Apres Diem

I've lived in Atlanta for 17 years now and this is my favorite place in the entire city. The words that I always use to describe it are : intimate, loose, hip, stylish, inviting, sexy, and most of all : just plain fun. First of all, the location is awesome. It's right in midtown - but slightly secluded in the Midtown Plaza, and literally 30 feet away from Landmark Theater. I don't even know how many times I've gone there for a drink right after a movie. The layout of the place is just perfect. This is not a place which is easy to categorize. It's part bar, part restaurant, part outside bistro, and part lounge. So, because of that the layout of the place is very important. If the layout doesn't work then you will have an atmosphere that feels confused or cluttered. But the layout of Apres Diem allows for each different part of the place to seem independent , while still maintaining the all around atmosphere & feel of the place. The patio is bigger than you might think because not only does it extend out to the front, but it also wraps around the entire side of the place - which gives it another 8 or 10 tables. Inside the bar is long and narrow - but it doesn't feel cramped. The restaurant area is separated from the bar area with a single walldivider. The lounge is also separated from the bar & restaurant. It has a great intimate & sexy lighting to it, with low & deep couches & tables. It's perfect for private 2 person conversations - or a very social get together of about 5 friends. You could go to this place for just about any type of social scenario spanning from an intimate drink to a large group dinner. On a couple of occasions I've seen them set up a large table for what was obviously a pre-planned get together by a large group - and it worked perfectly right in the lounge. If somebody were to tell me they were gonna do that I would think it would be intrusive to the rest of the wine sipping loungers, but it wasn't. Another night I went there they had salsa dancing within the lounge. Again, I would have thought it would be too intrusive to the rest of the loungers - but it wasn't. Some people were partaking in it - and others were just ignoring it and having their own private conversations on the couches. Their wine selection is great. I discovered some of my favorite wines there. Their dessert bar selection is also awesome. You could go there to have a simple lunch, a large dinner, or just a dessert. The whole menu is great. The staff is also great. I always have long conversations with my server whenever I'm chilling in the lounge - or my bartender whenever I'm having a drink. And the rest of the crowd there is very cool. I don't know exactly what it is but it's just a very inviting and hip crowd - but not with a hipster type of attitude. They often have a DJ spinning there at night and it always works very well in bringing a very united & coherent feel to all of the individual sections of the place. And ultimately that's the thing that makes this place so great : It just seems so coherent. Each section seems to slightly bleed into one another in a very smooth way. There are several other places in Atlanta which are comparable to Apres Diem, but none of them succeed so perfectly in each different type of section : bar ; lounge ; restaurant ; outdoor bistro ; dessert bar...whatever you want to call it. I would give it 10 stars if I could. more

We chose Apres Diem for a late night birthday dinner, a party of 5, when we arrived we had to wait a few minutes for a table, which was not a problem, so two of us went to the bar to have a quick shot and a drink. $27 for 2 cocktails and 2 shots!!!!!! What a rip off. When we were sat, it took the server about 10 minutes to even approach our table, while many staff members were standing around by the window and counter just hanging out, it was not that busy in there. The server had zero personality, barely said hello, took our appetizer order and food order at the same time. The apps came out fairly quickly, and not 5 minutes later, so did our meals..... The table was already small enough for 5 people, and thankfully the hostess who brought us our food, helped take plates and things away to make room for everything. Our server approached, my boyfriend ordered a beer and we were almost finished eating by the time it came, about 15 minutes. The food was just alright, my gyro was missing the one thing that gyros are known for, the tzatki sauce. I was unable to ask for any since our server was nowhere to be found and we were essentially ignored by the rest of the staff, even the ones I made eye contact with. The salads ordered at the table were nothing special, something you could get in any restaurant. The ""Greek Islands"" salad that was ordered had few olives and hardly any feta on it. The baba ganouj, which I love anywhere else, tasted bland and boring. The calamari was pretty basic also. Not much flavor. The only true highlight was the pate, it was wonderful, but since it is pre-made it seems like the late night kitchen staff couldn't really disappoint on it. We did have a good time, it was hot in the restaurant, but the DJ was good and we were in good company. Just disappointed with the service and the food was just alright..... I might go back, I might not. I definitely won't recommend it to friends...... more

