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Home Atlanta

A List of the Best Restaurants in Atlanta!

by Nadeen
September 19, 2019
A A
A list of the Best Restaurants in Atlanta! Read picks from an Atlanta food blogger on the best places to eat and drink in the city!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through on a link, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll receive a slight commission which helps us keep this information available to you. Thanks!


If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’m a foodie! One of the reasons I love Atlanta is because of the thriving food scene.  Prior to moving here in 2012, I had NO idea there was such a variety of really good and affordable Atlanta food. This blog post has been on my “to do list” for quite some time. Friends and readers often ask my opinion on where to eat in Atlanta. I know this will be a helpful resource for visitors and residents!  But, how does one narrow down the best restaurants in Atlanta?  Thanks to Atlanta Magazine’s article “50 Best Restaurants in Atlanta” I was finally prompted to write my own list.

To prove to you how much of a foodie I am, I have been to 4 out of the top 5 listed restaurants and 7 out of the top 10. Although I agree with most of the mentions for the best restaurants in Atlanta, I definitely have my own favorites, so here goes. Take a look at the Top 5 Food Tours in Atlanta to try it all at a better price!

Staplehouse – the top restaurant in Atlanta:

Atlanta Magazine lists Staplehouse as the #1 restaurant in Atlanta. It has received many accolades since its opening including being named as the best new restaurant of 2016 by Bon Appetit. I have only been once but the menu was creative and the service spectacular. I look forward to returning to try their pre-fixed menu on the patio this summer.

Best BBQ in Atlanta:

Fox Bros BBQ, Moe’s Original BBQ, Grand Champion BBQ

Best Upscale Southern Restaurant in Atlanta:

South City Kitchen, JCT Kitchen, Southern Art, The Southern Gentleman

best restaurants in atlanta, atlanta food, atlanta foodie, insider's guide

Best Italian restaurant in Atlanta:

Boccalupo, Sotto Sotto

Best Spanish Tapas in Atlanta:

The Iberian Pig

Best Latin Food in Atlanta:

Alma Cocina

Best Burgers in Atlanta:

Holeman and Finch, Butcher and Brew. To try: One Eared Stag “the meat stick” and the “Ghetto Burger” at Ann’s Snack Bar. Check out my list of the best burger restaurants in Atlanta.

best restaurants in atlanta, atlanta food, atlanta foodie, insider's guide

Best Atlanta Tacos:

Taqueria Del Sol

Best Thai Food in Atlanta:

Spoon Eastside, Harry & Sons, Nan Thai Fine Dining. I speak from experience! See my guide to Thai food… in Thailand!

Best Middle-Eastern:

Yalla

Best Persian Atlanta Food:

Rumi’s Kitchen

Best Brunch in Atlanta:

Le Petit Marche, South City Kitchen, Local 3, Sun in My Belly, The Lawrence. Check out my blog post of the best brunch restaurants in Atlanta.

best restaurants in atlanta, atlanta food, atlanta foodie, insider's guide

Best Steakhouses in Atlanta:

Hal’s The Steakhouse, Kevin Rathbun Steak

Best Tex Mex:

Agave, Superica

Best New Find- Indian:

Amara

Best Ice Cream:

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream

best restaurants in atlanta, atlanta food, atlanta foodie, insider's guide

Best Desserts and Date Night in Atlanta:

Apres Diem

Best Hang Out Spot for Cocktails and Tapas:

Barcelona ( I love the new location at Westside Ironworks)

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Best Atlanta Food Halls:

Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market. These are great places to go and explore if you are not sure what you want to eat or if you want to have some of everything! There is a variety of cuisines at both.

Most Unique Restaurant in Atlanta:

Gunshow by Kevin Gillespie. Check out our review of Gunshow. This is a place you need to “know before you go”. The ever changing dishes are delicious but you can easily spend a lot of $$ without realizing it by picking item after item that is presented to you from the a la carte menu. Kevin Gillespie also has a Southern restaurant in Decatur called “Revival”. I have not been there-yet

Ford Fry Restaurants:

BeetleCat, The Optimist, No246, St.Cecilia, JCT Kitchen, Superica, King & Duke. I can’t have a list of the best restaurants in Atlanta without mentioning my favorite restauranteur in the city! From Atlanta to Decatur you will find a mixture of seafood, Mediterranean, Southern food, Tex-Mex and American cuisine.

