Dante’s Down the Hatch

I wait until it is CLOSED to write this review. This place is legendary, the antiques and the gators are weird and funny, Dante is a true character, the band is just okay, food is 100% unhealthy. A grandpa with amazing stories and bad attitude. Now grandpa is gone because he refused to change and we don’t need him any more– with so many interesting things going on in town. Plus grandpa got a good lump sum!
5-​star for the experience. I’m not a big fun of their cheesy fondue.
To understand the restaurant, you need to meet Dante in person and have some conversation. He’s very proud of his European parents; he travels a lot; he is kind of like the guy in the movie Big Fish. Lots of stories. At the same time he is a businessman. I won’t judge but check his response to unsatisfied customers on tripadvisor.
Talking to him is a very unforgettable experience. I met him in a private event in Dante’s Down the Hatch; he gave a funny yet inspiring speech and took good care of all the guests. Got invited to see his beautiful dog– calm, noble and stunning. Everything in Dante’s is like magic.
I’m not surprised that people either love it or hate it. The restaurant is losing customers definitely– the economy is bad; they are not aggressively marketing; the menu is very limited and pricey; they’ve got some attitude. I just wish they could stay as a theme park or museum. Dante said he would like to find another place for the ship and antiques and hopefully reopen, but who knows when?
See you later, alligator!

Sort of like dining in the pirates of the caribbean ride. It is the most unique rooms in Atlanta and sadly will be missed. Had to stop in for one last drink.

It pains me to write this review. Dante’s, a Buckhead institution, is apparently closing its doors at the end of July. As a longtime Atlanta resident, I have enjoyed birthdays and special events at this whimsical establishment for years. The owner is a delight, and my husband wanted to visit the restaurant for his birthday (he has never dined at Dante’s).
Unfortunately, the person who took my reservation over the phone was a far cry from professional, friendly, or welcoming. My reservations were rather last-​minute, however I do not feel that warranted the level of snarkiness, abruptness and borderline rudeness exhibited by the reservations person on the phone as I made my reservation.
Thirty minutes after hanging up, I still had a bad taste in my mouth about the experience, and called back to speak to the manager about the events that had transpired (might I add that getting to speak with a manager required arguing with the same reservations person I had initially spoken with – I finally had to explain that she was the reason I wanted to speak to a manager – how awkward!). After speaking to the manager, I was even more upset than I was by my initial conversation with her reservations person.
I am giving this review two stars because, while the location and concept of the restaurant are certainly unique and the fondue experience is fun, I simply refuse to tolerate that (nonexistent) level of customer service – especially from the front of the house, who should strive to make guests feel appreciated and set the initial (and ideally positive) tone for the company’s overall brand.
Needless to say, I cancelled our reservation and plan to go elsewhere.

It’s sad to see an Atlanta landmark go. To be closing at the end of July, I had to go experience Dante’s. I’ve heard about this place for so long but never really had the chance or company to go.
So my friend invited me to try the chocolate fondue experience which I’ve heard so much about and she was able to reserve a spot. Apparently they only have 1 group that does this per night? There’s a hell of a wait list right now till closing date.
So what’s up with the hype? Well, it’s damn good chocolate. I’ll tell you that.
We (party of 9) only had the chocolate fondue so I can’t comment on other food in the establishment.
Restaurant itself is dimly lit. Like, it’s lit by small lanterns and candles sorta lit. There’s a big ship by the entrance, a moat or you can just call it a holding tank around the boat, there’s turtles and alligators (?) within this water which was pretty fun for the child of the group to be so excited for.
As for the experience, waiters and staff were all very friendly. I hope everyone here has a good last hooray before they leave. But Dante, he’s a real character. He’ll start with the story of what is chocolate, why his chocolate is procured, what it takes to make his chocolate, and everything else about it. I won’t divulge this info (not like it’s top secrete or anything) considering it’s part of the experience of having him tell it to you. I feel like this is what makes it special for him to connect with his customers.
If you’re lucky enough to try the chocolate fondue experience, it’s literally a pot of melted chocolate for every 2 person and a tray full of fruits surrounded by marshmallows. There’s bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, kiwi, grapes, pineapple, and tangerine pieces. Overall, a LOAD of fruits. You can literally get full of fruits alone. So if you’re planning on attending, just skip dinner and make this dinner. We just took the remaining fruits home and I had fruit as breakfast the next day, so much fruit!
As for the chocolate itself, it’s a milk chocolate. Heavy in cream for the fondue. It’s very liquidy but it’s not THAT sweet. It has it’s distinct flavor for chocolate, I would describe it as milk chocolate but more roasted flavor. But that’s just me.
Overall, it was a fun experience. Got a lot of laughs out of the night, very enjoyable. Would highly recommend just for a once outing to try it out.
Tip: not recommended for those with almond allergies

