After weeks of reviewing come-as-you-are restaurants, I had to remind myself to take a shower, fix my hair, put on makeup and pick through my wardrobe to find something fancy to wear when it was time to hit up Brasserie Margot at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta.
The swanky French brasserie, which debuted in early December, complements Bar Margot, also on the hotel’s second floor. While Brasserie Margot has an ooh-la-la vibe, with an opulent art deco design and plush seating, there’s a lot of substance to accompany the style.
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
Overseeing the hotel’s entire culinary operation is Jon Novak, who built his reputation with a three-and-a-half-year tenure at Tiny Lou’s at the Hotel Clermont, during which the restaurant achieved its first Michelin-recommended rating. While just 34, he already has clocked 18 years in the industry, including at fine-dining establishments in California and France. With Brasserie Margot, he dives deep into the classic French bistro textbook.
Mussels vol-au-vent and steak tartare proved to be two standout hors d’oeuvres. The former is a delightful seafood treasure of mussels tucked inside a flaky puff pastry case and enrobed in a mix of herby persillade sauce and rich Pernod cream.
Credit: handout
Credit: handout
The steak tartare is one of many menu items that provide the entertainment of tableside preparation, as do a number of recommended cocktails, including the 7514 triangle, which involves a smoking gun; an aged mezcal Negroni poured from a clay pot; and the lovely Louvre sour, whose froth is capped with an image of the Mona Lisa imprinted on rice paper.
Among vegetarian starters, vegetables Napolean was painstakingly detailed in presentation but tasted more of pastry than veggies. A beet salad, however, was a sensational combination of golden and red beets with maple sherry and blue cheese — a minimalist dish with maximum flavor.
I was looking forward to the soups and stews, but the French onion soup and bouillabaisse both were disappointing. The veal stock and caramelized onions provided deep, heady flavor but needed oozy, bubbling cheese. The high quality of the fresh catch bobbing in the bouillabaisse was unquestionable, but the broth lacked the expected complexity.
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
The chicken paillard, meanwhile, brought divinely roasted chicken on a bed of winter-perfect braised red cabbage, while short rib received loving treatment in boeuf bourguignon. A hugely portioned veal culet was breaded nicely and fried to a golden brown. I appreciated the accompanying sauce vierge for the fresh bites of tomato and basil, but not the heavy-handed addition of briny olives.
The gnocchi was more than a vegetarian afterthought. Pan-seared in brown butter, these dumplings were plump, buttery and had a satisfying exterior crispness and nuttiness, both amped up by chopped hazelnuts.
The dish that stole the show was one that has become Novak’s calling card: swordfish au poivre. The seared, peppercorn-crusted fish was cooked perfectly, wonderfully seasoned (in the quest for perfection, Novak now coats it with five different peppercorns), decadently sauced and heartily plated over silky mashed potatoes.
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
Despite the addictive pain d’epi bread service by Executive Pastry Chef Eric Snow, formerly of Atlas and the Garden Room, save room for such desserts as the mille-feuille and a dish called the floating island, with light-as-air meringue surrounded by a pool of creme anglaise and drizzles of pecan bourbon caramel. Want a final round of the trolley? A tableside flambee of crêpes suzette will wow you far more than an ounce of rum being poured tableside over two slices of rum cake.
What is especially impressive is the drive from Novak, his culinary team and the floor staff to offer Atlanta fresh tastes of France in a setting that’s just as seductive as the City of Love.
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
Credit: Kathryn McCrary
BRASSERIE MARGOT
2 out of 4 stars (very good)
Food: French brasserie
Service: polished, but can slow during peak hours
Noise level: average
Recommended dishes: steak tartare, mussels vol-au-vent, baby beet salad, swordfish au poivre, chicken paillard, boeuf bourguignon, gnocchi a la Parisienne, croque monsieur (lunch only), floating island, mille-feuille
Vegetarian dishes: vegetables Napoleon, baby beet salad, green salad, lentils, gnocchi a la Parisienne, various side dishes
Alcohol: full bar, exquisite (albeit expensive) bottle list, cocktails with flair
Price range: averages $50-$100 per person (not including drinks, tax or gratuity)
Hours: breakfast 7-11 a.m. daily, lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Accessibility: ADA-compliant, elevator access to second-floor restaurant
Parking: valet (discounted with restaurant-validated ticket), paid garage adjacent to hotel
Nearest MARTA station: Arts Center
Reservations: recommended for dinner
Outdoor dining: no
Takeout: not recommended (except grab-and-go breakfast)
Address, phone: 75 14th St. NE, Atlanta. 404-881-9898
Website: brasseriemargot.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.
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