Pala

I grew up in the city but now live about an hour south, and whenever I bring my kids to Atlanta to enjoy some of the things I loved growing up, we always end the day with a great meal. We usually try a new spot every time—but not this time. Pala is the first place we’ve ever gone back to back… it’s just that good. The mortadella panini was hands-down the best sandwich I’ve ever had. We also tried the Firenze panini, the spicy vodka pizza, and the calabrese pizza—everything was incredibly fresh and full of flavor. We finished it off with gelato, and it was the perfect ending. The restaurant has this old-world market vibe—nothing fancy, just authentic, cozy, and absolutely delicious. A true hidden gem we’re already looking forward to visiting again.

Authentic and delicious Italian ham sandwich. Gelato was just the dessert that I was looking for. So good.

I'd say the pizzas are good but don't hold a candle to their panini's. Everything is made in-house, but since it's a lax environment and you order at the counter, most items are pre-made. They are priced at $13 - $20 and are stacked! The meatball parm was awesome, a definite great spot to go to for lunch.

Amazing prosciutto Panini, great service, clean bathroom. True Italian flavor. New customer, I will definitely be back. Plenty of parking.

Who knew the owners of Pala discovered teleportation? Because walking into this cafe you’re no longer in Atlanta, you are transported to Italy. Everything we tried from their menu blew us away. It is clear all the food is homemade, I could make a meal just from their bread and olive oil. The sandwiches deserve every award possible. The pizza is spectacular as well. I highly recommend anything with pesto on it, without a doubt the best pesto I’ve ever had. Best of all, they have amazing gelato to end off a delicious meal.

I bought a cannoli this afternoon and was extremely disappointed to find it half empty. The flavor itself is fine and the presentation was nice, but the lack of filling was off-putting. In retrospect, I shouldn't be surprised since I didn't see the filling in piping bags like I've seen elsewhere. I'm also disappointed to see that another reviewer had a similar experience with no filling in the middle. I doubt I'll return here, and will certainly not be buying cannoli from here.

I was very excited to try this spot since we’re massive fans of Antico. While the sandwiches we got were good, the price was ridiculous. I got the prosciutto, mozzarella and tomato and all the tomato in my sandwich were the tiny end pieces and slipped out, not proper slices of tomato. For $20/sandwich I expect decent tomato at least.. the location leaves a lot to be desired. There are like 6 high top chairs total (not joking) so if you have a disability, forget about it. They had shelves and fridges deli style to buy Italian goods but it was ALL empty except for a pack of prepackaged lady fingers for $15 and a leaking old jar of sardines for $40. The trash can was overflowing by the door, the front of the gelato fridge was broken off on the floor, and there was visible dust on the shelves. They were NOT busy at all, staff were just standing around in the kitchen. I won’t be returning sadly.

Love at first sight, incredible mom & pop hole in the wall special feel. I will be recommending to all of my circle!

The Sopressata & Fior di latte is among the best sandwiches I ever eaten! Perfect amount of heat, crispy but still chewy bread, simply amazing! I've also tried the pizza and meatball sub and while good, I regretted not sticking with what is clearly their best.

The bread on my Sandwhich was chewy soft crunchy all at the same time the meats cured meats chefs kiss I prefer the more spicy then the one that had arugula I added so olive oil it was kinda dry didn't try pastries or the gelato way to full The service friendly the ambiance it's very small reminds of the bakeries from home in our historic Italian neighborhoods When I'm feeling nostalgic this will be one of the places I would come to just to get a feel of home

Pala, located in the OK Cafe shopping center, is a great sandwich shop and bakery owned by the son of the founder of Antico Pizza. The sandwiches here are incredibly fresh, with crispy bread and flavorful, fresh ingredients. We tried the Caprese and the Meatball sandwiches, and both were amazing. After our sandwiches, had to try a scoop of gelato. It was some of the best gelato I've had in the city--so luscious and creamy! As for ambiance - The restaurant operates as an order-at-the-counter place, and they'll call your number when your food is ready. It's a great lunch spot if you can snag a table, but it's also an easy and convenient place for takeout. Pala is definitely worth a visit for anyone looking for fresh, delicious sandwiches and some of the best gelato in town.

