Elise, a new restaurant from Lyla Lila chef Craig Richards, will open Tuesday at the Woodruff Arts Center, taking over the space formerly occupied by Table 1280.
The partnership between Richards and the Woodruff Arts Center, which houses the Alliance Theater, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and High Museum of Art, was announced nearly a year ago. Since then, the Renzo Piano-designed restaurant space was updated by Smith Hanes Studio, adding lighter wood floors and warmer neutrals that allow a few large splashes of color and central artworks to stand out, according to a news release.
Table 1280 shut down in 2022 after 17 years on the Woodruff Arts Center campus.
Richards will open Elise with a seafood-forward, European-inspired menu that will also feature pastas made in-house.
“I’ve always been drawn to cooking seafood,” Richards said in a press statement, referencing his time as executive chef of St. Cecilia. Richards helped open the Buckhead restaurant in 2014 with chef and restaurateur Ford Fry and, a few years later, was promoted to vice president of culinary operations for Fry’s hospitality group, Rocket Farm Restaurants. Richards then partnered with restaurateur Billy Streck to open Lyla Lila in Midtown in December 2019.
Elise will open with à la carte dinner service with plans to add a five-course, $95 tasting menu in the coming weeks, according to the announcement. Optional wine pairings will be available for an additional $45, creating a relative bargain compared to many of Atlanta’s other tasting menus, which often start at more than $200 without beverage pairings.
Menu highlights include scallop crudo with melon and bronze fennel; halibut with ginger beurre blanc and caviar; smoked lamb shank with polenta verde and poached apricots; and Richards’ signature cacio e pepe risotto.
The largely Old World wine list will focus on French producers, with a range of well-known appellations and smaller producers across the 100 selections, the announcement said. Eric Potrikus, the restaurant’s beverage manager, has created a cocktail menu focused on classics with seasonal and creative twists. The bar will also offer a selection of interesting vermouths.
Lyla Lila’s general manager Chris Blackburn has taken on a new role as director of hospitality for both restaurants and will lead the service experience at Elise, according to the news release.
Elise will initially open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday beginning at 5 p.m., with weekday lunch service to be added later.
“There’s something meaningful about returning to a space that first inspired you,” Richards said in a press statement. “When I dined here back in 2005, I was drawn to the architecture and the atmosphere. Now, to have the opportunity to contribute my own vision — one that is shaped by food, music, and design — feels both personal and creatively full circle.”
Reservations are now available on Resy.
1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-540-7572, elise-atl.com
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