Excellent adventure in flavors! Service is good, and the upstairs dining area is a plus. Miss those tasty Brussells sprouts. Every dish we've had during our several visits has been delicious. read more

Best restaurant in Chattanooga. The Gulf Shrimp is a must, reminiscent of NOLA BBQ shrimp but with more flavor. Everything is very well seasoned. Highly recommend their happy hour. read more

First trip for my fiancé and me. Everything was fantastic! We had the shrimp, chicken Shawarma, and the Seabass. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

I loved everything about this place. The food was amazing, the service was awesome, great atmosphere. I'd rate it higher if I could. I don't consider Chattanooga a "foodie" city. But this place gives me hope. The food really takes you on a journey. I know, I know that sounds weird. But I didn't feel like I was in the US, I felt like I had traveled to an exotic place. I love that they had some great mock tails. I'll definitely be back and I'll take photos next time. read more

Such an awesome dining experience...don't hesitate to check them out. Never really liked hummus too much until here. Flavors make me think of a combination of Greek, Indian, and Turkish. Definitely not a place to miss! read more

This restaurant is easily one of the best in Chattanooga. Everything we ate was delicious. We tried all of the small plates: the whipped feta, falafel, and labneh with garlic pita were particularly outstanding. And the moist olive oil cake was delightful (bring your own candle if celebrating a birthday). Note that the happy hour specials don't apply on holidays. The staff was helpful in reserving a table for our group and thoughtfully inquiring about mobility issues. read more

Holy cow. I can not believe this place has been around for months and I haven't visited yet. This has taken over some of the space Proof was using so it can be confusing. This is a stand alone restaurant that should be on your list. Do not be intimidated by the ethnic menu - the waiter helps! I loved this meal and will be back countless times. read more

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The server, Evan was the best server I've ever had. Extremely knowledgeable about the menu and able to make excellent suggestions on the menu based on vegetarian options and taste profiles. The food and drinks were exquisite. Highly recommend for vegetarian and meat eaters combined. Great job to the chefs and our server Evan. read more

We couldn't be happier to have Calliope as a date night option in Chattanooga. They are local and we love to experience their incredible Levantine cuisine. You can tell they are passionate about food. Every dinner is always full of unique flavors, each distinct from one another, and are plated beautifully. There are enough options on the menu for us to play around - sometimes we order a bunch of small plates and other days we'll mix in an entree or two. The desserts are also incredible. We don't drink, so we enjoy the non-alcoholic beverages - especially the frozen lemonana - the mint is so fresh. The service is attentive and people are authentic. read more

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FINALLY Chattanooga has a new restaurant that isn't a burger place or brewery and it's AMAZING. Seriously, the food is so delicious we just kept ordering more. Drinks were great and both drinks and food were very reasonably priced. This place is now replacing St. John's and Flying Squirrel for date nights for us and will be a go to when friends and family come to town. This is honestly the best Mediterranean food in Chattanooga, and arguably some of the best food. We were absolutely blown away. Some of our favorites were the lamb and chicken shwarma hummus, the yogurt dip, quail and the burnt carrots sounded odd but were incredible. In response to the only review that gave less than five stars: 1) the chairs were extremely comfortable for everyone in our party 2) we sat near the kitchen and it wasn't loud and wasn't an issue 3) the food and drinks are insanely reasonably priced for the quality, portion size, taste etc 4) the lighting was definitely not abrasive, wasn't too bright or dark and 5) sorry stairs and kitchens exist in restaurants. Bottom line, definitely check this place out. We can't wait to go back! read more

We were really feeling some Mediterranean food, and picked Calliope based solely on that but it is much more than standard Mediterranean food. The ambience was wonderful, very high end. The server explained the style of dining and food very clearly, the food represented a much wider swath of the Mediterranean than you'd expect. Think North Africa to eastern Middle East areas. It's also best experienced as a tapas style dining. Everything we had was delicious and unique. The drinks were great and the prices were not too bad either. Top notch dining experience! read more

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Every time I come here, the experience is top-notch. My wife and I believe that this is pound for pound the best overall restaurant in Chattanooga. read more

Delicious food, really cozy atmosphere and we had a great server. Would recommend others to go

Amazing food, amazing drinks, good ambience and amazing service! I highly recommend this place to anyone. I highly recommend to get the labnah! read more

