Floataway Cafe

Very nice place. I came to eat here after everyone told me to come at my job (bacchanalia) and I loved it!!! I will deff be coming back to float away as soon as I get a chance. I want to try all entrees on the menu after tonight.

was absolutely awesome, the food was served piping smoking hot and fast service, nice quiet date night scene with good wine pours and excellent cocktails, food presentation beautiful and food was very very good!!!

I was really surprised by the atmosphere and the food compared to all of the glowing reviews. The restaurant was really slow on a Saturday night; and even though we had reservations, and there was hardly anybody else there, we were still seated in the back of the back room. It was definitely an older crowd, and we felt very out of place (even my parents did!). The bread they brought out was really good. My food was pretty good, if a tad salty, but everybody else’s was just as the rating says– meh. Has potential! But won’t be back.

Great food but service is an issue. 4 top with 2 couples, waitress delivered a single bill without a word, we asked they split it for us and after an eye roll and a «I need to talk to my manager» we received a split bill. Really?
Also, we ordered a pretty high dollar bottle of wine and it was delivered with some pretty low end glass.
We just expect more.
Still — food is excellent but service is poor. Go, but expect that.

What an unusual location for an upscale Atlanta restaurant… I don’t know if I would’ve ever found it on my own. I went for the first time with my boyfriend who has been a few times before. We made an 8:45 reservation and got seated early with no problem. Our server was very attentive and our salads, fried seafood appetizer and dessert were all delicious. I was really disappointed that there’s no cocktail menu, but they do have a full bar and whipped me up a nice gin gimlet. Be prepared to pay a high price for your meal and drinks.

I thought the food was okay. I ordered the risotto, asparagus, local mushrooms with parmesan cheese. The portion was very small with only 2 stalks of asparagus in it with maybe 2 pieces of one mushroom. I ordered wine and they gave me a third of a glass of wine for $ 11. I would say of the place… don’t go hungry or be prepared to spend if you are.

I was underwhelmed by my experience at Floataway. Don’t get me wrong, the food was delicious. Astounding? No. But very good. Definitely above average. The problems my friends and I had stemmed from the service.
My buddies and I made a reservation for three at 7PM on a Wednesday night. None of us had been before but found the restaurant quickly and, once seated, gushed about the tucked away coziness. The restaurant had a small crowd but wasn’t packed in the least. So far so good.
Our waitress greeted us, gave a few recommendations and left us to mull over the menu for about five minutes. As we perused the menu we commented on the interesting selections. We were excited to dive in. When our waitress returned we had our minds made up: one friend ordered sausage entrée and a glass of red wine while my other friend and I both ordered warm starters and sides. She got clams and semolina gnocchi and I got the duck leg confit and semolina gnocchi. We both made sure to note that we wanted the warm starters and sides to come out at the same time. We also decided that we would split the dessert tasting to finish off the meal. Great idea right?
This is where the problems started. No more than ten minutes after placing my order the hostess comes out of the kitchen with my duck leg confit. I’m sure she noticed the confused look on my face but she never bothered to ask why. I wondered if someone else had ordered this at another table and if it was given to me by mistake. Even worse, I considered that maybe it was a reject from another customer and that it was presented to me to prevent food waste. Maybe they just had really fast cooks? I went over these different scenarios in my head but ultimately chose not to say anything. I was sure that the entrees for my other friends would be coming out shortly so I waited to eat. And waited and waited.
Next thing I know there’s bread on the table. Now I’m really scratching my head. 1. The bread came out super late. Since it was our first time at the restaurant we didn’t know they provided bread. Had we known, we would have asked for it when it wasn’t on the table within a few minutes of ordering but you don’t know what you don’t know. 2. My starter came out before the bread. Where they do that at? The bread was delicious and a welcome addition but come on. 3. Where was the rest of the food?!
By the time entrees finally came out a good 45 minutes later, my friend had only a sip of wine left and I had finished my duck leg confit because I didn’t want the duck to get cold and the greens that it was resting on to get soggy. Like I said the food was very good but by then I was really angry.
When they finally set entrees in front of us we were very disheartened to discover that every single order was wrong. The friend who ordered sausage was presented with a pork chop. As for my friend who ordered the clams and myself, we both had the oxtail ragu set in front of us. When we explained how wrong this was the servers just looked at each other, annoyed like it was our fault and went back to the kitchens with the food. The host (and possibly manager) gave a half-​hearted apology and said we could keep an oxtail ragu at the table for the inconvenience. That would have been a nice gesture if I ate oxtail. My friends ate the food as I fumed and waited for the rest of my order to come out.
Finally, around 8:20 everyone had what they ordered. My friends enjoyed their sausage and clams. The semolina gnocchi, like the duck, was very good but it couldn’t make up for the inconvenience. What should have been a fine dining experience was a big old mess. Ultimately we nixed the dessert idea and got ice cream in downtown Decatur instead. Probably a good idea since, with the way things were going, we’d probably be presented with the wrong thing anyway.
I’m hesitant to return to Floataway and even more hesitant to recommend it to others. Had the service been better this would have been a four or maybe five star experience. However, one mistake is passing, two are problematic, and three, in my opinion, are unacceptable. Proceed with caution, friends.

