Sharing my Atlanta restaurant recommendations! I have lived in Cleveland OH, Columbus OH, Williamsburg VA, Raleigh NC, Asheville NC, Atlanta GA, Tampa FL, Dallas TX and now Atlanta for a second time, and Atlanta has some pretty decent food. Of every spot I’ve lived in, Dallas has my favorite food, but ATL some some gems! I wrote a post about my Atlanta restaurant recommendations last time I lived here (linked here) and a lot of those restaurants are still my favorites today! I sorted everything by category, so scroll below for all my Atlanta restaurant recommendations!
Atlanta Restaurant Recommendations by Category
Coffee / Matcha
Little Tart – Little Tart has the best strawberry matcha ever and their baked goods are amazing.
Postcard – Postcard probably has the best unique flavored matcha drinks I’ve tried.
Daydreamer – Daydreamer is a great spot in Midtown with the cutest interior! Great spot to bring a laptop and stay for a few hours!
Dancing Goats – There’s a few locations around town and they always have great drinks.
Academie Coffee – This Virginia Highlands spot has bomb breakfast sandwiches!
Momo Cafe – This is an easy to stop at spot for matcha in Midtown.
Cuddlefish – Not so great food but I love their matcha!
Breweries / Drinks
Three Taverns – This is my favorite brewery in ATL! They have a few locations but the Imaginarium is my favorite spot to relax with a beer.
Porter Beer Bar – Words cannot describe how much I love this place. I put them on the drink list because they have an absurd amount of beers, like hundreds. It’s a great spot to grab a drink but dare I say I go for the food. Their brunch is insane (biscuits and gravy are quite literally insane) and their dinner is also insanely good. The brats are incredible and so is the roasted chicken. I cannot visit Porter without getting their pretzel with cheese. Just trust me on this one.
Burles – This is a really cute cocktail spot on the Beltline with a great outdoor space.
SweetWater – I love stopping for a beer when I’m in Buckhead. It’s a huge spot with plenty of parking.
Monday Night Brewing – Their spot in West Midtown is super cute!!
Torched Hop Brewing – Rest in peace, Torched Hop Brewing. I am so sad they closed because they had some of my favorite beer!
Breaker Breaker – This is the best outdoor drink spot on the Beltline. The drinks aren’t great but the vibes are.
New Realm – This is a great spot on the Beltline while you’re passing through.
Tap on Ponce – This spot inside Ponce City Market has so many different beers and wines on tap.
King of Pops – I love the cocktails here.
Sweets
Voga Gelato – This is the best gelato in ATL hands down.
Big Softie – I love their soft serve and topping options.
The Salty Donut – I used to love this place when they had homemade strawberry poptarts. Their donuts are good too.
Sweet Cheats – We got our wedding cake here! Their cake flavors are so good!
Saint Germain – This is my go to spot for macarons.
Van Leeuwen – Unfortunately my multi decade love for Jeni’s was torn apart with Van Leeuwen. I am just obsessed with their malted cookie dough flavor.
Jeni’s – A classic Ohio staple. I love their peanut butter ice cream.
Cafe Intermezzo – Their cakes are straight off the Sysco truck but it’s a cute spot with a variety of options.
Brunch
Bread and Butterfly – This is one of my favorite brunch spots of all time and my top brunch spot in my Atlanta restaurant recommendations. Their coffee is so good, the vibe and decor is amazing. I am obsessed with their pancake and avocado toast, although everything I have tried is great. If you want the best simple pancake you’ve ever tried in your life, come here.
Necessary Purveyor – I love this spot for brunch and lunch! Their chicken caesar wrap (only available during the week) is so good. I love their truffle fries as well.
Pop Up Bagels – Pop Up is one of my fave NYC spots and I am so happy they opened in ATL because they are by far the best bagel in the city!
The Daily Chew – This is such an underrated spot! I love the truffle chicken melt.
Brooklyn Bagel – Way better than Emerald City Bagel if you like everything bagels.
