The Resy Hit List: Where In Atlanta You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
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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
- Lean Into Learning: We love how eager ATL chefs are to share the secrets of their trade. This collaborative spirit is part of the magic of the dining scene, which is why classes like the Plants Only: Mushrooms 101 demo at La Semilla sell out so quickly. But the good news is that Le Bon Nosh has just released their schedule of cooking classes for the next few months, as well as their Uncorked wine tasting series, all bookable via Resy Events. In other good news: Tio Lucho’s next set of Ceviche Sessions are also live, and it’s never too long between Chirori’s tuna-cutting events. Local standbys Vino Venue and The Cook’s Kitchen also offer culinary enrichment, and for pros, the Miller Union Concierge Dinner is coming right up, so hospitality folks, make your Resy now.
- Low-Key Date Ideas: Spring’s the season for birds and bees and dusting off that trusty dating profile. But no need to jump into the deep end when there are plenty of low-pressure spots in Atlanta to kick things off. Start off casual with a late afternoon coffee and let it go from day to night as the vibe shifts at all-day spots like The Reading Room in Decatur (one of Atlanta’s Essential Cozy Locales), Cafe Onten, Brasserie Lundi in Midtown, Necessary Purveyor in Ponce City Market, Bar ANA in Poncey-Highlands, past Hit Lister Sessions Stand in Marietta, or Minhwa Spirits in Doraville. All of these picks transition to cocktails and heavier bites as the day wanes to let you vibe into the evening or gracefully dip as you see fit. But hopefully, if all goes well you’ll make a Resy on the spot at one of our date night recs for round two.
- Another Chance at a New Year: Don’t like how 2026 or the Year of the Fire Horse is going? Feel like Nowruz was done dirty this March or that Vikram Samvat 2083’s already a dud? Fortunately, we’re blessed with a diverse cultural mix in Atlanta, giving us plentiful chances to hit the mental reset button. Our next opportunity to call for a re-do is Songkran, on April 13 to 15, when we can celebrate with our Thai brethren. Sign up for a guided meditation for a peaceful start, then visit one of these formative Thai-owned restaurants in town. And of course the team at Talat Market has a special collab with Puma Yu’s on April 13 to mark the holiday in a big way. Songkran also is celebrated by Laotians and Cambodians, so feel free to explore Khmer cuisine, too, at places like Naga Bistro, Khmer Bowl, or Snackboxe Bistro.
- Spring Festivals Abloom: First up, the Sandy Springs Artsapalooza April 4-5 gives a great reason to check out neighborhood faves like Sunnyside Pizzeria and Yalda’s Persian and Middle Eastern after the event. The beloved annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park is up April 10-12, while Spring Festival on Ponce is back at Olmsted Linear Park April 11-12. The Resy Guide to Eating Near Atlanta’s Parks offers post-festivity suggestions nearby, while farther afield, the Georgia Renaissance Festival returns that same weekend. Later in the month, April 25-26 brings the Inman Park Festival, taking place near Delbar Middle Eastern, Kitty Dare, Bread & Butterfly, and Wisteria. April ends with the Bodacious Blooms Flower Festival in Buckhead Village, April 27-May 2, which puts you conveniently close to spots like Lucian Books and Wine and (fittingly) Bloom Bar.
New to the Hit List (April 2026)
EATS x Wild Heaven Beer, Kindred, M @ Umi, Minhwa Spirits, Mirae, Scout.
1. Madeira Park Poncey-Highland
We stand firm that dining lately has been about connection. Steven Satterfield and Neal McCarthy, both of Miller Union, and Dive Bar’s Tim Willard not only got the memo, they wrote it. Named one of not only Atlanta’s but America’s most defining restaurants of 2025, they’ve been racking up the accolades for locally sourced but internationally inspired cuisine since day one. Don’t miss the regular picks — the rotating gnocchi has already reached icon status — but leave room for seasonal adventures like grilled bok choy with salsa macha. Ask Willard and McCarthy, both sommeliers, to help you pair small plates with big glasses. With two dozen by-the-pour offered daily, you won’t be short of choices.
2. Talat Market Summerhill
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. On balance, expect 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.
