Atlanta restaurant guide
| Paul’s $$$ |
10 King’s Circle NE,
Peachtree Hills / Buckhead
404-231-4113
Dressy Casual
New American
This cozy Peachtree Hills chalet, cast in mustard seed and mahogany, offers sophisticated dining isolated from the trendy fits and false starts characterizing some of Atlanta’s restaurant scene. Formerly Philippe’s Belgian bistro and replete with its long-standing soft jazz pianist, Paul’s showcases well-appointed furnishings and fare. But don’t mistake well oiled for oily, or mature for stodgy; Paul’s open kitchen is helmed by namesake Paul Albrecht—co-founder of the venerable Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and formerly of Midtown’s Spice—which guarantees a deft hand applied to flirty New American cuisine, sushi and longtime Albrecht signatures such as buttery fried lobster tail.
Peachtree Hills / Buckhead
| Corner Café $ |
3070 Piedmont Rd NE
404-240-1978
Anything Goes
Bistro / New American
Adjacent to the Buckhead Bread Company—a lustrous patisserie that supplies fresh bread to the entire Buckhead Life Restaurant Group—the Corner Café is a window-lined New American bistro and espresso bar. Sandwiches are heaped with top-notch stuffings and fresh desserts are a must.
| OK Café $ |
1284 W Paces Ferry Rd NW
404-233-2888
Anything Goes
Comfort Food / Meat-and-three
A throwback that’s currently very fashionable, the OK Café offers unpretentious comfort food. Amid the vinyl booths you’ll find a (fake) money tree centerpiece, but most of your own money will amazingly stay in pocket, considering the well-portioned, filling meals.
| Antica Posta $$$ |
519 E Paces Ferry Rd
404-262-7112
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Italian
Within this cozy converted bungalow’s buttery walls you’ll find an authentic taste of Tuscany, where Antica Posta’s sister restaurant is still located. From the antipasti to the secondi piatti, the consistent seasoning is one of gracious charm. The ossobuco (braised veal shank) is a perennial, celebrated specialty.
| Restaurant Eugene $$$$ |
2277 Peachtree Rd
404-355-0321
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
New American
Restaurant Eugene is that rare restaurant offering both an environment and cuisine that are understated without being underdeveloped. Service and plating is genteel and graceful, celebrating rotating, regional New American menus kept concise even while evolving. The snug, gauzy grey/beige interior and service also forego flashy for unobtrusive but mature. An elegant opulence radiates throughout.
| Portofino $$ |
3199 Paces Ferry Pl
404-231-1136
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
Bistro / Italian-New
American Only a few blocks from Buckhead’s most bustling intersection, this Italian-influenced American bistro offers a charming retreat with a popular patio. Unassuming and accommodating, it expertly balances succulent and inviting meats with crisp and agreeably sweet/bittersweet flavors under its vaulted ceilings. Additionally, the servers are well versed in pairing wines.
Downtown / Westside
| Dailey’s $$$ |
17 Andrew Young International Blvd
404-681-3303
Dressy Casual / Dressy
New American
This is a cavernous Downtown institution where convention-goers and off-the-clock executives congregate for meaty American and rich Continental classics. This warehouse conversion, abuzz with attentive servers, is also renowned for a full-service decadent dessert bar and first-rate martinis in the downstairs cigar bar/jazz lounge.
| Spoon $$ |
768 Marietta St, Ste A
404-552-5655
Anything Goes
Thai
A casual, contemporary eatery along the Marietta Street artery bordering Georgia Tech, the airy interior of this sleek Thai kitchen features blond pine and sunflower yellow. But Spoon’s most vibrant elements are the robust takes on Thai standards, each available with choice(s) of meat and varying degrees of spiciness. Don’t miss the lightly fried ginger golden snapper.
| Nuevo Laredo Cantina $ |
1495 Chattahoochee Ave
404-352-9009
Anything Goes
Tex-Mex
A hugely popular destination in an isolated location among furniture outlets and a drinks bottling plant, Nuevo Laredo is the real roadside deal for those seeking Tex-Mex. Invariably crawling with people enjoying bold fresh flavors and potent margaritas, be sure to arrive early. Chicken diablo, chicken mole and lobster tacos stand out.
Decatur
| Eurasia Bistro $$$ |
129 E Ponce De Leon Ave
404-687-8822
Dressy Casual
Asian Fusion
Enjoy creative Asian dishes within a gossamer setting of muted colors and soft-light-diffused brick walls. Sweet-and-sour notes are to be found in the seafood-heavy, highly stylized dishes creatively influenced by Southeast Asia and French tastes.
| Sage on Sycamore |
121 Sycamore St
404-373-5574
Funky Casual / Dressy Casual
New American
Located within 19th–century exposed brick walls in the heart of Decatur’s pedestrian square, Sage on Sycamore is a casual neighborhood bistro that is calm and romantic and offers dynamic New American cuisine with flavors as animated as the friendly patter throughout. The eclectic menu and zesty service are worth the trip.
| Crescent Moon $ |
174 W Ponce De Leon Ave
404-377-5623
Anything Goes Diner / Comfort
Food
A sparkling space decked out in retro-contemporary space-age vinyl style, Crescent Moon is like the diner of the future as envisaged in the ’50s. And apparently they loved a bountiful breakfast in the ’50s, as they still do, because that’s what is offered in this bustling, gold speckled, sunlit diner all day.
