Restaurant Eugene

I came here with my VP who was visiting for the week (his choice). Upon arrival I was quickly seated and the servers began their presentation. We opted for the tasting menu and a couple of bottles of wine. The entire staff was great except for this one bald, older guy, I’ll call him «UN». The first couple of courses that was served to us by other waiters were explained enough so that we knew what we were consuming. When the third course came out, UN sat the plate down and turned to walk off. We asked UN what was on the dish, he slightly turned his back to us with a disgusted look on his face, while speaking with an accent, which means we understood NOTHING. He was very UNaccommodating, UNinviting, and UNwilling to help us.
When I spend $ 100 a meal I expect superb service and this restaurant fell short due to 1 bad seed. We won’t be back.

We chose Eugene to celebrate our anniversary and it seemed like the right place to have a tasting menu.
After arriving on a Sunday night, we were seated immediately at a table on the other side of the hostess desk. It was in an awkward place since the servers were trying to squeeze by us with food for other tables.
We both opted for a 5 course tasting menu and my husband ordered a supplementary course of Lamb sweetbreads for additional $ 25. Portion wise each course was made up of 2 – 3 bites. Paying $ 80+/person for the tasting menu, an additional $ 25 for supplementary course, portions were consistently small. Strike 1.
After each course there was a 20 minute wait, approximately, for the amuse bouche or the next course. The service and the wait times felt uncoordinated. Obviously the kitchen isn’t equipped on course timing. We joked this is their way of people losing their appetite, waiting long time for food. Unusual wait times between courses, Strike 2.
There were some memorable touches. The black pepper macaroon filled with cheese was a playful take on the French macaroon. Another was a chocolate sorbet with banana as an intermezzo, devouring. From the entire dinner, we agreed the 2^nd course trout was the only memorable course.
The servers remembered our anniversary and gave us an extra dessert, chess cake. Speaking of dessert, we weren’t fans of anything. I opted for the white chocolate chartreuse while the husband kept the apple gastrique that came with the tasting menu. Even the chess cake was unimpressive.
Our main course was lamb chop with fall veggies. The lamb for what it’s worth had 2 chewable bites on it and was extremely rare. We do like our lamb and beef rare or medium rare however this was unusually so and we were unimpressed with the portion and the way it was cooked. For a main course, it was awful.
The cheese plate had Georgia cheddar; if there is only one cheese for the entire course, it’s not called a cheese plate.
Overall the meal wasn’t inspiring and average. For the price the quality is unacceptable. Strike 3.
At the level Eugene portrays itself to be, their «sommelier» also acts as a server. With the restaurant having 6 – 8 servers, is it necessary to divide the sommelier’s time this way? I think not. Speaking of sommelier, he recommended a chianti for our main course that we both enjoyed. At the end of our dinner, I asked him to give me the name for my reference. With his permission, we took a picture of the bottle, and within minutes learned that exact bottle of wine sells for $ 17 at a wine shop. (We use a wine app to track our wines.) I am not mad at Eugene for charging an excessive amount for a glass of wine, but I am sad we paid $ 30/​two glasses that we can buy in a store for half the price.
Even with the sommelier acting as a server, our water glasses were never refilled, unless we asked. Strike 4.
Having lived in Europe and tried tasting menus at multiple restaurants, I am shocked by Eugene. It is a case of elitism where restaurant owners/​chef charge an outrageous amount, serve little portions and call it a tasting menu. Looking around us, we noticed business professionals or upper class families that can afford a dinner like this because of their financial status. In Europe, families from all walks of life take pleasure in restaurants with tasting menus for half the price, wine included.
Disgusted by Hopkins and his attempt to serve what he calls a tasting menu. Unfortunately this is not the place to try a memorable tasting menu.

Exceptional! We eat out every night and, based on tonight’s experience, would rate Eugene’s as the #1 place for fine dining in Atlanta.
Great atmosphere, music and ambiance.
Superb food and very attentive service. We look forward to returning (often).

Went to restaurant Eugene after a Christmas concert. The place is relatively small and does not look like much of a restaurant. Man that is under advertising.
The service is very attentive. The menu is seasonal. The food is really great. We had a variety of dishes and they were all fantastic. The chef is also doing the new Delta One dishes served in business class on long-​haul Delta flights. The food is tasty, well prepared and very well composed and presented.
This is a great place for special occasion. Definitely coming back.

