The Resy Hit List: Where In Atlanta You’ll Want to Eat in Feb. 2026

Let’s get meta for a moment and flash back to the Resy Rewind dinner chefs Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter were recently invited to host. It’s a perfect example of how this James Beard-nominated former pop-up is still as scrappy, self-challenging, and experimental as ever, even beyond the daily changing menu worth stalking their Instagram story to learn. While that Resy Event was about the Midwest in the ’80s, the rest of the year is a wild flight to Thailand fueled by Georgia ingredients. Grab a seat against the vivid street-style mural for dishes like Issan-style chicken laap, the daily curry with their signature housemade coconut cream, and the beloved Crispy Rice Salad. And if you’re lucky, you might just get a teaser to their next concept, Some Luck, the night of your Resy.

In this window-walled, moody former industrial space — shared with casual, counter-service sister Star Provisions — Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison’s award-winning 1993 legend only keeps growing better. Take that as a metaphorical and literal reference to their local farm, Summerland, whose production continues to guide their farm-to-table approach making their four-course prix fixe format the only constant as courses vary daily. You might find eggs made remarkable with sherry maple gastrique, a cheese course that turns Comte into a souffle with tomato jam, and an herbaceous Tomato ‘Tini with garden herbs to sip. A beverage journal takes the guesswork out for wine pairings, but with so many by the glass and half-bottle, it’s easy to say yes to adventure once that Notify comes through.

“Last bite, best bite” has gone from saying to promise at celebrated pastry chef Claudia Martinez’s stylish late-night dessert bar, where plating is sophisticated and cocktails are upscale, but the vibe is industry-edgy, Afro-Latin-Caribbean cool, and accessibly warm. In this cozy courtyard-inspired, intimate space, seasonally inspired sweets (her signature style) are made with indulgent ingredients and presented as modern art. For example, Araguani chocolate cake bites with passionfruit ganache and mole crunch with pomegranate arils or apple spice cake with tamarind caramel and dulce de leche cremeaux might be enjoyed solo or as part of a tasting. Treats, pastries, and exquisite housemade ice creams are complemented by Recuerdos crafted coffee drinks by day for sun-up to sun-down verve that just doesn’t quit.

Downtown by the stadiums have been in hot preparation for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, and the newly built Hotel Phoenix in Centennial Yards is playing for keeps. Master mixologist Thandi Walton’s signature cocktails don’t miss; her peach tea-infused Cognac drink with ginger and lemon is a perfect primer for the the Shaun Hergatt-designed menu of approachable classics like indulgent steaks, lovely salads, tartares, and simple pastas. But former FORTH Hotel pastry chef Carelys Vazquez, now cooking as executive chef in a savory pivot, shines where Continental meets Southern. Small plates like succulent jumbo shrimp atop a maple mustard-drizzled biscuit boat or a precisely grilled foie gras with apricot and raspberry gastrique are unforgettable, and an airy pavlova atop a yuzu citrus custard adds brightness to any evening.

A local favorite not just for their frequent, cheeky Resy Experiences and namesake much-missed mascot (whose shoes are now filled by foster fail Diego), this three-time Bib Gourmand winner has proven that Atlanta has a taste for sass and no need for frills. Chef-owner Jarrett Steiber’s revolving menu taps into Jewish, Chinese, hyperlocal Southern (95% of ingredients are from nearby) influences, and quite honestly, whatever he feels tells his story that season. Right now, that’s dishes like butternut squash congee with squash seed dukkah and chicken thigh with apple amba and numbing onion skin. Pro Tip: go Dealer’s Choice for the “just f* me up, fam” four-course prix fixe, which is a surprise every time, or the XL Meat Du Jour, also TBD at time of order.

There’s always something fun happening at this scrappy, infinitely inventive eclectic pizza and Chinese spot. One glance at the Resy Experiences calendar any given month can tell you that, with events from mahjong nights to culture-blending celebrations, even as Jen continues to cook through her chemo.  Try things you can’t get elsewhere, like jook enhanced with ingredients like Vietnamese pork or cocoa and coffee-smoked duck, boiled peanuts with an Asian upgrade of soy chili, and General Tso’s chicken as pizza or with waffles during brunch. Pro tip: Keep an eye out for Mikkelson’s in the Morning pop-ups, a tribute to her wife Emily’s restaurateur dad, highlighting Danish treats like aebleskivers with jam, a “beer bread oatmeal-ish wonder,” and Ruthie’s Biscuits topped how you like.

The Woodruff Arts Center was already well-rounded with its performance and visual art venues, but our Rundown tells how Craig Richards of Lyla Lila now adds culinary dazzle to the campus. A dining room swathed in wine-red fabrics and another under an enormous modernist-style abstract by Tommy Taylor provides a serene, hushed haven to enjoy flavors that lean French and Italian but with a distinctly Richards throughline. For instance, refreshing crudos under “A Breeze,” bright bites called “A Touch of Sun,” and his fresh pasta magic. Also exceptional: spiced, cured duck with fermented blackberry and halibut with field peas, ginger buerre blanc, and caviar. Pro tip: Valet parking’s available, but self-parking is cheapest at the Promenade deck and closest at the Boys & Girls Club garage.

Food hall giant chef Akhtar Nawab turns his talent back into the kitchen with his contemporary French brasserie in the new The Peacherie food hall. The ambience of this all-day hub fits right in with a day at the nearby art museums — elegant, but not stuffy, and warm enough to linger in with your laptop and a coffee or friend and a cocktail. Pair the former with invigorating pastries as a snack or with puffy ricotta pancakes or traditional omelette with Boursin for brunch. Weekday dining makes “lunner” at Lundi a bridge between appetites. Then, Croque Madames and French dips ease into heavier mains including roasted salmon, chicken paillard, and steak frites as sunlit bites dim into lively nights.

