The Resy Hit List: Where In Atlanta You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
Consider it your essential resource for dining in Atlanta: a monthly-updated guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Atlanta Not to Miss This Month
- Renovated, Reopened, and Taking More Resys: GiGi’s Italian Kitchen in Candler Park has only been around for two years, but already, it’s built a reputation that it’s worth a wait if you can’t set a Notify. With chefs Eric Brooks and Jacob Armondo’s recent expansion, seats are finally starting to outnumber the dishes on the concise but excellent menu. Book now.
- Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.: Get down to the National Historic Park named after him on Jan. 20, where an all-day block party with live music, free admission to the visitor’s center, and self-guided tours past his birthplace, home, and other Sweet Auburn landmarks celebrate his legacy. Wrap up the outing with dinner at newly opened Miss Conduck nearby, where a Trinidadian mother-daughter team show just how sweet Sweet Auburn can be.
- So Nice, They’re Doing It Twice: The holidays are behind us, but you can always count on chef Joey Ward to surprise and delight in unconventional ways. This month, it’s with a bonus iteration of the Southern Belle Royal Tea Service, where he lends regional flair to the British experience. Pro tip: Opt for the communal table Resy Experience to make it more of a Mad Hatter affair – apropos to the creative chef running it, and always keep an eye on our Resy Events page for more special happenings.
- Hired Guns is Back! Gunshow has announced its Sunday evening dinner series featuring acclaimed chefs from across the country is back, with a jam-packed calendar that starts Jan. 26. Brian Baxter from Nashville’s The Catbird Seat will be cooking ten courses with chef de cuisine Cody Chassar at the event.
New to the Hit List (Jan. 2025)
BoccaLupo, Delbar Buckhead, Girl Diver, Lucky Star, Poach Social, Sessions Stand, Talat Market, TBB 122.
1. BoccaLupo Inman Park
Intimate and compact with its low ceilings and red-splashed patio, the metal stools at the bar and unfussy wooden chairs of chef-owner Bruce Logue’s Italian-ish restaurant are consistently among the most coveted seats in the city. Here, pasta is regularly reimagined, shaped or extruded with painstaking detail and accompanied by inventive ingredients that are distinctly American. For instance, chicken Parm is Southern fried and served with creamy collard greens, a 20-yolk tagliatelle comes with mushrooms and Tuscan kale kimchi, and arancini comes filled with smoked brisket and green tomato marmellata. Cocktails keep the fun going, with names that encourage LOL moments, such as from Becky with the Good Pear (Slosha Fierce), which asks only, “When was the last time you were a little tipsy?”
2. Nàdair Restaurant Woodland Hills
Kevin Gillespie has proudly reclaimed a part of his culinary heritage that he once pushed into the shadows. This interpretation of a laird’s lodge, with custom carpet in the pattern of his great-grandfather’s military tartan, embraces “the way of nature” both literally and figuratively. That manifests in a return to his wood-fired cooking days. Multi-course tastings and three-course prix fixe menus feature contemporary and often Southern takes on hearty Scottish fare. Think Aberdeen butter pull-aparts, lacquered ham with a collard green “dumpling,” and steak with punchy horseradish brown sauce and savory skirlie oats that’ll have you questioning why we Americans eat oats sweet.
3. Bacchanalia Westside
A moody former industrial space – shared with counter-service sister Star Provisions – continues to set the stage for some of Atlanta’s most show-stopping cuisine. This 1993 establishment founded by Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison just keeps growing better. Their local farm, Summerland, continues to guide their farm-to-table approach. Because of that, their format of a four-course prix fixe menu is the only thing that remains constant. One night you might find crab fritters made remarkable with citrus and avocado, or steak tartare with a twist of lime, toasted rice, and chile. And if your Notify didn’t pan out for that special occasion, just go during the day and grab a Bacchanalia-quality lunch or a pastry from Star Provisions while you hunt for an artisan “I’m sorry” gift. It’ll be a nice taste of what’s to come when your Resy comes through.
4. Avize West Midtown
You don’t need skis to get into the winter Alpine spirit with Karl Gorline’s just-opened concept. Beneath the shadow of a mountain goat standing in a forest green dining room, are dishes inspired by the culture of the lands those mountains touch — France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany — made with ingredients from family-run farms near Atlanta, including their own. Expect uncommon dishes like venison tartare, a parfait of rabbit and foie gras, botanical hay-smoked crown of duck, and a Mont Blanc with brown butter, banana, and chestnut cream. And naturally, with a name that also calls to mind a Champagne village with Grand Cru status, what’s better than a glass of bubbly to accompany? Find all the details here.
5. Aria Buckhead Village
This elegant mainstay is all class and grace. Quite fitting, then, that it’s considered a long-time icon for those in the know in Atlanta’s toniest neighborhood, with cuisine and service to match. Its intimate space feels like private dining, and a small but full-service bar turns out cocktails without missing a beat. However, it’s the wines that are unmissable, particularly if you opt for the tasting menu. Because while the ambiance is traditional, this eight-course experience is certainly not. Expect items like creamless celery root soup with black truffle, sashimi floating in apples and ponzu, and multiple meat courses from the country’s top purveyors. Then expect to want to make another Resy right away.