While I certainly enjoyed my first — and last — trip to Dante’s, a week or so removed and I still think it was only worth three stars. My friend suggested we all try it out since they are closing and I said «Why not?» Some people aren’t fans of fondue, but I certainly am.
The cheese fondue was quite tasty. I just wish the portion came with more apples! The apples are the best part! Our group of six split a wide variety of meats and veggies for dipping. The best were the shrimp and the beef. Everything else was average. The veggies were cut a bit big so they took a long time to cook. They provide you with tomatoes but then tell you not to put them in the oil as they will explode. Doesn’t make a lot of sense but whatever. The dipping sauces were excellent. However, I think everything could have used more salt… and none was provided on the table. I always get a tad annoyed when there is no salt on the table.
Our waiter was excellent and provided us with well needed guidance when ordering for six. The evening probably would’ve been better if we had been able to sample the infamous chocolate fondue, but alas, it is all booked until they closed.
The meal was reasonable in price considering all we got. They add on an entertainment charge of $ 7 which I think is a bit much… but the music was a great mood-setter…even if it was a tad loud.

This was my first time coming to Dante’s (although not the first hearing about it, since a friend grew up in Atlanta and his family are big fans). I know they’re closing soon, so this was most likely my last time too. I have to say the atmosphere and the experience are a big plus. The set up is very unique and there’s even part of a ship inside and live alligators. The lighting is dimmer, so it lends itself to a good date night, but was great for our girls night as well. It is on the expensive side, so not something you could do everyday. The staff was wonderful and everyone we encountered was welcoming. We also met Dante, and since it was a bachelorette dinner, he came to our table and told us a story and gave us a complimentary glass to take home.
I have always heard good things about the fondue, but since I didn’t want a huge dinner I went with the dumplings appetizer and they were great! Especially with the house sauces they have for the fondue. I will note the menu combinations are interesting, I don’t normally think of asian influence and fondue in the same setting. Obviously, all fondue places are more for the experience which I always find fun and the portions were very big so plenty to share. I would recommend this place if you have the opportunity to go before the closing.

This is one of the strangest restaurants I have ever «experienced.» It’s cheesy, it’s tacky, it overwhelms the senses. It is a fondue place disguised to look like some sort of encomium to the nautical life that also has live jazz. Everyone from Ron Burgundy to R. Lee Ermey would enjoy this place. The food is over-​priced and frankly, not up to par. Yes, there is some sort of quasi-​romantic kitsch associated with fondue and frying meats at the table, but I can see after just one visit, why this place is closing down.

This place is obviously an experience to have, and less about the food and drink. When I told somebody I was going to a restaurant that had live jazz, fondue, a pirate ship, a moat, and an alligator, her response was «fondue?!?»
This place was exactly as described… just like Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney, with fake people, dim old looking lights, tons of nooks and crannies with tables (hence, some of the comments of this being a «romantic» place), and of course the giant pirate ship in the middle of the room, which we of course, paid extra to sit on for our meal. The menu is unintentionally hilarious, with tidbits like «43 years of experience to find wines that pair well with fondue»…my friend asks for a recommendation to pair with the cheese fondue, and the server says «Chardonnay?» Yes, with a question mark. My friend ends up ordering the wine, and dumps half of it into the cheese, which actually made it taste better. I had a glass of sparkling wine from Domaine Chandon, which was pretty good, but of course, I had to also order a frozen strawberry daiquiri so I could get the souvenir glass. The plates and portions are small… I feel like my food (salad, veggies and ordinary bread bits) kept falling off the tiny plates onto the table. Don’t come here for the food, people… it’s all about the spectacle, and the people watching. If this review were only about the food, it would have been 1, maybe 2 stars.
Oh, and go check out the animatronic witch in the ladies bathroom, who screeches at you when you trigger the motion sensor. There’s also old timey relics set up in the basement, like an old register, barber shop, and hand crank telephone. There are antique cars outside and a small intricate replica of the ship that the dining room was modeled after. it’s like Dante just threw all his old collectibles all into the restaurant for people to view, including lots of photos of himself with celebrities who had visited the restaurant… right after checking out the photos, who do I bump into on my way back to my table? Dante himself.
BTW, the alligator’s name is Pinocchio.
Item on list of things I had to experience in Atlanta: Dantes Down the Hatch… CHECK. Done.

