Snapper and tuna tartare appetizer at ElisePhoto by Angie Webb Chef Craig Richards says Beethoven’s “Für Elise” was one of the first pieces of music he learned on the piano as a kid. Now at the helm of Elise, a seafood-focused fine-dining restaurant in Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center, Richar ds says the restaurant’s name is a nod to that piece of music and the neighboring Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. His light approach to food reflects the airy minimalism of the space’s architecture and that of the surrounding campus (which also includes the High Museum of Art), and the snapper and tuna tartare appetizer is an artful example. The fresh fish sourced from Gulf waters is the focus, Richards says. Combined with a bit of olive oil, salt, and lemon juice, the mixture is topped with pickled field peas for crunch and a bit of acidity, and dressed with saffron aioli, microgreens, and a dusting of sumac. True to his training in Italy, Richards says the appetizer really sings when paired with a glass of the Picariello falanghina (an ancient white grape) from Campania: “It’s got a floral note that works with the sumac.” A music lover, he confesses that when he’s not cooking for arts patrons, he enjoys a night at the symphony, “listening to performances by people at the top of their craft.” This article appears in the Winter 2026 issue of Southbound. The post Elise sets the tempo for fine seafood dining in Atlanta appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less