a dusting of cinnamon. Sounds strange but tastes awesome, cinnamon was light enough and just the right amount to not over power the cranberry taste. The s'more cookie my wife had was out of this world. I tasted the vanilla ice cream that they had folded toasted marshmallow into and rimmed the side with honey covered graham cracker crumbs. If you want great food and good service, this is a place to go! read more

We had a delicious meal and great service here. Can't wait to go back for the oyster happy hour.

We went here on a Sunday evening for a nice anniversary dinner. We have been to the Optimist several times, but our expectations were far surpassed last night. The wait staff, Doug's meal and wine recommendations, dessert, and overall service were second to none. Really, second to none! Have lived in Atlanta now for over a decade and this is by far the best meal I have ever had here. Kudos to the chef, management, and the entire team! We are patrons for life! P.S. If you have the opportunity, try the fried octopus, the Georges Bank scallops, and the Mexican corn. And if available, the pineapple upside down cake is delectable! Thanks! Robert M. read more

Best Seafood in Atlanta! Service was 1st Class; our server Brittany was great, even gave us some goodies to take home to the kids! My wife and I can't wait to go back. read more

Nice ambiance but seating was too close to the neighbors so we couldn't have any private conversation. Peel & Eat Shrimps and Spanish Octopus had no flavor and were quite salty. Beer was warm. Grouper was as good as any high end seafood restaurant. The bill came out to about $115. We will not come back. read more

Hi marks to the management team from the Optimist. They immediately responded to our comments and criticism. They did something very unusual for restaurant management .....they listened ! They wanted to hear every input and took responsibility. It doesn't change what happened at a special event for my daughter but they completed apologized and made things right. We will likely give this or one of their other restaurants a try since they made so much effort at each level of management. Well done. read more

Incredible food, service, and drinks! We ended up sharing a ton of appetizers since we couldn't decide-each one was outstanding!

We went for a date night here. The food was amazing and the customer service was great!! Just one recommendation, OCTOPUS!! Just do it, you won't be disappointed. read more

amazing place and server cj amazing great place to visit please go there you want to miss out

(I usually review after at least 2 visits, but I reviewed after the 1st visit so I can recall what I ordered and what my thoughts were.) Due to the rave reviews, I ordered the lobster roll. Call me asian, but when I read lobster roll review after review after review, I was thinking it was a lobster (sushi) roll! I didn't have time to look at any pics, so just went by the reviews. I was surprised to find that the lobster roll was a texas toast bun (in 1/2) with a lobster salad. The chunks of lobster were fresh - props! (By the way, did I mention that I told me entire table that the lobster rolls got rave reviews, so everyone ordered it? It was our first visit.) Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it! Personally, I just do not like "cold" dishes. Even when it comes to subs/sandwiches, I always prefer a hot sandwich over a cold ... because this was a cold sandwich, I didn't like it as much as I thought it was. However, I can recognize quality, and I tell you... it was real, quality lobster meat. It wasn't too salty nor sweet, it was fine - just cold ... (but normal!). Also ordered the she crab soup. It was delicious as others mentioned. I read in a couple people's reviews that they were disappointed that the soup did not have chunks of crab meat. It was a puree. Regardless, the soup was delicious. Very thin puree, so don't expect anything too thick. Our server told us up front that the soup did not have chunks of crab. She did good! Service was excellent ... she was at our table refilling our waters every few minutes. While she was over every few minutes to refill our waters, she didn't interrupt conversations too frequently. She just came, refilled waters, and left. Our server was excellent. The amibiance of this place is way cool. I mean, they have putt putt while you're waiting. Can it get any better? (okay, so I'm sure it can. But putt putt is pretty darn cool.....) For any seafood lovers, everything tasted real fresh, so I'd definitely bring you here!! read more

O-M-G!!!! This place is totally awesome. The food is totally awesome, but the customer service is some of the best that I have EVER experienced in Atlanta. This alone makes it a fine establishment. I ordered the salmon which was good. I sampled the halibut and yum yum! The hushpuppies are to die for and the she crab soup with the shrimp toast is a winner too. Will definitely be venturing here again. But be warned, reservations can be difficult so plan accordingly! read more

Fish House Punch is something I'd come back for! Grab some at the OysterBar while you wait for your table!

