TOP FLR

He says:
Top Flr, a small neighborhood bar/restaurant with a varied menu and affordable prices, is a welcome addition to the fast-growing Midtown restaurant scene. Despite its name, Top Flr actually has two floors; a wine bar on the bottom and a casual eatery upstairs. They occupy what used to be an old two-story walkup, and the small rooms, narrow stairwell, and odd layout give the restaurant a far more homey feel than what you would get at, say, Two Urban Licks. The spartan black and white color scheme does make the place look bigger, but if I were the owners of Top Flr, I’d play up the living room angle by cluttering it up with table lamps, old couches, and throw pillows.

She says:
As for the food, we started with a trio of appetizers. The do-it-yourself bruschetta, with a plate full of roasted red pepper, garlic, and red onions, greek olives, grilled summer squash, artichoke hearts, and goat cheese to load onto toasted bread was delicious, although I think I’d rather just have someone make it for me. There also seemed to be some a few oversights, like the bruschetta fixings coming without a spoon (we used our fingers) and the lack of a bowl for the empty mussel shells.

He says:
A bowl for the mussels definitely would have been useful, especially since we were eating them so quickly. They came in an excellent lime and coconut milk soy broth that would have been right at home in a Thai restaurant. It was simple, filling, and delicious. The lamb skewers could have been gamier and rarer, but they were paired well with a creamy daikon taziki sauce.

My entrée of pappardelle with duck confit was good, if not impressive. The chefs were generous with the duck, though the shitake mushroom and pearl onion reduction tasted very much like beef stroganoff. This isn’t a complaint, but it was certainly odd. The pasta was limp and slightly overcooked.

She says:
The wide strips of fresh pasta in the “free form ravioli” were highly reminiscent of Downtown Boy’s paparadelle. Mixed with zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, and corn as well as shrimp, the dish was appropriately light for the season, but still very filling. The food wasn’t over salted, which was a nice change of pace. Overall, it was more satisfying than exceptional.

We say:
Top Flr is a fine neighborhood pit-stop in for a casual bite and drink.




Top Flr
674 Myrtle Street, Atlanta, GA 30308
http://www.topflr.com/home.htm