Daniel B.
Yelp
I give Fia Restaurant 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This restaurant lived up to the hype, for the most part. For a nice night out in Buckhead, this place fits the bill. The cuisine is New American and Mediterranean.
Fia is pronounced "fee-uh." It's Italian for flickering flame or little fire.
The restaurant opened in December 2019 inside the Burgess Hotel, a boutique hotel. The hotel's co-owner and executive chef is named Burges Jokhi. Burgess and Burges. Coincidence? Burges owns the place with his partner, Freny Jokhi. The hotel bar, Mr B Bar, was named after Freny's dad, Keki Bunshah. The Burgess used to be a Wingate by Wyndham. Initially, the Burgess was part of Wyndham's Trademark Collection. Now, it's in Marriott's Tribute Portfolio.
Hotel restaurants are notoriously hit or miss. I'm happy to report Fia is one of the best hotel restaurants I've dined at in metro Atlanta and one of the better ones anywhere. Fia was named a Yelp Top 100 US Restaurant in 2022 (#32).
Reservations are recommended. It was packed during our Saturday night visit. Those without a reservation either had to sit "outside" at the bar or wait until one of the last seatings of the night. That night, I noticed a walk-in party return to be seated around 9pm. Book your reservation using OpenTable and earn dining points which can be used to redeem restaurant discounts, Amazon gift cards, hotel stays, and more.
Free self-parking is available on the sides and back of the hotel. For a hotel of this "caliber," the parking did strike us as a bit sketch at night. And getting from the parking lot to the front of the hotel involved walking onto the driveway and into traffic. Not the safest.
The restaurant and hotel are gorgeous. It's a distinct, eclectic mix of both traditional and modern design, decorated with art from different cultures. It sounds gaudy, but they managed to pull it off. The international flair reminds me of The Consulate restaurant in Midtown. Fia's dining room is cozy and offers a variety of tables and seating -- white tablecloth, wood and stone surfaces, booths, banquettes, and armchairs. There's also an outdoor patio.
During our dinner visit, the drink menu featured over a dozen cocktails from Mr B Bar plus wine and bottled and canned beer. The food menu had many salads and apps (e.g., Warm Goat Cheese & Tomato Tartlet, Grilled Giant Prawn), a handful of entrees (e.g., Braised Lamb Shank), several woodfired items (e.g., A5 Wagyu Ribeye, Bell & Evans Moroccan Chicken), and large sides.
Here's what three of us had:
Specialty Cocktails
* Coconut Pecan Old Fashioned ($17) - coconut-washed bourbon, spiced pecan demerara, bitters
* "Dirty" Martini ($18) - vodka, Italian vermouth, olives
* Base Camp ($17) - vodka, rose nectar, grapefruit
Wines by the Glass
* Red / Cabernet ($17) - Katherine, Alexander Valley, CA 2021
Salads & Appetizers
* Beets & Burrata ($18) - sherry balsamic vinaigrette, basil oil, pickled onion, toasted pistachios
* Pan-Seared Potato Gnocchi ($19) - beurre monte, white truffle, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese
* Pork Belly ($17) - Jack and Coke glaze, heirloom grits
* Charred Octopus ($19) - roasted pepper, artichoke, olives, capers, lemon, olive oil
* Grilled Ciabatta ($7) - tomato-rubbed, chimichurri
Entree
* Pan-Seared New England Scallops ($37) - saffron risotto, artichoke, oven-roasted tomato, basil
From the Fia Woodfired Grill
* 8 oz Center-Cut Filet ($49) - cognac peppercorn sauce
* Whole Branzino ($42) - fennel-citrus salad
Shareable Side
* Crispy Brussels Sprouts ($13) - pear gastrique
Dessert
* Bananas Foster ($15) - vanilla gelato
Everything was excellent, both in taste and presentation. The plating was beautiful. Each dish was a work of art. The attention to detail was evident. The tableware was unique and artistic, some with colorful floral patterns.
My favorites dishes were the Pan-Seared Potato Gnocchi, Pork Belly, and Pan-Seared New England Scallops. Between the mushrooms and cheese, the gnocchi dish was packed with umami. Buttery too, but not excessive. And the gnocchi had perfect texture. The quality of the pork belly was terrific. The meat and grits were delicious. The scallops were fresh and plump -- among the best I've had in recent memory. Together with the risotto and veggies, the dish was really tasty.
If you like burrata and octopus, I recommend both the Beets & Burrata and Charred Octopus appetizers. They didn't disappoint. The beets were well seasoned. The octopus was tender and flavorful. The Grilled Ciabatta turned out to be a great recommendation from our server. It worked better as a side than an app. The Whole Branzino was well executed and fileted to have barely any bones, which I appreciated -- another wonderful dish.
The Bananas Foster wasn't finished tableside, but was still fantastic.
The drinks were superb as well. I enjoyed the "Dirty" Martini in particular and I usually don't like martinis.
Our server Zoe S was amazing. She was very friendly and attentive.