Atlanta restaurant guide
WORDS BY TONY WARE
| Seeger’s $$$$ |
111 W Paces Ferry Rd
404-846-9779
Dressy
Modernized French
Only the Devil’s advocate would claim that five-star/ diamond-awarded chef Guenter Seeger isn’t at the Atlanta dining community’s pinnacle; and yet his popularity is nowhere near peaking. Seeger’s elegant, eponymous cottage offers intimacy and a menu that makes the most of his uncanny ability to pare each carefully-sourced seasonal ingredient to its essence. You can sample amuse-bouches in the lounge while you peruse the menus, from the constantly evolving Michelin star-worthy menu—to the five- and eight-course prix fixe tastings. Dishes are delightfully multi-dimensional, and the “modern classical” service will satisfy even the most exacting gourmand.
BUCKHEAD
| Mosaic $$ |
3097 Maple Dr
404-846-5722
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Coastal Mediterranean
This refurbished Buckhead bungalow is mere blocks off the congested Peachtree thoroughfare, yet it feels as if it is set far apart. Behind a shady, gently landscaped alfresco dining area lay airy rooms in which sun-kissed coastal Mediterranean cuisine is served. Mosaic’s food complements the design, fusing robust, spice-flecked flavors with subtly dappled detailing.
| Taka Sushi Café $$ |
375 Pharr Rd
404-869-2802
Anything Goes
Sushi/Japanese
Much like sushi is meticulously sliced fish, Taka Sushi Café is a sliver of placid space in Buckhead, where diligent service ensures an uninterrupted introduction to impeccable Japanese fusion cuisine. Chef Takao Moriuchi—who worked under the city’s master, Sotohiro Kosugi—makes unquestionably delicious rolls but also eccentric entrées that please both purists and foodie fashionistas.
| Pano’s & Paul’s $$$ |
1232 W Paces Ferry Rd
404-261-3662
Dressy
New American
Posh and ever-present, this art deco-style institution has remained a Buckhead life standard. Like a luxurious gentlemen’s club, the fl agship menu at Pano’s & Paul’s celebrates sophisticated American and Continental fare given inventive twists, such as crisp-fried lobster tail with Chinese honey mustard. Attentive service for a well-heeled clientele helps set this Zagat and Mobil favorite apart, even after two decades.
| Justin’s Restaurant & Bar $$$ |
2200 Peachtree Rd NW
404-603-5353
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Southern/Caribbean
Named after the son of Sean “Diddy” Combs, Justin’s offers up as much celebrity spotting as it does Southern-meets-Caribbean cuisine. Even if there aren’t any celebrities, the people who come for power lunches and cocktail hours dress themselves as spicily as the food. Creole and soul fl avors mingle and match like the people living their champagne wishes and caviar dreams.
MIDTOWN
| Gilbert’s Mediterranean Café $$ |
219 10th St NE
404-872-8012
Anything Goes
Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
An urbane oasis at the bustling intersection of 10th and Piedmont, Gilbert’s is a bohemian bistro with a fl irty cocktail-lounge attitude and an intimate feel. Serving Greek/Armenian comfort foods, this contemporary kasbah, with its softly lit angles, offers pan-Mediterranean dishes. Smoky spreads and spice-dashed kebabs or entrées are followed by syrupy desserts.
| Table 1280 Restaurant and Tapas Lounge $$ |
1280 Peachtree St NE
404-897-1280
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Spanish Tapas
This lipstick red- and slate-upholstered tapas lounge and bar—adjacent to the two main dining wings of culinary director Shaun Doty’s acclaimed contemporary American brasserie—features perfectly poised edible “figurines” crafted with ingredients such as grilled octopus with black chickpeas and fennel salad, and piquillo pepper with spicy crab and fresh mango.
| Spice $$$ |
793 Juniper St
404-875-4242
Dressy Casual / Dressy
New American
Long known for sculpturally plated fusion cuisine, Spice now welcomes chef Drew van Leuvan, who prefers to emphasize the textural harmony of his food, rather than create excessively aesthetic arrangements. Creams and crackles, acidity and viscosity, the piquant and the placid—all these culinary facets coexist and captivate in an atrium-like contemporized Victorian mansion.
| Silk $$$ |
919 Peachtree St
678-705-8888
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Pan-Asian
A $2 million spotless space in Midtown’s gleaming mixed-use Metropolis megaplex, Silk celebrates sleekness, from its opulent décor to its Pan-Asian cuisine. Beside the internationally sourced accoutrements, one of Silk’s most unique facets is that it offers kaiseki (Asian tapas), but the detail and custom-crafting also extends through sashimi, seafood and steak.
| The Oceanaire Seafood Room $$$$ |
1100 Peachtree St
404-475-2277
Dressy Casual / Dressy Seafood/Southern-tinged
New American
Located in the Midtown business district, The Oceanaire feels nautical miles away—like a ’30s ocean liner’s stateroom.
But even the restaurant’s pristine interior can’t rival the impeccable quality and seemingly boundless selections of seafood, fl own in fresh daily. Though it’s part of a national chain, Chef Adam Newton enjoys the fl exibility and creativity of offering certain selections tailored to Southern/Low Country tastes.
