Mitra

by Lorne C.

Soooo I said I wasn't going to write this up, but after thinking about it for two days, I just have to write about the mediocre and dismal experience.  First let me start off by saying that Mitra, in the past, has been one of my favorite restaurants.  I have been going there since they have opened, and have always enjoyed the experience.  I once attended a wine pairing evening that was like a moment from Top Chef, so imagine my disappointment when I took my guy for Valentine's Day dinner and it was the worst meal I have ever had at Mitra.  The menu was a one-time prix fix, so I will just go over the highlights of the evening.Arrived for our 8:30 reservations, hostess explain that they were running behind.  So we got a seat at the bar after a 5 min wait, where we waited 15 mins for the bartender to serve us.  Only when we got her attention, she said she would be with us shortly.  After another 5 mins, she take our drink order (a difficult one that consisted of  two mojitos).  After about 5 mins, the hostess came up and seated us, still no drinks yet.  We get to our table and the manager brings us the tab for the drink order but yet still no drinks.  After another 5 mins, we finally get our drinks.  I can honestly say these were the worst mojitos I have ever had the experienced drinking (honestly - the mojitos on a Delta flight would have been better).  Now I promised just to do highlights, but the first 45 minutes of being in the restaurant exemplifies the rest of the evening. So now the highlights:* Appitizers:  Ahi Tuna Tartare, Spicy Ginger Sauce:  Good; Duck Quesadilla:  Served cold, probably would have been good if warm*Soup/Salad:  Arugula Tangerine Salad:   Little/no dressing/two tangerine supremes - disappointing; Red Tortilla Chicken Soup: Very good, light and quite tasty*Crispy Lobster Tail Angus Beef Duo:  Lobster was the warmest thing all night and actually good, but the beef was slightly overcooked and but cold; Pan Seared Sea Scallops:  Good but actually not that warm (probably sat with the beef while waiting for the lobster).*Dessert:  Mixed Berry Panna Cotta:  Good example of how panna cotta should be.  Strawberry Tiramisu:  Just wasn't right, the strawberries just didn't seem to meld with the rest of the Tiramisu.Service was obviously overwhelmed, but most were really trying.   But overall the evening was quite disappointing and it showed on most of the diners faces.  I'm not sure that I would go here again.  I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that this place seem to have gone downhill lately, and for the prices...it is inexcusable and such a waste.

by Kevin K.

Rick F. and Lauren Z. pretty much have it nailed.  The wait staff was WEIRD.  We were greeted and initially served by three different people.  Then our waiter was bizarre - we joked that he was a homeless man who didn't even work there.  He acted like he was our friend, but he really just made us uncomfortable and we couldn't understand him (English seemed to be his first language, sadly).  The food was interesting and mostly good, just overpriced.  I agree with Lauren Z., the pannecotta was absolutely flavorless.  Atmosphere was fun, but it took an inordinate amount of time to get out of there - when we finally got the bill, it took three tries to get it the correct amount.

by Julia B.

I do really like this place and have had some great food there.  But I made a mistake when I went on Saturday night.  I thought I could order tapas for my table of 4 and walk away full.  No such luck!  The 4 of us ordered a chef's tasting for 2 which had 2 servings of 4 different tapas and then we ordered about 6 other small plates.  This was not nearly enough food and our bill was close to $100 ... no booze!  So, just don't make the same mistake we did.  The Tapas here are very small appetizers, not intended to be ordered in mass for dinner.

by Melissa L.

Had a great dinner here last night with a group of friends.  It wasn't my first time but I had not been in a while.  Same great vibe.  The paella was delicious.  My "midtown margarita" was pretty good but I've had better for $12.  But don't get me wrong, I ordered a second!  My friend had the white sangria which she said was just okay.  I'd like to try some of the other cocktails on their list.  They all sound good.  Another friend got the special - some kind of steak - he loved it but was surprised when the bill came and saw it was $30.  We all agreed that it would have been nice if the server had told us the price, but my friend should have asked if he was worried.  Another girl got the braised beef ribs and she cleaned her plate!  I really think everyone loved their food.  And the music is so cool - mostly Spanish - a little salsa.  It's really unlike any other restaurant in Atlanta.

by Jamin K.

We had a perfectly nice meal here with very attentive service, it was a very slow night, and I would certainly eat here again... if someone else were paying. Basically the food was good but unimpressive and the prices were not in line with that reality and the reality of what I can get for the same price in Atlanta.Service was friendly, attentive when necessary but it was a very slow night before the holidays so no one was in the weeds.

by josie p.

Maybe we went on an ON night or maybe we owe it all to the best waiter EVER, Troy, but we had a very positive experience at Mitra on Friday night. The only quasi negative was the lack of diners in the restaurant, but then again, we got there kind of early in order to take advantage of their $5 tapas from 5-7pm.Troy hooked us up with wine tastings free cheese grits... Random, but awesome! Plus, my date I both wanted the habernaro halibut the scallops, so he split the dishes up perfectly portioned on 2 plates, so we didn't have to do it ourselves. Troy provided honest recommendations didn't steer us in any wrong directions... We left full, satiated, with slap-happy grins. Seriously, we were over-stimulated by the menu!The Moroccan decor gave the place a bohemian vibe, much like a hookah lounge or something. We dug it we will be back... More people need to check this place out!

by Lydia L.