Um, bizarre? Unique…
I went here on a whim with a group on a work trip. The guy who made the reservation said the person on the other line was rude, borderline hilarious with her serious attitude. «Are you okay with the POOP DECK? Are you aware 7pm is the UNIVERSAL DINING TIME, SIR?» hahahah wut.
Anyways, I felt like I was in Disney World… I think? The menu was super heavy-​handed with copy (about three paragraphs entirely about how you basically can’t get dessert fondue, WHAT? I want dessert fondue.)
The waitress was good, other than she didn’t give us a drink menu until AFTER we were finished. She helped us decide how to split stuff up for a larger party. The food was okay, I felt like there could have been more for the price. The cheese ran out quickly. We were next to the jazz band and they were truly great. Also great were the alcoholic milkshakes for dessert. But they do one dessert fondue a night, not on the weekends, and you have to call ahead like three days in advance? I was reading it and just stared at it. That has to be a joke, right?
Giving it a 3 — not because I have experienced better per se, but because I think it has potential to not be a crazy place that apparently is rumored to be closing often. Dante, whom I did not get to meet, seems like quite a character who is afraid of change, I think… so I wish him the best.
At least I can say I did Dante’s!

Hard to rate this one… ambiance is great for families and a unique night out. Food was good but not Melting Pot good fondue. Prices are a bit high for fondue, which is expensive in itself but Dante’s adds a bit as well (see a bottle of Duckhead Decoy Merlot, a $ 20 wine at the store for $ 43 or $ 48…100% markup is a norm but more than that and I get annoyed).
We sat in the wharf area– second floor somewhat overlooking the ship. Music was more than enough from there so I really wouldn’t want to be inside the ship. After all, part of the fondue experience is conversation and I can’t see that being easy in that setting surrounded by a mock wooden ship (very cool but not sound muffling none-​the-​less) so close to a jazz band.
Positive: people were friendly. Ambiance is very unique. I wouldn’t think fondue is a place to take the kids but this place accords it with the ship and wharf and crocodiles. Very cool.
Couple of other beefs: probably the lone time I have used a paper napkin for a$ 150+ dinner. The two-​person tables are not built for fondue. When you have a cheese app and the dinner oil cooking with a bottle of wine and waters on the table it’s really cluttered and simply doesn’t present well. The pots they use for the fondue might have been there the 40 or whatever years the restaurant has. Maybe they are trying to play off the ship motif but I wasn’t enjoying the charred set of pots sitting at the table throughout our dinner.
I may be skewed because of previous experiences, but outside of the unique ship/​wharf motif Dante’s is definitely several steps down from the romantic ambiance, food and experience you’d get for a better price at the Melting Pot. It was fun and for some reason I would still recommend it as a one time trip but if I were to recommend simply a fondue experience I’m not sending them to Dante’s.

Hidden gem in Atlanta. Hard to get to because of the highly trafficked Lenox area, but once you are there, be prepared to step into a different world. The interior of this place is an old english boardwalk complete with water underneath (and an alligator) and a large ship in the middle of the restaurant.
Eat on the ship. It’s worth the extra $ 10 and you get your own private cabin to enjoy the night with. Definitely better with more people, but very intimate as a date place as well.
I recently read it is getting bought and torn down for apartments. This would be a true travesty to the Atlanta food scene and I am 100% against it.

