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    Little Bear

    4.1 (184 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Little Bear Photos

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    LITTLE BEAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Little Bear

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    Trout Sayadieh, scallion rice, laban.
    Julia C.

    Someone had recently told me that Little Bear was their favorite culinary experience that they'd had in ATL to-date. Given I have a more conservative, less adventurous palate, I didn't think there was any way I would be able to say the same... Less adventurous culinary palate and ALL and I can still say, the restaurant is delectably done-- an absolute artistically exquisite experience-- bravo. The tastes and combinations just work. Don't question it. Don't even think too hard about what you're eating. Just do it. Order one of everything. You'll inevitably like some more than others, however, they'll ALL be worth it. Consensus as a table is that the chicken liver custard, the steak tartar, and the vegetable hash were our favs. This was the perfect special-occasion, prolonged, fun culinary experience we were looking for the celebrate a birthday with our-of-country guests! Lastly, HUGE SHOUTOUT to the best waiter ever, Mr. Arch. He provided the best, friendliest, most knowledgeable service. I'd come back just to be his friend.

    Derek L.

    I was able to get a bar seat and it puts you right in front of where all the cooking action is. Pear cold noodle soup - noodles are a tad too soft, liked vinegar with melon combo. Also I think this was a typo on menu as there was no pear, only pea. Taktouka - essentially a bunch of roasted peppers with spicy chili crisp. Personally didn't care too much for the texture and getting bombarded with chili crisp. Pecan pao chicken - delicious fried chicken with the pecan dust and good sweet and sour sauce. Tomato cake - inedible - so dry in the mouth and had to send it back. Cucumber shaved ice - wow so light and refreshing and I don't usually like meringue but this one was like the texture of a bruleed marshmallow. One of my fave things I've had this year. For the drink I forgot what it was but it was a custom old fashioned like drink with plum flavoring. No alcohol for me. Overall, on par with the nicer restaurants in Atlanta where honestly dishes can be hit or miss. But I think still worth a stop for the cucumber shaved ice, chicken. Maybe some other things on menu are good.

    The decor is eclectic and cute.
    Andrea M.

    The hubs and I went here for our anniversary date awhile back. The vibe was hipster causal, but the menu and prices were on another level. Little Bear seemed to be an experimental spot with dishes varying from time to time. It's definitely unique with some of the creations with juxtaposition on the flavors and ingredients. If you like trying non-traditional dishes then Little Bear is the scene to try. The chicken liver custard was by far super unique and my favorite. The sourdough crackers was thick and was perfect with the grapefruit gelee and chicken liver custard. The addition of the shaved, cured yolk and dried herbs made the creation super fun and colorful. The raw beef had a lot of interesting flavors. The cauli oat tabbouleh with the cauli yogurt helped provide a mellow flavor to the raw beef. And using radish slices as the cracker provided a nice crunch and pop of color. The pork belly was the hub's favorite. He pretty likes anything bacon. This pick was pretty hearty. I really enjoyed the presentation, flavors, and textures of this dish. The apple, cabbage, and radish added an interesting balance to the pork belly. The pork rind pieces was also an interesting twist. And all this laid beautifully within the beet char siu and carrot yolk mustard. The below are from the prix fixe menu: The amuse (AKA oyster in this instance) was really good. It was presented in such a pretty way. Since there were two of us, there was an extra $5 charge for this muse and mignardise so I could have my own. The raw oyster sat in a radish juice of sorts. There was something orange and other little elements that elevated this oyster experience. The fumet chawanmushi was very interesting. It has a tofu texture with oyster mushrooms. There were also you po (noodles apparently) that sort of blended in with the mushrooms. This whole dish was like a tofu / soup at those dim sum places. Very high on the uniqueness scale. The catfish's "chocolate strange flavor sauce" was indeed strange and very subtle in its flavor if you're not looking out for it. There was a lot of flavors and things going on with this dish, but I suppose that's the escabeche part of it. There's definitely many complex layers of flavors going on here. The sichuan crispy trout was tasty, but it reminded me something similar at Asian spots. Hence the sichuan part - haha. The trout was indeed crispy and had so many kicks of flavors with the sauce. It was slightly spicy with a salty kick. My taste buds just had a hard time honing in on one distinct flavor profile. But I guess that's also the sichuan part of it: unique flavor. Chocolate taiyaki. Hmm. Looks good but being Asian, we've had better. It was sort of lackluster in taste. The presentation was much more appealing. For instance the grapefruit was an interesting addition. The sea island red pea ice cream sounded more complex than it's actual flavor. It was good, but nothing made it stand out for me to remember to call out in this review. The mignardise was so so. It's seriously a glorified, candied walnut. It was covered in a hard chocolate with sugar crystals or something of the sort. If you like restaurants that do experimental dishes then this is the place to go. With all the food above, I was pretty full. The hubs said he was content though he could have eaten more.

