Pacci Ristorante

We ended up at Pacci quite by accident and at the last minute on a Friday night. I imagined it might be very busy and not be welcoming of us as we were in jeans and sneakers that night. Fortunately, I was very wrong! The staff at the door greeted us cheerfully and seated us immediately, event though they were quite busy.
I was concerned that an Italian Steakhouse was a bit of stretch for my vegetarian husband. But looking over the menu, there seemed to be enough variety to keep us both happy. Best of all, our server, Deanna, assured us they kitchen could adjust most dishes to make them vegetarian. So we ordered a number of appetizers, salads and side dishes so we could sample a variety of dishes. What a treat they all were. Accompanied by a flight of lovely red wines, we were very happy.
Beyond the food, what impressed me the most, was the service. Our server was attentive and friendly without wearing out her welcome. But also, other staff that walked by would also take care of anything they noticed needed doing. If a plate was empty, it was removed, water glasses refilled, etc. Staff seemed to take responsibility for keeping all guests happy, not just their own tables.

So sad to say, but Pacci will be closing later this month, due to a new management company taking over the hotel. I will miss it, and hope Chef Keira Moritz finds another place in town so we can continue to enjoy her culinary prowess.

A few of us came here for dinner last night and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. I hadn’t heard of the restaurant before yesterday but I was optimistic based on previous Unilocaler reviews.
There is free valet parking or street parking (meters) available. The full bar at the entrance of the restaurant has low lounge couches and smaller nooks with fun cushy chairs. There is a small inconspicuous open kitchen in the back. The rest of the décor is just luxe. We were seated in an alcove in the back and our server was very nice. He made spot on recommendations on both food and drinks throughout dinner.
Now the food did not disappoint either. The bread was fresh and came with an amazing relish. We ordered both the tuna and beef carpaccios (of course) as well as the poached pear salad and duck confit to start. The tuna carpaccio and duck were must trys. We did a posta course as a table with the mushroom risotto (amazing flavors) and the gnocchi (way heavy dish). The special of the day was a bone in rib eye with a truffle/​eggplant purée. YUM. On the waiter’s recommendations we also ordered the bolognese (I highly recommend it) and the lamb (comes with a selection of sauces but tastes delicious on it’s own). For dessert I ordered the pana cotta (came with fresh blueberries and apricot — perfect finish to a great meal).
Also, there are pacci pup treats (dog biscuits) on the dessert menu to take home to your furry friend. Our waiter gave us a bag for my poor pup waiting at home.
All in all it was a phenomenal dinner experience.

I admit it: I love hotel restaurants. They’re often artfully decorated, the service is almost always phenomenal, they’re open all day long, and they usually don’t mind if you linger longer than the average diner. And yeah, these are some of the reasons I love Pacci.
I’ve stopped in for a variety of reasons: quickie drinks at the bar, a full dinner, a bite of breakfast, and they’ve never failed to deliver. The menu and concept is innovative without being overly trendy, with various kinds of carpaccio (even a fruit carpaccio in the AM hours), Justin Timberlake look-​a-​like waiters (when he was in his vest and tie phase), and a soaring space that doesn’t feel at all corporate or cookie-​cutter. It’s the perfect spot for an intimate date, a power lunch, or some gourmet granola as you scour the morning’s headlines. A great addition to Midtown for locals and tourists alike.
#yelp365 ¹⁵⁄₃₆₅

During Hotlanta’s unusually brutal snowmageddon ice out this week, we arrived chilled, bruised (those streets are slick!) and voracious to the Hotel Palomar sniffing the air for the scent of cheeseburgers.
Fortunately, this vast hotel restaurant was ready to serve with a partial lunch menu, despite not receiving their shipment on Monday as planned. The turkey panini with pesto aioli and provolone came with a side of caeser salad. All was absolutely delectable. I also indulged in a half of the Peachtree Burger (gorgonzola and pancetta, yes please!) with a side of truffle fries. The truffle fries are worthy of their own sentence… so get ‘em.
Pricing is pretty on par for hotel restaurants and cheap by my inflated NYC standards. Definitely worth a stop in for lunch or dinner while you’re in Midtown… or snowed in.

I had been to Pacci twice in the past year for wine dinners and enjoyed them, but we just went recently for my husbands birthday and had an amazing meal. I had contacted the chef ahead of time about the possibility of doing a chefs tasting menu & wine pairing and the whole meal was prefect and the service was flawless!
Being inside a hotel, it’s not really a restaurant I think about for regular dinners but after out last experience, we will defiantly be back!

