Is This THE Most Fun Restaurant in Atlanta?

There are more restaurants in Atlanta than you can count, many of them serving fantastic food and drinks, but sometimes, you’re looking for a little something extra. Enter Amore e Amore, a family-owned restaurant in Atlanta’s Inman Park. This fabulous eatery serves up traditional Italian fare in a not-so-traditional atmosphere. Get ready for a major dose of fun!

A night at Amore e Amore means indulging in classic Italian dishes like chicken piccata and lamb osso bucco — with the addition of bubble machines, party hats, disco music, and the restaurant’s rotating seasonal theme. This spring, you can experience “The Wizard of Oz,” complete with signature drinks such as “The ‘Oz’mopolitan” and an “Over the Rainbow” prix fixe menu, while seated among giant cutouts of the movie’s iconic characters. Other intriguing details include an “Emerald City” room, a yellow brick road, and countless ruby red slippers placed around the restaurant space.

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Gale Parker started Amore e Amore with her husband, Giovanni Ferro, over 20 years ago. The plan was for Giovanni to run the kitchen and for Gale, affectionately nicknamed “Mama Gale,” to be on the floor and welcome people into the restaurant. One day, Gale had the idea to add a few themed decorations to the dining room. And the rest, as she likes to say, is history.

“People loved the themes, so we just kept doing it,” she tells us. Now, Gale starts collecting items for her top-secret themes beginning months (and sometimes even years) in advance. “The Wizard of Oz is such a nostalgic movie for me,” Gale shares. “I have loved it ever since I was a young girl. It has been so fun revealing this theme to the public and seeing their reactions when they see the restaurant for the first time.”

Every detail of Amore e Amore’s themes is meticulously planned and thought out, creating a celebratory environment that allows guests to truly enjoy themselves and get lost in the experience. Previous themes have been Alice In Wonderland, Harry Potter, and Christmas Winter Wonderland, all as visually appealing and extravagant as the current Wizard of Oz theme.

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Though one could argue that it’s the over-the-top details and decor that keep guests coming back, the food alone is worth returning for. 

Curated by Giovanni, all of Amore e Amore’s menu items highlight seasonal ingredients sourced directly from Italy and local farms. To begin your “Over the Rainbow” meal, a cart arrives at your table with a wheel of fresh parmesan shaved into thick slices and served with house-marinated olives, freshly-baked warm bread, and a bright, herbaceous pesto. Other menu highlights include an intermezzo course of homemade lemon sorbet with vodka and pappardelle pasta with a simple yet stunning tomato sauce.

SB Tip: If “Over the Rainbow” isn’t your happy place, you can order a la carte from their regular dinner menu!

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Apart from the experience and the food, Amore e Amore is known for its unparalleled service and attentive staff — some of whom have worked there since the restaurant opened in 2000. “We try to treat everyone like family here,” says Gale. “Our servers remember people’s names and orders. Some of our guests have spent every Christmas Eve with us for the past 20 years — their children have literally grown up here.”

In fact, on Amore e Amore’s regular menu is a pasta dish created in honor of a family that has been dining with them for decades, named “Miller’s Rhapsody in B Major (The Miller Family’s Pasta).”

Amore e Amore’s lovingly prepared Italian cuisine and unique, festive environment is a dining experience you will remember for years to come. The restaurant opens for dinner at 5  p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and kids ages 12 and under are welcome from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To make a reservation, click here.

All photos provided by Amore e Amore.

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