    Christmas Eve 2025 holiday menu (prix fixe)
    Nikki V.

    We went to Little Bear on a holiday, so menu was prix fixe. We got two dinners and one booze pack. the space is small, but didnt feel cramped despite how close the tables were together. service was friendly but the pacing of plates definitely could be tightened up. overall, the food was pretty good. dishes followed a jewish-chinese theme, with lots of chili oil, spices, and cantonese flavor. the open face soup dumpling had an interesting blend of texture and flavors, while the trout latke was a good balance of richness and freshness. however, the amuse bouche + four courses were unfortunately not enough to let us leave full, despite supplementing with 4 drinks which were shared. while we really enjoyed the first two plates, there was a strange insistence on adorning every plate with microgreens which were only occasionally in service of the flavors. while all of these are pretty minor gripes, the biggest flaws in the dinner were at dessert. the dessert course included two fried, -filled donuts. However, one of the two i received was still raw on the inside and not actually filled with any . the booze pack is not a good deal. for 2 short cocktails and 2 paltry 3oz pours, the drink pairings are insultingly priced and reflect value at about half the list cost. as pairings, i would summarize them as just okay. i would recommend steering clear and doing a la carte if you must try one of the drinks. Finally, there was a homemade fortune cookie that was served with the check, which was a nice idea that was really poorly executed, with chewy, undercooked dough wrapped around a somewhat cheekily insulting fortune. overall, we had a nice night, however, i don't think i'd recommend it to others; worth it only to the most dedicated ATL foodies.

    Raw beef 65
    Mio H.

    The place is super cute and hipster vibes. The service was great too! Friendly knowledgeable staffs. The food was great but for some reason what we ordered pretty much tasted similar. The spices they were using on the dishes overpowered everything else. Overall great time!

    Apple cider vinegar and oil cold "soup"
    Michelle R.

    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. :(

    T J.

    We had heard good things about Little Bear. It's cozy and the small bites menu seemed interesting. We got the Dealing's Choice as well as a few other dishes. Honestly they were all underwhelming, at best, and downright unappetizing at worst. Several were overly salty (looking at you chicken thigh) even for someone who prefers savory over sweet. The waitress didn't refill my water once and generally ignored our table all evening. We liked the ambiance but unfortunately, not the food nor service.

    Brian S.

    I would say we that this meal was one of my all time favorites ever. We couldn't decide which items to order, so we ended up ordering a bunch of small plates and shared. The food, presentation & innovation is some of the best in Atlanta. Tables are stacked up side by side (which seems to be a trend for years now), and I generally don't care for such an arrangement, but it wasn't too bad here and we were able to have nice conversation without thinking that we were bothering others. Honestly it's hard to zoom in on what I liked best, but can assure you that you cannot go wrong!

    Lox and collard knish
    Jake B.

    Wasn't crazy about the reservation system using hippie talk "fam", but other than that this restaurant really executed well, let us know our seats were early ready. Decorations were very good will esque didn't seem like anyone had the same water glass. Little distracting for people with adhd like me. The restrooms were labeled wc which stands for water closet I learned. We sat kitchen side, ordered two pre fix menus and a few dishes of the menu, we really enjoyed the dishes romenesco Caesar was awesome, pork char sui on the regular menu was amazing as well. The dessert on the pre fixe menu was a sweet potato cake that was super nostalgic for me and really executed perfectly. Great experience we will definitely be back for a pop up or after a menu change to try more things.