Had a great dinner here! Amazing atmosphere, great food, awesome service. A great place to celebrate something special, or just to have a (very) nice dinner out!

Ricky and I choose those restaurant as the place we would have our first meal officially and intimate just us two as husband and wife (they thought it was our anniversary– guess we look like an old married couple? haha). I am glad we did as we both enjoyed every minute of it. I would highly recommend this place.
The inside is beautiful and intimate. I was grateful to receive a booth. Service is undeniably excellent. Food and wine is superb (we did the chef taste thing or whatever its called). I couldnt eat everything (ex: Im allergic to chocolate and dairy so I couldnt eat one of the desserts or the cheese– so ricky ate them for me!) but the ones I could were excellent. I really like the creativity of the chef. Great combinations of ingredients texture, smell, taste, etc. Ricky especially liked the twist on the PBJ dessert (did they use PB2?) Btw, why is everyone complaining about the portion sizes and amount of food (especially the bread– I built a tower for fun with all the bread I had)…I gained 2 pounds leaving here (probably water weight but still!) It was nice to also have a moment to breathe between each course so we had a little fun/​played games also (ex: decipher the dress code of the staff– main servers wear gray suits, runners wear vest, etc).
I would also like to say thank you for the «anniversary» dessert. I think that was my favorite dish of the night (it was basically a refined version of strawberry shortcake).
Thank you to the chef and staff at restaurant Eugene for making our special night perfect.

Had the tasting menu plus wine pairings. Great attention to detail. Romantic ambience.

Wonderful service & great food. Love the low key romantic feel. The lamb was cooked to perfection. You really can’t go wrong with anything.

Restaurant Eugene is everything that is wrong with a wannabe trendy restaurant. For starters, I received three phone calls throughout the week preceding my diner. They wanted to inquire whether we were celebrating something and if we had any food restrictions. «Yes, we are celebrating my newly received American citizenship and we don’t eat pork or veal». Not a single mention of the special event. And a waiter who came to the table to offer the special cut of pork tenderloin that night. If they’re going to bother you with phone calls and not use the information, that’s strenuous work for the customer. Strike # 1.
Bar was well stocked (they couldn’t make a French martini, a staple), beautiful dining room. Got there and were asked again if we were celebrating a special occasion. This is getting exhausting. «Congratulations!», the hostess said, looking at my brother-​in-​law, and assuming it was his big night, without asking.
The tasting menu was one of the most confusing things about the experience. 7 listed courses. «You don’t get all 7», said the deep-​voiced, pretentious maitre. «Which ones do I get? I love caviar.» It was listed as the second option. «You don’t get caviar.» «But it’s listed as one of the options on the tasting menu.» «Yes, but for a supplement. You get this, this, this, and this. Total of 4». «But it says 7.» «You get 4.»
Every bite was delicious. But every dish was exactly that: one bite. Literally. My muscadine salad was a muscadine bite. Not even a complete leaf.
It was an expensive diner experience for what it was. We left hungry. And the wait staff was curt and pretensions, acting like we should know every ingredient on the menu and literally rolling their eyes when we asked questions.
Bacchanalia is a much better experience, better service and better food. And you don’t have to go through McD’s drive-​through afterwards.

To me, a five star review isn’t just about great food, it is about an unmatched culinary experience and this is one of two restaurants in Atlanta that I believe deserve it. I’ve only been once so I can’t say they’re as consistent as Bacchanalia but on the evening I went, they were every bit as good.
I took my wife here on our anniversary and Eugene made every effort to make this visit as special as possible. Yes, they are expensive and yes, portions are not going to be what you’ll get at Applebees, but come on! It isn’t like you’re going to leave hungry, and you’ll taste food here you won’t get anywhere else.

Boy do we live in a nation full of fatties! All these complaints about not being full. You know you do have the option to add courses, and plus this isn’t a buffet!
There are not many fine dining restaurants at this level in ATL, so I am grateful for Restaurant Eugene.
I had the 5-​course plus 2-​additional courses, just because I wanted to try out as much as I can.
For me the highlight was the trout. The shrimp starter was also great. The service was impeccable from top to bottom.
Yes, we forked out a ton of cash, but trust me it was worth it. One of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had!