My first impression of this place is just YES! Now THIS is a sexy place… the décor is very modern traditional, which I just absolutely love. I couldn’t stop saying «Ooh look at that! Look at that! OMG that!» I definitely felt like I should be posing with the furniture and wall décor… STUNNING!
But let’s get to the food — we went for Sunday brunch and it is AWESOME! New favorite spot for brunch… Had a wonderful hot tea selection; lovely presentation, everything tasted magnificent, and the Chef even stopped by our table, sat down with us, and chatting w/​us about the meal. Very warm and inviting this place. Love it love it love it!

I found Pacci to be a very nice, upscale restaurant with good service, atmosphere, and overall good food. I was not keen on the gnocchi, but all else was very good.
The restaurant does not keep up their website. I DO NOT like this. Many of us use that in choosing a restaurant so this is a big disservice to their guests. Other than that though, all was well and this is a high quality place to go. An appealing bar area is avail if you just wanted to stop in for a drink and have a peek.
It’s located off the lobby of the Hotel Palomar in Atlanta, and in the hotel lobby, is a beautiful salt water aquarium. Stop by to watch the colorful fish!

Reservations on Halloween at 6pm seemed a touch unnecessary, but by 7pm it definitely filled up.
Although we came prepared with our order, our waiter insisted on telling us his favorites of each part of the menu. And we also asked if he’s actually tried everything on the menu, he said the waitstaff sampled and were taught about all dishes on the menu and the specials each night, which was impressive.
SO, the food! We started out w/​their 2 namesakes, beef and tuna carpaccio. The beef carpaccio was topped with their olive tapenade apparently, which they will happily give you a bookmark with the recipe for if you ask. I liked the citrusy-​ness of the tuna one better though.
Then we had the waygu flat iron (good flavor, a touch chewy at parts) and the lamb chops. The flat iron didn’t need any of their accompanying sauces, but the lamb chop was fantastically enhanced by the sweet and tart rhubarb sauce. The whole dinner was amazing for 50% off, but the lamb+rhubarb sauce is probably the only thing I’d come back and pay full price for in a heartbeat.
I will definitely keep it in mind for any upscale needs I may have in the future.

«Pacci» is named after «Carpaccio» which is one of Pacci’s specialty items … except I’m not a big meat/​cheese fan and so we got another app instead. Their menu changes daily so it’s very likely you won’t see the dishes below or the menu items online.
COMPLIMENTARY FOCACCIA & FLATBREAD CRACKERS
I love flatbread crackers, and the sun-​dried tomato tapenade was really the highlight. The tapanede also had Kalamata olives, garlic, capers, & olive oil. The really nice touch was giving us the recipe on a bookmark.
MUSSELS & CLAMS ($ 9)
Best part was the anisette cream which I could see myself eating for dessert :) The sweet broth tasted great w/​the grilled crostini that came w/​the dish — it’s unfortunate the bread was pretty charred but at least our server was great about bringing more bread which was in better condition :) There were only a few mussels & clams though, and they were small, too. Clams tasted good but the mussels tasted a little fishy. Regretted that we didn’t get the Marinated Grilled Artichokes — next time! Might even consider getting the Kobe Beef Carpaccio. Our server raved about their Bruschetta which also sounded good.
AMUSE-​BOUCHE
Compliments of the chef, we got a taste of their fried wild mushroom risotto on goat cheese. Yum — you can never go wrong w/​fried :)
FETTUCCINI ($ 24)
I got the fettuccini w/​mussels, clams, shrimp, arugula pesto, and red pepper purée — b/​c it sounded the most interesting among the pastas. The presentation was very colorful. Best part was the jumbo-​size shrimp w/​arugula pesto — yum! But mad at myself for ordering this after also getting the Mussels & Clams app. Mussels (still fishy) & clams same petite-​size. Pasta was bland. I got the full portion which was generous but not enough to make two meals. Next time I might get the half-​portion pasta ($ 14). Among the pastas, our server raved about the Mushroom Risotto and the Pappardelle Bolognese.
SEA SCALLOPS ($ 26)
Scallops was the overwhelming Unilocal favorite after reading all the reviews. I got a taste of my friend’s, and I thought the scallops were very good, along with the wild mushroom risotto (yum), and then the sweet pea nage. Haha — this review is based on just one bite :)
HALIBUT ($ 28)
I almost got this dish but glad I didn’t b/​c I thought the fish was bland. The halibut came w/​mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, and corn butter. Again, this is based on just one bite :) I probably should’ve dipped the fish in the corn butter :) But my friend enjoyed his dish so that’s cool. Secretly though I hoped that he would’ve ordered the Rack of Lamb which our server raved about. Oh well — I’ll have to get that next time, or convince my next dining partner to get it :)
Overall, I’d give Pacci 3.5 stars rounded to 4. Food was just 3 stars but it was the great ambiance and really excellent & genuine service that brought it to the top. Food presentation was good, too. The food is a little pricey though — definitely a special occasion place. Thanks Scoutmob for giving me a chance to check it out :) I’d definitely come back. The cocktail & dessert menu looked very tempting, too.
FYI — valet parking is complimentary. Just remember to get your ticket validated by your server. And since you’re here anyway, you should check out the AltoRex rooftop bar esp. if the weather is really nice.