6. Foundation Social Eatery Alpharetta
If it’s been a minute since you’ve made the trip up to Alpharetta, remedy that immediately, because chef Mel Toledo has outdone himself with menu upgrades. It doesn’t get more decadent than overstuffed agnolotti in taleggio cream absolutely smothered with meaty maitake, braised beef cheek, and more shaved truffle than any dish has any business having. Pro tip: Order the single-side seared scallops on popping farro and fresh English peas as an appetizer, and save room for dessert. Pastry chef Gus Castro is baking at FSE now, and clearly having fun doing so — as with his mind-bending cornbread take on carrot cake.
7. Kitty Dare Inman Park
Atlanta’s culinary style boils down to swirling cultures together like paint until it becomes something new — and that’s the best way to describe the artistry in play here, where an Iranian owner and Italian chef have combined Middle Eastern and Western European flavors into dishes you won’t find elsewhere. Turmeric colors pillowy gnocchi already rich with black garlic lamb ragu on a swirl of mint yogurt. Perfectly roasted chicken, thick with Berbere spices and lightened with watermelon and feta salad and a silky, lush Andalusian gazpacho speak of southern Spanish summers, and myriad nooks — a muraled courtyard, whitewashed and cerulean corners — create a casual spot with neighborhood fave vibes.
8. Lucky Star West Midtown
We all know Jason Liang as a master of Japanese cuisine … but sometimes, there comes a point in a chef’s journey where one’s heritage comes calling and they find they must answer. Such is the case with Lucky Star, his new luxury cafe-style venue in the Star Metals office building. Sophisticated science-based cocktail technique (think floral extractions and unexpected ingredients, such as housemade fruit leather, pandan, brown butter rum) is the primary focus of this cocktail-intensive venture, but polished versions of the dishes that feel most familiar to him are where you’ll feel most at home at his counter-height bar. Springy noodles with sweet, braised, minced pork belly and half a tea- and soy-sauce jammy egg are Taiwanese comfort at its best.
9. Poach Social Summerhill
Lovingly rebuilt after a fire that devastated both the building and its many local fans, this breakfast and brunch spot that promises “Food + Mood” is delivering both again in full force. Reopened last May, its comeback was two years in the making, including a redesign that’s eclectic with maximalist black and white-patterned walls, rough woods, and velvet chairs around stone-pattern tables. Jerk chicken egg rolls are a signature start before moving on to the Bacon Egg Jam with tomatoes sliced and as jam, or fried chicken with brioche French toast or a tower of waffles. Try the steeped hibiscus and spice One Love from the juice and cocktail bar, with or without rum, but pro tip: multi-flavor mimosas can be ordered in a carafe.
10. Talat Market Summerhill
You may have to check their Instagram story daily to see what’s cooking in chefs Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter’s kitchen, but that wild unpredictability hasn’t changed how hot Resys are for this James Beard-nominated former pop-up. Every day is a fresh chance to experiment with their produce picks of the moment as they take regional ingredients across the world to Thailand. Grab a seat against the vivid street-style mural for dishes like winter melon with fried alliums in pork broth made with Benton’s country ham and Massaman curry with lamb and Georgia pecans, braised in their signature housemade coconut cream and milk, natch.
11. Heirloom Market BBQ Smyrna
Don’t you be fooled by the unassuming facade of this roadside shop — this joint’s got real chops. Chefs Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee’s wood-smoking spot is an Atlanta legend, its Korean and American barbecue flavors a perfect representation of the globally influenced and locally inspired dining culture of the A. Find spicy braised pork topped with kimchi coleslaw, gochujang-rubbed smoked pork, classic 12-hour beef brisket, Texas-style smoked turkey, racks of ribs, and a variety of sides as plentiful as a banchan spread. Seating is nearly nonexistent and patio tables are few, but don’t let that stop you. The many national recognitions it’s received have been well earned.
Find more info here.
12. Bread & Butterfly Inman Park
Billy Allin may have sold his last outpost to Demetrius Brown and Brandon Blanchard, but all three voices speak clearly from the menu. Traditional French style peeks out during the day, but come evening, Haiti comes out to play with the South. Savory herb cocktails with dark spirits complement shareables like lamb belly “tasso,” flaky tamarind-accented Haitian beef patties, and scallops with etouffee-inspired sauce. A modern, super-buttery take on bouyon beef — with plantain gnocchi and sweet potato — is reimagined with a few slices of perfect steak bites.
13. Kamayan ATL Doraville
Filipino flavors are on fire right now, and this local favorite has been generating both local and national accolades. Plus, next year’s upcoming expansion is hotly anticipated as Resys fill up ever faster with the growing recognition. Book a Kamayan-style feast as a private event for the most memorable spread in town, or design your own with an array of lumpia ranging from pork or Filipino sausage to jalapeños and cheese, then chicken adobo, and sisig with pork belly cheek, snout, and pate. Ube fans won’t want to skip the desserts, as the purple yam takes three forms.