It's been good. I just had a bad pizza. The last time I went I ordered a white pesto pizza and it was drenched in pesto. Either that's the way it's supposed to be or next time I say chill out on the pesto. I always see people get the gelato and I've never had it so this time I splurged and it was fantastic. It was much better than the pizza. I ordered the small and it was huge. I've been there a few times just the last time wasn't great. And they finally changed the set up. It used to be a refrigerator on the wall and a few high tables. Well now they got rid of the refrigerator and added more tables

I'm kicking myself for all the years I've lived in Atlanta without knowing Pala existed. I've driven into this complex dozens of times without seeing it, and it wasn't until a coworker randomly suggested it as a lunch spot that I discovered the magic of Pala's paninis. The sandwiches might seem pricey, but they're also quite sizable, like a small brick in the hand. It's hard to know what makes it so fantastic. Is it the bread, baked crunchy and brushed with a healthy dose of good olive oil? Is it the fresh mozzarella and imported ingredients? Whatever sorcery they're employing here, it's working because my colleagues were texting each other later that afternoon, collectively reminiscing on our lunch. There are other things, like pizza and gelato. I tried the latter, and found myself moaning almost inappropriately with each creamy bite. I'd recommend the strawberry and pistachio are a particularly powerful combination, but they're generous with samples here so you're welcome to scribe your own happy dessert. On another note, the owner is more than half the charm of the place. Giovanni Di Palma, who is also the owner of Antico Pizza, is a friendly and familiar presence here. He took the time to come outside and check on our group during our first visit as we (wolfishly) downed our panini, wanting to make sure everything turned out all right. "Did everything come out all right?" he pressed when we gave him a round of thumbs up. "Food's gotta' be emotional, y'know?" He was also there later that same night when I dragged my husband out to taste these magical sandwiches. Giovanni brought out my sandwich personally when it was done. "I had to make it twice," he explained apologetically. "The first time, the bread soaked up all the sauce so I made it again with a different kind of roll. It's gotta' be emotional! Try it and let me know how you like it." How can you not respect and adore a guy so passionate about food that he'd take the time to remake it until it turned out right? The meatball parm was perfect - with thick slabs of well-seasoned meatballs between warm, crusty bread, covered with just enough sauce and mozzarella that my eyes rolled with the first bite. When Giovanni came back a minute later to check on me, I knew exactly how to answer. "It's emotional." Since there are a number of restaurants within this complex (not to mention a Publix), parking can be a bit of a pain at certain points of the day. With only one long table and a few outside, seating can also be a bit of an issue, but that doesn't seem to faze the steady streams of hungry customers.

This place has a little bit of everything : sandwiches, pizza, baked hood and gelato. We stopped for a gelato on a hot summer afternoon. I got 1 scoop of espresso and wasn't very impressed, I'd didn't have strong coffee flavor. But all other flavors looked very appetizing. So I'll go back to try other flavors. There's plenty of parking in the shopping center and enough seating inside and outside of the bakery

Inside the Publix shopping center in Buckhead, parking is free, but you may have to drive around a bit to find a spot. Lovely little Italian deli/bakery. The staff is nice. The food is delicious and the place is clean. Loved the meatball sandwich and the Porchetta sandwich. Gelato tastes just like it should. Great little selection of imported pastas and sauces as well. Can't wait to come back and try the pizza. Worth the 45 min drive for me to get there.

My lovely bride and I stopped in for a late lunch on a Wednesday afternoon in August. We ordered the Roman-style pizza (tomato, mozzarella, garlic, oregano, and basil), and we loved it. Save room for the cannoli and the gelato! Wonderful setting, with Italian opera playing over the speakers. Service is pleasant and prompt. Highly recommended!

Pala Bakery is fantastic, but since they are using Uber Eats to deliver, we are rating it two stars today. Uber Eats is taking two hours to deliver our food, when we paid extra to be the first delivery. Actually, it's unacceptable. Pala Bakery should get their own delivery service so customers receive their food in a timely manner, and hot/warm food instead of cold and soggy...

After visiting New York I was searching for an Italian Bakery and I came across Pala. When I went in , I was expecting something differently than I experienced. The staff was helpful and friendly but food items were limited and a sign stated , "No add ons, no this , no that ." I understand but how about have your employees communicate instead of a sign . Just a personal preference . I decided not to stay for lunch but I may go back to try the Gelato. Until next time .

I can't believe I forgot to take pictures of my food! Probably because I was so quick to start eating it *Face palm*. As someone who just went to Italy I have to say this place matches the ingredient quality of the motherland. I felt like I was transported back after taking the 1st bite of my panini. I had the prosciutto and mozerrella panini. I also tried a few desserts including the sfogliatelle and Joey bag doughnuts. The desserts were a nice lunch cap but the panini is what stole the show. There is a little lunch wait but it's worth it.

The pizza here is delicious, I'm upset I haven't heard or seen the blog scene discuss how delicious this spot is. It is an Italian Bakery, Pizza and gelato spot and. The pizza is so delicious and reminds me of some pizza in Italy, the cannolis are also delicious. They sell pizza to make at home, pastas, oils and have soda from Italy as well. They have limited indoor and outdoor seating, I haven't tried the gelato yet but it is on my list.

Outrageously expensive. $2.75 for a can of Coke? No cup or ice with it? Bread - ok. Sandwich meats/cheeses, average. Atmosphere? Screaming kids with no adult supervision. Slow service. Absolutely HATED this place.

