The Coolest Bars and Restaurants in Town

Atlanta is often misrepresented, misunderstood, or in some cases, simply misguided. It's a vibrant and diverse jewel of the South, filled with an assemblage of individuals you won't find in any other city -- north or south of the Mason-Dixon. And it's those people who have created an expansive food and drink culture that rivals those found in cities like San Diego, LA, Chicago, Nashville, and even New York City. 

Whether you're new to our city, have been here forever, or are just entertaining some out-of-towners, you can't go wrong heading to any of the places in our exhaustive list below. Without further adieu, here are the coolest places to eat and drink around town. Which ones have you been to? 

saltyard
Saltyard

Buckhead
The gang behind Italian pasta house La Grotta, is bringing you what they're calling "biggie small" plates of locally sourced cheese, veggies, charcuterie, and other nosh so good you can stop eatin’ five-cent gums, 'cause you know where your next meal’s comin’ from.
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king + duke
Andrew Thomas Lee

Buckhead
There aren’t any gas ovens, no microwaves, or heat lamps in this place, just a 24tf open-fire hearth where the dude behind the Optimist, No. 246, and JCT Kitchen is cooking up meatastic options like a one-kilo bone-in ribeye served w/ roasted marrow bones.
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stillhouse
Chris Watkins

Buckhead
Joining the illustrious ranks of East Andrews Entertainment District spots like Atlanta Improv Comedy Club, Czar Ice Bar, and Prohibition, Stillhouse is a... um, Prohibition era-inspired barstaurant lacing you with smoke-infused moonshine 'tails and a slew of handcrafted burgers, the latter of which are so next-level, it's safe to assume the chefs have gotten into the former.
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seven lamps atlanta
Seven Lamps

Buckhead
This buzzy, workshop-esque spot cranks out craft cocktails like blood orange & bourbon Red Derbys, and bites from Tuscan crepes to hangar steak.

1kept
1Kept

Buckhead
This speakeasy-style spot is only accessible via the back alley of Tantra and Peachtree Walk, and they've ingeniously made the cocktails so good, there's no shot you'll be able to remember just how you found it the first time.

umi
Umi

Buckhead
Boasting white oak-paneled walls, a gold metal bar, and a 23ft sushi bar this seafoodery is serving eats/cocktails that’re crafted so meticulously that you’ll think it’ a temple to the ancient japanese art of stuffing your face.

cook hall atlanta
Cook Hall

Buckhead
The Edison-bulb-filled atrium delivers roasted radish toast, pork belly sliders w/ chili mayo, crispy duck tacos, and DIY cocktail kits curated by James Beard winner Belinda Chang, because what goes better with DIY projects than heavy drinking?

del frisco's atlanta
Del Frisco's Grille (Atlanta)

Buckhead
Dallas-originated Del Frisco's Grille is an ultra sleek steakhouse livened up with Savannah-sourced blue crab toast, hand-cut NY strips w/ aged balsamic reduction, and localized cocktails like the Avión Silver/lime & guava juice/sugar & cayenne-rimmed Hotlanta Cooler.
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Chops Lobster Bar
Courtesy of Chops Lobster Bar

Buckhead
This place is so confident about its beef game (they're one of the only restaurants in the country certified to sell “100% A5 Authentic Wagyu Kobe Beef”, they offer a "porterhouse experience") they went ahead and... um, chopped any reference to meat out of their name.

kr steakbar
KR Steakbar

Buckhead
Kevin Rathbun's modern Italian steakhouse kicks out sexy small plates of lamb tartare, octopus w/ candied lemon, and beef tongue, while the craft-y cocktail list rounds out the experience.

barrelhouse
The Barrelhouse

Midtown
The inventive, locally sourced eats are all built to play well with their Benjamin of beers, which are poured via taps w/ handles shaped like the Atlanta "A", a machete, and a cleaver, the sight of which hopefully doesn't Ward off any nearby Beaver.

stk
STK Atlanta

Midtown
The chic steakhouse/lounge backs up seriously prime 34oz cowboy rib-eyes with inventive cocktails like the Aperol/fresh sour mix/Earl Grey-infused gin Tea Time Fix-Up.

Midtown
The gang behind Sound Table and Top Flr opened this minimalist, subway-tiled, primer-painted supper-house-meets-train-station to deliver wild blue mussels, pan roasted duck, lamb sammies, and handcrafted 'tails.
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mi cocina
Mi Cocina

Midtown
Mi Cocina's first ATL location is for the birds... or at least for people who like 'em, since the first floor sports a curving mural depicting feathered flyers native to the A, and frescoes of birds in flight, with a menu focused on street eats like tacos w/ diced & grilled fajita beef, serranos & onions.

proof and provision
Edgar's Proof and Provision

Midtown
Set in the basement of the Georgian Terrace (you know, the one that hosted that totally bangin' Gone with the Wind premiere party back in the day), P&P serves the classy cocktails you deserve in a sophisticated setting.

general muir
The General Muir

Emory Point
This NY-style deli from the West Egg gang doles out traditional Jewish fare as well as Chef Todd Ginsberg's acclaimed Double Burger Stack.

white oak
White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails

Downtown
A "simple, yet complex" joint from the owner of Max Lagers, White Oak's seriously Southern hooch list includes 80+ brown spirits, while cooked-right feasts hail from inland areas, because any other approach would just be outlandish.

der biergarten
Der Biergarten

Downtown
Der's a festive 7000sqft indoor/outdoor haven for Deutsch-y food & froth fanatics, plus anyone interested in the German-made model trains circling the interior's ceiling.