So let me tell you right off the bat, I’m not into fufu food and the uptight atmosphere.
My girlfriend wanted to go here for her birthday — Ty something different, so 4 of us went and 400.00 later I was still hungry!
I’m not a big person by any means, but for 400– I would think I would be full.
We brought our own wine– and the cork fee is 50.00 per bottle, we drank one bottle had of the 3 we brought, yet got charged 50.00 per bottle — insanity!
I would not recommend this to anyone that doesn’t like fufu food, that’s for sure, and if you do– more power to you.

We have gradually become regular visitors since there is no other restaurant that can top Eugene in therms of tastes among its class.
Yes, I mean it, we’ve dined in lot of restaurants including Canoe, Bones, Aria, and etc, you name it.
Nothing, I mean nothing can beat Eugene in terms of tastes.
Of course, only in atl. Manhattan for instance, has better restaurants.
I wish they change menu more frequently.

Two things struck me during my wonderful dining experience at Restaurant Eugene. First, I don’t think I have had a better wine pairing at any restaurant with a tasting menu and second, this may have been the most satisfying cheese course I’ve had in a restaurant. Perhaps these are odd recollections for an «A» rated eatery, but with flavors flying across the table at Mach speed from breads to palate cleansers to assorted courses the things that stick out are interesting.
Much care is taken with the food here and it would seem impossible that most everyone can’t find enjoyment here.

Restaurant Eugene is superb. It easily ranks as one of the best fine dining restaurants I’ve been to anywhere, not just in Atlanta. The restaurant opened April 2004. It’s owned by Chef Linton Hopkins, probably best known locally as the owner of Holeman & Finch (located next door) and creator of the incredibly popular Holeman & Finch burger. Restaurant Eugene is named after Hopkins’ grandfather and is considered the «jewel» of Hopkins’ restaurants.
The restaurant is simple, sophisticated, and elegant. The modestly sized dining room has about a dozen tables (each seating four) and a few romantic U-​shaped booths against the wall. Towards the back is a bar and a semi-​private group dining area. Small uncomplicated flower arrangements and candles grace each white tablecloth-​topped table. As with other restaurants of this nature, tableware is changed with each course so you only have the utensils you need. Dishes are served on white dinnerware, so the focus is truly on the food sitting in front of you. I really like this clean and minimalist approach to dining.
Reservations are recommended, though you can show up without one. Book on OpenTable and earn free dining points. The lighting is dim, but not dark. The noise level is quiet and comparatively speaking, the ambiance is more comfortable and not as stuffy as other high end restaurants.
Hopkins grew up in Atlanta. He and his family’s Georgian roots are reflected on the menu in addition to French influences. The selection changes nightly. The cuisine is farm-​to-​table. The menu is straightforward with a limited selection of a la carte appetizers (about $ 15 – 30 each), salads ($ 12 – 15), and entrees ($ 30 – 50), along with five-​course prix fixe chef tastings ($ 85 each) with optional wine pairings. There’s both a «regular» chef tasting and a vegetable tasting. Up to two additional courses can be added to each tasting at $ 25 per course. If there are allergies or dietary restrictions, the restaurant will accommodate.
Here’s a list of what we had, in order, complete with breads and gifts from the chef (amuse-​bouche):
* Cheese Gruyère puff pastries
* Gift: Brown butter cauliflower soup
* Gift: Savory pimento cheese macarons
* Course 1a: Pickled shrimp, apple, celery
* Course 1b: African squash soup with pecans, apples, heirloom sesame
* Brioche
* Course 2: Georgia trout, sunchoke, country ham, tarragon
* Fendu (bread)
* Gift: Cashew butter with yogurt and apple
* Pain au levain (sourdough bread)
* Course 3: Lamb loin, turnip, vanilla, powdered butter
* Course 4: Cumberland cheese, pumpernickel, pear, radish
* Pre-​dessert gift: Grapefruit mousse and chocolate meringue
* Course 5 (dessert): Chocolate mousse, candied orange curd, coffee dacquoise
* Post-​dessert gift: Financier (cake), pâté de fruit (gummies), and cookies
Three pieces of Gruyère cheese bread were served in a bowl shaped like a flower. The puff pastries were warm, soft, and fluffy. The breads were served with butter, salt, and black pepper. The salt and pepper were neatly presented in their own leaf-​shaped serving trays with miniature spoons.
The first of what was to be many gifts from the chef was a brown butter cauliflower soup. It was excellent. The soup was served in a mini cup, good for a couple sips. This was followed with two tiny, but savory macarons made with pimento cheese. Very delicate and fresh.
Since I couldn’t eat the pickled shrimp (allergy), I was served an African squash soup instead. My allergy turned into a blessing as this soup was simply phenomenal. It turned out to be my favorite of the night. Finished off tableside, the broth was exceptionally rich and flavorful. The slices of apple were perfectly ripe with just the right amount of subtle sweetness and tartness.
The trout was presented beautifully. The slice of fish was tender and succulent. I really enjoyed the green taragon sauce that came with. The sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke) chips provided an appropriate contrasting crunch. This course along with the next gift, cashew butter with yogurt and apple, were light yet wholly satisfying.
The lamb loin was outstanding. The meat was nicely cooked, every bite appetizing. The interesting thing about this course to me was the powdered (or crumbled) butter on top of the lamb. The paper thin slices of cheese were buttery and earthy and the accompanying pumpernickel crisp. A fine wind-​down to dessert.
The pre-​dessert meringue was airy and crunchy, almost like a cereal. The grapefruit mousse was silky smooth as was the main dessert course’s velvety chocolate mousse. The coffee dacquoise was like a triple-​layer meringue. The post-​dessert bites were great as well, particularly the pâté de fruit, each piece literally melting away in our mouths.
Service is exemplary from the moment you’re seen in to the moment you’re seen out. Doors are opened, coats are checked, and it seems like you’re always being tended to. Course pacing is good. Thank you, Mario, Robert, Dominique, and Charlie.