I've visited several times before reviewing. This place gets high reviews usually from friends but ultimately just not one of my go to places. I really want to find a good lobster roll in Atlanta and this one just doesn't do it for me. For the prices, I really wanted this place to be Ah-MAZ-ing... it wasn't. Just okay. I'd rather go to Savannah and get fresh. This place just seems too hipster and pretentious and doesn't have the food to back it up. Sorry Optimist. You just need to step it up a bit. read more

I love The Optimist! Sit at the oyster bar before dinner and have one of their signature cocktails. The drinks are delicious, service goes above and beyond, and the food will never disappoint. Try the lobster roll at lunch! read more

I've found my new fave restaurant! This is a sister restaurant to JCT Kitchen. I love the space, which is industrial with a touch of modern. We came for a lovely summer lunch and were immediately greeted by the sweet hostess. It wasn't overly crowded during a Friday lunch, so it was great to catch up with my bestie! We were first going to be seated along the booth, but the tables are so close to one another, so we asked if we could sit at a separate table. I started off with the she crab soup, which was creamy and delicious. My friend ordered the gumbo which I liked better. It was probably one of the best I've ever had. We each ordered a salad. I ordered the Maine lobster cobb salad with the dijon mustard dressing. I loved everything about the salad! It was a great summer salad! However, I asked for the dressing on the side and they gave it to me with the dressing already on it. When I saw it, it look like it wasn't drenched in dressing, so I took it. Towards the bottom of the plate there was too much dressing for my taste, so I couldn't finish it. My friend ordered the fried snow crab salad. It looked good. We also ordered a side of the hush puppies, which is a must. There were like little beignets. The butter that came with it was so good that I could eat it alone, but I had to tell myself that we are in a public place. We ended the lunch with a chocolate push pop, which brought me back to my childhood. Def splurged for our lunch date, but it was all worth it! My anniversary is coming up, so this would be a great place to try for dinner! read more

I can't say too much. I went for a wine tasting and only had a few appetizers. It has a great atmosphere, it isa perfect after work drink spot. I met up with friends and chatted away for a while. I'll have to go back for dinner and update my review. read more

I'm kicking myself for not writing this review sooner. I actually visited the Optimist late in the summer 2012 and I was realllllly impressed. I'm a big fan of the Westside (my office is right over there) and the Optomist is an excellent addition to the fancy places starting to define the neighborhood. First impressions are huge here. the restaurant is beautiful. There's a huge dining room, huge bar and a smaller what appears to be a fish bar. We visited for an anniversary and were glad that we chose this restaurant. The menu is a perfect size offering several choices but not offering too much as to confuse or dilute the theme of the place. You're in a seafood restaurant. We found a table that worked out well for us (my fiancee, didn't like the first table....not sure why) and were introduced to our server. The food was excellent, we ordered oysters to start, as we tend to do wherever they are offered and were very impressed with the quality. As I recall 2 different types were on offer when we visited. One from the east coast and another from the west. It was great to really sample the difference and compare the texture & flavor of each. At this point it's worth noting that it was not cheap. Oysters are sold individually. This seems like robbery to those of us accustomed to the gulf where you can likely order them by the weight or half-dozen at very least. The premium cost was fortunately born out by the quality and selection of the oysters. Sadly I don't recall the entree selections of the rest of the tabel but I ordered swordfish which was fantastic. Everyone at the table was really impressed with their entree selections and the atmosphere of the place. Sadly I can't go into more detail as this was a few months ago BUT writing this review has helped me decide to visit again very soon. Look for an update soon. read more

Celebrating my girl B day and this spot had been on her radar for a min. The spot is beautiful on the inside. All the lights are dim making it a perfect date spot. On to the food we started with a half a dozen of west coast and east oysters. The west are bigger but the east taste better. The two fish dishes we had halibut and swordfish and better were made to perfection. The a Cornbread beignet mix that were outstanding. read more

Some of the best scallops I've ever had. Bread was like crack cocaine I couldn't stop eating it. Even the veggie sides were incredible, try the Bok Choi. One of the best restaurants I've been to in Atlanta. read more

Stopped by the oyster bar for happy hour. They have a good selection of $1 oysters for hh. I also had the daily punch which was refreshing. The staff was friendly and attentive. I would definitely want to come back for dinner in the main dining room too. read more

The food is melt in your mouth delicious. We had fried oysters to start, she crab soup, Kansas City Strip Steak, chicken so moist, you'll become tearful. I do not eat steak but tasted my husband's and it was almost buttery, so flavorful, not chewy, just perfectly done. The portions are large and we could not finish it all. Nice ambience, stylish but not pretentious, and I love being able to see the kitchen. The only downer was our server who although polite in a disinterested way was not very attentive. We had no idea that the menu changed daily, ingredients changed, and we weren't given any spiel on the menu at all. However, we found out there was one as she gave it to the couple next to us. She really just did not seem happy serving us. Thankfully, the food was a delight and would eat there again. Fantastic restaurant. read more

The Oysters are my favorite thing about this place! Going back for happy hour! Besides that ..take your wallet w/ you!

Go here for the happy hour oysters and that is it simply said. Very expensive and really not that good. For the price, I should have been blown away, but it was very underwhelming. The octopus sauce was terrible. Siracha does not go with octopus. It needs something light. The tuna poke had too much sesame. The smoked fish dip needed salt and had too much dill. Just not that good. The main entrees were just not that good. We all had 4 different fishes and they were all $32 and just ok. Redfish, grouper, mahi mahi, and swordfish. Every dish was not balanced and was not special in any way. I would never eat here again for the food but definitely would for the happy hour oysters. read more