Little Bear

I dined at Little Bear while visiting Atlanta in November 2023 and have been desperately wanting to go back since. I noted an allergy when I made the reservation, and the staff was kind enough to prepare an annotated menu before we arrived. The vibe is super cool, and the chef/owner is very talented. The restaurant is named after their beloved dog, Fernando, and the tables have his sweet, little head carved into the corner. Maybe I'm biased, having grown up with two wonderful Great Pyrenees, but I would absolutely recommend Little Bear and hope to meet its namesake during my next visit.PS. If it's on the menu, get the chicken liver pate! It's delicious, and the presentation is "picture worthy." Unfortunately, it was so good, we forgot to snap one.

This place was definitely not my cup of tea. The service was odd, almost patronizing, which I didn't really understand. The food was extremely... healthy. I don't know how else to describe it. My friend wanted to come here being the clout of Michelin nodded but I don't think he read any of the reviews or looked at the menu first with "eating eyes" more like, "oh, these are unusual ingredients" and wanted to experience it. Fair enough. We ordered the "Dealer's Choice" which are 4 dishes from the menu and was oddly described on the menu as a "four-course individual prix fixe menu, "just f*ck me up, fam!" as they say." Yes, it will definitely f*ck up your colon. The first thing they gave us was some cold soup that was doused with apple cider vinegar and super oily. I guess to make it taste better and be more filling? Well, unfortunately, you need to eat it to make it filling, which I just couldn't do. I had to add my water to it and even then it was just so much oil and vinegar. We tried the next course which was actually worse. It was a salad but literally had a 1/4 cup of seasoning on top of it, and it was like eating lettuce and celery salt-- it wasn't celery salt, but tasted almost the same to me. At that time, I made the executive decision to not take another bite, instructed my date to do the same, and we bailed. When we asked the server for the check and said we weren't really into the food, the server chided me, saying, "Yes, the chef saw you add water to your soup and she said you wouldn't like anything." I'm such a heathen. That said, if you want culture and a culinary experience, no one is going to find that at Little Bear. It's just a trendy place where they act like assholes so you won't complain about the gross food and think they are cool. LOL. Also, I think many diners are really into instagram worthy photos and being impressive, so if that is something important to you, then this place will give you some really great content. I'm old, so I don't eat for Instagram. Also, everywhere in the area closes their kitchen fairly early, so good luck finding some food. We ended up eating back at the house. :(

We had this dinner scheduled for such a long time and we were definitely looking forward to the food. As a group of four, we enjoy dining together and trying new places. Atmosphere: I ranked this one a 5/5I like the lean towards a hipster, homey vibe. Very eclectic and that's ok. It's unique. Others in my group HATED the restrooms colored neon lights bc they're very jarring. They also hated the music. The music is really loud and as a table of 4 we were ok communicating but it felt like we were yelling. Staff: I ranked this one a 4/5Our server was really nice. He was talkative enough and present enough without feeling like he was looming and he also was never MIA. He did explain some items but some explanations were verbatim the menu descriptions which didn't help a ton. Some in the party hated the super laidback appearance of the staff. I felt it fit the atmosphere. Menu: I gave this one a 3/5At some point you look like you're trying way harder than you need to. A few obscure ingredients in each dish is cool. It's unique... these dishes are 95% obscure and it felt forced. We skipped the Dealer's Choice bc the dishes being offered on the DC this night would have cost $1 more than ordering a la cart. Feels strange. Presentation: I gave this a 2/5 We ordered one of everything. Some dishes felt cheap. The raw beef was a very small serving hidden under the largest lettuce leaves I've ever seen. It made the beef feel even smaller in perspective. The soup was very small pieces of all the ingredients so it felt so much like just a sauce that should have been over something. Taste: I have this a 2.5/5Every dish went one of two ways. It was either incredibly salty or very bland. The raw beef was very bland and since it was such a small portion was lost in the wet, bland lettuce. The lettuce could have had a dry seasoning sprinkled on and would have elevated the dish exponentially. The chicken had a great flavor as did the cucumbers. Drinks: I gave this a 3.5/5The first cocktail I had was very nice. The Scale Model was a very bright red and tart citrusy cocktail. Unfortunately, one of my friends and I both had to do a double take since neither of us believed our drink had bourbon in it. I also had the Riot in Lagos which reminded all 4 of us of pool water. Legit. It tasted like overly chlorinated water. My wife did the Booze Pack and liked it but didn't love it. Dessert: I gave this a 3.5/5By the photos online I SO BADLY wanted to love the blondies. I think where they fell short was they were overly salted on top, they were very thin and the bourbon milk was just that. Bourbon milk. The bourbon milk could have been slightly thicker and a touch of sweetness. The succotash sorbet was wildly strange. As an appetizer with a savory cheese cracker it would have been delightful. As a dessert it was disappointing. The Ayran custard was just ok. Overall, we left disappointed and only pizza and beer could cure that. Literally. We left and went for pizza at the place around back and it was fantastic. We left hungry, disappointed and $350 lighter in the wallet.

