Atoma

My friends had made reservations to this beautiful, intimate fine dining setting! We started off with drinks with a wide variety of spirits. They have a drink item that lets the bartender make you a drink based on the spirit and vibe you are going for! The food was elevated and executed well. The rosette cake and radish cake tasted delicious! They were crispy and well worth getting them. Wish I didn't eat them so fast. The crab dip had huge chunks of crab and the butter toast with it complemented well. The beef tartare had such a great texture. The main entrees were cooked perfectly shown by the color and presentation. My highlight was pork collar and the schnitzel. The collar had a good crust and mushroom paired well. Our server was nice and brought over plates for sharing because we wanted it all. Definitely on the cozier side and higher end of dining.

I have been here twice now, in addition to attending one of their pop-ups and I think it might be getting better each time, which is saying a lot because I thought the pop-up was phenomenal. Sit at the bar if you can, you get a view of the action in the kitchen and a great bartender to chat with throughout the evening. The rosette cookie is very tasty, but the radish cake is my favorite of the starters. I love that mild creamy cake with the slight oceany hint from the geoduck. The dungeness crab was new on the menu since last time and was divine, with that deviled egg situation and the crab fat sauce. As this was a special occasion, we got the caviar special as well (they were out of the uni, the drawbacks of a 9pm reservation when they source their ingredients from one guy who free dives for them). Unfortunately I am now ruined for tater tots because those were delicious. We split the kampachi and the pork loin as well. The pork is heavenly, buttery smooth and perfectly balanced with that sauce. The standout for me on this last visit though was that baked Alaska. The flavors of the components change seasonally, but I will be dreaming about the chocolate cake and blood orange meringue combo with the fenugreek ice cream for years to come. Normally chocolate is my first love in a dessert, but that blood orange meringue did things to me. We also got the creme brulee which was a perfect balance of light and rich, the herbal/floral flavors came through without overwhelming. Can't wait to keep coming back here and see what else they come up with. They are off to a great start already.

I was really looking forward to checking this place out and enjoying all the delicious food I have been studying for weeks! I am really sad to write this review but I have to give my honest opinion. First with the positives! The service here was really great - everyone is lovely and it's rare to find a restaurant in Seattle that asks for your coat to be checked. The bathrooms are nice and so is the dining area; if you ever ate at Tilth, they've made some updates and it's nice and cozy and has very cute vibes.Drinks: two NA cocktails on the menu - out of towner and bitter old man. Neither stood out; the out of towner was while advertised as on the bitter side, was still very sweet...Small bites: opted for the rosette and turnip cake pre main. The turnip cake was probably the favorite bite of the entire meal as it was such a flavor crisp bomb. The rosette - I'm just not understanding the hype. To me, it just tasted exactly ike a cold funyun - I don't know what I was expecting from reading all the hype (maybe something that was warm like a fried good) but this wasn't it and I definitely don't think it was worth $7 per rosette for a single funyun. Main: Got the pork and cabbage as side per recommendation. Both dishes were SO salty. While I am huge fan of well seasoned food, I found both dishes almost overbearing. The portions were also shockingly small and I was really dissapointed to see how little protein/veg was on the main that was $38. Dessert: Baked Alaska. I had refrained from ordering more while I was still starving at this point because I misjudged how small this dessert would be. The cake was EXTREMELY hard/maybe it had just come out of the freezer? But it was disappointing - which made me sad because it's not often that you find baked Alaskas on menus.If a meal hits on every front from start to finish with drinks and dessert, I don't have a problem shelling out the coin. Unfortunately, this meal was $160 and I left very hungry and needing another meal after... I'm hoping that perhaps I went in on an off day and that the food isn't usually so heavy handed with the seasoning nor have hard cakes for dessert.

This place has been top of mind as a dinner choice, so I was very eager to experience it. The vibe is absolutely lovely: intimate and elegant without trying too hard. The team is very friendly and attentive, ready to accommodate your wishes, and there immediately when you need them. And all that is done with a great sense of humor (just read that drinks menu, as an example).As for the food, this was an outstanding meal - multilayered and very, very far from boring, still with a distinct PNW flair.My only mild complaint was the somewhat elevated noise level that made it difficult to carry a conversation. This was mostly the function of loud music leading to people speaking even louder trying to get the conversation going over the music. Maybe softer background tunes will be more conducive to the intimate atmosphere?All in all, a warm, memorable, delicious evening. This place is worth repeats for sure.

