Kyma

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Greek Seafood Tavern Rooted in Tradition, Refined by World-Class Training

Kyma opened in December 2001 as a collaboration between Executive Chef Pano I. Karatassos and his family, under the umbrella of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. The name and the spirit are unmistakably Greek — a deep blue ceiling mapped with a constellation display, white marble columns, and a bold iced fish display greet guests before a single dish arrives. The room is dramatic without being stiff, and the hospitality is exactly what the Mediterranean tradition promises: attentive, warm, and genuinely knowledgeable.

The Chef Behind the Kitchen

Chef Pano Karatassos grew up watching his grandmother cook Greek food and later worked the line in his father's celebrated Atlanta restaurants as a teenager. That foundation sent him to Florida International University for a hospitality degree and then to the Culinary Institute of America. What followed was a formative run through three of America's most demanding kitchens: Thomas Keller's The French Laundry, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Jean-Georges, and Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin. He brought that precision back to Atlanta, channeling it into contemporary Greek cuisine — a discipline that balances rigorous French technique with the bright, honest flavors of Greece.

Karatassos is also the author of Modern Greek Cooking, a 100-recipe cookbook featuring a wine section by his cousin Sofia Perpera, one of the world's leading authorities on Greek wines. That same seriousness about the wine list earned Kyma the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024, a recognition the restaurant has received across multiple years.

What Arrives at the Table

Seafood is delivered and prepared every day. The centerpiece of the menu is the whole fish display — guests choose their fish directly from the iced case, and once cooked, staff fillet it tableside. The signature preparation is Lavraki, a Mediterranean sea bass from Greece, grilled and finished simply with Chef Pano's Cretan extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and Santorini capers. A salt-crusted version, flambéed tableside, is available as a specialty for two.

Beyond whole fish, the menu moves through wood-grilled octopus with marinated red onions, Greek olives, and capers — a dish that has appeared on Atlanta's official list of 100 signature dishes — alongside spanakopita crisped in flaky filo, ouzo-cured salmon, and three-day marinated lamb chops grilled over oak wood fire. Traditional Greek spreads served with wood-grilled pita anchor the start of a meal, and dedicated vegetarian and vegan menus run alongside the main offerings.

The wine, cocktail, and ouzo list is extensive, and the kitchen's connection to Greek producers — from Aegean sea bass to imported beluga lentils and Santorini capers — keeps the sourcing honest.

Consistent Recognition, Lasting Reputation

Since Esquire named Kyma one of the top 20 restaurants in the country in 2002, the accolades have continued steadily: multiple appearances on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's top 10 list, four-star reviews, placement on Eater Atlanta's Essential list across multiple years, and OpenTable Diner's Choice recognition. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence reflects the same consistency that regulars describe in their own words — a place that delivers, every time.