First Look: Bar Margot adds local flavor to the Four Seasons

75 14th Street N.E., Atlanta, 404-881-5913, barmargotatl.com.

Named for Gwyneth Paltrow’s secretive smoking character in the Wes Anderson cult film, “The Royal Tenenbaums,” Bar Margot at the Four Seasons Atlanta aims to add some local flavor and a bit of hip cache to the Midtown hotel’s drinking and dining amenities.

The bar-centric food menu is a clever collaboration between Atlanta chef/restaurateur Ford Fry of Rocket Farm Restaurants (The Optimist, St. Cecilia, Marcel) and Four Seasons executive chef Robert Gerstenecker of Park 75. The spirits menu was conceived by two of Atlanta's most celebrated barmen, Greg Best and Paul Calvert, who are part of the team behind Club Ticonderoga at Krog Street Market.

Beyond the Four Seasons signature pink marble lobby, you gain entry to Margot via a sweeping grand staircase that’s illuminated by a Baccarat crystal chandelier. The chic setup extends from the balcony-like bridge, that also connects to Park 75, into a clubby room that offers seating at the long, marble-topped bar or around cushy tableaus of chairs and couches.

Snacks ($8-$13) include burrata with pistachio butter, sorghum and grilled sourdough, and beef tartare with crispy oysters, crostini and fresh horseradish. Other starters and shares ($10-$21) range from Vidalia onion soup with Gruyere cheese to raw Maine scallop with black truffle vinaigrette, and pickled white Georgia shrimp with Serrano peppers and green olive pico.

The menu gets a bit bigger and more expensive with pasta dishes and plates ($12-$30). Candy-shaped Crab Caramelle is tossed with San Marzano tomatoes and mint. Korean-style twice-fried chicken is glazed with spicy gochujang fermented chile paste and served with green papaya pickles. Offered at both lunch and dinner, the house-ground, butter-basted burger is a decadent stack of American cheese, charred onions and thick-cut bacon, with pickles and flattened “punch potatoes” on the side.

Among the seven signature house cocktails, look for the Gin Margot ($11), a gin and tonic variation with sherry and Thai basil, and the Mercy Street ($12), an Old Fashioned take with Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, Dolin dry vermouth, dry orange curaçao and bitters. The beer and wine list goes from simple, sudsy Bud Light to spendy, sparkling 2004 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Rose.