The service was not so good. The food was nothing special. We got the crab fritter, grilled octopus, veal meatball, trout and squid ink pasta. Most of the food just taste average and some of them had weird aftertaste. The only good thing I had was the dessert. The toffee cake was pretty amazing. Every part of the dessert is good by itself and good together as well. I would suggest just come here for dessert.

We made plans here for Valentine’s Day to check it off our list of «must try» spots in Atlanta. And, we will definitely be back since it was so hard to just pick one dish. I had the beet tortellini and my boyfriend had the squid ink pasta and neither of us were disappointed! On top of it being delicious, the presentation was amazing. The atmosphere was great, service was the perfect balance of attentive yet not overbearing. Additionally, I was so happy to see that they didn’t have a pri fixed menu for the special occasion. Thanks float away for a romantic and memorable evening.

Good evening out for Valentine’s Day! Not as busy as I would have expected! Had the roasted beet salad, Risotto and butternut squash side. Enjoyed the meal with the wine! Loved the toffee pudding cake. Will be back:)

DO NOT attempt to reserve the private dining room here for an important function. Booked this room several weeks ago for a private event for 10 people involving medical presentations on 2÷11÷2016. Was notified the afternoon prior to our event that we were being «bumped». Was never told at the time of booking that this was a possibility, otherwise I would have never reserved. When I informed the manager that this would be a discussion with a slide presentation that was medical in nature and not appropriate for the general dining room she told she was sorry but they had a larger group needing the room. Why take a reservation for the room if you’re not going to honor it? Was never given an explanation what the point in taking a reservation was, just met with silence. Never again will Floataway Café get my business… ever!

Amazing food and amazing service. We started off the octopus appetizer, then for entrée had the hanger steak and the veal meatballs. All of that was so delicious! Then had the chocolate cake for dessert! Would definitely come back again!

It took us 30 min to get there but totally worth. Once we got there thought we must have the wrong location but just follow the signs. Restaurant very nice minimalist and clean.
The food from the bread, the veggies and the hangar and pork steaks were amazing. Only problem ate and drank too much. But price was very decent.

This place consistently delivers flavorful and inventive dishes. There is always such a wide variety of seasonal offerings. Fine dining with a casual and friendly atmosphere. Service is outstanding as well.

About Floataway Café (from their website):
«Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, the chefs who charmed Atlanta diners with the debut of Bacchanalia in 1993, opened Floataway Café across town in 1998.
Located in a renovated warehouse, Floataway Café reconstructed the industrial space into a contemporary dining experience. A courtyard area is transformed into a romantic outdoor café in the evening with the night sky forming a starry canopy. Floataway Café offers in-​town dining, just minutes from Emory Village with an expanse of on-​site self-​parking.
The menu features fresh seasonal cuisine created with country French, Mediterranean, and Italian influences. Changing daily, the menu reflects seasonal influences and the finest local ingredients.»
I was here as I won a silent auction dinner here with co-​workers. Floataway is quite hidden and can be hard to find, but their website has a lovely map that I think should be helpful. I like the atmosphere here, unfortunately I did not like the food as much. Let me clarify. I don’t think the food is bad. Just wasn’t what I was expecting for the price. I got the steak frites. The steak didn’t seem to be of very good quality and the meat itself needed more flavor.

Went here while in Atlanta and definitely great a great atmosphere with solid food. I went with the hanger steak topped with chimichurri served with pommes frites. The steak was cooked a nice medium rare and had a nice crust. Not the best meat in the world but decent for hanger steak. The fries were just ok with nothing special about them. The best part of the meal was the dessert as the warm toffee cake was one of the best desserts I have ever had. It was warm and gooey with just the right amount of sweetness and I swapped the blood orange sorbet for the usual vanilla gelato which added a nice balance of flavors. Highly recommended! Prices are decent and the staff are very warm and friendly. Enjoy!