Sandwiches
Small Fry – This is my favorite chicken caesar wrap in ATL! I haven’t tried anything else but it’s next to 3 Taverns, so it’s perfect for getting food then a drink.
Zaddys – Their sandwiches are so good! I love the chicken caesar.
Farm Burger – I’ve never had their burgers, but their fried chicken sandwiches are so good.
Pala Bakery – This spot feels authentically Italian and their sandwiches are really good.
Dave’s Cosmic Subs – This is my favorite from growing up in Ohio and I was thrilled when one opened here. A taste of childhood nostalgia.
Bona fide deluxe – This is a really cute casual spot (with a great outdoor space) with awesome sandwiches.
General Muir – This is a great casual spot with really good pastrami.
Lunch Spots
Staplehouse – Staplehouse is in my top 5 for Atlanta restaurant recommendations. They make a cake every Saturday afternoon so we love to go Saturday for lunch. Their grinder is so good.
Botiwalla – Their Indian food is amazing! I am particularly in love with their chicken wings.
Yalla – Some of the best hummus and pita I’ve ever had.
Kafenio Avondale – This is a great casual spot for Greek food!
Mexican
Muchacho – Muchacho is one of our favorite Beltline stops to grab some lunch before heading to Three Taverns. Their kale salad with shrimp is my favorite and I love the queso!
Casi Cielo – Mexican food is another thing I miss about Texas so much. The Mexican in ATL doesn’t even come close, but I finally found good chilaquiles here and am very happy. It’s such a pretty space too with a great patio.
Bartaco – Bartaco is a tried and true favorite of mine and I am so happy Atlanta has a location (Dallas closed theirs!). I love the fish, cauliflower and falafel tacos!
Beto’s Tacos – Beto’s a great if you want awesome standard, no frills authentic tacos. We grab food to go there quite often!
Ramen
E ramen – For some reason, Okiboru Tsukemen is rated better than E Ramen on Yelp, but it comes nowhere near close in comparison. I would never go back. But I absolutely loved E Ramen, the Dark Knight is the best ramen I’ve ever had.
Kin No Tori – This is solid ramen staple, but just a warning there’s not a lot of seating so it can fill up quick.
Ton Ton – I love Ton Ton so much, it’s such comfort food. I love stopping in when I am at Ponce City Market.
Asian
26 Thai – This is some of the best thai I’ve ever had! I lived off this when we moved back to Atlanta and were waiting for all of our belongings to get delivered. Everything is top notch.
Xi’an Gourmet House – This is one of my fave ATL spots. Their wide noodles are sooooooooo good and their shrimp dumplings are even better. I could drink whatever sauce they give you with the dumplings.
La Moon – Their glass noodles are legit so good.
Paya Thai – I love their outdoor patio, it’s such a cute spot.
Le Colonial – Atlanta cocktails are horrendous compared to the quality I had in Dallas but I feel like I finally found a decent lychee martini at Le Colonial. It’s a super cute spot too.
Urban Hai – This is the best spot if you’re craving take out Chinese! I love the general tso’s chicken!
Pizza
Varuni Napoli – This might be my favorite pizza spot of all time. The Amore Mio is addicting.
Mister 01 – I used to go here when I lived in Florida, and then they opened one in Dallas while I was living there and I was so excited. They just opened up in Atlanta and I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am because it’s some of the best pizza! Their truffle burrata, caesar salad and Star Luca pizza is the best trio ever.
Bertolozis – This just hits for thin crispy pizza. Reminds me of my obsession with Donato’s 10 years ago.
BBQ
Lewis BBQ – Moving from Texas to Georgia is rough to say the least when it comes to BBQ. Lewis is the only spot that comes sort of close to Texas BBQ. The location is great too because it’s on the new part of the Beltline.
Fox Brothers – Their wings are so good and smoky!
Sweet Auburn – I used to love Sweet Auburn’s wings so we went back and didn’t like it as much this time. I want to give them another chance though because I used to go there all the time when I lived here last time.
