The bar at Tio Lucho’s, one of Atlanta’s most vibrant restaurants. Photo courtesy of Tio Lucho’s

How to Spend a Perfect 72 Hours Eating Your Way Through Atlanta

By Su-Jit Lin, a rehabilitated New Yorker, former New Orleanian, and current Atlantan who’s been writing about food for nearly two decades for titles like HuffPost, EatingWell, the Kitchn, and Resy, of course.

Published: May 12, 2025

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport may not be the biggest airport in the world, but we’re pretty proud of its status as the busiest, with 105 million travelers passing through in 2023. Sure, some are just en route elsewhere, but if that’s all they’re doing, they’re doing it wrong.

With so many flights routing through ATL, it’s easy enough to plan out a long layover of … say, 72 hours? Which is just enough meals to give you a literal taste of why you should come back for a lengthier play.

Plan to arrive Thursday night and stay through Sunday for a quick weekend getaway (pro tip: we have thoughts on hotels for a perfect home base) to discover why nearly 63,000 people relocated to Atlanta just last year. Between our wealth of green spaces; our historical significance to American civil rights; the diversity of our culinary scene; access to the unexpected, like exceptional seafood; and all of the amenities of a big city with a lower cost of dining out than other notable hubs, we hold it down in terms of great dining. (If you need more inspo, our Atlanta Hit List is an always-on resource for terrific choices.)

And we’ve planned a perfect three-day jaunt to prove our point.

Su-Jit Lin is a rehabilitated New Yorker, former New Orleanian, and current Atlantan, in addition to being a travel, food, and lifestyle writer. She has contributed to EatingWell, HuffPost, Epicurious, The Takeout, Eater, The Kitchn, VinePair, Thrillist, Food & Wine, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more. Follow her on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.

Resy Presents
Tables Worth a Trip

Friday Dinner to Saturday Morning

Photo courtesy of Auburn Angel

Auburn Angel Sweet Auburn

Celebrate Atlanta History

Catch a ten-minute ride down to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Visitor Center to pay respects to one of the city’s most important native sons on a self-/app-guided tour that takes you past his birth home. From there, it’s only a few steps to dinner at this intimate hotspot, set in a historic building in this historic neighborhood. There’s no more fitting place for chefs Robert Butts (formerly of Deborah von Treece’s Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours) and Food Network star Tregaye Fraser to be defining Atlanta cuisine as seasonal Southern fine dining. International flavors, global techniques, and local ingredients come together in dishes like a roasted duck breast with cherry molasses glaze, juicy prawns with coconut curry aioli, and dumplings filled with smoked short rib and foie gras before being glazed with sorghum yuzu. Save room for pastry chef Megan Brent’s luscious desserts, or at least take some chocolate chip sea salt cookies to go.

Book Now

Palo Santo Rooftop West Midtown

Sips & Skyline by Night

Chef Santiago Gomez’s acclaimed modern Mexican restaurant has become a major star on Atlanta’s culinary landscape, but to gaze upon the celestial version, head up to the roof. Separate reservations are required, and your reward will be unobstructed Midtown views, a soundtrack to your evening provided by a live DJ after 8 p.m., an audience that’s 25 or older, and available bottle service should you want to expand beyond the agave-focused bar program. The kitchen’s open until 11:30 p.m for sashimi snacks for one last bite before bed, but the Rooftop bumps until 2:30 p.m.

Book Now

Delbar Middle Eastern – Inman Park Inman Park

Photo courtesy of Delbar Middle Eastern – Inman Park

A Mindful Morning

Start the day with one of the finest examples of Persian cooking and community in Atlanta. Large portions of Fares Kargar’s complex family recipes meant for sharing include silky dill labneh (Pro tip: add the lamb), a perfectly crispy adas polo tahdig, and special daytime offerings like the adana pide and an outstanding shakshuka. And while the dress code is pretty flex, Delbar is always a scene, so put on your garden party best … especially since you’ll be continuing the homage to the local lands and plants with a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden next. The Edible and Carnivorous Gardens are fun for gourmands, and keep an eye out for the latest art exhibits.

Book Now