    Victor C.

    If you like vegetables a lot this is a must, you'll love it. I do like if but it was too much for me. Cold soup, I almost choke for the vinagre taste, salad was ok but too spicy. Chicken was crispy. Dessert was ok. Brisket was amazing, but as I said too many vegetables. Service was bad, they didn't explain anything about plates.

    Soup
    Amber S.

    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.

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    Been multiple times and it's wonderfully one of the most unique dining experience in Atlanta. Truly amazing and cozy.

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    Ask the Community - Little Bear

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    Canoe

    Canoe

    4.4
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    9.4 mi
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    On a beautiful early summer day with warm sunshine and gentle breezes, it was a pleasure to sit at…read moreone of the outside patio tables, overlooking the colorful flower garden and the lazy river -with food and service that lived up to this restaurant's positive reputation and its 5 star reviews. Food: 5/5 We decided to try a leisurely lunch. The menu is not large, but it has enough variety to be interesting. Everything we tried was delicious. The smoked salmon appetizer portion was large, but the best part was the great flavor. I can see why this choice has been on the menu for years. The Vidalia onion soup will be a surprise for the non-Georgians who expect it to be similar to a savory beef broth like French onion soup. Georgia's onions from the Vidalia area are sweet and tasty enough to carry the soup without the help of a meat broth and the green pesto sauce offers a nice additional touch. The salmon on fresh salad was done perfectly. The panka-crusted cod with mashed potatoes and spinach was outstanding. Both were seasoned so lightly that the true flavors shone through. The portions were generous enough that dessert at the time would have been too much, but others can do as we did and take home one of the dessert choices. Next time we plan to try their sandwiches which looked yummy at other tables. Service : 5/5 Service was excellent from the pleasant greeting, through the entire meal. Our server, Clayton, couldn't have been more helpful with the menu, as well as being very efficient and amiable. He made sure our food was served promptly and our beverages glasses were full, and our requests were met quickly. Facility: The facility lends itself to the riverside experience from the canoe in the entryway ceiling to the flowers and bird feeders just beyond the patio tables. The white tablecloth ambiance informs you that this isn't a fast-food experience. There are tents set aside in a more private are of the garden as a lovely venue for special events Location : This isn't a quick roadside stop next to a 6-lane highway. Even though the restaurant is convenient to dine in an Atlanta suburb, the roads to the restaurant wind and meander for a short distance through one of the prettiest neighborhoods, with a canopy of large old trees, with lovely fences, hedges, and gates lining the road. There is courteous valet parking at the front door. The restaurant is not inexpensive but it is well worth the prices paid, in our opinion.

    Canoe had been on my list for years, so I was excited when my husband surprised me with…read morereservations for my birthday. The experience started off beautifully. The hostess was welcoming, and we enjoyed waiting by the lake before being seated. When our table turned out to be directly under a cold air vent, the staff happily moved us to a more comfortable spot. The onion soup wasn't what we expected based on the menu description, and my salmon arrived much rarer than anticipated. After sending it back, it was cooked perfectly, though the flavor was just okay. My husband loved his entrée, and the complimentary birthday dessert was a thoughtful touch. Despite a couple of hiccups, the beautiful atmosphere and attentive service made for an enjoyable evening. I'd definitely return and try something different next time.