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Kevin Rathbun Restaurants:

KR Steakbar, Kevin Rathbun Steak, Rathbun’s, Krog Bar. Kevin Rathbun is also a favorite chef and restauranteur in Atlanta. If you are looking for a delicious steak pick from one of his steakhouses. Have a more casual experience at Krog Bar or Rathbun’s.

Best Food Trucks:

Yumbii (which now has its own location in Buckhead!), Nectar (also has a restaurant in Decatur),  Blaxican, The King Kabob, The King of Pops. To try: The Fry Guy

Best Farmer’s Markets:

Atlanta has quite a few farmers’ markets that take place around the city from spring to winter. I have been to the one in Piedmont Park several times and it is wonderful. I plan to make it to Grant Park and the West Midtown markets this year.

My Bucket list of Must-Try Restaurants in Atlanta:

I have a long list of restaurants to try based on great reviews from food critics and bloggers! Therefore, stay tuned for an updated list of the best restaurants in Atlanta. Here is my current list of must try places: The Federal, Restaurant Eugene, Bacchanalia, Bones, Marcel, American Cut Steakhouse, Dolce, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, Porch Light Latin Kitchen, Nexto, Nuevo Laredo Cantina, Busy Bee, Chai Pani, 10 Degrees South, Ray’s in the City.

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Honorable Mentions:

 These are a few places I’ve only been to once or twice, but are popular in Atlanta. So if you’ve already eaten at all the places on this list, here are a few more to try:

  • Bocado (known for their burger)
  • Desta Ethiopan Kitchen
  • Cafe Bombay
  • Negril Village
  • Two Urban Licks
  • Sweet Auburn Market.

Of course you may have noticed there are some categories of Atlanta food not listed here, such as best sushi or best pizza restaurants. Based on my dining out preferences, I haven’t visited enough of these to form an opinion. However, be sure to check out the list of best restaurants in Atlanta from Atlanta Magazine as well as the websites of my two favorite Atlanta food bloggers: Lia Picard of The Cardigan Kitchen and Malika Bowling of Roamilicious. Subscribe to the blog and keep up with my latest Food and Atlanta posts! There are several Atlanta restaurant reviews so you will definitely find something that meets your fancy.

What are your picks for the best restaurants in Atlanta? Is it on this list? If not please add it below! One of the great ways to discover great Atlanta food is to explore the restaurants by neighborhood. West Midtown, Inman Park, and Midtown are definitely my favorite places to eat in the city! Check out my previous restaurant guides for West Midtown. This time of the year is the perfect time to do a walking food tour in Atlanta.

Interested in dining out at some of these restaurants for less? Get 2 for 1 entrees at over 70 Atlanta restaurants using the Atlanta Dining Out Passbook! Check out my Foodie’s Guide to Las Vegas next.

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Nadeen

Nadeen

Dr. Nadeen White is a "Blogger by Day, Physician by Night". She is an award-winning travel blogger, Amazon bestselling author and speaker. The Sophisticated Life Blog covers affordable luxury travel, culinary travel and wine. Her domestic and international travel guides gets people to the destinations of their dreams. So, if you are living the sophisticated life or desire to do so, this is the blog for you!

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Comments 12

  1. Samantha says:
    4 years ago

    Great list, I enjoyed how you broke it down into categories like the Oscars! Haha! I am from Columbus, OH so its great to see you mention Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams as it originated in Columbus. They REALLY DO have the best ice cream! Your pictures are gorgeous btw!

    • Nadeen says:
      4 years ago

      I am so glad Jeni’s came to Atlanta! Thank you for commenting!

  2. Sally says:
    4 years ago

    This is fabulous! Thank you! We’ve visited Atlanta several times and never know where to eat (Yelp just doesn’t cut it!) Will have to save this list for our next Georgia adventure!

    • Nadeen says:
      4 years ago

      Great! I am sure you will enjoy the restaurants!

  3. Deliverr says:
    4 years ago

    Impressive!Thanks for the information

    • Nadeen says:
      4 years ago

      Your welcome!

  4. Janene says:
    3 years ago

    Bacchanalia was featured in the movie “Baby Driver” this summer. Its definitely on my list of places I’d love to try. I’ve heard great things!