When asking for recommendations on where to dine in ATL, my coworker described this place as a «fondue place with live jazz music on a ship over alligators.» SOLD!
The atmosphere at Dante’s is really fun. We sat in the ship right next to the jazz band. It was a little loud so that was kind of annoying but still pretty fun. Although it was a bit cramped, the service definitely made up for it. Our waiter was fast, cheery, and very attentive. We both ordered the Mandarin Fondue. This had pork, chicken, beef, squash, and mushrooms. Considering how much and how often I stuff my face, I was actually pretty full after the meal! Get the wine that is paired with it, very delicious.
This is a great place to check out for the environment. The food didn’t blow me away and it was pretty loud. Make sure you have a reservation!

Five years ago, I was a broke intern on Capitol Hill and found myself googling «cheap haircut, good reviews, DC» which led me to this unique orange and white website with all sorts of information about where I could go for reasonably good results on a minuscule budget. Fast forward to the present day, and this website (which did lead me to an awesome hair cut, by the way) has become so much more to me. I was reminded of this at our recent UYE visit to Dante’s Down the Hatch.
13 Unilocalers descended on Dante’s on a Thursday night, and though we missed out on the chocolate fondue (they only do one a night and it was booked that night), you better believe we paid the extra $ 7 to sit on the Pirate’s Ship. If you’re going to eat fondue in a restaurant known for its crocodiles (or are they alligators?) and its 19^th century boat, I’m of the opinion you should take advantage of experiencing those things in the biggest and best way possible.
As the host of the UYE, I appreciated that when I called to make the reservation, they immediately offered to do separate checks, and that they still seated us though one member of our party never showed. Although our one server seemed a bit overwhelmed at times (there were some long wait times between portions of the meal), I thought that overall he did a fantastic job with our group, from fixing testy fondue pot burners, to teaching us how long to cook each item, to suggesting that we split two entrée portions of cheese fondue across the table instead of each ordering our own appetizer portion to save us some money.
As for the food itself, it’s perfectly fine. The cheese fondue was probably my favorite part of the meal, but next time I’ll request more vegetables and less bread. I went with the beef for my entrée, and though I was a little perturbed when I got just a tiny saucer filled with meat, it ended up being a more than generous portion, and I left feeling comfortably stuffed.
But really, you don’t come here for the food. You come here for the ambiance, for the history, and for Dante himself. You come for the crocodiles (alligators?), and the opportunity to catch up with old and new friends afforded by the long time it takes to cook your own dinner. You come to laugh at the seriously ridiculously awful jazz music you’re paying $ 7 to listen to and at the awkward high school couples who all seem to find fondue as the ultimate fancy holiday date.
Thanks to Unilocal for the lead to places like this and for the people to enjoy them with, and to Dante’s for a truly enjoyable meal. Now just to find a time to go back for that hand-​stirred-​for-​eight-​hours chocolate fondue…

Just okay. Not extraordinary
Food was fresh (the oil popped on me)
Table was tiny
Refreshing concept
Got full off of the bread
Servings and quality arent worth the money (unless you have never-​ending pits of it)
My bf softens my view of this restaurant because HE thinks it has potential.
Let’s just say Im not going again unless HE pays the entire bill.

Remember those little magnet refrigerator poems from college that you thought were so clever?
Well I think somewhere, someone had «pirate jazz fondue» up there and decided to make it a restaurant.
The fondue is OK. The shrimp is probably the best item so no matter what you get, make sure it includes shrimp!
Also, this place doesn’t have dessert fondue unless you order it like 2 days ahead of time. Who the hell goes out to a fondue place and doesn’t get the chocolate fondue dessert?
Anyhow, I liked it but the place will be closing soon. It is a classic Atlanta establishment (or so I was told) so get there as soon as you can. It will soon be just an Echo, Memo.

