Cooks & Soldiers
Spanish restaurant · Atlanta ·
Basque tapas & wood-fired shareables. Spanish wines, craft cocktails.
Basque tapas & wood-fired shareables. Spanish wines, craft cocktails.
"Tapas usually promotes sharing, but we’ve too often seen it turn into a no-holds-barred scramble to get the last piece of toast. Cooks & Soldiers on the Westside doesn’t want anyone leaving dinner with a sprained thumb, so they’ve made their portions large enough to make it all the way around the table. You’re still going to want to put in at least three orders of the Bikini though—because a grilled cheese with jamon iberico and black truffle is always going to be hard to get enough of. The massive bone-in ribeye is amazing too and, as the birthday rockstar, you could justifiably keep it all for yourself. But you’re with your friends, so do the mature thing and give everyone a very, very small piece." - nina reeder, jacinta howard
"Use this pintxos restaurant (from the same owners of Mujo) to catch up with those friends you don’t get to see regularly. That's because Cooks and Soldiers' noisy but relaxed dining room sets the tone for a sit-down-and-stay-awhile meal. Pass around plates, like tender braised lamb shoulder, lightly charred piquillo relleno, stuffed with spicy beef and ham, and other dishes inspired by the Basque country in Spain and France. When the conversation rolls on, use it as an excuse to order another round of pintxos and uncork another bottle of Spanish wine." - jacinta howard, juli horsford, nina reeder
"Sometimes, we like to get off the proverbial hamster wheel and bask in being unhurried. This West Midtown spot obliges by supplying a long-form tapas-fueled meal that can last for several hours—but only if you want it to, and usually we do. Just a glance is all you need to get the gist of the dining room. There’s nothing you haven’t seen before (though it is polished and comfy in a sit-and-stay-awhile way), but it’s all merely background noise when dishes start rolling out. The most difficult thing about eating here is getting your table to agree on which of the 30+ shareable small plates to order. photo credit: Amy Sinclair That’s why we always start with a surefire winner like the bikini sandwich, which arrives as four small triangles of buttery bread with globs of white american cheese squishing out the sides. After a few glasses of tempranillo paired with spoonfuls of bone marrow dunked in tangy labneh, everyone at the table starts moving at a pleasantly lazy speed that's usually reserved for vacation. We have witnessed a chatty foursome spend 30 minutes finishing up a tiny bowl of yellowtail crudo topped with smoked watermelon. And the service (although quick and efficient) mirrors that type of “take your time” energy. There’s no rush here, and you usually have to ask for them to bring you the bill. And that’s kind of the point of Cooks & Soldiers. Slow down. Sip wine. Shoot the sh*t with friends. Spend a couple of hours grazing on dishes that make it hard to avoid using excited expletives. RESERVE A TABLE WITH RESERVE A TABLE Food Rundown Wine There’s a nice variety of whites, reds, and rosé on the menu. The overwhelming majority are from France and Spain—they’re really dedicated to their whole Basque region theme, which we appreciate. We’re particularly into tempranillos, which takes our love for dry reds and blends it with some fruity flavors that make us even more eager to order another bottle. Crudo Bright pink slices of smoked watermelon sit on top of slivers of yellowtail. Take a bite of both simultaneously for a burst of smoky, fresh flavor that’ll remind you of summer no matter what season ATL is repping that day. Bikini If there’s one dish that absolutely must be on your table, it’s this one. Thick globs of melted white american cheese mix with little chunks of jamón ibérico, all on buttery toasted white bread. And it’s cut into dainty triangles. photo credit: Amy Sinclair Txlindron This braised lamb shoulder is so tender, it falls apart as soon as you grab your fork. Topped with piquillo peppers and a briny olive tapenade, this dish is a total banger. Feuilleté A sweet and sticky puff pastry has a little mountain of burrata and apricots sitting on top. It’s savory. It’s sweet. It’s worth ordering." - Juli Horsford
"Cooks and Soldiers offers a weekday happy hour, from 5 to 6 p.m. The new pintxo pote happy hour features $5 gin tonics with the option to add a pinxto (snack) for an additional $1." - Eater Staff
"The Spanish restaurant across from Westside Provisions District renewed its lease and plans to continue its well-known gin-and-tonic–focused happy hour specials, maintaining a popular neighborhood draw." - Henna Bakshi
