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Atlanta sat back and watched Charleston and New Orleans battle for the title of “Southern Culinary Capital” for years. Not any longer. Restaurants in Atlanta are grabbing the rope and pulling with all their might.
Sushi Hayakawa and Masterpiece are altering the perception of Atlanta food by the James Beard Foundation and the rest of the world.
This is no longer just a town for substantial, deep-fried Southern cuisine (though no one makes better chicken and waffles); it’s a culinary powerhouse where celebrity chefs are showcasing their talents and proving Atlanta is ready to play.
We hope that our selection of the best restaurants in Atlanta Georgia serves as a starting point for you.
No matter what kind of vibe you’re looking for, you’ll find the perfect place and a cool, friendly crowd to go with it.
From sushi to fried okra to pecan pie, put these restaurants on the top of your list of the best museums in Atlanta and visit at one of the best places to visit in Atlanta, check out one of the best parks in Atlanta so that you must plan your vacation to this exciting city.
Here is our list of the best restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia. If you enjoy our blogs, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
We guarantee there is something on this list to satisfy your cravings. Honestly, try them all!
Best Restaurants in Atlanta
The best restaurants in Atlanta have their own “bucket list,” where people meet and eat with new friends. Every table you need to book in the Atlanta.
Get yourself to the best restaurants in Atlanta Georgia for the best local food and lots of friendly service.
1. Lazy Betty
If you ask a foodie in Atlanta about popular restaurants in the area, they are likely to talk a lot about Lazy Betty. Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips, who both used to work at Le Bernardin, started making their menu with a series of pop-ups that sold out quickly. lazy Betty is one of the best restaurants in Atlanta Georgia.
When Hsu, who is from Atlanta, appeared on Netflix’s The Final Table and kept his cool under pressure, the momentum kept going. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that when Lazy Betty and its tasting menu finally opened to the public, it was an instant hit.
2. BoccaLupo
Bruce Logue has a lot of restaurant experience. He was the sous chef at Babbo in New York and the executive chef at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad before getting his Master Italian Cooking certificate and running La Pietra Cucina in Atlanta.
At BoccaLupo, on a residential street in Inman Park, the chef-owner shows why The New York Times called him the “king of his own neighborhood pasta kingdom.”
Must-try dishes include black spaghetti with hot sausage, red shrimp, and scallions, and 20-yolk tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and Tuscan kale kimchi. BoccaLupo is one of the nice places to eat in Atlanta.
3. Bones
This is what a steakhouse looks like at its best. Since it first opened in 1979, Bones has become a staple in Buckhead. The classic menu is a big reason why. Start with the seafood platter with shrimp, crab legs, and lobster that you can share.
For a smaller dish, try the creamy lobster bisque, which has just a hint of spice and is worth a visit all on its own. You should also order a steak. The dry-aged bone-in ribeye is not to be missed. Rich sautéed mushrooms and mashed potatoes made with truffle butter are meant to be shared as sides.
Finish your meal with a slice of warm Georgia pecan pie with praline sauce and vanilla ice cream to show respect for where you are. Bones is the best steakhouse in Atlanta GA.
4. Kimball House
Kimball House is known for its cocktails and is nominated every year for a James Beard Award. It also has a lot going for it, like the best oyster program in the city (and some say the Southeast) thanks to the hard work of partner and oyster-bar manager Bryan Rackley.
Stop by between 5 and 7 p.m. every day for oyster happy hour, when all bivalves are cheaper. Chef Brian Wolfe’s main menu has standouts like Georgia trout with fermented chile grits and tender duck breast served with shishito peppers and okra.
And don’t leave without trying one of Pastry Chef Yesenia Justinian’s crowd-pleasing desserts, like the frozen peanut-butter bombe. Kimball House is one of the best restaurants in Atlanta.
5. Umi
At Umi, a hot spot in Buckhead where people go to see and be seen, the staff flies in seafood from all over the world to make dishes that are clean and crisp. For drinks, start with a custom drink made by bar manager Gabe Bowen.
The gin-heavy Tomu Kat O is a good choice. —then ask your server to recommend a sake or wine to go with your food. Start with an appetizer of thinly sliced yellowtail with jalapeno peppers, cilantro, and ponzu sauce. Umi is one of the top places to eat in Atlanta.
This is a dish that Nobu would make. Another piece by Nobu? The delicious crispy rice with spicy tuna. After that, you can choose from a wide range of nigiri, sashimi, and sushi rolls. Finish the night with a shot of 12-year Yamazaki whisky from Japan. You can find a date or impress one by going here.
6. Aria
After being in Atlanta for more than 15 years, Aria got a new look in 2016. Chef-owner Gerry Klaskala wanted to bring casual weeknight diners to a Buckhead restaurant that had only been used for special occasions up until that point.