Dante’s is AWESOME!
Funny that I’ve been residing in Atlanta almost exclusively for over 4 years, have driven right past the entrance on Peachtree more times than I could count, and been regaled with tales of its awesome «piratey-​ness,» yet I’d never been until recently.
Well, all that changed and I have been shown the light of fondue on the high seas. As soon as you enter the restaurant you know you’re in for a different experience; there’s a giant pirate ship inside where people sit twirling their fondue forks and alligators lounge casually in moats running throughout the restaurant, while live jazz music casually wafts through the air. Ok, hold up now — what?!
Yes, everything I just wrote is absolutely accurate. I’m dead serious — I couldn’t even make this stuff up.
So, continuing the tale of swashbuckling, we walked a gangplank down to a lower level where the live jazz band was playing that evening and seated in a cozy booth. From there, our waiter Max came over to introduce himself, educate us on how Dante’s does fondue (it’s a little different from the Melting Pot), and took our drink order.
After looking over all the extensive fondue offerings (you can literally choose from over a dozen different cheese or oil combinations, we choose the traditional «Swiss» cheese fondue (a combo of classics like Emmentaler, Gruyère, etc) and the combination dinner fondue (it included a little of everything: beef, chicken, shrimp, pork and veggies to dunk in the oil and four sauces to dip them in afterwards).
A waitress brought out two little elevated stands to hold the fondue pots and leave room for kerosene flames underneath. The cheese fondue arrived first complete with a huge basket of cubed white and rye bread and apples. Mmm… so tasty.
Not too long after, the meat combo came out. Max gave us a brief tutorial on how long different cuts of meat took to cook in the oil and left us to our own devices. Aside from a minor mouth burning incident on the first piece of squash, it went off swimmingly (no pun intended), and although everything didn’t look like a ton of food to begin with, I was very satisfied by the end of the meal.
The thing that made the night just perfect came when Dante himself stopped by our table, cracked jokes that I’m certain he uses every night at just about every table, and made us all feel welcome and special. It’s not every night that the restaurant owner makes the rounds, and I was impressed and charmed by it, at least.
This was a great experience — so unique and out of the ordinary. I would definitely recommend it to out of towners or anyone just looking to be genuinely awed and impressed. Or anyone who dreams of being a pirate too! And really who hasn’t imagined themselves as Captain Jack Sparrow at least once?

Like another reviewer said, what is not to love about Dante’s; it’s a freaking pirate ship that serves up fondue complete with alligators.
After living in Atlanta for close to 10 years I’ve been wanting to check out Dante’s, but haven’t had the chance until this past New Years Eve. After calling around and looking online for something to do on New Years Eve we decided on Dante’s because it provided the best bang for the buck. They were running a special that night with dinner for 2, a bottle of champagne, party favors, and a celebration party for only $ 140 a couple.
When we arrived at Dante’s we were greeted by the man himself (Dante) and his host staff. They pleasantly ushered us to our table in the balcony area. After being seated we were greeted by our friendly waiter that asked how we wanted to proceed with our meal, since it was 9:30pm and we were going to be there the duration of the night. We told him to not hurry; that we’d like to start out with a bottle of wine. Dante’s has a fabulous selection of wines; we ended up ordering the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio which in my opinion is one of the best white wines available.
As we enjoyed our wine the waiter came around to check on us. We ordered the cheese fondue to begin with. The melted cheese was excellent served with a basket of bread, fruits, and vegetables to dip in. Next came our main dish, the Mandarin Fondue, which consisted of shrimp, pork, and beef. Both fondue meals were excellent and well worth the money.
After dinner we ordered another bottle of SM Pinot Grigio to sip on and enjoy the live jazz coming from the ship. A little bit later on our champagne arrived along with New Years hats, whistles, streamers, etc. Close to midnight the party started and the crowd went wild. I have to admit I was screaming, blowing whistles, and partying like an 18 year old rock star.
After the party was over we realized we might have had just a tad bit too much fun and decided it was best to leave our car to take a taxi home. We asked permission to do so from the hostess and she obliged by taking down our space number and vehicle description. But wait! There’s more. Dante was there at the door and made sure that we had enjoyed ourselves that night. He even posed with us for a photo op.
Overall, my experience at Dante’s was great! I can’t wait to come back here another night to try some more Dante’s and Chef Hsu’s creations.

