Lyla Lila

"Owned and operated by chef Craig Richards, Lyla Lila has become a neighborhood gathering place and a destination restaurant near the Fox Theatre since opening in 2019. This casually elegant restaurant is where pasta, like the luscious crispy duck lasagna (a permanent fixture on the menu), really shines, alongside squid ink spaghetti, tuna crudo with pumpkin seed butter, cold-smoked scallops, and whole wood-grilled fish with seasonal vegetables. Make sure to order a cocktail here before pairing the meal with wine. Reservations encouraged." - Eater Staff, Henna Bakshi

"Midtown’s Lyla Lila is the ideal place for a meal before catching a show at the Fox Theatre. The sweeping curtains, stone walls, and large windows with downtown views make us want to dress up to match the setting. On any given night, the place is filled with couples making the most of the posh, romantic scenery, too. Just note that dishes, like the crispy duck lasagna with velvety pasta and cocoa béchamel sauce, may upstage any theater performance you see after dinner." - nina reeder, jacinta howard, juli horsford

"Chef Craig Richards describes the food at his Midtown restaurant, Lyla Lila, as “Italian in spirit and technique,” but with an “expanded pantry” featuring Georgia-grown ingredients. The menu spotlights flavors and dishes found throughout Italy and southern Spain, and offers several of Richards’ handmade pastas and risottos. The crispy duck lasagna is a cult favorite." - Eater Staff

"The casual elegance and warm ambiance of Lyla Lila is befitting a romantic dinner for two, whether in the cozy dining room or seated at the dimly lit bar. Order everything from cold-smoked scallops to duck lasagna to wood-grilled mushrooms at Lyla Lila, all created by chef Craig Richards and his team. This is the spot for people looking for a great Italian meal in Atlanta paired with equally great wine and cocktails, especially before a show at the Fox Theatre." - Eater Staff

"When we’re on a mission to see if our date's face actually looks like their profile pic, we hit Lyla Lila's well-lit but small dining room. When that’s full, and it usually is, we'll settle for the dim bar and accept our catfish fate. This Midtown spot is the area’s most upscale pasta place, so you can get all dressed up in your finest threads to dine on fancy-sounding things like duck lasagna before or after a show. But we prefer the appetizers over most of the pasta dishes (if there was wagyu beef in the black truffle ravioli, we sure couldn’t find it). But the crispy artichoke appetizer, intricately shaped into roses, is crunchy on the outside with a buttery center, and we would gladly eat the lemon-mint aioli out of a tub. photo credit: Angie Web Food Rundown Scallops The caper-topped scallop dish is tasty and super light since the buttery shellfish practically dissolve on your tongue. Sweet Potato Raviolli This seasonal dish sometimes features wild boar, but when made with rabbit, it’s a nice blend of rich, earthy flavors balanced with herby rosemary butter and shaved truffles. Snapper The fish is tender and paired with creamy squash and a bright basil-pistachio pesto. This dish also includes gold potatoes and a satsuma orange-roe butter that gives it a citrusy kick. Tiramisu This tiramisu has very thick and creamy layers with a hint of coffee flavor and a dusting of cocoa on top for a bittersweet finish." - Juli Horsford