Klaskala did not get rid of his most popular dishes during the redesign, which made a lot of people in Atlanta happy. The signature short ribs will still be served with hakurei turnips, snow peas, carrots, and mashed potatoes. Aria is one of the top places to eat in Atlanta.
7. Taqueria del Sol
No matter what time of day it is, you can find the Westside Taqueria del Sol restaurant by the long line of customers that goes out into the parking lot. It’s the same story at all four of its Atlanta locations: You walk to the bar, get a margarita, and then walk back outside to wait in the main line.
If you’re going to order anything, you have to get Eddie Hernandez’s famous cheese dip. It will keep you up at night. Even though it’s not quite as good, the guacamole is also worth trying.
All of the Southern-Mexican tacos on the main course menu are good, but our favorite is the shredded beef-brisket taco with a little bit of heat from the pico de gallo.
8. Masterpiece
Masterpiece is a strip mall restaurant in Duluth that is on a lonely part of Buford Highway. The name might seem like an odd choice for a place like this. Masterpiece is one of the nice places to eat in Atlanta.
But if you ask anyone who knows about Atlanta’s food scene where to get the best Chinese in the city or even the South, they’ll say this place. In 2018, the James Beard Foundation put chef Rui Liu in the running for Best Chef in the Southeast.
Inside the restaurant, there are simple tile floors, a few tables, and pictures of Liu’s family in frames. Liu runs the restaurant with his family.
9. Sushi Hayakawa
Sushi Hayakawa is a conservative sushi place in a city where people like their sushi places to be sexy (see: Umi). Sushi Hayakawa is in an Atlanta strip mall on the Buford Highway. It has simple green walls, a few tables, and a thick wooden sushi bar.
Behind the bar, chef Atsushi Hayakawa is cutting up abalone that was flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market. His trademark red towel is wrapped around his head. This year, the James Beard Foundation nominated him for Best Chef in the Southeast. Sushi Hayakawa is one of the nice places to eat in Atlanta.
If you want a front-row seat to the action, you’re out of luck. His new omakase table is already booked for several weeks. Sushi Hayakawa is a traditional sushiya, so you won’t find anything here that you wouldn’t find in Japan. Still, there are plenty of crowd-pleasers, like thick slices of fatty tuna nigiri served on warm rice with just a dot of strong wasabi.
10. Cubanos ATL
Ozzy Llanes was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami. When he moved to Atlanta to work in finance, he wanted to find a real Cuban sandwich shop there. After looking for years and not being able to find it, he decided to make his own.
When the pandemic started, he put up a small house in his driveway. He then talked a Sandy Springs shopping center into letting him move the house onto its parking lot. By the time Cubanos ATL opened in August 2020, it already had 4,000 followers and sold all of its sandwiches in 45 minutes.
Cubanos ATL doesn’t have a liquor license, but its colada (Cuban espresso), which comes in a four-ounce pour, is so strong that you should need an ID to buy it. Llanes also sells hard-to-find Cuban sodas like Jupina, which tastes like pineapple, and Iron beer, which tastes like cream soda.
11. Nina & Rafi
When Nina & Rafi opened in the beginning of 2019, everyone was looking at co-founder Anthony Spina. At Duluth’s O4W Pizza, Spina made a name for himself by making a square pizza called Grandma’s Pie into a religion. Nina & Rafi is one of the top places to eat in Atlanta.
This time, he showed off a pizza called the Detroit Red Top. It has a very thick crust, a layer of marinara on top of the cheese, and a layer of baked cheese around the edge of the crust. Even though Spina left the restaurant recently to think about opening another pizza place, the Detroit is still Atlanta’s favorite pizza place—at least for now.
On the menu, there are also thin-crust Old Fashioned and round Neapolitan-style pizzas, as well as hearty appetizers like risotto rice balls and a chopped pizzeria salad. But you’re here because of how big Detroit is, and it’s hard to fit anything else in. Bring your appetite, a pair of pants that fits loosely, and a lot of time.
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FAQs About Best Restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia
What is the most famous food in Atlanta?
1. Barbecue. Beef, pork, or chicken and traditional side make up a fantastic barbecue meal.
2. Fried chicken.
3. International foods.
4. Ice pops.
What are the best restaurants in Atlanta Georgia?
Where do celebrities go in Atlanta?
1. Bone Lick BBQ.
2. Compound Night Club.
3. The Clermont Lounge.
4. STK Atlanta.
5. Slutty Vegan.
What food is unique to Atlanta?
Atlanta has a lot of mouth-watering soul food dishes, like black-eyed peas, cornbread, collard greens, mac and cheese, sweet potato pie, fried chicken, and banana pudding.
What snack is Atlanta known for?
The Frosted Orange
You’re missing Atlanta’s most famous snack, “A Frosted Orange,” which is a creamlike in milkshake form.
Why is Atlanta famous for?
CNN, The World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights are all located in downtown Atlanta.
Tell Us In The Comments Your One Of The Best Restaurants in Atlanta!
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