Enso Izakaya

Love this cool restaurant! I dropped by one afternoon, just checking things out in the area. Alex was at the front and engaged me in a conversation about Bincho charcoal and how they grill with it. He really knew his stuff. I was very impressed with the decor. It seemed like a movie set. It is so interesting and different.... Very unique! Came back a couple days later with my wife on a Friday night and had a fabulous dinner. Love this place! I highly recommend reservations on the weekend as there were no tables left at 8:00. Fabulous festive environment and the food was delicious! I will be coming back often!

Must-try: Roasted Pineapple – juicy, sweet, and pairs perfectly with the yakitori(bbq chicken)! As a Takoyaki lover, I’d give it 8/10, which is pretty good. If you’re a first-timer, skip the chicken skin… The atmosphere is a unique mix of Japanese tradition and modern anime vibes. Definitely coming back! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Went here for a date night. We enjoyed the food however the portions were quite small for the price. There were 3 small pieces of beef on a skewer. I ordered what I thought was a side of mushrooms and it was 3 mushrooms on each skewer instead of a bowl. The billed tallied up quickly due to the excessively small dishes. Taste: My date loved the sushi board and we both enjoyed the baby lamb chops. I had to order fries at the end to not leave hungry. I recommend as an option to try after having a meal elsewhere or a 1st stop.

We wanted to check out the newest izakaya spot in town and when we arrived we were blown away by the elevated flavors and techniques shown by their chef and team. What was really unique is the way they cook their skewers. They used the binchotan charcoal method which gives a very nice smoky flavor. This dining experience truly transported us back to Japan and we look forward to coming back to try more of their menu and specials. We ordered the chef’s special which was perfect for the 2 of us and allowed us to try a variety of items. Their live music on the weekends is a nice touch too. Welcome to Avondale Estates Enso!

Located inside Olive & Pine building. Great atmosphere with delicious food and drinks. Decor was warm and inviting but felt slightly upscale. Comfy seating options as well. For starters, Corn Puff, Tofu, Nori Fries and Eggplant were all delicious. Tofu was my least favorite as it was silken and not seasoned, but the sauce it came with was good to drench it with. Our 10 yr old loved the Corn Puff and Nori fries which was served with a delicious Nori Mayo. We had 3 noodle dishes the Tonkotsu, which was 8/10 for flavor and portion size. but the pork (like thick cut bacon) was not to their liking. I had the Goma pasta (veg) 9/10 very simple creamy pasta and it was served with chili crisp on the side. I do wish I had ordered vegetables to go with it. Yaki Udon was also reviewed very well (not vegetarian, has tendon broth) 9/10. The drinks were 9/10, unique and not sweet at all which I prefer. Went on Christmas Day with reservation as it was one of the few places open and we were pleasantly surprised! I’d go back! Service was a bit slow and part of our order never came and after asking 3x it finally arrived while we were paying the check. Drink also came half way through dinner. But staff was very nice and pleasant overall. Water was constantly refilled which was appreciated. The bill was under $150 for 4 people, with 2 alcoholic drinks. Happy overall with experience.

Enso is a great spot for your Izakaya fix in the ATL. The skewers were absolutely delicious. Authentic robata charcoal setup. I had the chicken thigh and leek, chicken meatballs, beef, and mushrooms. I also ordered the shishito peppers. The service was stellar for Sunday lunch. Will be back for sure….conveniently located across the street from Little Cottage!

I love this place! The atmosphere is trendy and classy with a lot of nods to Japanese culture. The food is excellent and I always have friendly servers. It’s become one of my favorite spots when I want a little bit of an experience with really good food. Try some of the unique cocktails. I was pleasantly surprised by the Ume drink on their new menu.

Newly opened Japanese izakaya spot! It is such a hidden gem in Avondale Estates. I tried their yakitori and lots of small plates. My personal favorites were the roasted corn tsukemen, chicken wings, pork jowl, and tuna & hamachi sashimi. Will be back again for another date night!

Enso is one of the latest new editions to Avondale Estates and I'm glad there's finally a Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. Admittedly, my initial thought/hope was that the focus would be on sushi. However, the focus here is yakitori and I'm pleased that Enso was my first experience having yakatori. Anyway, Enso is located in Olive and Pine and is a really great addition to all of the other great places within Olive and Pine. Enso is intimate and cozy with bar (cocktail and yakatori) seating as well as other tables throughout the space. I also noticed there appears to be an additional dining room that looks like it can accommodate a larger group for a traditional Japanese dining experience. I came late afternoon on a Saturday and ordered a few items off the main menu. I ordered a couple of items suggested by the waiter and was really pleased with everything I ordered. I was served a complementary order of savory cucumber which was quite tasty. I later noticed it's also on the menu, so I'll be sure to order this on future visits. I also ordered a couple yakitori: negima (chicken and scallion w/tare sauce), pork jowl (pork jowl & scallion w/miso goma), shitake mushroom. Of the 3, the negima was my favorite, my tastebuds liked that the best and I'd order it again. The pork jowl and mushroom took spots 2 and 3. I think with the yakatori, favorites will likely come down to preference, as nothing was not delicious just not what I have to have again. I also ordered tuna avo zuki from the share plate menu. In my opinion, this is a small serving, so I'm not sure how much sharing I'd be doing if I were dining with others. If was sized more as an appetizer. Overall, I'm glad Enso is a part of the growing restaurant and entertainment scene in Avondale Estates and I'll certainly be back to try several other things on the menu.

Amazing new Japanese restaurant. We ordered the chef's choice and had an excellent experience. Live jazz music great vibe.

Five stars! Went to Enso Izakaya for lunch. As the kids say, "what a vibe." Amazing and unique ambiance. Imagine Blade Runner meets Kiki's Delivery Service meet Cheers. Great for a date or fun night/lunch out. Two bars and lots of little tables to sit at. I can't wait to come back and have a cocktail at the bar. We had two lunch specials - the tempura and rice dish and the salmon and rice dish. Both were different, and amazing. The tempura was easily some of the best tempura I've had in Atlanta. The salmon was grilled over Japanese charcoal and very flavorful, and cooked well. The rice had some interesting seaweed and crunchy bits mixed in. Very very tasty. Excellent service too. Eat here!! We will be back!

Gorgeous, atmospheric restaurant, superb food, personable and knowledgeable wait staff - need I say more? This restaurant is a much-needed addition to Avondale Estates eating establishments. I went with the Chef's Choice sampler and was not disappointed. Each course was as delicious as beautifully prepared. The menu has a large array of options making return visits a new adventure.