I've been waiting for months to try the sfogliatelle but I was unfortunately disappointed. They were over cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. I was thinking this place was going to be authentic but I'm not sure now. The pizza however was very good. It's a great place for a quick lunch.

We love Gios Chicken and Antico Pizza (both owners by same family as Pala). We were thrilled to have a tiny presence of theirs closer to home! The gelatos are incredible (and they offer free samples). Although they don't serve the delightful Anticos pizza, they have some flatbreads that are good (although a bit spicy for kids). Service is unfortunately not as good as midtown, but one has to do anything for good gelato!

I posted on IG and I'll say it again, maybe one of the TOP FIVE MEALS I've ever had! Found this gem because my niece sit it to me via an IG Reel. Totally worth the minty minute drive to ATL from North Georgia. Not a restaurant but more if a walk up Italian deli, fresh yeast smell in the air. Also known for handmade gelato and cannolis. But sadly the cannolis were sold out by our 1pm arrival. Just another reason to come back. One long community bar too inside and one outside. Too delicious to wait to eat, we devoured it all on the curb. Crisp, fresh, authentic. Makes me want to book a flight to Italy. Simply incredible!

A little taste of some of my favorite Italian eats, right in the neighborhood. I'm devoted to the bianca (the pesto is just the right touch) and the caprese sandwich; it's definitely worth the hefty sticker price at $16. We've also tried the funghi with a burrata crema, and the meat pizza selections will be on the list one day. The desserts might shine even brighter though, with the tiramisu being as light, delicious and layered as can be, and the (not always available!) key lime is addictive. The dressing on the to go salad is not to be missed, and with the rotating flavors of gelato, one of these days I'll get to my fave straciatella (chocolate chip!). Glad Giovanni and co brought their taste of Italy to W Paces!

Proud to be the first yelper to review! Outstanding service and gelato is amazing!! Authentic hidden Atlanta gem- closes at 9:30pm, and if you come later the owner is usually sipping on some red wine at a table. Felt like home... the desserts are homemade and made with love! I will be a returning customer!! Free parking, in Publix plaza, and prices are fair for the amazing quality.

Great Roman style pizza. Looks heavy but it's light on it's feet with and amazing crisp with fresh ingredients. One of the best pizzas I've had. I personally prefer this over Antico's because of the crisp but that's a personal taste. Both places you can taste the fresh authentic ingredients pizzas should be made with. Not much for seating but it's definitely worth the trip even if you have to take it to go or eat in your car. Gelato is pretty amazing as well.

Love their unique but authentic offerings. Would love to see them extend their deli and bakery items.

Customer are not serviced during operating hours that's advertised. Establishment is in a plaza, but be early as they don't honor the hours they advertise as we were there and another family at 8:15pm, they didn't seat us both. Will update with more sandwhich shops due to this false advertisement.

Amazing!!! Food is fresh and incredible. This place has been on my summer bucket list and I finally crossed it off today. The staff was so kind and they brought us free biscotti when we were almost done eating. The hardest part is having to decide between a panini or a pizza because they all look so good. I can't wait to go back!

Never again. Sfogliatelle smaller than I have EVER SEEN. Gelato, same thing. Bold artificial colors, air whipped in. Hard pass. Buckhead prices. No no no.

Gelato was incredible. We tried espresso (Illy), banana, and mint chip. Haven't tried anything else yet but we will definitely be going back!

The large pizza is WAY bigger than it looks in the other photos! The box is 24"x12" !! Sandwich too. Banana for scale:

Pleasantly surprised how good the gelato was. Did not try the pizza. (This is a gelato place.)

Do you know the excitement when you see a new gelato spot opening in your neighborhood? My friend and I stopped in for some frozen treats last night. We were not disappointed! Pala Is also a bakery, but we headed right to the gelato stand. I had a scoop of Salted Caramel and Expresso. Yum! The decor has been styled so well. There are also lots of packaged goodies to buy. I am definitely returning. Just wish they had a gluten-free pizza option!

Nice little cafe/shop in the Publix plaza off West Paces Ferry. It has cute ambience inside and a few seats on the sidewalk. Obviously, parking is ample here. We only stopped in for gelato and bought a bag of biscotti, so I can't speak to the hot foods - but everything looked tasty in the window! Half of my time in Italy was spent eating gelato (lol exaggeration, but kind of...) so I feel like I've gotten a good handle on it. The gelato here is pretty legit! One of the best I've had in Atlanta. We had the coconut and hazelnut flavors. Also an espresso - standard, made with an Illy machine. Scarfed it all down too quickly and forgot to take a photo. Will definitely come back to try other flavors - they only allow one sample. And will try the pizza etc too. I do also wish they had GF options.

