The Best Italian Restaurant In Atlanta Is Tucked Under A Condo Complex

From quick-order pizza restaurants to cozy, brick-lined holes in the wall, Atlanta's breadth of Italian restaurants covers any price point and palate. But when you're looking for something upscale, elegant, and truly next-level, the only place you should consider is La Grotta Ristorante Italiano, just off Peachtree Road in metro Atlanta.

It doesn't advertise and barely even has a sign out front, likely because it's tucked underneath the Peachtree House condo complex. Its English name, The Cave, is true to form, requiring you to navigate a few twists, turns, and elevators to reach its secluded location adjacent to the complex's courtyard. But once you step through those doors into the dimly lit, low-ceilinged interior, the world transforms from bulk-purchase carpeting and sterile walls into an atmosphere of white tablecloth dining, sport coats, and the lilt of Italian phraseology mixed with Southern drawls.

Free of any Italian-joint red flags that would have you running, La Grotta is one of the premier dining experiences in Atlanta. It's where we Atlantans go for anniversaries, promotions, birthdays, and milestones, partaking in flawless service and even better food. Voted Best Italian by Atlanta Magazine for 18 years in a row and winning an AAA Four Diamond Award for 20, its more than 40-year history is a litany of celebrations, innovation, and unapologetically Northern Italian food.

Antonio Abizanda, the executive chef, and Sergio Favalli, owner and manager, began La Grotta in 1978. While they've since passed leadership on to Favalli's son, Christian, and a new executive chef, Drew van Leuvan, the spirit of classical cuisine with breakthrough novelty creates a menu that's full of favorites and fun discoveries with each visit.

Rule number one of La Grotta: Avoid the standard ordering mistake of skipping antipasti. My family insists on an antipasto of prosciutto with melon and parmesan on each visit, starting the experience with a blend of cured salt, natural sugar, and cheese sharp and earthy as a well-honed stalagmite. I usually like to opt for the ravioloni con caprino, light pasta purses stuffed with goat cheese, celery, and apple. If, however, I want to jump into something heavier, there are few pastas in the world more tender, complex, and decadent than La Grotta's gnocchi al ricotta with braised beef cheek sugo.

Any of the time-consuming Italian dishes the restaurant offers are worth selling your soul for. The occasional osso buco on special is always a treat, but there's a menu regular that puts it to shame. Anatra alla griglia e cannelloni ripieno stalks my dreams at night. Grilled duck breast served over cannelloni stuffed with duck leg confit, with just a bare mixture of ricotta, mascarpone, and parmesan, and finished with a wild cherry and duck jus. It's the ultimate jewel in La Grotta's crown of a menu, framed by a carefully curated array of equally skillful dishes.