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    The Optimist

    The Optimist

    4.3
    (2.4k reviews)
    3.3 mi
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    We had a wonderful dinner at The Optimist, start to finish. We brought our 8‑month‑old with us and…read morewere promptly seated, no stress at all. Our daughter spent the first few minutes waving at the staff, and they genuinely lit up every time -- such a warm, welcoming vibe right from the jump. Starters We kicked things off with the she‑crab soup, and that's when we knew the meal was going to be special. Tons of rich crab flavor and chunks of crab. The crispy shrimp toast was another hit -- crunchy, savory, and a great pairing with the soup. We also ordered the Baker's Dozen oysters, chef's selection. All 13 were fresh, clean, and briny in the best way. Next up: the Spanish octopus, and honestly... top five octopus dish we've had. Cooked perfectly -- tender, melt‑in‑your‑mouth texture. The salsa macha added just the right amount of heat, and the marcona almonds brought a great crunch with the cilantro, lime, and mint brightening everything up. What a beautifully composed dish. We finished with the Halibut and Lady peas. The Halibut was topped with lobster and served with a lobster butter sauce, chives, and capers. Rich, buttery, flaky, and perfectly cooked. The lady peas (fava beans, asparagus, and a generous mound of blue crab) were another standout. So much flavor, but everything complemented each other instead of competing. One of those sides you keep looking for more of when it's gone. --- Overall Every dish was thoughtful, balanced, and executed at a high level. Service was warm and genuinely kind -- especially with our little one. 10/10 would recommend

    We have been coming to the ford Frye restaurants for almost 10 years. They've had great service,…read moregreat food and a great time. Over the years we've seen things decrease especially at the optimist. The hosts were great and they always give us great service but the food had been the lacking the last couple of services where the she crab soup lacked crab, the swordfish over cooked multiple times. This time in particular we ordered the whole lobster and was offered to have it taken out of the shell for us. HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND. When we got the lobster we got a full tail but one claw and no knuckles. When we addressed with the server, she argued with us that that's how a lobster is and that there could be more meat hidden on the plate. It felt like she thought we were there to just get more food by saying "so what do you want, more meat" but if we had it in the shell we would have received our full portion. The manager on duty tried to make it up to us by comping the lobster but it was more than that. After going back and forth with the server we just wanted the check to leave. The manager on duty insisted to give us the lobster and take it home. The server wasn't very polite and argued with us about the lobster. I wish I remembered the servers name With that said, the amount of money we have spent there over the years, it's unfortunate that that will be our last time going to the Optimist.

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    Two Urban Licks

    Two Urban Licks

    3.8
    (3.7k reviews)
    2.6 mi
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    We went for y husbands birthday dinner. Food was excellent! Service was great. The kitchen was a…read morelittle slow but it was not a terrible wait. Burrata appetizer was really good. The chicken, steak and short ribs were top notch. I was so happy the bar could make an Aperol Spritz! The strawberry tiramisu was a nice way to end an excellent meal. Will definitely be back. **side note** - please PLEASE water your trees

    My family and I were really excited to try to urban licks, as we had heard so much about it from so…read moremany different people. We came here for a birthday dinner celebration and we met with great customer service and a lovely atmosphere. There was a jazz trio performing, and the ambience of the restaurant was great. We were seated in an area that had a lot of traffic so some of us were bumped multiple times by servers, food going over our heads, people swinging their jackets, it just seemed as if the tables were a bit too close together. The food. We ordered the shrimp appetizer, the fried green tomatoes, and the pork belly. All of these were delicious, though we did feel like the tomatoes could've been a little crispy. The Carolina gold sauce on the pork belly was a nice tangy combination with the protein, and the shrimp had a surprisingly good sauce. The issue that we fell into with two urban licks were the mains ... We felt that the rotisserie chicken was a bit dry, and flavor was confusing as it was presenting as tandoori, but had an underlying flavor we just couldn't get into. The market fish on the menu for the day was a red snapper, and it didn't come with any sides, but it seemed like the fish was simply fried in the oil and it didn't have any seasoning or underlying flavor which we were disappointed in. The Hawaiian wahoo fish was a bit overcooked, and the "jerk" short ribs leaned more habanero salsa in the taste. The coconut rice and peas that went along with it was also dry, without coconut taste, and missed the mark for us. We are Caribbean and this was a disappointment to experience. The description on the page oversold it just a bit. We were able to call the manager, and they removed the chicken dish from our bill and took half of the final price of the short rib from our bill as well, and that was appreciated! Looking around the restaurant, it seemed like everyone was enjoying their meal, though we could never know what conversations were being had at those tables, and it just seems like this restaurant was not for us personally! Great service, but due to the food, we don't plan to return

