Read reviews on Associated Content A Cozy Bistro with Magnificent Food:
"Café Lily is located on Downtown Decatur's main street, Ponce de Leon Avenue. This warm and welcoming Mediterranean bistro is truly a family affair, founded in 1999 by father and son team Angelo and Anthony Pitillo. While Chef Anthony cooks delectable dishes in the kitchen, mom Elizabeth is the resident interior designer and landscape architect. Until his recent untimely death from pancreatic cancer, Angelo, the family scion, was the smiling face of Café Lily. Angelo was known for talking to customers in the dining room and helping them choose the perfect libation from the restaurant's extensive wine list. "
- Alex Van Meyer
A new review on Creative Loafing

Rum-cured salmon garnished with chopped egg, caviar, capers, onions, fennel remoulade and herbed crustini, along with shrimp beignets and insalata mista (credit: Ian Redinbaugh)
Right angler - A visit to Decatur's Café Lily will leave you hooked on salmon
"When a friend introduced me to Decatur's Café Lily several months ago, he explained that he hadn't tried most of the items on the Mediterranean-Aegean-accented menu. "I always start with the rum-cured salmon," he explained. "And then maybe go with a beef entree. But the grilled salmon's pretty good, too."

He was right on all counts. Being no fan of uncooked fish, I let him summon the rum-cured salmon for himself. I began with a mixed salad of baby field greens topped with dead-ripe Roma tomato slices and puff-paste croutons dressed with balsamic vinaigrette ($3.95). Bingo. The salad was cold and crisp, the dressing added in the right amount, the portion large enough to share.

My buddy, meanwhile, was working through a huge platter of thin-sliced, Bacardi-cured salmon garnished with chopped egg and onions, capers, caviar, fennel remoulade and croutons($7.95). "You sure you don't want to try just a little of this?" he inquired, putting away a third or fourth slice of rummy fish. "For research purposes?" Read more...
- Elliott Mackle
Read reviews on Yelp.com Just one of the reviews:
"Frequest customer and each time I've eaten here, they never fail me! The food is delicious and the tiramisu is the best I've ever had! I absolutely love the fig cake as an appetizer and the stuffed filet is divine! The staff is friendly and helpful. The restaurant is small, but quaint. It can get quite busy there on a weekend night. Make sure to have reservations. Parking is a challenge as there are only a few spots out front. You either have to park on the street or down the side road where there is a city lot and it is a short block away."
- Lisa L. of Boynton Beach, FL
Read reviews on Atlanta City Search Just one of the reviews:
We have been to Café Lily twice and will keep going back for more. The food is very good, portions are tremendous, and the service is very good as well. We haven't had a bad bite yet. The daily specials are always interesting, but you'll be sure to find something from the main menu which has plenty of choices. The wine list is great and if you love Zin, they have a substantial Zinfandel list. Right in the heart of Decatur, you can't go wrong, and on nice nights the outdoor seating is quite inviting. Go, you'll love it!
Review from Atlanta's Finest Dining Magazine - July/August issue: "Whether you are looking for a quiet, romantic dinner for two or a charming spot to enjoy a unique bottel of wine, Cafe Lily can cater to your every whim. This neighborhood bistro offers an eclectic variety of Mediterranean cuisine, with a menu that incorporates Greek, French and Italian influences, there is something for everyone to enjoy... " By Taylor Arnold
Read reviews on myfoxatlanta.com Just one of the reviews:
"Cafe Lily is the perfect restaurant. It can be an intimate date place, business dinner, or a casual place with friends. The food is always cooked perfectly and the service is outstanding. In my opinion, it isn't even deserving to place the other restaurants in this category next to Cafe Lily. They aren't even in the same class. I don't think you can compare to Cafe Lily."
Mike
Creative Loafing Review Creative Loafing Review:
"A visit to Decatur's Café Lily will leave you hooked on salmon!
...Served as an entree, the large, skin-on steak is charbroiled to medium-rare -- an orange-pink center does it for me -- and served with mango-dried cherry salsa in a phyllo cup ($15.95). Nicely caramelized around the edges, juicy within, the fish is as delicious as can be found locally. I've since ordered it a couple of times more -- a smaller portion can be had with soup and salad at lunch -- and flavor as well as preparation have been first-rate every time." (photo credit: Ian Redinbaugh)
from Time is Right to "Appetize" Your Menu, by the great Anthony Seta, Certified Master Chef "Recently, I had an opportunity to visit a great little restaurant in Decatur, GA, called Cafe Lily. It is run by a dynamic young chef/owner named Anthony Pitillo, who has done a wonderful job with his appetizer menu. My guest and I built our dinner from the appetizer menu, which incorporated an international and creative flare. Some of the dishes we enjoyed included a Rum-Cured Salmon served with garnishes and sauce; Prince Edward Island Mussels Posillipo with a loaf of grilled bread (all we could say was wow!); and a Gambas al Ajillo. When tossed with pasta, Mussels Posillipo or Gambas al Ajillo would be the making of a great entrée. When preparing menus you should always consider the multiple use of products. Another creative appetizer was the Shrimp Beignets, a unique combination of simple ingredients. The base consisted of angel hair pasta with shrimp and herbs that are formed into a ball, then breaded, fried and served with Jezebel sauce."
Read reviews on OpenList.com Just one of the reviews:
We have been to Café Lily twice and will keep going back for more. The food is very good, portions are tremendous, and the service is very good as well. We haven't had a bad bite yet. The daily specials are always interesting, but you'll be sure to find something from the main menu which has plenty of choices. The wine list is great and if you love Zin, they have a substantial Zinfandel list. Right in the heart of Decatur, you can't go wrong, and on nice nights the outdoor seating is quite inviting. Go, you'll love it!
Read reviews on TripAdvisor.com Just one of the reviews:
I have many memories linked with Café Lily, some with a group of friends, some with a best friend or two, some with family, and even some that were special, a first date (the date was terrible, but the food was good) and my sister's congratulatory doctoral lunch. But no matter the occasion, celebrating or commiserating, the food, the service, and the atmosphere are always the same. The quality of both food and service at Café Lily over the past five years that I've been going have been excellent AND consistent. Occasionally, the menu will slightly change, but they do have a care in making sure that the "classics" remain on the menu. I mean, where would I be without the succulent and savory Pinchitos accompanied by the decadent white sweet potatoes that perfectly balance the flavors of sweet and salty? And may I just say that the best grilled cheese sandwich that I ever had in my entire life didn't come from childhood, but from Café Lily--the buttered crunchiness of the bread, the sharpness of the cheese, the hot and gooey innard balanced by the cold and firm tomato, married with the background of bread... The hummus and olives, light yet rich, aromatic yet clean and pleasing to the palate. And let's not talk about desserts. I've been introduced to them all, liked them at first meeting, and tried to make my conversation with them last as long as possible, but verily I agree that all good things come to an end. As to the café that is served, there is only one thing to say: it's real. Café Lily is not my favorite restaurant in Atlanta, but it is one of those places that you call up a friend and say, "we haven't been to Café Lily in a while...want to go?" None of my people have ever turned down that proposal.
Read reviews on Kudzu.com Just one of the reviews:
What a great restaurant!!!!
Cafe Lily is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. I have been there a couple of times and their food and service is fantastic. The place has great atmosphere, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the food is out of this world. Try the lemon custard desert. It's a perfect end to a great evening at Cafe Lily.