Frommer's Review
Joël Antunes is flying solo these days. Antunes, formerly of the Dining Room at Ritz-Carlton Buckhead fame, is a Frenchman who trained in Nice under Paul Bocuse and went on to win accolades in Lyon, London, and Thailand. His experience as chef of a restaurant in the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok shaped his style, and his cuisine successfully blends Eastern and Western flavors.
His namesake restaurant includes a 65-seat tapas bar/lounge, two 16-seat private rooms, and Joël patisserie, a gourmet takeout shop offering pastries, sandwiches, and light meals. Designed by the Johnson Studio -- creators of Canoe, Bluepointe, and Aria -- Joël features a clean, sleek design with high windows and classic materials. The space is minimalist and contemporary, and color is used sparingly and dramatically. The 16-seat wine room has a glassed-in wall that holds 5,000 bottles of wine. As if that weren't enough, Antunes boasts that he has the biggest piece of cooking equipment in the country: a 62-foot stainless steel stove, the longest in a stand-alone kitchen in the U.S. Each of his 12 chefs focuses on the preparation of three or four dishes from start to finish, and each has his or her own cooking area along the massive stove. Wow.
The restaurant's menu illustrates Antunes's extensive culinary experience in Paris, the south of France, Asia, and London. The options are limited enough to keep your head from spinning, yet so varied that you don't feel cheated. Whatever you choose, you must save room for dessert or the after-dinner cheese service. Philippe Buttin, formerly of London's famed Mirabelle restaurant, has compiled an impressive 300-selection international wine list with bottles from Chile, Spain, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. An equally impressive reserve list is also available.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
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