14. Lyla Lila Midtown
Everyone knows about the crispy duck lasagna with cocoa bechamel at this refined southern European mainstay, but the pro tip here is to journey through the Pasta Odyssey, which shows off the range of chef Craig Richards’ talent … and includes this signature dish in sampler size. On this multi-course taster, cacio e pepe takes agnolotti form with quadruple the pepper power, beef and black truffle merge with thyme and star anise, and braised rabbit becomes smooth and silken when tucked into thin sheets of pasta. End with the Meyer lemon cheesecake, whose soft, whipped texture recalls the center of a perfect Basque-style version and is perfectly punctuated with macerated blueberries and basil.
15. TBB 122 Alpharetta
California coastal meets Southern warmth in this low-key brunch gem just outside of Alpharetta’s downtown strip. Plentiful patio space, scattered heat lamps, and a coffee window make it tempting to stay outdoors despite any chill, but do at least step inside, where a picturesque glass counter displays towers of pavlovas, butcher boards full of assorted seasonal pastries, and a homey dining space. The croque madame with house-cured bacon and brioche boasts a creamy bechamel with a delightful tang, while the mixed local mushroom toast, towering with its titular vegetable and roast cauliflower, are outstanding choices for a savory morning. But the real pro tip? Make your Resy for dinner service, a quietly launched recent offering that won’t stay off-radar for long.
16. Girl Diver Reynoldstown
Speakeasies and secret bars have been all the rage for some time, the likes of Propaganda recently joining the ranks of Jojo’s Beloved, Roaring Social, Irie Mon Bar and Lounge, and others. But Richard Tang’s done it a little more traditionally, his pocket-sized hidden lounge still below most radars. Many guests don’t even know of its existence, distracted as they are by dishes like brussels sprouts with Chojan and XO sauce, blackened mahi-mahi with Thai creamed corn, and Southern comforts such as meatloaf with braised collards and fried catfish. After all, with cocktails like the gold-dusted Velvet Vixen and Kung Fury with Thai chili citrus honey syrup available at the bar, why not take the first seat you see?
17. Delbar Middle Eastern – Buckhead Buckhead
Atlanta’s darling for Iranian dining has done it again in a spectacular see-and-be-seen Buckhead edition, with specially selected dishes pulled from both Inman Park and Old Milton locations along with some new originals. Among them, find appetizers like a carrot salad presenting the root in three ways; new desserts like a Persian tea flan with quince, caramel, citrus, and a pistachio crumble; an oversized skewer of hanger steak; and Spice Trade and Sunset Boulevard cocktails. Other unique features include a den-like lounge area by the bar and open kitchen, a mezzanine dining space away from the bustle, and a gorgeous urban sunroom-like dining room, softly aglow with golden chandeliers above and city lights just outside.
18. Tio Lucho’s Poncey-Highland
At the entrance, a bold chicha font states, “En Atlanta, se come rico.” But at this Peruvian collaboration between La Chingana’s Arnaldo Castillo and Sweet Auburn BBQ’s Howard Hsu, rico is an understatement. Mixed seafood ceviches, aji bechamel-roasted oysters, and corn “fritter” pancakes covered in crab are standout openers for exceptionally tender roasted chicken with Cuzco corn succotash, and lomo saltado so good you’ll be using the fries to sop the sauce. Pro tip: Pastry chef extraordinaire Claudia Martinez of Miller Union dips into her own South American roots when she bakes here, so keep an eye on their Instagram to find out what desserts to save room for. For more tropical fun, try the passionfruit sour with egg white foam.
19. Sessions Stand Marietta
The secret’s out — since its move from a small corner space with a twee patio to its much larger, brasserie-style location around the corner, this local gem has been as charged as the espresso in their coffee drinks. Pair a perfect flat white with a whole-wheat croissant or almond bear claw, pastries baked there and served warm. For something more substantial, the Turkish eggs, roasted root vegetable Lyonnaise salad, and hefty topped toasts fill the belly. But the real pro tip is to come after daytime for cocktails in the elegant library-like lounge space. Seasonal spritzes include flavors like cinnamon nutmeg, caramel apple butter, and cider, and a Turmeric Ginger-ita is so refreshing, you could almost drink to your health.
No reservations. Find more info here.
20. Kimball House Decatur
Photo courtesy of Kimball House
Kimball House has a preternatural ability to charm. Is it the setting, in a renovated rail depot, inspired by an Atlanta landmark, the Kimball House Hotel? (An old hotel menu became the foundation of the menu.) Whatever it is, the excitement quickly extends to the particulars of the menu, starting with a selection of around 20 oyster varieties, and refined modern cocktails such as a ponzu martini or green apple Negroni. No bad seats here, but for a full meal, make a Resy for one of the tufted leather booths in the classically elegant dining room. You’ll want the table space for updated classic dishes; ravioli en consomme comes with venison; the osso bucco is lamb; grilled oysters have kimchi butter and the opera cake is Earl Grey. And in true local spirit, don’t miss the lemon pepper chicken skins as an app.
Photo courtesy of Kimball House