With all the boiling oil, melted cheeses and crocs below your feet, you may be worried that you hooked up with the wrong Dante… nah, there’s no inferno here, just a good time.
Very unique place that could be a really nice place for a date, what with the fire burning under the oil, and with most tables being for two. Jazz music is played in the actual boat, which is right in the center of the building, but it’s never too loud to drown out your conversation. Definitely encourage you to wander around, explore, and try to see the crocs. Oh yea, there’s all sorts of confusion about the dress code here… there is NOT one, as I saw jean shorts on kids, athletic wear on guys, but there were well dressed folks also, so come as you are.
I’d never had fondue before, so we started off sharing the imported cheese fondue. Seems like there’s more bread than cheese, that or i’m a heavy dipper! Speaking of the bread, you get dark brown and a white croûton like bread for dipping, along with a bowl of diced apples. The bread and cheese were great, and cheese melted over apples is such an interesting flavor!
For the main course, we ordered the Mandarin fondue, which came with four different meats (shrimp, beef, pork and chicken), four dipping sauces (horse raddish, thai, something with anchovies, etc) and veggies (mushrooms, squash, bell pepper), and you can just get away with sharing it between two people. The wait staff lets you know how long things cook (beef, pork, and veggies in the oil for 1 minute, chicken for 2 minutes, but I let my meats stay in a couple minutes over). The meats were all tasty and in truth, I sprinkled a little salt on the meat versus using the dipping sauces
Speaking of the wait staff, our server, Jordan, was top notch, and once he found out I was allergic to seafood, he allowed us to substitute extra chicken for the shrimp, and got us a fresh batch of oil that had not had shrimp cooked in it. And yes, I did ask about the cinammon to make my toasty bread, but he smiled and said, «You heard that from Unilocal,right?» before letting us know why they didn’t do this any longer (that much oil soaked into the bread can make you sick). So while it didn’t work for me, don’t let it deter you from asking!
The dessert was just okay (I had cheese cake, plain), and while very dense, it needed more flavor! Like everyone else, I wish I could’ve tried the chocolate fondue, but you have to plan ahead, and nope, they don’t make any on the weekend.
I had fun here, and while i’d probably hit another fondue place first to compare, it wouldn’t be a shock to find me back here.

I’ve been to dantes on many many occassions over the yrs and I have to say that the food is tasty. atmosphere is romantic. you get to dine on a indoor boat and there is live jazz band and singer playing.
they even have a live alligator there too.
nice informative staff. consistant food. and great décor brings me back
good place for a date if u like jazz.

My boyfriend took me here as a surprise 6 months dinner and it’s a very cute, romantic place.
The lighting is very dim, but they play jazz music throughout the night so it set the mood just right.
It is a ALL fondue restaurant. We tried the cheese fondue with bread and apples, and we weren’t too fond of it, but still worth a try, if you like wine in your melted cheese.
We ordered one of the popular dishes, it’s called mandarin something. Can’t really remember, but it comes with 8 ounces collectively of all different sorts of meat such a shrimp, steak, chicken, etc. and you cook it yourself in a fondue pot.
because we’re pretty heavy eaters (lol) the fondue restaurant isn’t a type of restaurant that is beneficial to us. We paid over $ 100 for just the two of us, and we still left not being full.
you have to pay extra to sit in the lower part of the restaurant where the music plays but it seemed worth it.
the strawberry daquri was yummy, however, and they give you the glass to take home.
then the manager stopped us on the way out and had a long conversation and it was really surprising how he really takes an effort to know people and how different we are in our cultures and what not.
The best part of the night was definitely the manager! But otherwise, it was an okay night, with a horrible bill at the end. Good first time, but probably won’t come back due to the lack of good serving sizes.

Wer nach Atlanta kommt, kann an diesem Restaurant nicht vorbei!
Jazz und Fondue! Was für eine Kombination!
An 4 Tagen live Jazz und eine Auswahl an fantastischen Fondues in einer Athmosphäre die Ihresgleichen sucht!
Das Restaurant ist im Stil eines alten Hafens gebaut, in dem eine alte Fregatte in einem künstlichen Hafenbecken liegt.
Ein Blick auf die Website zeigt, was ich meine, wenn ich sage, dass dieses Restaurant einzigartig ist. Man sitzt entweder auf dem Schiff oder in den Hafenanlagen, umgeben von (echten) Papageien und Krokodilen und genießt Musik und Essen.
Reservierung unbedingt nötig!!!