One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Atlanta. I’d say it’s very close to being on par with some of the Michelin star restaurants that I have eaten in. Reservations should be done well in advance, as weekends fill up quickly.
Point by point breakdown:
— Kicked off the Saturday evening at the bar with a horse’s neck cocktail, which was the best I’ve ever had and even better than the ones at St Regis bar
— 7 course tasting menu was way too much. Courses are not as small as other restaurants in this category, so by the 4^th course everyone was full at our table of 5.
— Be ready to spend some serious serious cash here. Came out at $ 300 per person, with one drink each, wine pairings for each course and the chefs tasting menu. This is in my opinion very steep of a price to swallow for an Atlanta restaurant. I’ve eaten tasting menus at top Michelin starred restaurants in LA and other large cities, even there came out with a smaller tab. The reason you end up with such a high tab here is all the add ons required to do a 7 course tasting vs 5 course. They charge through the roof for those. Lesson learned, do a 5 course.
— All courses were spectacular. I mean everything, very creative ingredients and combinations. Pairings to wine were amazing also. I really couldn’t have asked for a better experience in terms of food.
— Service was top notch. Phenomenal presentation, attention and extremely knowledgeable staff.
— Ambiance is elegant yet simple. I loved it. The noise level is very low in the restaurant, so you will be able to enjoy your conversation without having to shout.
Overall, this was a spectacular experience.

My lady friend and I came here on her birthday. We aren’t from Atlanta but from what I could tell this one of the three best restaurants in the city. My lady deserves something in the top three. The top one? Maybe. On a good day.
I mean, it was her 31^st birthday. That’s not really a top one occasion in my book. (I have a book. You can buy it on Amazon. This situation does not appear in my book but don’t let that stop you from buying it.)
We had the tasting menu and it lived up to what it said it would be. There was a lot of tasting going on. We also added the wine pairing with it and they poured more wine than I could drink that night. That may or may not be hyperbole, but it was a lot of wine. I am not a lightweight. I suggest again that you read about this in my book, available now on Amazon.
Anyway, Restaurant Eugene was all class. I feel that it is not fair to compare high-​end restaurants to each other when it comes to doling out the Unilocal rating. I like comparing to what else I could have eaten in the city. That seems more fair to me. For that, I give Eugene five stars. Not sure if Eugene is a guy and if not, then I give it to whoever is pretending to be Eugene. Well done, imposter.
When we left, I took a book of matches and I was impressed with how much smoke the matches produced when I blew them out. Yes, I used these matches for the hotel bathroom that my lady and I shared for the next 10 days. Thank you for wondering. I was saddened when the little striker on the side of the box wore out before I was able to use them all. But, such is life.