twenty two
Twenty-Two Storys Lounge & Bar

Downtown
The Hyatt Regency's local-welcoming bar/eatery ("beatery"? No, no, that's not very good...) boasts booths with built-in beer taps, though the kitchen seems to have one too, judging by edibles ranging from Georgia Brown Ale aged cheddar soup w/ bacon croutons, to a Lambic-infused Kobe flat iron wrap.
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kimball house
Kimball House

Decatur
In addition to badass cocktails, this Decatur eatery slings platters full of iced oysters that're sans spicy/ overpowering cocktail sauces. Instead, you get a little mignonette sauce (shallots, cracked pepper & vinegar), in an eyedropper so you can blind yourself! flavor your bivalves just so.

leon's
Elyse Albert/Thrillist

Decatur
Housed in a former petrol station, Leon's is a relaxed, 160-seat gourmet gastro garage done up with retro red colors, tall windows, and polished stone flooring, making a fine setting to enjoy craft cocktails, daily rotating brews, and locally sourced bar bites.

Decatur
Want all the relaxation and good food (shrimp ceviche, foie gras emanadas, etc.) of a South-of-the-border beach vacay, but have enough Cancun Drinking Team tank tops already? Then this brick-walled, and steel-girdered seafoodery is for you.

pinewood
The Pinewood

Decatur
Breeze through the linen-curtain entrance to find a toolshelf-ish wooden bar (stocked with bitters and Mason-jarred beverages), and the general feeling that someone plopped a hidden-yet-happenin' hangout for real drinkers inside a funky '70s woodshop.

bone lick bbq
Bone Lick BBQ

West Atlanta
What started as a dinner party at Mike LaSage's home became a saucy meat mecca serving up BBQ every which way but loose, and Skee-Ball competitions illuminated by a gigantic lit-up carnival arrow.

optimist atlanta
The Optimist

West Atlanta
The feel-good seafood restaurant sports a maritime design to go with an Oyster Bar pouring out rotating, refreshing, boozy punches.

sound table
The Sound Table

Old Fourth Ward
A bi-level brick-walled restaurant/music lounge from the team behind Top Flr, TST's "street-to-table" fare is far more delicious than it sounds, and top notch cocktails enhance the tuneful work of local DJs.

Sandy Springs
This gigantic Persian palace & pantry is like something out of Aladdin, sporting a crescent-shaped bar w/ 50+ vinos and an extensive selection of meat on sticks.

Morningside
GHKB2 boasts greasy good burgers, a full bar, and a gritty, spaced-out diner look thanks to aircraft nose-esque hanging lamps, a curved orange leather banquette, and a mural of robots holding the aforementioned meat-discs.

folk art
Folk Art

Inman Park
Opened by the dude behind Wisteria, who, in an effort to get out of his culinary… waitforit!... Lane, has decided to serve up some absolutely badass AM eats (think campfire-inspired chocolate s'mores waffle topped w/ crushed-up graham crackers & marshmallow Fluff), plus sweet lunch options, all abetted by a full bar.
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krog bar atlanta
Krog Bar

Inman Park
ATL's perfect date spot thanks to warm glowing globe lights that make you look less like Louie Anderson as you down Kevin Rathbun's Spanish tapas and cocktails.

Little Five Points
Set up beneath an early 20thC Victorian house this artisanal meal-serving rathskeller looks like a happily drinky dungeon serving beers that are literally prepared in-house.

seed kitchen and bar atlanta
Courtesy of Seed Kitchen & Bar

Marietta
The Asian-influenced food at Seed is perhaps best enjoyed on the floating-trellis-covered outer patio, but then the same can be said for the epic cocktails that come out of their arrowhead-shaped bar.

gunshow atlanta
Gunshow

East Atlanta Village
Top Chef alum Kevin Gillespie's meat-a-torium dishes out a weekly rotating menu of dim sum-style locally sourced pork, lamb, and fish offerings, all cooked in an open kitchen where you can watch the crimson-bearded chef flex his culinary muscle.

octopus bar atlanta
Courtesy of Octopus Bar

East Atlanta Village
Octopus Bar's the late-night option when it comes to Vietnamese eateries that start serving after dinner shuts down at 10pm on So Ba's patio.
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the one sushi +
The One Sushi +

Brookhaven
If you were to ask The Merovingian, he'd probably try to fool you into believing there were others before The One, in French, before hustling to get some strange in the bathroom from some hot blonde. But ask the owners of this metallic den of Japanese fillings, and they'll say they're it.

hugos oyster bar
Hugo's Oyster Bar

Roswell
This OTPer’s slinging hand-shucked oyster and fried mac ‘n cheese in a space that channels Bourbon Street via hand-painted wall art, New Orleans-style gas lanterns, etc., and also boasts a glowing marquee that says Hugo's, which is meant to be helpful but could just make you feel Lost.
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Roswell
Break out your monocle and top hat... or at least, like, iron your pants, 'cause you definitely want to hit this swanked-out speakeasy-style spot in historic Roswell by the folks behind Salt Factory Pub and Little Alley Steak.
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atlanta burger truck
The ATL Burger Truck

Roaming
ABT's making meat discs inspired by the City's various 'hoods -- the appropriately slaw-topped Cabbage Town also comes with pulled pork & prime Brasstown beef; the Castleberry Hill w/ a balsamic pear compote, caramelized onions & cheese, which's exactly what people in the 'hood feel like every time a building gets gentrified: blue.
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Roaming
The super-chef behind King + Duke, The Optimist, et al. created a fried chicken donut sandwich (and some other eats) for the people at City of Refuge to sell off the back of a truck for charity. So at least those donuts are good for somebody.
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