I have been eatting at Pura Vida since it opened in 2003 and this restaurant has been one of my favorites in the City for quite some time. My husband took me to Pura Vida for our first date so this restaurant will always be a special place to us. Last night we decided to go out for Tapas and decided to go to Pura Vida as we had not been in a month or so. As soon as I opened the menu I noticed that it looked different...after taking a closer look I realize that MOST of the menu had changed (including prices) and that none of our favorite tapas were available. I understand updating your menu, this is something that is important to stay on top of the Atlanta restaurant scene...but changing it COMPLETELY-I do not get. We tried several of the new tapas and were disappointed with each dish. They were complicated with too many ingredents and came off pretentious. Last year AJC raved that Pura Vida was one of the best restaurants in the city, and it was, but I think all the success has gone to Hector Santiago's head. He re-vamped an already excelent menu, that had gained many fans and accolades, with small, over the top and overly priced dishes. In short, I used to recommend this restaurant to everyone but I will no longer do so and I doubt my husband and I will be back.
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