Must-see restaurants in Atlanta

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    Octopus Bar

    Atlanta

    Leave your hang-ups at the hotel – this is punk-rock dining – and get to know what's good at this unsigned indoor-outdoor patio dive nuanced with…

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    Dish Dive

    Atlanta

    Located in a teeny house near some railroad tracks, Dish Dive is cooler than you and it doesn't care. Anyone is welcome here, and the food – fresh,…

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    Gunshow

    Atlanta

    Celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie's innovative and unorthodox Gunshow is an explosively good night out. Guests choose between a dozen or so smallish dishes,…

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    Waffle House

    Atlanta

    To say Waffle House is an Atlanta institution is an insult to Waffle House – this quintessential greasy-spoon diner is…everything! And while there are a…

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    Staplehouse

    Atlanta

    The hottest table in Atlanta and the darling du jour of Southern foodies, Staplehouse dishes up innovative, seasonal New American cuisine. Small to medium…

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    Optimist

    Atlanta

    In a short space, we could never do this Westside sustainable-seafood mecca justice. In a word, astonishing! Start with crispy calamari with salsa matcha…

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    Bacchanalia

    Atlanta

    Considered one of the top restaurants in the city, Bacchanalia's menu changes daily, and you may choose from multiple dishes for each of the four courses…

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    Desta Ethiopian Kitchen

    Atlanta

    It's worth a trip to the burbs for this authentic Ethiopian – there's a wait list before noon – where vibrant dishes like tibs (saucy sautéed meat or fish…

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    Marcel

    Atlanta

    Ford Fry's French-style, boxing-themed steakhouse serves unquestionably expensive, unequivocally transcendent cuts of beef from hormone-free, purebred…

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    BoccaLupo

    Atlanta

    There is so much to love about this dark, candlelit Italian-Southern comfort-food haunt led by Mario Batali–trained chef Bruce Logue, but perhaps none…

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    Cooks & Soldiers

    Atlanta

    A game-changing Westside choice, this Basque-inspired hot spot specializes in pintxos (Basque-style tapas) and wood-fired asadas (grills) designed to…

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    Ria's Bluebird

    Atlanta

    Ria's makes a big deal about being the kind of business that accepts people of all races, religions and sexual orientations, and supports causes that…

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    Miller Union

    Atlanta

    Credit to Miller Union – it takes its farm-to-table locavore ethos seriously. The result is exceedingly delicious Southern-inspired fare: farm egg baked…

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    Fox Brothers

    Atlanta

    At this longtime Atlanta classic, set in Inman Park, ribs are scorched and smoked perfectly with a hint of charcoal crust on the outside and tender on the…

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    Busy Bee Café

    Atlanta

    Politicians, police officers, urbanites and hungry miscreants, along with celebrities (it's had pop-ins by MLK Jr, Obama and OutKast), all converge over…

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    Leon's Full Service

    Atlanta

    Leon's can come across as a bit pretentious, but the gorgeous concrete bar and open floor plan spilling out of a former service station and on to a groovy…

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    Federal

    Atlanta

    Atlanta staple chef Shaun Doty has returned to his kitchen roots at this glam bistro serving everything from a $16 burger to high-end cast-iron steaks (…

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    Local Pizzaiolo

    Atlanta

    The first of four Atlanta locations for the fiercely traditional (and Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana–certified) Neapolitan pizza from four-time…

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    Vortex

    Atlanta

    An age-21-and-up joint cluttered with Americana memorabilia, the godfather of Atlanta burger joints is where alterna-hipsters mingle alongside Texas…

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    Krog Street Market

    Atlanta

    This mixed-use complex of hip retail outlets and restaurants is one of the latest anchors of Atlanta's hip and continually gentrifying Inman Park…

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    General Muir

    Atlanta

    Decorated with B&W photography and New York–style subway tiling, the General Muir does Jewish deli par excellence. Bagels, latkes (potato pancakes),…

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    Ponce City Market

    Atlanta

    A mixed-use complex housed inside the historic former Sears, Roebuck and Co headquarters in Atlanta, the largest brick structure in the Southeast. Over 20…

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    Northern China Eatery

    Atlanta

    We love a restaurant with an unambiguous name – and cuisine. At the Eatery, you'll find real-deal northern Chinese cuisine from a Tianjin chef: spicy beef…

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    Empire State South

    Atlanta

    This rustic-hip Midtown bistro serves imaginative New Southern fare and it does not disappoint, be it at breakfast ($8 to $11) or throughout the remains…

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    Iberian Pig

    Atlanta

    Located smack dab in central Decatur, the Pig serves (surprise, surprise!) a full slate of Spanish cured meat, cheese and tapas, including marinated lamb…

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    Daddy D'z

    Atlanta

    A juke joint of a barbecue shack, consistently voted one of the top in town, with a central location. From the graffiti murals on the red, white and blue…

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    West Egg Cafe

    Atlanta

    Belly up to the marble breakfast counter or grab a table and dive into black-bean cakes and eggs, turkey-sausage Benedict, pimento-cheese and bacon omelet…

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    Noni's

    Atlanta

    At this airy Italian spot with a great outdoor seating area you can have a grappa, then tuck into some homemade tagliatelle Bolognese or grilled shrimp…

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    Paschal's serves up Southern classics and has been an Atlanta institution since the 1940s. Many Civil Rights leaders shared meals at the original location on Auburn Ave.

    Paschal's

    Atlanta

    Slinging old-school Southern soul food, Lowcountry cuisine and Cajun/creole staples for six decades, Paschal's touts bone-in fried-chicken sandwiches,…

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    Varsity

    Atlanta

    Presidents have dined here (George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama), movies have been filmed here (We Are Marshall), millions have eaten here: this…

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    Ann's Snack Bar

    Atlanta

    'Miss Ann' Price, who started Ann's in 1974 and lost a battle with breast cancer 41 years later, was a true Atlanta culinary legend. You didn't cross Ann…

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    Nan Thai

    Atlanta

    Straight outta Bangkok, Chef Nan honed her culinary prowess alongside her mother, who ran one of the Thai capital's legendary street-food stalls. Wear a…

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    Sweet Auburn Curb Market

    Atlanta

    Atlanta's original historic food hall – it dates to 1924 – is more about fresh produce, meats and seafood than some of the city's other, more gourmet…

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    Alma Cocina

    Atlanta

    'Soul Kitchen' cooks contemporary tacos and inventive Mexican fare. There might be tequila-poached pear guacamole to start; small plates such as chili-ash…

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    Einstein's

    Atlanta

    Eclectic Einstein's is a come-one, come-all, free-spirited microcosm of urban living. Gay couples to the left, hip-hop artists to the right, all noshing…

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    Revival

    Atlanta

    Serving his grandmother's family-style Sunday-dinner recipes, celebrity Atlanta chef Kevin Gillespie's farm-fresh Southerner in a restored early-1900s…

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    Chai Pani

    Atlanta

    This casual and fun Indian transplant from Asheville comes with James Beard Award–nominated chef Meherwan Irani, who offers a vibrant menu of homeland…

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    King of Pops

    Atlanta

    Humble beginnings involving a paleta-inspired travel dream launched in Central America, a used ice-cream pushcart and routine Twitter frenzies turned King…

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    Café Intermezzo

    Atlanta

    This European-style cafe has given Atlantans a dose of high-society class since 1971. The austere atmosphere, punctuated by crystal chandeliers and turn…

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    Bocado

    Atlanta

    Loosely translated as mouthful/morsel/bite from Spanish/Portuguese/Italian, but there's nothing little about the flavor packed into the viciously creative…

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