I think Mitra, sister restaurant of Sia's, is a fantastic spot.  The decor is trendy, but not modern; in fact, it made me think of a hookah lounge in the best way possible.  The garage-style windows and color-coordinated drapes actually added to the relaxed vibe, if that's possible.My friend and I came here for Midtown Restaurant week, and were quite pleased with the meal as a whole.Apps: Beef Chuzos (tender, well prepared) and Salmon Balsas (nicely plated, flavorful)Mains: Sea Scallops and manchego grits (oh so good) and Salmon and mashed potatoes (better than I expected for a salmon dish)Dessert: Key Lime bites and truffle. (fabulous)My only complain was that our waiter was new (relatively) and screwed up our order/was slowwww, but he comped a key lime pie dessert to make up for it in the end.  good times.

by Henrik C.Rick F.Kevin K.Jenny B.Lauren Z.

MItra is located on Juniper close to 6th street. It is part of a clique of restaurants between Peachtree St and Juniper. The restaurant is "south american" in inspiration. They have 3 dining areas. There is a "patio" with no view, but it is outdoors. The main dining room is an OK sized room direct next to the bar. In addition there is a dining room in the basement, which is an overflow area and also used for more "private" parties. The setting is pretty good. They have a broad selection of items on their menu. I would recommend the chef's sampler for starters. It is a real treat and gives you a good impression of the diversity on the menu. For the main dish both their steak and their fish (love their tuna) are great choices. I have also tried their swordfish and it is another great choice. Their panna cotta desert is to die for!The service is typically very attentive and knowledgeable about the food. By the way you can park in the Valet next door or you can park for free in the back (the parking lot facing Peachtree Street). The Valet is next to Babs, which is another great place in that area.Have you ever really wanted to like a place but they made it very difficult? Well this is the place for me. Great atmosphere. Looked like a good menu. Clean bathrooms. The strangest waitstaff I encountered in ATL! We had multiple servers all of which were overly casual and more friendly than I was comfortable with. Service was slow, place was empty the entire evening on a Saturday night, not a good sign. We were told that the Calamari appetizer was the best in the city, it actually was the worst I've ever had. Th Goat appetizer was not so good either! My steak with mash was good! Dessert took forever to come out and was not worth the wait!Good Luck!Rick F. and Lauren Z. pretty much have it nailed.  The wait staff was WEIRD.  We were greeted and initially served by three different people.  Then our waiter was bizarre - we joked that he was a homeless man who didn't even work there.  He acted like he was our friend, but he really just made us uncomfortable and we couldn't understand him (English seemed to be his first language, sadly).  The food was interesting and mostly good, just overpriced.  I agree with Lauren Z., the pannecotta was absolutely flavorless.  Atmosphere was fun, but it took an inordinate amount of time to get out of there - when we finally got the bill, it took three tries to get it the correct amount.First, let me say that our waiter, Troy, rocked! He was so nice and friendly, and he even let me taste a wine that wasn't on the menu. It was fantastic and I ended up ordering two glasses. The food was good - the calamari was tasty, not too heavily breaded. The Ceasar salad was average. The scallops were quite good, not the best I've had, but very good - but WAY overpriced at $23!! They only came with a bit of rice and some cilantro type side with some green sauce. Spicy and tasty, but I would have rather paid around $15, max. There were four scallops. Service was a touch slow tonight, and there only 3 tables taken, but perhaps it's the economy...Overall, I'd go back most likely, mostly due to our waiter! (And that wine...)Oh and the Key Lime Pie was AMAZING!! The best I've had, even compared to Key West.There's a lot to notice about this restaurant--the art, the waitstaff, the food. My fellow patrons and I decided that depending on how delicious the food was, we would rate it either "weird" or "eccentric." Well, the citrus braised pulled pork had me rubbing my belly, so I'll say it's eccentric. The vanilla custard pudding thing has no flavor, so don't order it. When we mentioned this to the waiter, he did take it off the bill, so props for that. We used a http://restaurant.com certificate, so there was some confusion by the waiter on the bill, however.

by Ibad K.

Now this is how you WOW new comers with Restaurant Week!  Along with TWO Urban Licks, I (and my brother) had the best experience of Midtown Restaurant Week at this wonderful neighborhood gem!The decor and ambiance is great but what made Mitra so good was the wonderful appetizers (the croquettas and the smoked salmon balsas), the succulent entrees (the bistro steak and the salmon), and the delectable desserts (espresso panna cotta and fresh squeezed key lime pie)!  The consistency of how good all courses were was amazing!  Helpful and attentive staff and the perfect food experience!  What else can I ask for?  The salmon entree is amazing.  I got it medium and it was perfectly blackened on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth-like-butter good on the inside!Highly recommended!

by Anna F.

I took my parents here before walking over to the Fox for a show, and we all thought it was great Spanish-inspired food.  I really appreciated the restaurant's funky, exotic atmosphere (we dined out on the cozy and beautiful patio) to the great food and cocktails... But my parents - like most parents - really only cared about the food and the service, and they really liked the place.  The calamari was unique and delicious, as was the the 'pulled pig' dish.  My mom got the paella, which she thorougly enjoyed (although I thought it was a little too pricey).  The staff was super friendly and made sure we were out in time for our show.  All in all, no complaints.