First the good:
Walking into the Palomar hotel I saw what looked like a Middle age woman being carried out because she was sooooo wasted. Made me think this is not some stuffy hotel after all!
The restaurant itself was very beautiful inside. And the seating was generously spaced so you don’t feel like you are sitting at someone else’s table.
The Sea Scallops were amazing! Some of the best I’ve had around town.
Now the not so good:
The mushroom risotto was what we were looking forward to the most, but the consensus of the table was that it was just ok. It was more mushrom with a fried egg, with some risotto thrown in.
After we go our appetizers, which came quick, it took 40 minutes to get our meal. The place was not even that busy. Thank good we had lots of wine to occupy our time.
The menu online is not what they have at the place. There are lots of things that are not available. They said they don’t have control over the menu online and are not in charge of updating it. That’s dumb.
Oh…and the rooftop bar is not really on the rooftop. It’s on the 3^rd floor terrace. Kind of a let down.

Wow, this place is sooooo good.
Great waiters and staff, beautiful décor and cool tables, and of course delicious food and drinks.
Everything I have ever had here has been really good. I came here with a group a few months ago and every single dish they served was great. Then yesterday I came with my boyfriend and it was still awesome.
First, they sat us at the cool round booth even though there was only 2 of us. Love that.
Then, the waiter was nice and attentive and always there when we wanted him.
The food was delicious. The mussels and clams appetizer was very good. I had the mushroom risotto and the bf had the short ribs. Both were so good! Risotto was was moist and not overcooked with a hint of truffle and lots of mushrooms. Short ribs were very tender and very tasty. The grits/​corn were amazing. Yummm.
The drinks were very thoughtful and tasty too.
Another thing I love is that they have half plates of pasta for dinner. This is perfect for me since I usually don’t finish a whole plate of pasta. However, I ordered the full plate of risotto and took the rest home. Still delicious the next day.
I really like the atmosphere here too. Dark and lovely, inviting for a conversation. Far enough from other patrons to have a private conversation but close enough to enjoy the beautiful patrons around you.
The prices are great for the quality of the restaurant and food. I will definitely be coming back. often.

This was my first time to Pacci. The impetus was Midtown Restaurant Week. $ 25 for a three-​course meal? Sign me up!
I work a few blocks away but decided to valet with the hotel. Pacci validated my ticket upon entrance which was refreshing.
The interior is beautiful — dark but cozy atmosphere, high ceilings and interiors that make you question where the money really goes.
I was early and took a seat at the bar to wait for my friends. The bartender was very nice and knowledgeable about wine. The bar wasn’t large and the high chairs fit like sardines. I had to pull a chair out all the way to get on and then try to gracefully scoot myself closer without making a commotion. Let me tell ya, not so easy.
We were seated at a plush round booth where they physically pull out the table so you can comfortably seat yourself. Unfortunately, our boy almost tilted the entire table over when trying to push the table back. But he definitely got points for the gesture.
The restaurant week menu was more extensive than most other restaurants. However, the biggest disappointment was the lack of a carpaccio option. After all, this is where the name Pacci was derived. I would have accepted a smaller version of their regular appetizer but we were told that we would have to order it separate from our three-​course dinner to have a taste.
That’s unfortunate because I have to rate them on the basis of their other food. While they claim their Restaurant Week options were exactly the same as their regular menu counterparts, the descriptions were different and even the names were different.
After a Restaurant Week experience at Il Mulino Atlanta, where their mussels appetizer was enormous, I was highly disappointed with Pacci’s mussels and clams course. I felt like I needed a magnifying glass to find the mussels which were about a quarter of the size needed to fill their shell. The broth wasn’t very special, too heavy with cream.
For the second course, I had the Braised Pork Belly (Crispy, according to the regular menu). The top had a bit of a crisp, but I felt there was nothing special about the meat. The polenta was a nice accompaniment.
For dessert, I chose the panna cotta. Let’s just say I’ve had better. This was simply a basic panna cotta with a few fruits on top. My friends ordered the bread pudding which turned out to be like eating toast. There was no custard-​y texture. Big disappointment.
Had I known, I would have bartered with the server to allow me to forgo the dessert and get the carpaccio as an appetizer!
Our server was very nice and attentive but not overly so.
Though my first experience wasn’t spectacular, I would return if only to try their namesake.