VIRGINIA/ HIGHLANDS
| P’cheen $$ |
701-5 Highland Ave
404-529-8800
Anything Goes / Funky Casual
Multicultural pub fare
Both DJs and chefs know how to put a brisk spin on the familiar, so the opening of this “international bistro” by a duo representing one of each profession is an exciting neighborhood addition. Within walls sponged with a bronze patina is served a survey of worldly pub favorites given bold contemporary updates. A full bar adds an additionally rosy finish to this hospitable haunt.
| The Highland Bakery $ |
655 Highland Ave NE
404-586-0772
Anything Goes
Sandwiches/breakfast
Located on the site of generations of bakeries, this café mills its own whole grain to make eight chemical-free artisan breads featured throughout a wholesome menu. During the week a steady crowd of Downtown suits enjoys soups and sandwiches within mossy green and exposed brick walls, while on the weekend, brunch specials draw in the neighborhood.
INMAN PARK
| Lush $$ |
913 Bernina Ave NE
404-223-9292
Anything Goes / Funky Casual
Gourmet vegan
Tucked behind warehouse loft conversions in a residential area, Lush is a strictly vegan restaurant that attracts more foodies than hippies. Interpretations may sometimes be loose on how a dish resembles its meat-containing inspiration (lasagna, pad thai, etc), but time and time again the bold concoctions prove delicious to vegans and meat-eaters alike.
OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER
| Hae Woon Dae BBQ $$ |
5805 Buford Hwy NE Ste 5, Doraville
770-458-6999
Anything Goes
Korean barbeque
A cluttered series of tables— each with its own charcoal “pit”—plays host to a sizzling symphony of marinated meats being grilled. This Korean BBQ restaurant offers little to look at, but you’ll find few who care once they explore the options, especially the beef, cooked to perfection, then sauced and wrapped in lettuce.
| Goldfish $$$ |
4400 Ashford Dunwoody Rd
770-671-0100
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Seafood, sushi, New American
In case the name didn’t tip you off, fresh seafood and sushi are the things at Goldfish, where dishes include “Today’s Catch” alongside the “House Favorites” (which include tender steaks). Nestle into a deep, semicircular mahogany booth and immediately forget you’re in proximity to Perimeter Mall; the seafood is so fresh you’ll swear you can smell salty sea air.
| 5 Seasons Brewing $$ |
5600 Roswell Rd NE
404-255-5911
Anything Goes
Multicultural pub fare
Like a grand mountain lodge, this mammoth brewhouse is pastoral but polished. From the visible copper brewing vats to the menu selections—which include comfort food infl uences from Japan, Germany, Italy and Britain—the mood is well-rounded and convivial. And the rotating, handcrafted beers are recognized as the best in town.
WEST MIDTOWN/ DOWNTOWN
| Fox Sports Grill $$ |
261 19th St
404-207-1369
Anything Goes
American pub fare
Attached to one edge of the equally expansive Atlantic Station shopping district, Fox Sports Grill is rimmed with fl at screen TVs in a space seemingly as large as a practice field. But if team scores aren’t the only thing you’re interested in ingesting, a spread of meaty starters, sandwiches, pizza, pasta and top chops will fill athlete-sized appetites.
| Misto $$ |
1950 Howell Mill Rd NW
404-425-0030
Funky Casual
Italian
This post-industrial space has been warmly tempered with pumpkin walls, purple detailing and homey curios. But the pumpkin in ricotta ravioli is more the draw—or perhaps it’s the lamb pappardelle and pastas with air-cured beef, prosciutto, sage and brown butter and sherry cream sauces, among other options.
| Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken & Waffles $$ |
529 Peachtree St NW
404-874-9393
Anything Goes / Funky Casual
Southern
Like sweet soul music, but smothered in gravy, the chicken and waffl es tradition warms body and spirit. This is the kind of down-home grub momma would put on the table, but in a setting dressed up like it was a night out at the Apollo. Between cherry wood and gold records, diners enjoy cozy stick-tothe-ribs cuisine at reasonable prices… into the small hours.
| Nikolai’s Roof $$$$ |
255 Courtland St NE
404-221-6362
Dressy
Continental
This romantic rooftop mainstay with gorgeous panoramic skyline view (atop the Hilton for 30 years) doesn’t rest on its laurels. Offering elegance in both the attentive white-gloved service and classical French foundations, Nikolai leaves nothing overlooked. Old World Russian and contemporary Belgian infl uences deftly buoy these dramatic, transcendent selections.
DECATUR
| The Brick Store Pub $ |
125 E Court Sq, Decatur
404-687-0990
Anything Goes
European
This is the style of inviting pub that easily becomes a neighborhood cornerstone. Hearty British- and Bavarian-style “pub” fare beckons, but the highlights within these dark wood-and-red brick confines are the malty meals one can make from robust brews on the city’s most extensive Belgian beer list.
| Moya $$$ |
1371 Clairmont Rd, Decatur
404-633-6692
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Ethiopian
This sleek restaurant and bar in a multicultural shopping strip offers time-honored Ethiopian dining with the aesthetics of a contemporary lounge. “Moya” translates to “skill,” and the restaurant’s expertise is in presenting regally rich stews to be eaten with traditional sourdough sponge bread. There are also choice meats and spicy vegetables, served in a jazzy atmosphere.