Being the Florida-born girl that I am, I have always had a mild obsession with sushi. It all started when I discovered California rolls in middle school and has quickly escalated to a love of all sorts of raw fish—toro, yellowtail, salmon… you name it. But my Florida roots have also made me quite the fish critic, so I am constantly searching for exceptional sushi in Atlanta.

My first glimpse of Eight Sushi Lounge occurred while searching on Instagram. Surprise, surprise! I was instantly drawn to the bright colors, beautiful plating and attention to detail. So it was decided: I needed to find out if the sushi tasted as awesome as it looked.

Eight is located directly below The Brady, an apartment complex in Westside, and I seriously don’t know how it hasn’t become the most talked-about restaurant of the season. It certainly exceeded every single one of my expectations—and I cannot wait to return.

Whenever I eat at a restaurant I take note of three things: 1. Ambiance, 2. Service and 3. Taste.  Eight Sushi Lounge passed each of these “deciding factors” with flying colors. The vibe is relaxed, yet sophisticated, the servers are incredibly knowledgeable and the food was even more delicious than it looked in photos—who knew that was even possible.

I started off the meal with The Neighbors Garden, a vodka cocktail with cucumber, lime, tarragon and absinthe mist, and an order of the Madai Carpaccio: thinly sliced Japanese snapper, a splash of truffle oil and tonzazu reduction. I knew from the very first bite (and sip!) that this was going to be good. After, I sampled a few other appetizers, my favorite being the Tuna Crisp.

Then I was ready to taste some sushi and sashimi. Something that makes Eight so unique is the way it prepares its fish. I’m often guilty of dunking my sushi in soy sauce, eel sauce, spicy mayo and more. But at Eight it’s just unnecessary. Each piece of fish was bursting with different flavors, leaving no desire for additional sauces. I definitely recommend the Dynasty Roll (jumbo prawns tempura rolled with seared tuna, avocado and tobiko) and the scallop nigiri.

At this point, I was really starting to fill up, but I had to make some room for the main course: Miso Seabass. If you prefer cooked fish to raw fish then this is the dish for you. Even as an avid sushi lover, the seabass might have been one of the best parts of the entire meal. Flaky, buttery and not too fishy. Mmm.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed with Eight Sushi Lounge. It was moderately priced- especially for the quality- and absolutely delicious. There wasn’t one thing I tasted that I didn’t like. So if you’re a sushi advocate like me, you need to check out this Westside restaurant.

And word on the street is they are building a beautiful outdoor patio! It is scheduled to open late spring/early summer, giving Eight guests an outdoor dining option. Just in time for warm weather and sunny skies!