3. Bovino After Dark West End
Looking for chef’s counter quality dining and showmanship without the formality and frills? Then Alex Sher and Chris McCord’s weekend-only spot is the order. From the open kitchen, the team serves up experimental dishes with no names — just a truncated list of ingredients. They’re paired with unique wines. For example, a sparkling red matches a duo of pulled duck croquette and bite of breast, and a Georgian clay pot white complements a sweet potato caramel-sauced sunchoke that’s been wrapped in short rib bacon. Beer and cocktails from Hop City next door are welcome — the best time to grab one is as your pre-dinner oysters (a worthy add-on) are broiling.
4. Bar ANA Atlanta
“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.
5. Scout Decatur
The former solarium of the Historic Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Oakhurst Village retains its sunny disposition in the similarly wholesome Scout. Hearty portions of contemporary comfort food is served under the values of good citizenship, character-building duty, and shared experiences — the scouting principles that gives the restaurant its name. Big booths under bigger windows and a generous patio, peppered with cheery cherry-red seating under a canopy of trees, welcome folks to bask in the light, taking their time with weekend daytime eats like shrimp ettoufee, crispy corned beef hash, and Nashville hot chicken on cheddar waffles. For dinner, Virginia striped bass sandwiches, blue crab ravioli in spicy feta sauce, and braised short rib Diane precede comforting desserts like salted caramel brownies with pretzel crusts.
6. Zephyr Southern Brasserie Downtown Atlanta
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.
7. Little Bear Summerhill
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.
8. Mirae Brookhaven
Korean-first fine dining has finally landed in Atlanta, with a future-forward focus meant to grow and evolve. The result has been a fusion (we mean that as a compliment) with modern pan-Asian sensibilities. For example, meaty mini shrimp toasts delivered on baked, buttery toast rounds. Miso-coated grilled cabbage with black garlic. Crab bisque with wasabi-nfused cracker-chips. Chilean sea bass with nasturtium oil and sweet cauliflower puree. A steak program is on its way, but short ribs and bone marrow satisfy red meat lovers for now. Dessert recenters the space; black sesame crème brulee sparkles like the night-sky ceiling and a jasmine panna cotta-like cream topped with matcha “moss” and chocolate “dirt” cookie crumbles call your attention back to the beautiful bonsai trees throughout.
9. Elise Woodruff Arts Center
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, crudo under “A Breeze,” bright bites called “A Touch of Sun,” and his fresh pasta magic. As a main, the spiced, cured duck with fermented blackberry is exceptional. Pro tip: Valet parking’s available, but self-parking is cheapest at the Promenade deck and closest at the Boys & Girls Club garage.
10. Casa Balam Decatur
One of the more recent additions to our wealth of wonderful Mexican restaurants in Atlanta, this pan-Mexican restaurant impresses with large formats that turn dinner out into a communal dinner party. For example, Yucatan-style marinated chicken and beef birria by the half or whole, or the “secret,” recently launched Casa Select three-course prix fixe that comes with unlimited tortilla soup or Caesar salad. Take your time with either in a setting effortlessly elegant with raw material design, and easy-sipping cocktails that similarly bring modern Tulum beach clubs to mind. On-theme light and tropical bites might include burrata with smoked mangos, cobia guavachile, tostadas, and street tacos, while prime steaks and pibil-cooked pork shank will please carnivores.
11. Brasserie Lundi Midtown
The ambience of food hall giant chef Akhtar Nawab’s French brasserie fits right in with a day at the nearby art museums — elegant but not stuffy, and warm enough to linger with your laptop, a coffee, and croissant or a friend, traditional omelette, and a cocktail. For something more restrained, mild dishes like escargot risotto and cod en papillote quietly provide sustenance without distraction. For something bolder and more rustic, French dips ease into large plates like roast chicken with a bacon-laced sauce by night. Dessert swing back into light. The tarte au citron is truly tart and you’ll want to make the wine-poached apples on the olive oil genoise cake last.
12. M @ Umi Buckhead
The temporary closure of this beloved omakase mainstay left a huge gap in the omakase scene when Tasuku Muraka departed, but “sushi boss” Kazuo Yoshida’s arrival makes us believe in serendipity all over again. A pioneer of omakase dining in the U.S., he’s now enriching Atlanta’s sushi scene with kazu-style (Japanese gastropub fusion) concepts, exclusive sourcing, and dynamic teaching that allows chefs under him to find their own voices, like an exceptional truffled-coated, butter-poached lobster course. A signature for every service is an uni risotto to make you weep, and enough caviar to singlehandedly justify the price. Expect 19 courses meant to surprise with each round, contrasting flavors, textures, and techniques, like mincing fish and reshaping it with alliums and tricky prep that makes bonito delectable.