Sushi
Norifish – Norifish is the absolute best sushi I’ve ever had in the Southeast and one of my top Atlanta restaurant recommendations. I dream of this place and wish I could go every single day. We did the Omakase premium and the bill was nearly $400, so it was probably the most expensive meal I’ve had but honestly it was so worth it. I think for the price this spot is definitely amazing for a birthday or other special occasion! I am trying to find an excuse to go back ASAP!
Yugi – Yugi is my second favorite spot in Atlanta. I love the Beltline location and the fact that it’s open for lunch too. The outdoor bar is amazing. I am addicted to their spicy tuna crispy rice and ube cheesecake.
Eight Sushi – Eight is my third favorite sushi spot. When I used to live here I loved MF, but when we went back to MF it wasn’t nearly as good as the sushi we were used to in Dallas. I was scared I wouldn’t find sushi to replace Dallas sushi, but Eight is definitely decent. The Sensei, Hashtag and Langoustine rolls were all SO good.
Kinjo – Kinjo is the cutest date night spot! I love the atmosphere and the dim lighting. The bar is amazing too. The sushi is pretty good but Yugi & Eight are definitely better, I just wish Eight had a better atmosphere.
Fudo – Fudo is amazing if you are looking for a less expensive option but want lots of great roll choices. We got a bunch of rolls and loved them all!
Italian
Boccalupo – This is the best Italian in Atlanta. The menu changes often and the dishes are so creative. One dish that keeps us going back is the mushroom pasta. It’s pricey but very casual, I’ve gone to dinner here wearing athleisure.
La Grotta – This is an Atlanta staple and a fun dressy date night spot. I love the truffle risotto.
No 246 – This is probably my fave restaurant in Decatur.
Bellina Alimentari – This is my favorite spot inside Ponce City Market. I am addicted to their garlic bread.
Indaco – This is a great spot right outside Ponce City Market that has an awesome view. Plus they do brunch.
A Mano – This is such a cute and cozy little spot with great food.
Yeppa – Okay the food is not that great but the vibes here are incredible. I love the Beltline location so much.
Sotto Sotto – Sotto Sotto is an Atlanta staple. It’s such an adorable spot, however their food seems to be a little less mind blowing in the recent years. Absolutely a must visit though.
Lyla Lila – This is a cute spot in Midtown. I really like their bar area too.
Tuscany at your Table – This is a great spot to grab fresh made pasta to go and I love to grab a sandwich and some dessert when I stop in.
Steak
Bones – Bones is the best steak in Atlanta in my opinion! Bones is definitely a traditional steakhouse and it’s huge! The hash browns are my favorite thing ever.
Il Premio – This new spot gives the best Ralph Lauren vibes. It is dark and moody and the decor is so chic. The truffle mac is so insanely good and so is the ravioli.
Arnette’s Chop Shop – Really great steak spot worth trying, especially if you live near it. The bar is also amazing.
Marcel – Marcel is such a vibe and the food is pretty good. I still like Bones steak better but the atmosphere at Marcel is top notch.
French
Little Sparrow – The food is a little overrated but I love the vibes here. Such a classy spot!
Le Bilboquet – The food is alright, but I absolutely love the space. Such a chic spot!
Bistro Niko – This is such a cute spot with the cutest French decor! We went for brunch and loved it, and now I want to try their dinner.
Seafood
Optimist – Omg I love the Optimist so much. It’s honestly some of the best seafood I’ve had in the Southeast and it reminds me that I need to back ASAP.
Other Date Night Spots
Rumi’s Kitchen – This spot is so insanely good and there’s always a crowd. The drinks are fabulous, my favorites are their Tehran Mule and Sabzi Tonica. The sea bass is the best fish I’ve ever had, just trust me.
Delbar – Delbar is such a great date night spot or place to go with a group. I love the outdoor patio at the Inman Park location.
Barcelona Wine Bar – Barcelona is a staple and such a fun spot to go to for drinks and/or food. I love their red sangria pitchers!
South City Kitchen – This is the best for standard southern food. They also do a bomb brunch. Their fried chicken might be the best I’ve ever had.
Kitty Dare – This is a newer spot and they have great mediterranean food! The inside is super cute and I love the bar.
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