With a name that means “by hand,” a certain level of craftsmanship is not only implied, but expected. You’ll see it in the rough-hewn beams of the patios, the bar, the partitions that separate booths in the bustling dining room. But most importantly, it’s experienced through the pastas and breads made with care, and craft cocktails, too. While time-tested dishes like bucatini Bolognese and carbonara appear, the menu is modern and interesting, including a wine list that leans toward natural selections. The Harvest Cloud mixes a burrata-washed mezcal with spiced pear, apricot, and pumpkin; the chicken Parm is a panko-crusted thigh; and mussels are accented by Calabrian chile and green onion pistou. Pro tip: Lunchtime Resys unlock sandwiches, different pastas, and weekly specials.

Celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie is more often found at Hit List favorite Nàdair these days than his original game-changer, but that matters little. With chef de cuisine Cody Chassar at the helm, Gunshow continues to be recognized as one of the most critically acclaimed, dynamic restaurants in Atlanta. Innovation is the key premise, thanks to a unique format where chefs from the open kitchen personally hawk their latest creations to diners at their tables. Pushed to adapt their dishes hyper-seasonally and with an emphasis on local ingredients, the menu is unpredictable in style and content. One week may feature crispy chicken skin and chicken liver mousse as a cannolo; the next might highlight crab from Alabama with bacon from Tennessee and rice from the Carolinas; maybe even both. 

Thoroughly reimagined comfort food is a hop, skip, or jump from the MARTA station if you set your sights Southbound. Owners Mike Plummer and Amanda Averill have created a warm, lively spot in this historic building in the cute strip off the Chamblee tracks, serving crossovers like fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and pineapple habanero jam, hot chicken on Texas toast with Calabrian chiles and Sichuan spices, and blackened shrimp and cheddar grits with chipotle butter with a side of live music every Tuesday. However, the Southern Ramen with pork bone broth, pulled pork, collards, black-eyed peas, and a deviled egg has been called the most memorable mashup, so start there. Go on a Wednesday to wash it down with a whiskey cocktail for just $8.

Transplants from suburban New Jersey and Long Island will feel right at home at this nostalgic gem, where a carpeted dining room, art-adorned wallpapered walls, wipeable tablecloths, and high-touch service blur the lines between someone’s grandma’s house and a classic Italian red sauce restaurant … Which makes sense, since owners Antonio and Maria Fundora both came of age in Italian American strongholds (New York and Chicago, respectively) before opening the iconic Alfredo’s on Cheshire Bridge over 40 years ago. Service is team-based, but specials are often recited by the matriarch herself, who’ll rattle off a long list of multi-item parmigianas, osso bucco, seafood, housemade ravioli, and more. On the everyday menu, find excellent renditions of banners like scarpariello, piccata, Marsala, and Francese dishes sauces at nearly equally old-school prices.

Chef-owner Sean Park knows that when invention’s built on technical expertise and study is when magic happens. Exhibits A: his wildly popular Okiboru ramen restaurants (a Hit List highlight) and B: the original NoriFish in Sandy Springs. The Buckhead location takes the persnickety details that make it special — fish flown in from Tosoyu, table-served omakase — and builds on it. Here, modern cocktails in combinations like chile-infused vodka and passion fruit or green curry and lemongrass match the glamorous black, red, and glittering décor. And an expanded menu with culture-crossing small plates such as Kurobuta pork belly cabbage wraps; shrimp and scallop wonton soup; and wagyu papas rellenos with bonito chile aioli and yuzu honey salad are master class examples of how informed, respectful creativity beats mere imagination any time.

Tucked into a shopping center, this is an unassuming secret indeed, with a very strong if low-key fan base. Within, gauzy curtains twinkling with fairy lights filter the sun coming through plate-glass windows while masculine accents (wood flooring that climbs up the wall to frame a wine library; blocky, dark furniture) reflect an unfussy, serious take on Southern sensibilities. Taste the region through dishes like grilled pork with sweet potato hash and cherry jus. Naturally, fried chicken and shrimp and grits are on the menu. Both are available in to-go family meal packages with sides, cheddar cornbread, salad, and buttermilk-glazed carrot cake.

Like any good hangout spot in New Orleans, this grub hub is open late, serving more than 20 classic po’boy combos until 2 a.m. for over 30 years. Now, you can opt to start your day there, too, with housemade beignets and breakfast options on fresh-baked biscuits or Leidenheimer French bread — an uber-important detail for true-blue po’boys. For lunch and dinner, it’s buttered, grilled, and most often soaked with gravy from beef debris or topped with fried shrimp and oysters before getting “fully dressed.” Gator chunks, andouille, and Patton’s Hot Sausage round out other authentic choices, along with shop-made olive salad for the muffuletta. For deeper immersion in every sense, head down to the semi-speakeasy basement bar, where TVs, keno, slot machines, and billiards ramp up that casual Crescent City vibe.

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Right in the heart of Decatur’s historic square, The Deer and the Dove’s pastry chef Chris Marconi gets to shine with daily scones, assorted danishes, savory breakfast meat pies, fried fruit pies, quiches, and weekend doughnuts at this quick-serve, casual café. But the star of the show is arguably the hand-rolled, wood-fired Montreal-style bagels, available in big flavors and with seasonal schmears. Za’atar, double raisin, and onion-jalapeno-cheddar varieties are immediate attention-grabbers, and Counter Culture coffee is the perfect accompaniment. For something more, salads, sandwiches, and bigger sammies they call B-Side Pounders are filling fare. 

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