I stayed at the Palomar and went down to have a glass of wine at the bar.
I love the ambiance, very trendy. Perfect place for a date.
The bartender recommended a glass of the Il Granio and it was superb!
The bartender was phenomenal and I eventually decided I wanted to order some food. I love gnocchi, so I decided to go with a half portion of that and splurge on dessert.
Granted it was pretty late at this time and the kitchen was closing but the gnocchi was average at best. I enjoyed the gorgonzola and blue cheese chunks in it but I could have done without the walnuts.
The tiramisu was delish – def enough for two people to share. You get three diff flavors and they are all amazing. If you are in Atlanta, I would check this place out. It’s a bit pricey but worth it in my opinion.

Meh. I didn’t like the Short Rib Gnocchi. Too much sauce and a bit too salty for my taste. Oh and they serve it to you in this little pot. I was expecting it on a plate! The server told me that this would fill me up and it certainly did but I also think that I probably lost my appetite due to the unpleasant conversation at my table (not the restaurant’s fault, of course).
Had I known that this place was part of a hotel, I wouldn’t have told myself to stick to the Italian pastas.
I know my boss is going to want to come here again in the summer, so I’ll say this: the rooftop is amazing. They have these gas firepits and it just look fancy and elegant. Perhaps I’ll get another chance to review this place in the future.

I finally made it to eat at Pacci! We were very undecided about where to dine on a Saturday night and when we walked past Pacci, we decided to check out the menu and see what was going on inside. First off, it was packed inside. There was a wait for a table and definitely a bit of a scene at the bar. After perusing the menu, which looked very good, we did ask if there might be some open spots at the bar so we could possibly avoid the wait for a table. There were none but the handsome host told us we could sit at the cool high-​backed, shell-​topped chairs with a little table and order everything there. We loved the chairs and the fact that they offered a fantastic view for people-​watching so we said, Sure!
Our server was the cocktail waitress in the bar area and I think she was working the entire crowded bar area so things were maybe a bit delayed but once we had a drink, we really didn’t notice. They have a very interesting cocktail menu with nice specialty drinks. I had one of these, the Basilico, which was a delightful concoction of Kettle One Citroen, Canton, basil, lemon juice and soda. Lovely!
We decided to share a cheese plate with three cheeses — we chose the taleggio, mimolette and gorgonzola dolce. They were all great and all very different, and were served with candied walnuts, dried fruits and bread. Very nice.
My entrée was the wild salmon with cannelini bean stew, olives, spinach and tomatoes. It was very good and a very large portion (I was not expecting a piece of fish that big). The salmon was well-​cooked and pretty flavorful but the cannelini beans were delicious. You can also order them as a side (which my friend did and loved). She had a half-​order of the sweet potato ravioli which she proclaimed to be delicious (so delicious that I was didn’t get to it in time so I didn’t get a bite).
Everyone here was very accommodating. When our food came out, they even pulled over an extra table for us so we each had our own, and and they kept water and cocktails coming. The manager also stopped to inquire how everything was and gave us some Pacci lottery tickets to use in the future.
The bar remained very crowded until shortly before they closed (and we were leaving). I would say that the bar area has a much more casual vibe than the dining area. But, both areas are very nice and this is just a very nice restaurant.
I only live a few blocks away so it’s unacceptable that I haven’t been here until now but I do anticipate returning sooner rather than later.

Went to Pacci for an early dinner. The restaurant opened recently and they are still breaking in the menu. The dining room /​bar is very stylish in design and the in-​room wine cellar is very impressive (in appearance). Overall a great setting.
The menu card is quite good and they have a diverse set of mainly Italian inspired dishes. We had the Mistra salad as appetizer. It had a bit too much dressing but was otherwise OK.
We had flat steak and rack of lamb with side dishes of sweet potatoes w. blue cheese and parmagram. The meat was absolutely fantastic and cooked exactly to order. The sweet potatoes were much better than expected and so was the parmagram. Overall the main dishes were plenty and for the rack of lamb you should go with half a rack.
Their wine list is not as impressive as you would expect when you see the in-​room wine cellar. The selection of wine by the glass is a bit disappointing. We had OK wine but it was not great.
Our service was very attentive and provided great guidance/​recommendations regarding the dishes. Really some of the best service we have had in a long time.
The prices are OK. This is not a cheap place but given the quality this is what you should expect of a good place.