Seize the day, or go ahead and get lively and commence celebration after the day has already been seized. From the same people who brought you Carpe Diem, Carrol St. Cafe, & AMUSE!, it's the old standby, always accountable for foreign pleasure, Apre Diem. Don't let the shopping center location fool you, this international bistro coffee house is a great place to take a date, it's definatly an experience. Get cozy on the couches, or cozy up to the bar, the place might not be outta this world, but it's surely outta this continent. Pros: Gorgeous, internatiuonal wait staff, the desserts Cons: parking, shopping center isn't exactly exotic more

The staff are friendly and jovial and Chef Ciro is the greatest! Pros: Fried calamari is the bomb, the best I've had in Atlanta! Cons: Not much space to move in and out of the tables more

A great, diverse crowd of Atlanta-dwellers sporting accents from all over the world mingle at the bar, couples on dates grab two-top patio tables, and groups of old pals get ensconce themselves on the plush couches at this multi-purpose restaurant/bar/coffee shop. The menu features Mediterranean-tinged small plates and dishes including a delicious gyro sandwich and a huge fruit and cheese plate that is perfect for sharing after a movie next door. In the warmer months, grab a table outdoors and split a bottle of wine and enjoy the people watching. Pros: Large Indoor/Outdoor Patio, Eclectic Menu more

This place has become one of my favorites to get work done during the day when I just can't face the office! They offer plenty of outlets at the bar to plug computers in, and the bartenders are really sweet. Let me warn you: this is a relaxed atmosphere! If you are in a hurry ,you may want to tell your server when you sit down. I'm not usually in a hurry for it to matter but it's good to let the staff know so that they can accommodate you. Overall, good place to hang, people watch and maybe fit in some work. Pros: good food with free wireless Cons: don't come in a hurry more

Apres Diem is the BEST place for a romantic night out...I know, everyone says it, but it's true! My boyfriend, Garrett and I had our first date there, have been going for months and just had our one year anniversary there. more

The best thing about Apres Diem is that it can truly be whatever you want it to be. I have found that it's a versatile and dependable spot and no matter what, I am always comfortable. It's a very RELAXED place, so if you're looking for hoity toity, you're not going to find it. The food is great, unpretentious and tasty and the wine list is extensive and very affordable. Week-end nights can get super busy, especially if you're sitting at the bar or in the lounge, but all you have to do is pop outside to the patio for a quieter and less fast paced experience. The service is solid, but don't expect to be doted on. They are efficient and friendly and not in your face every 5 seconds, which I personally appreciate. And not only do they have free wi-fi, they have tons of outlets at the bar to plug in your computer. If you haven't been----Go! It's great overall. Pros: very relaxed, good food, fabulous patio Cons: can get a bit crowded more

Apres Diem seeths with pretention from the moment you step through the door. From the obnoxiously loud music to the ridiculously priced art on the wall this place clearly thinks itself more important than it actually is. I enjoy dining as an experience and this supposed Euro themed establishment has very little that is European about it at all. The menu is an unfocused spattering of dishes. There are only four tapas selections, but several appetizers, coupled with a page and a quarter of sandwiches and only six entree selections. It is a very strange selection to say the least, but the entrees were surpisingly good. I ordered the beef tenderloin and although it was tender it was rather flavorless, but that was covered up by a clever mushroom and wine reduction that was flavored nicely with beef stock. The only real complaint about the food was the very drab salad that was lacking much dressing at all. The wine and drink list is extremely small, and the pinot noir that was recommended to my wife was horrid, but that no doubt was a reflection of the poor service that we had. The waitress seemed completely disinterested and wrote on the ticket when it was brought to our table ""Your tip of 18% is greatly appreciated."" I have been to a lot of restaurants in this country and some abroad and have never had such a thing written on the ticket especially not when such poor service was provided. My wife and I were both taken aback. All that said this is not a bad restaurant it is clearly just full of itself and needs new management or at least for management to become revived with a sense of what a restaurant like this should be like. I would recommend eliminating the sandwich selections in favor of a larger tapas selection with a few more viable entrees. Also server wine education would be wonderful or they might should even employ a sommelier that could update and refresh the wine selection. And finally turn the music down. Background noise is great but part of going to dinner is to have conversation over a meal and that is not possible when you can't hear one another. Pros: Surprisingly large portions Cons: Loud atmosphere, unfocused menu, and poor salads more

