Under the Cork Tree

We decided to give Cork Tree a try because the same team owns Hammocks Trading (which is amazing!!).
Our waiter Vladimir was very good & knew the menu. Strangely, there wasn’t any eggplant on the menu — but they have empanadas.
Tapas was 2 for 1; therefore, I ordered 4:
*The Good (5 stars)
1) Medjool Dates — chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon were delicious and worth a return visit (will order double)
2) Crispy Lamb Ribs were wonderful
*The Bad (–1 star)
3) Albondias — meatballs were dry & tasteless
4) Prawns ala Plancha — good size prawns, but were mushy. Didn’t finish the one I peeled.
*The Weird (:/​)
Our group of 10 was in the «private» dining area. The waitstaff kept coming in to get bottles of wine. Then staff came in to go into a chest of drawers — dropping off keys, getting breath mints (they were Ice Breakers).
The restaurant is very pretty. The dress code is dressy, but don’t overdue it — it’s at the Prado and you might have to hoof it from the parking deck.

What a cool spot!
We took up the majority of the couches on the patio area for a friends get-​together and it was perfect for the occasion.
The string lights overhead were pretty and the food was tasty (what I tried)
I’ll need to return before leaving a full review but we had the veal meatballs– my favorite. And the asparagus a la plancha. Also tasty, nice touch with the lemon to squeeze over them.
Service was decent and can’t be completely written off considering we were a large group with multiple separate tabs (those people).
He didn’t have huge menu drink knowledge but I owe that to the Gigantic menu they have which was given on an IPad.
Kinda cool!
Good for browsing all the selections.
Overall I will totally return to UTCT!

This is the kind of place I can’t come when I am hungry.
Let me explain by first saying that the food is great… but like true tapas, the plates are small and perfect for sharing… not for gorging! If I would have been starving, my bill would have been enormous!
That being said, Under the Cork Tree is perfect for happy hour, a nice date, or a relaxed gathering with friends. I met a few girlfriends here on a Friday evening for some drinks and tapas. The interior of the restaurant was warm and cozy. We were seated at a table that had a leather couch on one side (beautiful AND comfy), although it was awkward to have to push the table away to get up from your seat!
My friends ordered some wine, I opted for the $ 5 Sangria, which wasn’t bad considering the price!
We ordered a few tapas, which were all excellent. We did not get any mains, so I can’t speak for those. We ordered one cheese which I was pleased to see came with some delicious roasted nuts, crispy flatbread, and some sort of marmalade. I could EASILY see me coming here just for a nice wine and cheese evening with my husband.
The service was overall really good. I appreciated that we didn’t feel rushed… but almost to a fault when it came time to get the check. We waited a LONG time for our server to return with our bill, but then he was very patient with us when we tried to split it.
Overall, Under the Cork Tree is a welcome addition to Sandy Springs and the Prado, and perfect for a date night or any outing where you want to relax and enjoy your evening.

The part of my order that was delivered was good, however the server didn’t bother telling me that they were «out» of the rest of what I ordered until it was too late to order something else. I ate dinner when I got home. He also «forgot» to bring my change when I paid with cash, ensuring that neither I nor the other 6 people there with me will ever go back.

Nice atmosphere, vibe, great patio w sunset view. Thursday night rush hour and the service was ok until he forgot our wine refill, must have taken 15 minutes, finally had to flag him down. All tapas plates unexpectedly came at once, and unfortunately the most interesting was a cheese tapas. Ham was boring and bland, crispy lamb ribs drowned in spicy sauce, felafel was nice but small, fried artichokes were ok but yawn. Wouldn’t go back for just the food.