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We were in town for our anniversary and this place was perfect! The ambiance, decor and service was 10/10. The food was delicious as well! The few meals we had in town prior to this were mediocre, so we weren't expecting much when we made the reservations but this place exceeded our expectations! We're vegetarian and had plenty of small plate options to order from, everything was delicious! We shared the hummus, labneh, potatoes, and carrots. And it was so filling! Everything was amazing and flavorful, definitely recommend trying it out! read more

Calliope - Hummus and Labneh served with Pita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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We had a great experience at Calliope. Despite being a busy Friday night, our server took the time to give us a very thorough explanation of the menu and beverage list. Cocktails were delicious, and they have a great non alcoholic beverage list also. Interesting wine list, too. We tried a Lebanese cabernet that was very nice. The food was outstanding. We had several pita and hummus dishes and falafel for starters and shared shrimp, brisket, chicken, mashed potatoes, and rice pilaf. Everything was outstanding. We capped it off with some great desserts. Truly wonderful experience, we all agreed it was the best dinner we've had in quite some time. read more

AMAZING FOOD & phenomenal service. My boyfriend and I's favorite meal out of our entire road trip read more

Calliope - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

If I could bestow 10 stars to Calliope I would immediately. By far the best restaurant meal I've enjoyed in more than a year -- and I was in Chicago this summer. First the space -- understated elegance, yet unpretentious decor which is INVITING. And there is actually seating for two! No waste of tabletop space if you're a single. The service -- Jay is the epitome of a great server. She was attentive, helpful with suggestions, never overbearing, but added to our experience during the night. The menu is EXACTLY what a restaurant should aspire to achieve -- simple, clear explanations of great food and beverages with along with 'enough' choice. This restaurant realizes life is full of overwhelming choices, but dinner should not be one of them. The wines are unique and highlight areas of the world for wine aficionados whose palates need adventure -- Armenia, Lebanon. The food is exceptional. Exceptional. Since the menu is seasonal and small, the chef focuses on quality ingredients with unique spice and flavor. Example-- experience crispy Brussels sprouts in all their tangy, crispy balsamic glory during this winter season. The menu includes a LOT of vegetarian options, along with a few meat choices, but honestly, with deliciously prepared vegetables, who really needs meat?Shareable, passable servings -- the true middle eastern way to say welcome while showing love to friends and family. read more

We just finished a delicious meal! Our lamb was perfectly served with our sides of pomegranate roasted brussel sprouts, beets and tangine lamb humus. It was way more food than we two could eat so lucky us....we get another meal of this amazing food. The flavors are so different than we our usual American fares with all the pomegrante flavors just exploding in your mouth. Unfortunately we don't live in Chattanooga or we would be there weekly to get our fix. But we certainly will return next time we're here. read more

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Restaurant is in a restored building. Work done to the space makes it quaint and inviting. Wait staff was knowledgable and friendly. Food was excellent. However, it is not standard fare for many... be ready to try new dishes. read more

Really nice ambience, great bar area downstairs. Did not know what to expect from this type of food... Maybe a cross between Indian and Mediterranean from my own limited experience so it was a great new experience. Everything we ordered was very tasty albeit a tiny bit spicy. The service was outstanding everyone smiling, and making sure you were comfortable and had everything you needed. read more

Food was awesome and service first rate. Highly recommended . We had a reservation but it was somehow lost. They still had us seated within about 10 mins. read more

This neighborhood restaurant raised the bar in Chattanooga for great dining! Focused on well-prepared Mediterranean dishes with crafted inspired beverages, the menu is not large, but it is full of deliciousness. Will definitely be back and not alone (although Calvin (bartender) was a terrific guide through the diverse cuisine as I din d at the bar). Tonight's meal started with a beautiful labneh - yogurt cheese with spices and olive oil - and warm, fresh pita. The beverage of choice? A ginger-spiced rum drink called Aqaneh (sp?). When dinner arrived (tapas plates of homemade lamb sausages and grilled stuffed quail with sweet potato mash), Calvin recommended Altitudes, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Lebanon. I'm now on the hunt to add this lovely, mellow-bodied red to my wine collection! With such an incredible meal, dessert was a no-brainer. The ricotta-orange blossom delicacy was a good finish, but the Turkish coffee?? It slammed this amazing meal out of the ballpark. Calliope - I'll be back to try the branzino and will be bringing friends!! read more

Without question Calliope is the best restaurant in southeast Tennessee. We've been at least 15 times and I can recall only one dish that was "good" rather than incredible. read more

Unique tastes. Server who gave very good descriptions of the dishes and suggestions on various choices. Chattanooga has reached culinary heights with this unique mediterranean restaurant. read more

Uniqueness and originality. Calamari and carrots were incredible. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and informative.