Food Insta: @iseafoodandeatitReflecting on 2023 dining (lots of travel and eating out), my absolute favorite meal and new self proclaimed best restaurant in Seattle % gets awarded to @atoma.seattle. I was lucky enough to try their preview menu earlier this year prior to them opening and eagerly awaited the real thing. Well worth the wait! We went with another couple and started by splitting half the menu ... but before the night was over ... we couldn't resist and ordered up the entire thing (plus some repeats). Atoma combines southern hospitality + cooking, Pacific northwest ingredients, a lovely complimentary bar menu, and fine dining culinary skillets. The resulting feeling like you are right at home (ironic as you are literally dining in a ). When thinking back to some my all time favorite meals, it's usually a combination of the food taste + presentation (of course) but also the impossible to fully describe feeling you get throughout the dining experience as a whole. Atoma is the real deal. So much so that I'd like to think they would easily receive a @michelinguide were Michelin to rate Seattle area restaurants. Looking forward to many return visits in 2024 and you should too!

Came here for dinner, was definitely worth it. Total ticket was about $125/pp with drinks.We had a 715p reservation, and we had to wait about 30min to be seated. We weren't in a rush so that was fine, and they gave us a complimentary drink while we waited. (Though, next time I hope our wait isn't as long.)For the meal, we ordered every appetizer because they all sounded good, and each one was incredible, with unique and special flavor profile. The radish cake was crunchy, but moist, sweet and savory, just a smash of flavors. The rosette cookie was also sweet and crunchy and savory, very good but not as good as the radish cake. The chicken liver mousse was rich but not too overwhelming and paired well with its toast. Finally, the crumpets were solid (my wife's favorite but the other three were better IMO).For the main course, we ordered the beef, the roasted sunchokes, and the cabbage. The sunchokes were delicious, almost like roasted potatoes in a way even though they're completely not; and the beef was served in a pleasant jus. The one miss on the night was the cabbage, it was too salty and we didn't like it.For dessert, they ran out of the baked Alaska, so we called it a night. Overall, really enjoyed the meal, the food brought joy, and would come back.

I made my reservation via Tock in late October for my anticipated visit to Atoma (12/9/23). I had scouted out the former location of trailblazer chef/owner Maria Hines's Tilth in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. I wondered if that cozy ambiance experienced 17 years ago would be somewhat retained. I was dining solo and going into this meal without any pre-conceived notions. I never attended a previous pop up or soft opening. Plus not familiar with chef/owner Johnny Courtney aside from the press coverage that he was the executive sous chef at Canlis. Global, creative, contemporary, nostalgic, seasonal approaches gives a wide berth of potential cuisine at Atoma.Traffic was absolutely dreadful on I-5S yesterday evening, that I had to detour and meander by Green Lake to get to the west end of N45th in Wallingford. Thankfully, I found street parking within steps of Atoma's entrance with ten minutes to spare. Lovely, smiling person welcomed me at the reception stand. I felt some of the stress leaving my system, but the fairly loud overall din and music in the dining room kind of kept that adrenalin mode hovering as I was seated for my 6:45pm reservation.The overall attire was relaxed-layered-NW comfort, especially on this cold, rainy evening. The main dining room and bar counter seating was mostly full. There is also additional counter seating flanking both sides of the entrance. Retained the nice Craftsman interior with olive tones. The bartender and kitchen staff were hopping as I glanced around. My wait person provided the run down and gave helpful recommendations. However, I was told that there was no chef's tasting menu available that evening. I started with a cocktail, Starr Sutherland ($16) while I further perused the menu. This cocktail comprised with Plantation 3 star, Clement Rhum Agricole, pineapple syrup, and a lime wedge. Not overly strong, but I do remember why is this glass so wet? It left annoying water rings on the table, that I had to wipe it away with my dinner napkin.I ordered one each of the Rosette Cookie ($7) and Radish Cake ($9) to start. The former I've only had sweet rosettes, this was a dusted unique savory presentation with Walla Walla onion jam. Kind of crumbled using a fork and knife, but then didn't want to look uncouth eating it with my fingers. Despite the caramelization, the flavor was a bit muted. The latter had a more forward pronounced flavor from fermented radish, geoduck, and clam belly aioli. This woke up my palate with anticipation. I was inadvertently brought the Pork Collar ($38) - looked great, but not what I had ordered. This was swiftly noted by my wait person and taken back to the kitchen. After a brief lull, I was brought the proper Black Cod entree ($34) which had citrus roasted salsify and grilled greens. The small black cod fillet was perfectly cooked, crisp skin and moist fish. I was glad for the spoon because that black cod beurre was delicious. This easily could be a soup component.I wasn't full from dinner, so there was room for dessert. After glancing at the dessert menu though, nothing was compelling for me to order. The prices ranged from $9 to $18 so I passed and awaited my check instead. My reservation gave a two hour allotment. I was able to wrap it up within 45-60 minutes dining solo. This was a long awaited dinner reservation, but left still hungry and a bit disappointed after spending nearly $73 with tax & tip. Note: Tock charges a $1 handling fee and $25 reservation fee which is later applied towards the final bill. There's also a 3 day advance notice for any reschedules or cancellations. Just saying.Pros: *Lovely woman at the reception/host stand. Offered coat check.*Knowledgeable wait person. Another person kept my water glass filled.*Beautiful handmade dishes, nice dinner napkin, and sturdy flatware.*Nice presentation of menu items.Cons: *Really loud with overall acoustics and overhead music. Glad I was dining solo due to the din, thankfully no convo to compete with.*Wet cocktail glass...I dislike water rings, but that's just me.*Rough bottom surfaces of the saucers scratches the table top. Unknown if that's the patina they eventually want.*Pricey for the diminutive portions served. Dessert menu prices were also high.I wished I had passed on the weak cocktail and opted for another menu item instead. I should have savored a dessert instead at nearby Paper Cake Shop (open Wed-Sun 2-9pm). Instead of getting a seafood sundae or bowl at nearby Minato or a Dick's cheeseburger to supplement, traffic heading back northbound enabled me to buy and cook additional protein at home.Also, I prefer the black cod sake kazu from Ray's in Ballard/Shilshoe or purchased directly to cook at home from Kuzma's Fish Market in Edmonds.I was thankful for the opportunity to dine at Atoma and wish them continued success.Would I return? Maybe for a chef's tasting menu, but not for cocktails, a la carte items, or dessert.