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    The Alden

    The Alden

    4.5
    (341 reviews)
    11.2 mi
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    Holy cow - this food is amazing! My wife and I shared the pork belly, sous vide egg, the steelhead…read moretrout, the spicy black ink bucatini, and the pineapple bread pudding. Everything was outstanding, especially the egg. No wonder this is Michelin recommended! We then met chef Jared and he is amazing. The care and craft he puts in to his food makes sense hearing his stories, especially that he serves the art community with specialized food to match the art on display; what a cool concept! He even assisted us in buying a piece on display from a local artist. As yes, they have local art up on display - a great idea for a restaurant! Note for parking: use the valet. It's insane otherwise!

    Really enjoyed The Alden!! Service was very kind and friendly but slow at times on a Saturday night…read morewhich was understandable. At first there was a mix up with who was serving us do we got explained the drink menu twice. After our appetizer, we waited about 30-40 minutes for the rest of our items which took longer than we thought. They did give us some house made popcorn to keep us busy. Jahjoy pork belly: Tasty & tendor. I loved the papaya salad which left a refreshing contrast. A bit too saucy for me. Flavors were strong. Squid ink bucatini: our favorite! Must get dish - bucatini is perfectly al dente & the spicy sauce was very flavorful. Jumbo shrimp was delicious, and the anchovy on top left a nice strong flavor. Red snapper: This has some Vietnamese influences with the sauce. It was a lighter dish which was just OK for me, I would have liked the fish to have a crispier skin. Not much flavor besides the sauce which is inspired by canh chua. Wagyu flank steak: cooked to perfection and flavored well, loved the celery puree which was much tastier than we expected celery to be. Dessert was mint chocolate cake which was very tasty. I wish the cake was softer and meltier in the center but it was still good. Malt gelato was delicious. Could def taste the mintiness. Creme pat along the edges was a nice add to the cake with cacao nibs and popcorn for a textural contrast. I enjoyed it!! Overall we had a great meal and could tell the ingredients were very fresh. The presentation for all the dishes was beautiful!! We can tell the chef puts care in his food :) Appreciated the personal touch - they gave a handwritten card to my husband for his birthday!

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    Staplehouse

    Staplehouse

    4.2
    (317 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$$$

    One of the best lunch spots in the city. They also has a Michelin star sister restaurant south of…read morethe city that is an incredible experience. Highly recommend both

    I'd been seeing Staplehouse all over Instagram and hearing about their Michelin Guide recognition,…read moreso I was excited to finally give it a try. As somebody who genuinely loves food and especially Italian sandwiches, I ordered the Italian Grinder for pickup. Now, a little context. I'm a newer parent, and that day I was dressed casually sweats, hoodie, hat, just running around handling life. Nothing crazy. I only mention that because when I went in to pick up my order, the interaction left me uncomfortable. Two employees greeted me, and after I confirmed my name for the pickup, one of them held onto the bag tightly and asked me again if I was sure the order was mine, joking about making sure I wasn't stealing it. I laughed it off in the moment, but honestly, I couldn't fully tell if it was meant as a joke or not. And to be fair, I don't want to assume malicious intent or act like I know what was in that person's heart. But I also have to be honest about how it felt. I genuinely don't believe that same joke or comment would've been made to somebody who looked less "threatening," older, or dressed differently than me. Whether intentional or unconscious, moments like that stick with people. I'm a father, a dancer, a creative, and somebody who tries to greet people warmly and respectfully wherever I go. So walking out of there, I just felt a little judged instead of welcomed. The sandwich itself? Solid. Definitely good food. I'd give the grinder a 4 out of 5. But food is also tied to experience, and unfortunately the interaction took away from it for me. I don't think I'll be going back, but I do hope this feedback is received with understanding and not defensiveness, because perception and hospitality matter too.

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    Staplehouse
    Staplehouse
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    Charcuterie

    Little Bear - newamerican - Updated August 2026

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