When I first heard this place had opened, I was very excited because we need some good non-​chain restaurants in the area. Plus, this restaurant has a very unique menu. We went with another couple so we were able to try a bunch of items. I can’t recall everything we had, but we had a Lahmachun, which is kind of like a Turkish-​style pizza. It was delicious! We also ordered some lamb ribs, which I didn’t try but everyone else at the table really enjoyed. For mains, we got a chicken tagine — I seriously recommend ordering one of these, if not this specific one. It was so good! So many flavors in one dish, it is a must have here. One person also ordered a Gypsy Salad which looked so good. We got a butcher steak and a pasta too, which were both really good also. The star of the show was definitely the tagine though! This is a great addition to the neighborhood!

I accidentally stumbled upon this place one day in Prado Plaza. OMG!!! What a great surprise! Not only was my first visit great, so have been the 15 – 20 visits since! Seriously. Everything I have tried on the menu has been fantastic. The food is top notch and the service does not lack! Additionally, the place is beautiful and has many options — formal dining, casual dining, patio, two different bars. The staff is warm, welcoming, and happy to explain anything on the menu. Don’t forget $ 5 Sangria all day! I have been a repeat customer and will continue to be!!!
Yay! Under the Cork Tree! Glad to have you in the neighborhood!!! :)

Food is a rounded 5 stars. The service was maybe a rounded 3 stars. So I would call it a 4 star visit.
The restaurant has a lot of interesting options and with the Tapa’s format encourages a lot of experimenting. The clams were large with good flavor and no grit (the sandy stuff). Also really enjoyed the crispy lamb ribs. They had such a great and unique flavor. The paella was interesting and a house specialty but I really didn’t care for it that much (but I think it may just be that Paella is not my cup of tea). We had several desserts which were house made and good. Be careful with the pistachio baklava though, my wife bit into a pistachio shell that was hidden in the baklava.
The service was not so impressive. The waiter was friendly and made some very good suggestions but he rarely checked on us and forgot several things that we had to remind him of. Didn’t bring over any kind of wine list and we had to guess on what we wanted when he took orders. The restaurant service in general was sloooooooow. We were there over an hour and a half and we are speedy eaters with a young child in tow. Not sure if the restaurant recognized that the service was off because they comped us a couple of courses (but they never mentioned they were doing it to us).
I would definitely come back due to the uniqueness of the restaurant and the nice atmosphere, but only if I had a couple of hours to spend at dinner.

Wow, what a great experience! Amazing food, fresh, tasty, and unique. Loved the tapas the lamb tagine and the chicken pallela! Service was awesome, will surely come back. Can’t wait…

We were there the other evening and don’t understand what all the rave is about this place, the noise level was over the top, so much that you had to almost yell at the person across the table, all the drinks that we order had to to be sent back due to poor mixtures, the waiter seem to be over extended and had to ask for him a couple of times… the food is mediocre and over priced for the quality. The chicken sandwich & fries is $ 14.00. A good chicken sandwich meal at Chick-​fil-​A is $ 7.00 and much better… the Pizza is mostly crust and a much better one can be had across the parking lot… Our whole group stated that it wouldn’t be a place they wouldn’t want to return too… To many other good restaurants in that Area?

Oh my goodness! My husband and I stumbled along this place on a Friday late afternoon. We ate some tapas and shared a pitcher of sangaria. Not only is the food fantastic but the staff is very attentive. We have gone back again since and again, not disappointed at all. We have decided to have my birthday dinner there in the private dining room at the chef’s table. The atmosphere is clean and gives me a light and airy vibe. The view from the patio is fantastic. Overall, it’s a great find and we are new regulars. Just go check it out, you will love it!

Great tapas and small plate selection. Have not ventured into the main entrée part of the menu. Décor is very well done. Good date night place. Only issue is it is in The Prado, one of the worst designed shopping centers of all time. Parking is goofy at best.