Went to Pacci with my dinner club. One member scouted it out and loved the ambiance.
We had appetizers of calamari with spicy aioli (it was more like a bland remoulade sauce), mussels with a tomato/​corn relish (delicious) and an avocado/​citrus salad (which was not very balance-​dressing just tasted oily). We were also served rosemary bread sticks and olive foccachia with a sun-​dried tomato spread. Yum.
The entrees included whole rack of lamb which was a hearty portion enough for 2– 3 people– seared on the grill served with 3 choices of sauces, Seafood stew which was very flavorful, but came with very little broth. Gnoochi was not very flavorful. It comes in half and whole portion– the whole portion was manageable. Made us wonder how the half portion looked. I had the pork chop which came with julienne apples, blackberries and corn polenta. It was a good mix of flavors that blended well. The side of asparagus was tasty and a little too al dente for my taste.
Julie, our server, was attentive, friendly and efficient.
While the food was good, it was not the night to experience the ambiance. It was extremely loud as a couple of large parties took over the bar and dining area due to being rained out of Alto Rex. The manager came over to apologize for the loud din and offered up wine and dessert on the house. The gelatos, brownie mousse and variety of tiramisus were extremely tasty, and not too sweet. It was unexpected and appreciated.
Overall, I would recommend the restaurant. The rounded tables make for an intimate dinner with someone special or a small group of friends. The food had some misses (unfortunately, they were with one diner) but many more hits. We promised to come back and try on a «typical» night.

Just as I have never understood why anyone would dine in Urbana’s dining room at the Palomar in DC (because the bar/​lounge is so amazing), I can’t comprehend why anyone would order off the main course menu at Pacci at the Palomar in Atlanta (similarly, because the small courses are equally stellar).
Having to scramble back to my hotel room to take a scheduled call and having only about forty-​five minutes to find food, order, eat, and return to my lofty temporary residence on the sixteenth floor, Andrea and I headed next door from the Palomar for a quick nibble — and come on, let’s be honest, a little drinky drinky — at Pacci just down the hall. We went in with low expectations. I left just a smidge intoxicated (probably good for the phone call I was about to make) and ridiculously full.
I call that an utter success.
Service was reasonably attentive, extremely official, but superbly professional. When I went to order a basic caesar salad, I was recommended their grilled caesar instead. OMG. Upgrade. Seriously. This thing is a whole head of lettuce, sliced in half, perfectly grilled on the insides, then drizzled with thick caesar dressing and sprinkled with shaved parmesan. So simple. So excellent. And, well… so filling. In the way that lettuce is filling. Exactly what I wanted.
Between that and the super crispy, decadently savory, steamy and moist duck confit, I was more than full. After all the random other crap I’d be eating all week long (hello, burgers for three meals in a row), it was just the right kind of food to finish off the day. Plus, at roughly $ 10 per dish, I found it reasonably priced.
Definitely one of the finer meals I’ve had in Atlanta thus far. And readily one of the better restaurants attached to a Kimpton property that I’ve tried. Bravo, Pacci. Bravo.

Hotel restaurants don’t often wow me, but as a frequent traveler I often find myself at them out of convenience. And Kevin L of Unilocal DC fame and I just happened to be staying at the adjoining hotel: the very lovely Hotel Palomar.
When we mentioned to a fellow local that we’d be dining at Pacci she warned us it was very expensive. I took a look at the prices and actually found it quite reasonable, but then again… I“m used to Chicago prices. But I agree this is much pricier than any other restaurant I’ve enjoyed in Atlanta…
While Pacci may be «pricey» they sure know how to treat their customers! We received the best of service from multiple different waiters and by the end of our meal I felt like royalty… oh, how I love the southern love.
After choosing libations (a few glasses of sweet Riesling for me!) we opted for the salad followed by an appetizer option. I started with the caprese salad, which one of our waiters informed me was the best salad on the menu. I didn’t get to taste the others, but I“d believe it– YUM! I devoured this while eating half of an amazing bread basket.
Next up– very tasty mussels and more delicious bread! Dr. Atkins would have wrinkled his nose at the amount of bread I ate at this meal, but it was oh so good.
Thanks to a heavy workload we ran out of time for dessert, but probably a good thing since we didn’t have much room in our stomachs. I went back upstairs to my room full, tipsy and happy. This was one hotel restaurant that did mange to wow me…