The service was good, the food was decent, and the music was just right. Everyone appeared to be having a good time which greatly contributed to the mellow vibe. Pros: The ambiance along is worth the visit. Cons: Kind of difficult to find more

Food was decent service, however, the service was poor. But that wasn't the worst part. As we were sitting in our corner booth we were attacked by a c0ckr0ach! The waitress came over, grabbed a cloth napkin (you know, the ones they wrap your utensils in) from the table, and without hesitation, grabbed the creature from our bench. Pros: Great atmosphere Cons: Bad service more

Come here and enjoy yourself with tasty beverages and light snack food. Ideal for a date or just to hang out with friends. more

i usually just stop in for some drinks before/after a movie next door, but last time i tried the calamari... more

i usually just stop in for some drinks before/after a movie next door, but last time i tried the calamari and it was so tender with the perfect amo... more

My friends and I came here before going to see a movie next door. The restaurant was very busy when we arrived (early Friday evening) and when our waitress greeted us we told her we needed to order soon because we were pressed for time. She asked what time we needed to leave and took our order. Even though they were busy, our food came out in no time. (granted, we didn't order a well-done steak or anything) I had the Greek salad with shrimp and it very fresh and delicious. The cocktail prices are very cheap, especially considering the prime location. So, overall, our service was speedy and efficient, the food was great and we didn't spend much money at all. In fact, we ended up coming back for more drinks after the movie because a DJ had just started to spin. We will definitely be back. Pros: speedy service, great value Cons: was a little hard to park but we did it more

This is my favorite Atlanta hang-out the ambiance is great, candle-lit tables, good DJ's, comfy couches, gorgeous women and live jazz every wednesday evening! Pros: Fresh food, great ambiance, Cons: Average sevice more

I went here with my sorority for desserts after a ritual. We had made a reservation in advance, and when we arrived, we were told that they ""didn't expect us to arrive at the same time"" so they had nowhere to seat us. We were seated outside, instead of in the room we had reserved. We ordered our dessert items, and waited. And waited. Finally, about an hour later, some of our party began to receive their orders. But not all. I, along with about 15 other people, never got our food. So we asked the waitress after about 20 minutes where our desserts were, and her response was ""oh sorry, we ran out. Would you like to order something else?"" At this point, I had been there for over an hour and a half, and said no. It took 30 minutes after that to get my check, then another 15 to get the receipt. The waitress was incompetent and rude the entire meal, the entire staff was impolite, and the food (I hear) wasn't even worth the wait. On the plus side, the atmosphere was nice. Inside, not outside. I will never go here again- I wish I would have listened to the reviews. Better to go next door to The Highlander bar- it seemed to be a pretty awesome place. Pros: Great ambiance and atmosphere Cons: Worst service I've ever had, incompetent staff, and a horrible experience. more

A small group of us went to this restaurant to celebrate a friend?s b day. The staff was very rude not to mention extremely slow. He appeared to be under the influence. I had to ask for my glass of wine 3 time then was informed they were out of it. The server called out the entrees and held them over our head until someone claimed them (classy). The food was awful especially the calamari. The menu was as uncreative and unsophisticated as they come. Cons: The worst restaurant I have ever been to more

I always know I can go to this place and get what I'm looking for. The food is excellent and fairly priced. The servers are all beautiful. The dessert case always kills my diet. They have great jazz on Wednesdays. And for a professional drinker like me, its always nice to know that a Ketel One cocktail is only 6$. Not many other places in the city with that price. And the freaking mussels are ammmmaaaazzzing. Pros: good food, awesome patio, live music Cons: parking can be tricky next to the movies more

I was amazed at how filthy this restaurant was on the inside. There was a layer of dust on the window sill behind my table. I had always eaten outside in the past and did not realize the inside was so dirty. more