We moved to Sandy Springs from NYC 3 months ago, we have been discovering and trying all rests possible. This one sounded great and we had really high hopes for it.
First, hot Spanish tortilla, someone needs a trip to Spain. The octopus was very good. We ordered a seafood paella for 2 and it was simply raw rice (it was not socarrat) soaking on some sort of broth. Anyways, we didnt say anything but the waiter should have noticed we left the entire paella but he didn’t even ask.
As we exited the rest, a woman that decided to look up from her phone asked us if we were «satisfied». I replied that I was actually not satisfied. I started to explain my thoughts on the food but I was interrupted by 2 other «gentlemen» that were hovering around that woman; one wearing a kitchen uniform and the other casual clothing; because they started laughing on our faces. I asked them why they were making fun of what I was saying but they continue to laugh and the one in uniform disappeared. We left. It is very upsetting that people decide to go out to have a great time and have to come back home not only having a terrible meal but also laughed on. I will NEVER support this business and I will let everyone know about my experience.

Thrilled with the finding of this new gem next door!!! The ambience is perfect and the food is wonderful as well. I brought a friend visiting from El Salvador here with a small group! He fell in love. Scott, our bartender, had wonderful wine recommendations and a local beer that fit my Salvadorian friends taste buds perfectly. He kept up with great cheese and meat pairings. I recommend this place and I am hoping for it to soon be open for brunch on Sunday’s! Fingers crossed! Oh, you must try the Margherita Pizza!

Decided to stop in Under the Cork Tree for some wine and appetizers and I couldn’t have made a better choice! Great atmosphere and great service from our bartender, Rob. The food was amazing and our wine was perfectly paired with the food. I never thought I’d enjoy octopus, but it was by far my favorite!

Absolutely fantastic. Ordered half the menu with a large group and didn’t have a single dish that was anything less than great. Loved it.

Nice ambience. Delicious food. Unique offerings. And bartender Scott is hilarious. Will definitely return.

Had a great experience when 6 of us went for dinner. Booked online and was promptly greeted and seated. It’s great to know a reservation means you won’t have to wait.
Good wine menu and service was great. Definitely see us returning in the future

This new Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern offering from the people who brought us the charming and yummy Sandy Springs seafood restaurant Hammocks is a delightful addition to the Prado.
Décor is sophisticated, modern and warm… a rare combination… I love the couches in the bar/​tapas area.
The basic sangria is perfect and reasonably priced. I look forward to going with a group and trying some of the pitcher variations. Food is very, very good. Gypsy salad, grilled octopus and the flatbreads are definite recommends. Will do paella on next visit.
And finally, if you like crème brûlée, let me introduce you to crema caramela… same idea with more nuanced flavors… YUMMY!

Full disclosure: Hammock’s (owned by the same team as UTCT) is my favorite restaurant in Atlanta — and I was waiting months to try Under the Cork Tree… it didn’t disappoint. Here’s the details:
Food: 5 Stars — the Meatballs on the Tapas Menu were out of this world, the Flatbread Pizza was above average — but the Paella… WOW — best ever! The wife is probably tired of me comparing every paella I’ve ever had to a Portuguese co-worker’s I tried in Australia… I’ve gone on and on for 6 years about how great hers was… Cork Tree’s was better! I will go back for that dish…
Atmosphere: 4.5 stars — cool look inside, more sophisticated wait staff (button downs instead of Hammock’s t-​shirts), base menu (drinks, etc.) on I-​Pads cool touch — parking not too bad (don’t bother trying to park close — like everything else in the Prado, car’s putzing around in front of the restaurants looking for that one special spot) — plenty of spots in lot, less that 2 city block walk from back of lot to door of restaurant.
Drinks: 3.5 Stars –Wife’s cosmos were fine (could have been colder) Some Whiskey, Apple juice and walnut thing I tried just OK — but this team still makes a great Moscow Mule…
This is where I noticed a difference between the 2 places — drinks @30% more than Hammocks — but, it’s business — I’m sure this is a much higher rent location that the old fast food place Hammock’s is in up the road…
Conclusion — I know it’s unfair I keep comparing to Hammock’s — (again — love Hammock’s)…this place was great, too, and I’d come back — but it’s a different vibe… More formal. more sophisticated, different menu… but still excellent.