We flew in for a wedding and got to checkout calliope. I would hands down fly back to Chattanooga just to eat here again. The food was a true experience. Absolutely incredible and the staff was just as incredible. Highly recommend. read more

This is truly one of the best meals I have had ever. Everything on the menu that we got was great, but our favorites were the gulf shrimp, the hummus, and the burnt carrots side. Service was so kind and fast, and the restaurant itself had a really cool vibe. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Wow! Ask for the tasting menu. Complex, unexpected flavors. I wanted the olives to be bigger but every dish was outstanding. The authentic wine for the cuisine was a nice touch. I'd eat here once a week if I could afford it. read more

Thoughtful, creative, and laser-focused on freshness, Calliope is some of the best high-end Mediterranean you will have anywhere. We visited on a recent Sunday night, and were so impressed by Calliope's bright and summery takes on Levantine classics that absolutely rival any Mediterranean spots I've been to in larger cities or even in the Middle East. After being seated on their intimate and comfortable patio, we settled in and chose from their cocktail menu. She went for a wine, whereas I had to go with the Ammit's Dram, a sort of spritz with arak served simply with lime and cucumber, making for the perfect Middle Eastern summer refresher. From the menu, we went light and stayed with the classics, choosing hummus, whipped feta, and tahini salad to share. While the spreads were incredible and perfectly seasoned, the salad was the highlight for me. The freshest summer corn and cucumber, with juicy blistered tomatoes, all tossed in a rich yet light tehina dressing, it was the perfect salad for a hot night. In the summer, I love Mediterranean dining for its unmatched freshness and understated, unfussy elegance, and Calliope does exactly that. A Levantine must where you least expect it. read more

Incredible food, service and ambiance! A hidden gem in downtown Chattanooga! You NEED to order the freshly made pita with spiced honey and feta. Ideally you'll go with a group rather than a couple of people as you'll want to share and try everything. I'll definitely be back if I'm ever in town again read more

Food was different and unfamiliar but flavors were amazing! A little pricey cause the plates are small but well prepared with good ingredients. Very satisfying. A great place for romantic leisurely meal. Definitely Mediterranean influence. Location is on fringe of redevelopment.. So it's a mixed feeling on the street to walk there. Will definitely go back. read more

Best restaurant in town!! Service is unparalleled. I'm vegetarian and love many things on the menu. It's our favorite date spot. The cocktails are incredible, and so are the mocktails! read more

If I could give this 10 out of 5 stars I would. We had the whipped feta, falafel, fava beans, strip steak, batata harra (potatoes), and the current dessert. We didn't love the dessert, but everything else was beyond outstanding. Our waiter was Cory and he was one of the best waiters we've ever had. So friendly and sweet. The ambiance is excellent. Not loud, nicely decorated, and cozy but kind of fancy. Recommend 1000% read more

We ate at the bar and had Brandon as our bartender/server. Every suggestion Brandon made was phenomenal! My wife had the lamb neck with the batata harra potatoes and I had the prime NY strip. So good! You can drive by and almost miss this place, but DONT! What an experience, thank you Brandon! BTW.. If you're a whiskey or bourbon drinker, try the Smoke on the River cocktail.... You will love it! read more

Recently went to Calliope for a girls night and we were not disappointed!! We had a reservation and were seated right away in the upstairs dining area. The ambiance was very nice- not too bright or dark, comfortable seating, and not too loud. Among the group we ordered cocktails, wine and mocktails, everyone was very pleased with their drinks and our waiter was very accommodating in recommending what would go best with our food. We ordered several of the shareable plates, (can't really call them "small" plates, because there was so much food!). Some of our favorite dishes were the whipped feta, cous cous, shrimp, and the brisket. Everything was unique, had GREAT flavor and was all cooked very well. The only thing keeping this from being 5 stars, our service was verrry slow, we had to ask several times about our drinks, checks etc. This could have just been an off night for our waiter which is fine, the food came out very quickly though. read more

