Atlanta’s Newest Restaurant Openings, Now on Resy

Talk about a dining exclusive: Just three nights a week, chef Tasuku Murakami (who made his mark at The Lobster Club in Manhattan and Atlanta’s own Umi) creates a masterful 17- or 18-course omakase menu, served at a gleaming white-maple sushi bar with only eight seats — an experience you won’t forget.

You’d want to come to this family-owned hideaway in Buckhead for the treasury of mezcals and other agave-based spirits alone — but have you seen the craveable menu, which avoids the clichés in favor of panuchos, tlayudas, aguachiles, and other real-deal Mexican fare?

The team behind Octopus Kitchen has converted their high-energy nightspot The G.O.A.T. on Cheshire Bridge into a fine-dining destination that you’ll come back to again and again. Expect a genial atmosphere and a menu referencing Italy, India, China, the Middle East, and the U.S.A.

Part of Atlanta entrepreneur and one-time Real Housewives star Dennis McKinley’s ever-growing nightlife chain, Cru is all about fun — hookah pipes and CBDs, a menu of “Cru Tails,” premium bottle service, and a selection of small plates for when the hunger kicks in.

Looking for something special? This is an exclusive omakase bar where Jonathan Yun, a veteran of the Michelin-starred Sushi Nakazawa in Manhattan, offers just two 10-person seatings a night for his 18-course omakase menus, featuring seafood sourced largely from Japan.

This sleek, glass-enclosed Buckhead stunner from Tuscan native Marco Betti of Antica Posta fame is far more than just a stylish bar: It’s an irresistible all-day restaurant offering everything from bruschetta three ways to pollo alla cacciatora.

You’ll definitely want to add this Midtown spot to your hit list for its tradition-plus-innovation menu (yes, there’s grilled chicken; yes there’s roasted carrot dip with peanuts and pomegranate), its riffs on classic cocktails, and its welcoming vibe.

Fans sighed when Jason Liang and John Chen closed Brush Sushi Izakaya in Decatur, but their reborn Brush Sushi (minus the izakaya menu) in Buckhead Village has everybody smiling. An elegant upgrade from the original, this one features omakase feasts with seductive sake or whisky pairings. 

Leave it to chef David Lee to reengineer plant-based cuisine for a high-energy, well-heeled crowd. From Coconut Grove to New York City, Planta has unleashed its meatless brilliance in the shape of a wild menu, where everything from sushi and brick-oven pizzas to “chick’n and waffle” is as good as “the real thing.” Don’t sleep on the cocktails — we like the special charcoal bourbon sour.

B.O.T actually stands for “Bar of Thailand,” and you’re going to want to get ready: This cheerful restaurant from the proprietors of Tum Pok Pok is making its mark with an irresistible menu of classic and innovative dishes — think chef’s specialties like pad Thai with lobster and marinated grilled chicken lettuce-leaf tacos.

You’ll love everything at this handsome Howell Mill offshoot of Ash Famili’s crowd-pleasing Sandy Springs original — the Persian and Middle Eastern spreads, the mezze and kabobs, and maybe most of all, the variations on classic tahdig rice, with its irresistible golden crust.

Food-lovers know Hero BoVino, inside Hop City Beer & Wine, for its meat counter, specialty foods, and serious sandwiches — but now proprietor Alex Sher and chef Chris McCord (ex-Gunshow) have upped the ante with this intimate weekends-only dining experience that combines a dinner party vibe with a dazzling contemporary tasting menu.

In an intimate atmosphere — dark wood finishes, soft lighting, starburst chandeliers — chef Sean Park (NoriFish) ups the omakase game by interweaving cuts of Japanese and American Wagyu beef with first-rate seafood on his eight-course tasting menus (with à la carte options available).

You’ll definitely want a table at this exuberantly colorful, high-energy Latin American hot spot from the owner of the 5Church restaurants. The fare ranges from tapas to ropa vieja to an occasional whole roast suckling pig, the bar program is agave-heavy, and the music is live — salsa included.

For something above and beyond the usual combination plates, come to this Mexican fusion venue in Cascade Heights, where the twin defining specialties are birria tacos and birria ramen, and the atmosphere is as cool as a frozen margarita.

Here’s a prize for Alpharetta: an airy, stylish 6,800-square-foot tribute to the elegant cuisine of Persia, complete with a vast tree-shaded patio and a menu of small plates, spreads, rice dishes, kabobs, and more. Come with a crowd and order the six-pound slow-braised leg of lamb if you know what’s good for you.

It was good news for Dunwoody when Niki Pattharakositkul opened this riotously colorful Perimeter Mall outpost of her growing mini-chain, bringing real-thing Thai food to the community, from soups and noodle dishes to curries and whole fish. Pro tip: Start your feast with a 26 Thai Platter, offering a choice of four shareable small plates.

This is one you’ll definitely want to add to your favorites list — a cheery, unpretentious place in downtown Lawrenceville, opened by three longtime friends who serve just the kinds of food you want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and brunch — don’t miss the weekend special of lobster and grits.

You’ll want to come back often to this easygoing upscale neighborhood steakhouse (the second of two locations), where the beef is Georgia-raised and the boss is Blaiss Nowak, who learned the steakhouse trade at his father’s iconic Hal’s in Buckhead.

Get ready for incredible Mexican food in beautiful surroundings (acres of natural wood, hanging basket lights, sea-blue concrete floors) at this tribute to the rich cuisine of Oaxaca from restaurant veterans Cesar Hernandez and Luis Damian.

Come with friends to this convivial establishment in Sandy Springs and crowd the table with eminently shareable plates and platters of Persian and Middle Eastern spreads, mezze, kabobs, and more. Don’t miss the variations on tahdig rice, a Persian classic known for its irresistible golden crust.