I instantly felt cozy once I entered the restaurant. Our server was attentive as he refills our water when the glass is empty. When the food arrives, they repeat the name of the dish and the ingredients used. During my visit, I tried rosette cookie, radish cake, pork collar, sturgeon, lioris mane schnitzel, beef tartare, cabbage, crème brulee, and baked Alaska. I really enjoy the rosette cookie with the sweet walla walla onion jam and the combination with cheese. It was a wonderful starter's bite. The radish cake has a great texture exterior and soft center. I can hardly tell the radish is fermented and the geoduck and clam belly aioli add savory to the dish. The beef tartare was great with the house made potato chips. For mains, I really enjoyed the sturgeon with the gnocchi. It was my first time having lioris mane and it tasted meaty that if you didn't tell me, I wouldn't be able to tell it is mushroom. The pork collar was tender, but a relatively small portion compared to the other dishes. The cabbage is probably my least flavor as the texture of the vegetable was great, but the sauce was a bit too tart for me. The desserts were wonderful. I highly recommend getting the creme brulee as it had a sweet potato base and pomegranate which was a unique combination, but the taste balanced out well. I wish there were more. A more expensive price point for the meal. However, you can tell the work chefs put into each dish and beautifully presented. It can get noisy inside the restaurant where I can't hear the server too well. I'm here for the food and the experience was great. I recommend coming for a special night out or romantic evening.

Highly recommend! The food is phenomenal! It is apparent every dish was thoughtfully curated & the flavors were incredible! Service was outstanding. While this is definitely a fine dining restaurant, the vibe is definitely approachable & welcoming for all. Don't sleep on the radish cakes! Will be thinking of those for days to come!

This restaurant has gotten so much buzz and good press, and all of it is so deserved. My friend and I had a late evening reservation and ended up sitting at the bar. We sampled every part of the menu, and nothing - cocktails, small bites, wine, mains - disappointed. We also splurged on the caviar service, which was delicious and felt really luxurious. The radish cake with geoduck was particularly inspired - and I think my favorite bite of the evening - but I wasn't disappointed by a single part of the experience. The space is beautiful and cozy, and sitting at the bar allowed us the opportunity to have a great conversation with Dillon, and to watch Johnny and the team in the kitchen. Every element - from fixtures and stemware to garnish and flavor profiles - felt intentional and selected with care. I can't wait to have another occasion for my next visit!