We made reservations when visiting Chattanooga & Calliope lived up to to the expectations & then some. I will say we had a great hostess, despite is being 30 mins early to our reservation she found us a table quickly & was charming. The atmosphere was great, great brick walls & beautiful lighting. Cody was our server, and to be honest, it was one of the best experiences in the service industry, my husband & I agree, he was funny & just radiated a great vibe. We tried the Sofra, which is a chef's choice experience for two, and to say it was marvelous would be an understatement. There were dishes that had ingredients I hate like onions & raw tomatoes & yet I tried & loved them! The rack of lamb was the perfect blend of char, salt, spice all perfectly cooked.... And the dessert with pistachio, I'm still thinking about it a couple days later. Again, Cody was amazing & so warm & welcoming & even gave us a list of recommendations of things to do in the city. We've had some really amazing meals in our travels this past year, but Calliope is definitely in the top of that list, simply perfection from the moment we entered the door. read more

Calliope - Rack of Lamb & mujadara - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Calliope exceeded all our expectations. It's a beautiful space with warm and friendly staff that really make you feel welcome. We were a party of three and opted to share 2 entrees so we could try some of the delicious -sounding smaller plates. Just when you think you couldn't pack more flavor into a dish, the next one would come along! Favorite starters included the Alabama shrimp, the wild mixed mushrooms and the chicken shawarma hummus. The roast chicken had to be one of the best things I've ever eaten. It comes with this amazing sauce that went fantastic with the chickpea pilaf and it was insane. We also ordered the branzino which was delicious but hard to compare to such standouts. We also tried the Milk Cake for dessert and it is definitely share worthy. It's served cold and was an all new texture to me but it was delicious! Thanks go out to our server, Mo for an exceptional evening. read more

Went there in the hope of middle eastern food authentic or with a twist based on the menu. We are in great need for high quality food in chattanooga in this category. This was a promising attempt. I was most disappointed with the bread as it is a must when serving falafel or shish tawook or many of the entrees on the menu. No bread provide. Our next dish was hummus with chicken shawarma which came with bread but the type of bread is disappointing and not appropriate for these entrees. This is a Naan type bread which is usually is served with Indian food. This was of similar quality to the frozen kind you can get at grocery store.It is just warmed and served. When I asked for bread for other entrees, there was $2.50 charge. I do not mind paying for bread but prefer at least average quality bread. The falafel was good quality but needed more tihini dipping sauce. Presentation requires scraping tihini off the dish. The food portion ok some items small for price. The chicken shawarma hummus needed more hummus for $13. The chicken tawook needs breaded but besides that was juicy and the garlic sauce perfected. The veggie couscous was too watery. The lamb sausage was very good. The tabbouli had kale instead of Parsley and had tehini which comprised the taste and texture. Despite all my criticism, I believe this restaurant should do well since there are not as many restaurants serving middle eastern dishes but there is room for improvement on both fronts: as far as authentic middle eastern or modernized version. read more

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Wonderful restaurant for a vegan or someone who is wanting to eat more plant based items. I 100% recommend it to everyone. Service was great. Food was great. They let you linger and enjoy the experience. We had a delightful time. Even my 15 year old son! We sat close to the kitchen and he enjoyed watching them make the food. The mushroom hummus was great. Falafel was great. We got the spicy sauce on the side, glad we did. Too spicy for our table. Wish I would have gotten the eggplant base on the side also. I like my falafel crispy. But it was all very good and where the falafel touched the base did not get too soggy. Loved the vegan mango sorbet for dessert. My meat eating husband and son got octopus and shrimp. They loved it. Some reviews mention the price. It can all add up--but if you stay away from the high priced protein items, it is very reasonable. We went on Sunday and got a half priced bottle of wine ($32). With wine, food, dessert and tip, our meal was a little over $100 for 3. Not bad for a special family night out with a bottle of wine. Our server was delightful. I have a few back issues and she happily moved us to a table with padded comfortable chairs when asked. For sure, I cannot wait to go again! Thanks for a wonderful night. read more