This restaurant is good, but nothing is spectacular and quite frankly I can barely remember any of the dishes we ate. To me that is indicative of high quality food with mediocre dishes.
What we liked:
1) Service is excellent. The staff are helpful, attentive, quick to serve, and super hospitable.
2) The restaurant has a nice atmosphere. When you walk in the décor, the spacing of the tables, the furniture and the lighting all exude a premium appearance and put the fine dining patron at ease.
3) The freshness and quality of the food. Everything is very high quality, and as a result tastes good. The salads and seafood do stand out.
What could be better:
1) Taste and texture. There is nothing special on this note, and having been here twice I can barely remember what I ate. It’s like generic haute cuisine, and as such quite disappointing.
2) The desserts were also very typical and not special.

The service here is definitely 4 – 5 stars. The staffs are very attentive & welcoming and they treat their customers like royalty.
The ambience is intimate & romantic. I can see why this is a place for special occasions.
We were here to celebrate our anniversary and decided on both the vegetable & chef tasting 5 course menu. One of our waiters (as there were so many, each with his own specific task, it was hard to keep up with the many faces…) explained that the tasting menu are about half-​appetizer sizes. Which is fine, we were here for the experience and were looking forward to tasting something quite extraordinary.
We even prepared our tummies in advance so that our palates were not distracted by hunger. With that said we were ¼ full at the start of our meals…
The Good:
The first item of the vegetable tasting & chef tasting were African squash soup & pickled shrimps with apple consommé, respectively. It was a great start! Both dishes were unique and beautifully made in taste. Our palates were delighted! This is art. The pairing of the shrimps with the apple consommé was enjoyable. I would give these dishes 4 stars.
The Bad:
All the dishes that came afterward just did not measure up. It was as if you were 50 feet from stardom only to fall short. I give most 3 stars for the rest the menu. The trout was good, whereas the rabbit was dry and there were only 2 bites full but between two people… we didn’t want to finish it. I would give the rabbit dish only 2 stars.
I did add one supplemental dish of siberian sturgeon caviar on French omelette. It was pretty to look at. I liked the sauce the most.
All in all, I would give the foods 3 stars. For the price, I didn’t think it lived up to expectation. I didn’t mind being hungry after a 3 hours dinning experience if all of the dishes tasted like the first 2 dishes we had.
Of note, every staff that came through our table wished us a happy anniversary and went out of their ways to make our night memorable. I wish I could say the same for the food. The service is undeniable impeccable but food and taste-​wise, I did not leave feeling transcendent nor wanting for more.
I am curious if I had ordered a la cart my review would have been different.

I know it’s expensive, but the food and service at Restaurant Eugene is worth it especially for celebrating something special like an anniversary. My boyfriend made reservations here and we really enjoyed the Chef’s Tasting Menu.
Between each course in the tasting, there were many chef’s gifts, that I couldn’t keep track of which item was part of the tasting. Nevertheless, everything was tasty. There’s so much depth of flavor to each item we were served. Here are some things I remembered:
Foie gras served with strawberry compote, peanut, with toasted brioche. The flavors altogether were amazing until I realized that this was kind of a fancy play on a peanut butter jelly sandwich. It certainly didn’t look that way since that was a nice serving of foie. Seriously. I felt like I needed more of the brioche to eat with the foie, but every bit of it was delicious especially with the strawberry compote. Strawberries seemed to be a theme of the evening in this late spring, early summer season.
Farm egg with pork belly. My boyfriend loved the egg’s texture, but I was in love with the pork belly. Each bite melted in my mouth and was delicious with the other items included in this dish.
The last very memorable thing I remembered was dessert. This was actually not included in the chef’s tasting menu, but a gift for us because of our anniversary. A cake shaped like a doughnut, drizzled in a whiskey caramel. At first bite, my mouth was burning from the alcohol and I was almost immediately turned off, but then I found myself somewhat addicted to the flavor. I would finish all the caramel in the dish if I could. I’ve never had sticky toffee pudding, but this what I imagine it would be like.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated. The tables are spaced apart so it’s still an intimate setting with comfortable chairs. Service was great! They’re very prompt on refilling glasses of water (even if you only took a few sips), and everyone is friendly. I almost felt shabbily dressed because I decided to go with wearing flip-​flops (guys, tell your woman to wear heels even if it’s a surprise and you don’t want to reveal where you’re taking her) and a hoodie jacket (it was a cold day) on top of a nice sleeveless dress. The wait staff didn’t treat me any differently for this. The host was also kind enough to get our car for us so we could wait inside while it was a little chilly outside.
I’d definitely want to come back for another special occasion. Maybe next year for our 2^nd anniversary.