Loved the Calabrese pizza. The size for "one" was huge. I was looking forward to trying some cannolis but I went late in the day and they were all out (note to self - arrive early next time). I also ordered an affogato, one of my all-time favorite desserts. It was served in a tall plastic cup instead of maybe a very short coffee cup, and was filled mostly with gelato. Personally, I like a more even ratio of gelato and espresso.

Pala is such a needed addition to the West Paces Ferry shopping center. The sandwiches are good and fresh. I wish there was a little more variety. The pizzas when they first opened tasted fresh and innovative. Now, the pizza dough does not always taste as fresh and the toppings never change. The desserts are amazing. The sfagliatelle pastry is full of flavor and the pastry flakes and crumbles in your mouth. An easy local go to good for eat in or to go. With limited seating, most people just take out. Also they offer prepackaged meals and salads to go.

A four plus star! Wow the bakery items look great. I got a cannoli and it's the best one I've had outside New York City. I started with a carprese panini. The bread was light but flavorful. The tomatoes were good for out of season and the cheese. Delish Employees helpful. The place is small. Only room for a few high top tables so when you come prepare to do take out

The food is very good there, we frequently visit Pala because we love their cannoli's, also the pizza there is very good as well. The service is great and the staff are very friendly.

Delicious - had the prosciutto mozzarella sandwich and the calabrese pinsa! Definitely worth the trip if you're not in the area.

Amazing!!!! So good. Found this place by accident and we had the BEST donuts and sandwiches. Ice cream was really good too.

Stopped in after dinner to grab some gelato and was not disappointed!! Extremely flavorful and rich! Texture was also perfect. I personally got the chocolate and strawberry and felt like it was the perfect combo. Will definitely be back for more and to try some baked goods soon.

Was excited to hear about this new spot. I had the Pinsa Romana pepperoni. It was quite delicious and enough for more than one person if neither is ravenous. I also had the berry torte. The torte was nice and not overly sweet, much like actual European desserts vs US desserts. I definitely would like to go back to try the gelato. Seating is limited, so carry-out is probably the better option. I don't live far, but not close enough that I would go pick up and take back home. I definitely think is is a great option if you live closer. Be warned though (and I did not down rate for this, as the business can't control it) the parking lot is an absolute nightmare. It's a huge lot, but very busy, and I kid you not, I waited over 5 minutes to be able to back out of my spot when I went to leave. There was a constant stream of traffic going by.

Visiting from Charlotte stopped in right before closing to grab tiramisu to go and it was delicious , fresh and right amount of coffee only down is fire the slice it is a bit pricy $7 but the dessert it self was great

Place was amazing!! My family and I have been looking for some really good authentic Italian bakery/food for the longest time and we FINALLY found it at Pala's bakery. Service was amazing and the workers made it feel like home. Ambiance is perfect as well! If you love Italian goodies, COME HERE!!

This is a cool spot and a great concept but they ran out of a few flavors of gelato and I was expecting a few bakery items to choose from like breads etc, not just dessert pastries. We also got a cannoli which was prefilled and super soggy, not fresh or crispy at all. Typically you fill the cannoli shell when someone orders one, they don't just sit there all day.

Just went for the first time. In the evening so got some gelato. It was delicious! Not too sweet, so definitely made with good ingredients. Can't wait to eat lunch there soon! Also located in a very nice shopping center.

Excellent pizzas and great staff! The pizza crust is so light and airy. Holds up really well even after reheating. Gelatos and tiramisu really good! Will continue to support this little gem of our neighborhood

Food is really tasty but pricey - lunch for two (no drinks) ran about $50. Gelato is so-so, but pastries are where it's at.

Got a sausage and peppers pizza. Dough was soaked with liquid and almost raw. They refused to sell gelato because it was too soft even though I said I didn't care. Just wanted to enjoy something about my lunch. No thanks.

This unassuming little bakery is tucked in the shopping center where the OK Cafe is located. The panini and pizza are surprisingly delicious and fulfilling. If you can stick around to enjoy a dessert, they also serve premium gelato, custom cannoli, and espresso. Don't forget to snag a few sfogliatelle to go for breakfast. Finally, if you want to sit down to eat on premise, plan to be there a little before or after lunch as the store is very small and has only one large shared table. There is some outside seating. Whether you stay or do take away, you will not be disappointed.

Highly recommend their prosciutto and mozzarella panini, my favorite sandwich in the city!! Perfect for an easy and satisfying lunch--this place is a gem in the community.

Went here on a nice Sunday afternoon after churchhouse! The pizza was delicious and we of course had to get some gelato! Listen, if you're in the area; Go get you and your people some food from here friend!

A good spot. A Lot of great items for you to enjoy. Many different pizzas and pastries.

The food and the gelato is very good, the service is pretty quick, and they're very sweet. The ambiance (music, decor) is so lovely that I'm always sad to leave.

This place was soo nice, it was comforting, it was our first time here. I love it. They had good pizza and ice cream which was so delicious.