13. Kindred Oak Grove
Under the gazes of Liz Haywood’s colorful portrait subjects, teal booths ensconce diners who can become voyeurs themselves, with cheeky blind-spot mirrors mounted on the wall. But once courses like a cheese plate with bacon jam and deviled eggs, Arista-rubbed pork chops, scallops with lobster stock risotto, or one of their signature four cuts of steaks (offered 10 ways) hit the table, dinner becomes the show. Pro tip: Don’t miss daytime service — chefs Rick Watson and Marquise Allen make lunch a great way to try a bit of everything. For example, a meat board of lamb chops, pork ribs, pork belly, and hanger steak kicks boring charcuterie to the curb, and unique proteins like deviled eggs, scallops, or even a goat cheese beet terrine add excitement to salads.
14. Southbound Chamblee
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 enjoy it alongside a whiskey cocktail for just $8.
15. Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant Alpharetta and Milton and Cumming
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.
16. Food Terminal – Chamblee Chamblee
The thrills don’t stop on this wild ride through Malaysia at the BuHi original, where Singaporean, Chinese, Thai, and Indian flavors shine as brightly as the LED lights and vividly colored accents of the space. The station’s scene is set with utilitarian seating, robots working alongside servers, and polyglot conversations punctuated by appreciative noodle-slurping. A bill of fare that’s more magazine than menu makes everything that much more accessible, illustrating crispy baozi, roti combos, rice plates, curries, soups, and braises in high-res photos. However, they don’t do experiences like the Cheese ‘N Cheese (a tableside dolsot-style rice prep made gooey with its namesake) adequate justice. First-timers, begin with noodles. That’s how chef-owner Amy Wong got her start at a Malaysian night market, which is only fitting.
17. Secreto Southern Kitchen – Alpharetta Alpharetta
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.
18. Minhwa Spirits Doraville
This craft soju distillery has been racking up national accolades since their pandemic beginnings. More importantly for Atlanta, the tasting room, or jumak, has become an important third space, hosting residencies from Postern Coffee and chef Lino Yi. With Yi newly instated as head chef for the space, we can rest easy that dishes like kimchi grilled cheese on housemade milk bread, Korean fried chicken on black sesame waffles, bulgogi hoagie, and miso mussels are here to stay. Pair it all with cocktails by James Sung, a key player for the beverage programs at Umi and Palo. Plus, look forward to more exclusive collaborations, like a budae jjigae-inspired link by sausage wizard Bryan Hull and Tyler Heath of Misfitsss, whose barbecue is currently only available once a week at Round Trip Brewing.
No reservations. Find more info here.
19. EATS x Wild Heaven Beer West End
Grown Atlantans wept when the iconic comfort food restaurant EATS closed last fall, but grief quickly gave way to joy when Wild Heaven founder Nick Purdy decided to bring the legend — décor, trappings, and even the manager, Levi Nichols — over to the Lee + White development. Now, the concept is officially back, bringing further comeback news, this time of the pasta plates, the $11 jerk chicken special, and all of the classic fixings, from black-eyed peas and black beans to broccoli casserole and mac ‘n’ cheese … all cooked from the same recipes on the same equipment. The only thing that’s changed (other than the locations of your favorite booth and series of license plates on the wall) is easier access to this local brewery’s “Emergency Drinking Beers.”
No reservations. Find more info here.
20. Tio Lucho’s Poncey-Highland
At the entrance, a bold chicha font states, “En Atlanta, se come rico,” but rico is an understatement, especially with rich riffs like chef Arnaldo Castillo’s lomo saltado croque madame at brunch, big mains like tender roasted chicken with fall succotash and crispy potatoes, and fried catfish with Georgia shrimp and shishitos macho sauce. The ceviche is impeccable as always (Pro tip: Keep an eye on Resy Events to experience how it’s made, and other events energetic Castillo’s always got cooking), but the signature oysters with leche de tigre and corn chalaca are legendary and perfect with a passion fruit sour with egg white foam. Come weekday happy hour, though, a version with lime and aji limo hot sauce are just a buck at the bar.