Given the occasion of the night, standard and reputation set by the Owners of this restaurant, I am extremely disappointed. I can’t believe bacchanalia is associated with this restaurant.
This was my second time dining here, and after the first time I thought this would be the right place for the right occasion. Boy, was I completely wrong.
We were celebrating our one year anniversary. Although our comfy and secluded seating area helped the intimacy of a special night, the food was a major let down and the service was a train wreck.
The minute we sat down, we were greeted by our waiter who informed us he actually wasn’t our waiter but would start us off with our drinks. The night called for celebration, so we ordered 2 glasses of prosecco. After 15 minutes, the same gentleman came by and was shocked we didn’t have our prosecco yet. Since we had waited so long, we ordered our appetizers with him. Another 10 minutes pass, and finally our prosecco shows up. (25 minutes in). Appetizers (Tuna tartare and burrata cheese) were somewhat prompt. The burrata was delicious. Tuna was bland.
No fault to them, just my own disappointment was that the lamb shank was no longer on the menu, although their website says it’s on the menu. Halfway through our apps, another waitress comes into the fold, introduces herself and takes our dinner order. We ordered hanger steak and risotto which took about 40 – 45 minutes. The service staff came by once between dinner order placed and dinner order served to clear our apps, plates and replenish silverware (20 minutes before the food came). Dinner was alright, steak was cooked as requested (medium), pomme frites took a salt bath, risotto very very (very) bland.
The grand finale, after little to no service, the best gesture (and tip saver) was a dry cupcake for our anniversary. The idea was there, very thoughtful but I wouldn’t go back after being unimpressed by the food and feeling lost with little to no service.

Fantastic atmosphere and service in a slightly off the beaten path location, but well worth seeking out. I rarely sit down to a meal where I struggle with choosing between more than 2 items in each course, but I basically could have left the meal completely at the discretion of our sever or the chef and been happy with anything by the looks of the menu.
We shared the picato fritto which was an absolutely perfect mix with beautiful batter and a plate of heirloom tomatoes with capers croutons and basil in balsamic. Straight delicious. The fresh whole fish was mild and flavorful and the squid ink macaroni with fruits de mare was excellent if slightly salty.
Desserts included a beautiful peach cobbler and a revelatory trio of ice milk with cocoa nibs, granola, and olive oil and sea salt. The serving of olive oil and sea salt contrasted beautifully with the ice milk in a wonderful combination of sweet salty and savory. As fine of a dessert as I’ve ever had.
I look forward to the seasonal changes when we return to Atlanta in the fall.

I went to Floataway Café for my birthday meal with my girlfriend. The first thing one will notice entering the restaurant is that it has a modern, industrial look, which most likely is a result of the warehouse location that the restaurant resides. It does feel quite intimate as well, not necessarily in the romantic sense, but a place one might go out for a nice meal with a close friend or a colleague.
As with many Star Provision Restaurants, the service consists of several waiters/​waitresses ensuring you have plenty of opportunities to order drinks and enjoy free bread. For the appetizer we ordered mussels, where were ordered with a tomato based sauce. The mussels themselves were pretty well cooked, but the bread to mussels ratio was a bit off, they gave four pieces of toasted bread, a lot considering we also had bread at our table.
For the main meal I had veal meatballs while my girlfriend had ahi tuna. The veal meatballs were very soft and tender, while the pasta itself was cooked al-​dente, with the tomato sauce and cheese. complementing it very well. The Ahi Tuna was not as good, it tasted a little bland with the sauce not adding too much to it. Overall the experience was a positive one, although I would say that you might need to load up on the bread to feel full afterwards.

This was a major surprise – given the pedigree of the owners and the reputation of the restaurant overall. My most recent visit was a swing and a miss in many ways.
We were there to celebrate my friends birthday, and we were given a relatively comfy back room, although we had to share it with another party of some size. The main point I want to make with this review: the service was terrible. Slow, confused, dispassionate and disconnected.
If you’re going to plate food at this level, and put on the air of a high-​level eatery, the service has got to match that – or the whole thing is off. And it was, in a word, very off. On the whole, though, the food lacked flavor; another co-​diner and I agreed that everything from start to finish could have used a better helping of finishing salt.
My main entrée was trout served with an odd cole slaw underneath, with nothing else on the plate. (It looked very lonely without something complementing it.) The fish was tender enough, but for $ 20 I’d expect a better presentation with more accouterment than what I was given. I’ll try to post a pic of it to give a sense of what I mean.
Bacchanalia is my favorite restaurant in the city and always has been, so sharing ownership should mean something in this establishment. Again, big disappointment. Hoping to have a better experience next time.