Little Bear was probably my favorite restaurant I've ever been to, and I go out to eat a lot :) I loved the concept of the small plates. Each dish was unique and had so much flavor. I appreciate their use of fresh produce in each dish. The atmosphere, drinks, and service were also very good. The price was also extremely reasonable for the caliber of the food that we were eating. I would go back here every week if I lived in Atlanta!

Oh em gee, Little Bear! I'm so glad that I snagged a reservation here. In taking a little day adventure with my partner to Atlanta, I found this restaurant and saw that it was a must try. So...I tried! I wish there were more restaurants like this in Miami--it was elegant yet relaxed, trendy but also indie, the food was innovative, and it was all wrapped up in an intimate setting and garnished with unique details. We ordered quite a bit, and honestly, I failed at taking pictures, but at a certain point in the meal it was just time to eat and enjoy.The service was fabulous--our waitress recommended a delicious natural wine and helped us understand portion size so that we would order appropriately. If I'm not mistaken, the menu changes often--so perhaps what I had you'll never have the chance to try but If you do, you MUST try the soup pictured. It was the most savory thing and so, so delicious.Great job Little Bear! I truly hope to get to enjoy a meal with you again.

We had a dinner reservation for 2 at 7:30 pm on Saturday, 4/13/24. We were able to make the reservation a day or 2 before. We were seated right away. The tables are close together and intimate.We did Dealer's Choice ($50) and X.L. Meat du Jour ($50). It was enough food for us. Here's what we got:- Lala's Ciorba ($10 individually): Good!- Lettuce Salad ($13 individually): Really enjoyed this! The benne tahini dressing was distinct but not overpowering.- Orange Chicken ($18 individually): Good!- Satsuma Creamsicle Custard ($10 individually): We were disappointed by how small the portion was. It tasted fine though.- X.L. Meat du Jour ($50): Good portion. Definitely couldn't have eaten this by myself. Glad we split!Dealer's Choice was fun to get to know the restaurant, but next time, we'll just choose what we want. Especially for dessert.Because they change up the menu so often and feature uniquely different cuisines, and because it's so reasonably priced, we'll be back! Great service too!

They need to nuke the raw meat (beef tartar) off the menu........jfc. The taste provides the feeling of taking The SAT while chewing on a piece of petrified bark

Made a reservation to Little Bear for an anniversary. We picked out this place because it was bib gourmand.We parked in the neighborhood behind the restaurant for free. The restaurant inside was small and cozy. We were seated promptly when we arrived. They gave us complimentary wine for our occasion which was very sweet! We ordered the prix fixe menu which was $50 each. The items on the menu were mostly salads and one main protein dish (chicken) which felt a little underwhelming. I'd advise to look at the menu prior to ordering the prix fixe. We started with the sour cabbage soup with a raw egg yolk, then had the lettuce salad and orange chicken. For dessert, we each had a small creamsicle custard. Each dish individually was good but overall we were not very satisfied or full. Despite that, it was an interesting experience taste-wise but my only complaint was that the time it took between each dish was very long. We were mostly waiting with empty plates on our table.Luckily, we each ordered a cocktail which we babied through dinner.Pecan Manhattan - 4/5 solid pick, good twist on the old fashionPacific Cooler - 4/5 sweet and refreshing drink, good pick for people who don't like alcohol

Let me start off by saying congratulations on the star!The dining experience at Little Bear is unique. In regard to the menu, it's very different and filled with character. If you're a picky eater this definitely isn't the restaurant for you. In my honest opinion the food was 3 stars for me, but the service made me go with 4 stars. In all the meals there was a lot going on, a little bit chaotic. I'll honestly probably come back just to try a few more dishes and give them another try. But it's not going to be a rush. You're welcome!

The food - amazing!Cocktails - great!Service - incredible!If you want a great meal, this is the place to go. I'd recommend reservations, but we live nearby and drop in to eat at the bar, occasionally. Always interesting dishes and delicious. It's a small restaurant, so I'm hesitant to share, but the food, drinks and people are so amazing, it's worth the wait.