    • Nadeen says:
      3 years ago

      I didn’t know that! yes I can’t wait to try it!

  5. Borley says:
    3 years ago

    My sister is moving back to ATL from Dubai and I want to have a welcome back party for her. Whats a good restaurant that has a good food but also a fun environment for a lot of friends to come together for a welcome back party?

    • Nadeen says:
      3 years ago

      Good luck to her! It really depends on how many people you plan to have at the event and your price point and if you want cocktails with appetizers or a sit down dinner. It is probably best to check with some event planners in town. I do know South City Kitchen in Buckhead has event space as well as few of the restaurants in the Shops of Buckhead and the Kevin Rathbun Restaurants.

  6. Gary Anthony "G.A." Herbin Jr. says:
    2 years ago

    Send me a 50-Restaurant Book from Atlanta, Georgia to 617 Slade Street in Gibsonville, N.C. 27249
    it’s a house but my name is Gary Anthony “G.A.” Herbin Jr. and I’m black and I’m a male because so send
    me a 50-Restaurant Book from Atlanta, Georgia so I can look at it so I love it to look at it and my lifetime
    of what.

  7. Dee says:
    2 years ago

    amazing restaurant list. thank you for sharing.

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  • What’s your favorite time of the day? Since I am NOT a morning person 😏 sunset is my FAV! Here are some pics from Sunsets on 🌅 Miami Beach 🏖 last week. Take me back!! I ❤️Atlanta but we are landlocked. Definitely something that’s hard to get used to after living in Florida for 8 years. I will need to retire near the ocean or at least on a lake. Yes retire..I’m 50 now so I need to start thinking about retirement lol 😂 

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Sunshine 🌞, Sunsets 🌅, Magnificent oceanfront views 🌊...I may never come home....How is your Monday going? 😁

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  • Time for a joyful post!! 😄#birthdaybehavior🎉 . 
Today is my 50th Birthday 🥳!! (😳I still can’t believe that but age is just a number right?!)

I decided to escape the cold in Atlanta and head to a warm sunny beach. No matter where I am in the world 🌍 warm weather and the beach 🏖 always makes me happy 😊. 

COVID-19 has caused cancellation, postponement and alterations of so many special occasions since year. But, I am so grateful to have made it thru 2020 and to be able to celebrate this birthday. To do it on on a beach is a bonus! 

Please remember that if you decide to travel 🧳 do it safely. Research the destination you are going to and follow all the guidelines. Continue to wear masks 😷 and practice social distancing. I also recommend getting a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to you. You can read all about the vaccines and how to travel safely during the pandemic on my blog (links in my profile) 

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  • This question has been lingering in my head since the events that occurred on January 6th. The assault on our nation’s Capitol by domestic terrorists. 😡😡

Although my platform is about affordable luxury travel, food, wine and as a physician I also discuss medical & health topics, I just can not ignore issues that affect my daily life, my country and the world I live in. All of those things affect whether I can function as a human being and perform my job as physician and a content creator. I also feel that having this platform is a chance to inform and educate others on what life is like from a Black woman’s perspective. There are not enough of us that have a platform to do this so I do not take it for granted. If what I say offend’s others or turns off brands, then they may not be a right fit for me to work with anyway. I always speak my mind and also tell the truth and I’m willing to listen to the point of view of other’s (as long as it’s not crazy talk 😉😉) 

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I went from being full of excitement and relief over the Senate elections in Georgia last night to this disgraceful show of domestic terrorism today. 

***What I saw.... 
Crowds of privileged fearless white people Trump supporters storm thru barriers and pass armed guards into the Capitol with large confederate flags and Trump flags taking over the Senate floor and offices of those who serve our government. 

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If this were a group of BLM protestors or Black people what would have happened? Do I really need to tell you? DOA

Make no mistake. These are TERRORISTS. This was a COUP incited by a reckless and disgusting sore loser of a President that should be arrested and removed. 

And the nerve of these Republican Senators and Representatives to still contest this election tonight and delay the ceremonial certification of votes?!! 

This is a travesty of justice. This is not Democracy and we are a complete embarrassment to the rest of the world. Whatever “legacy” this dictator has/had should be ruined in history FOREVER!

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