Little Five Points / Poncey-Highlands
| Sabroso $ |
351 Moreland Ave NE
404-475-8888
Anything Goes Tapas / Latin American
“Sabroso” means delicious, and this tapas lounge aims for its name with a small-plates array inspired by the Mediterranean and Latin America. Be sure to ask to be seated on the inviting, sprawling patio with its iron tables, flickering candles and trickling fountain. The drinks, mood and food (spice-rubbed meats and deep-fried vegetables in particular) are all muy sabroso.
| The Righteous Room $ |
1051 Ponce de Leon Ave NE Poncey-Highlands
404-874-0939
Anything Goes / Funky Casual
Pub / Mediterranean-American
Truly an eclectic hole-in-the-wall, the Righteous Room is flush with mellow personalities dropping in for a cocktail. But the menu of Mediterranean-tinged house-made pub grub should not be overlooked, including falafel, hummus and flatbread, potato wedges and onion straws, turkey pitas and juicy burgers.
| Babette’s $$ |
573 N Highland Ave NE
404-523-9121
Funky Casual / Dressy
Casual Bistro / Continental-French
This country bistro offers seasoned, seasonal fare in a rustic, restored bungalow with farmhouse charm. Sunny walls and gleaming hardwood floors are dotted with antique pieces. Inside, there awaits a savory feast for the senses that draws on Continental/Mediterranean cuisine rather than merely adhering to French. Sunday brunch is a perennial favorite.
Midtown / Ansley Park
| Silver Grill $ |
900 Monroe Dr NE
404-876-8145
Anything Goes Diner / Meat-and-three
This cozy, family-run diner rings with hearty Southern accents and even heartier meat-and-three–favorites made from recipes passed down since 1945. If it’s battered and fried, sugared and baked or long-simmered before it’s delivered, the familiar staff can bring you a generous serving as if this were your granny’s greasy spoon.
| Wild Curry & Cha Gio Café $$ |
132 10th St NE
404-885-9387
Anything Goes Thai / Vietnamese
A popular lunch spot, this Midtown mainstay is like a bamboo garden cast in the bold colors of curry, lime and lemongrass—appropriate, as the dishes offered are a variety of Vietnamese and Thai staples, from Pho to Pad Thai, crepes to curries, Bahn Mi sandwiches to Tom Yum soup.
| MF Sushibar $$$ |
265 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
404-815-8844
Funky Casual Sushi / Japanese
Located in a contemporary loft/retail complex, MF Sushibar leaves visitors expecting to walk out onto Malibu Beach, or at least Melrose Ave. The sashimi offered within this fashionably glossy and minimalist space comes fresh out of the Pacific daily and is a cut above, made extra delish with freshly grated wasabi root.
| Pasta da Pulcinella $$ |
1123 Peachtree Walk NE 404-876-1114
Anything Goes / Funky Casual Italian A quaint converted bungalow in Midtown’s nightlife quarter, Pasta da Pulcinella is known for its fresh pastas and efficient but unhurried servers. Reasonably priced and portioned, the pastas’ subtle flavors bloom rather than bluster, especially the gnocchi with sausage and the Granny Smith apple-stuffed ravioli. Pasta da Pulcinella is also known for romance, so save room for tiramisu and time for canoodling.
| Tierra $$$ |
1425 Piedmont Ave NE
404-874-5951
Dressy Casual / Dressy
Latin American / Caribbean
Everything about Tierra—from the locale to the pan-Latin cuisine—is inviting. Inside this salmon-colored sliver of Ansley Park, warmth radiates from every nook. From Spanish preparations to South American wines, Tierra’s owners meticulously weigh regional favorites to offer the most sumptuous without being showy.
Outside the Perimeter
| Savu $$$ |
W Hotel, 111 Perimeter Ctr W, Dunwoody
770-280-0700
Funky Casual Asian Fusion
This urban, minimalist hotel lobby lounge is all blond wood and brushed metal. The Pan-Asian fusion cuisine is as sleek and chic as the Pacific Rim plates that are prime for sharing. Some nights Savu, complete with pulsing house music, is as visited for its cocktail scene as its cuisine.
| Little Szechuan $ |
Northwood Plaza, 5091-C Buford Hwy, Doraville
770-451-0192
Anything Goes Chinese (Szechuan)
An essential Atlanta destination for connoisseurs of authentic Chinese cuisine, this modest strip mall storefront belies the adventurous and appealing tastes inside. Start with silken jellyfish salad or crispy pot stickers and try anything with salt-and-pepper seasoning or spicy Szechuan-style black bean sauce, red snapper or green beans, or perhaps sizzling beef brisket alongside a chilled Tsing-Tao beer.
| Penang $$ |
4897 Buford Hwy, Ste 113, Chamblee
770-220-0308
Anything Goes Malaysian
A branch of an East Coast chain, this Malaysian restaurant is notable for more than its kitschy tropical beach décor (though the Southeast Asia resort-in-a-strip mall vibe certainly is a trip). Past the initial novelty, what stands out is the variety and depth of racy dishes offered—meats of all varieties are served briskly in equally zippy sauces.
Where to spend St Patrick’s Day
| Meehan’s Public House $$ |
2810 Paces Ferry Rd, Vinings Station
770-433-1920
Casual Pub fare
The ideal venue for St Patrick’s Day celebrations is Meehan’s Public House, a neighborhood hub with a hint of Celtic quirk. This is the jaunty type of place where spirits are raised-both those in a glass and of the patrons. Amid mahogany furnishings and mustard walls pass trays of Scotch, Irish whiskey, perfectly drawn pints of Guinness and meaty Irish-influenced pub fare. The quaint authenticity of the Vinings establishment can also be enjoyed in Meehan’s Alpharetta, Brookhaven and Sandy Springs pubs.