Atlanta has scores of good restaurants to suit all
budgets. Most of the downtown options close down fairly early and
are quite upmarket - though with the Peachtree Center alone holding
a dozen restaurants, a Hard Rock Café , a Planet
Hollywood , and a food court, it's not hard to find something
to suit any budget - while Buckhead is even glitzier. Southern
soul food is best around Auburn Avenue, and
vegetarians can get plenty of choice in Little Five Points
and Virginia-Highland. For a good takeout lunch, try the Dekalb
Farmers' Market , twenty minutes' drive toward Stone Mountain
at 3000 E Ponce de Leon Ave, where stalls sell goat stew, tofu
stir-fry and glazed duck; other goodies include fresh farm-fattened
catfish and pretty blue crabs, and aromatic coffees from around the
world.
Atlanta Fish Market 265 Pharr Rd NE tel 404/262-3165.
Buckhead's top seafood specialist, with ultra-fresh oysters and
crabs.
Beautiful Restaurant 397 Auburn Ave NE tel 404/223-0080.
Famous down-home soul-food cafeteria serving up stewed chicken,
corn bread, ribs and vegetable plates. Near the Ebenezer Baptist
Church.
Buckhead Diner 3073 Piedmont Rd at E Paces Ferry tel
404/262-3336. Glitzy postmodern diner, always lively with locals
enjoying Southern food with a twist, like crab egg rolls, stuffed
grits, veal and wild mushroom meatloaf. No reservations taken, so
expect a wait.
Café Tu Tu Tango 220 Pharr Rd tel 404/841-6222. Hip
Buckhead café, where local artists make and sell their work. Serves
substantial portions of eclectic, delicious snacks and tapas from
around the world. Open daily from 11.30am until late.
Danté's Down the Hatch 3380 Peachtree Rd tel
404/266-1600. Lively, subterranean fondue restaurant in the
Underground, kitted out like an eighteenth-century sailing frigate,
with wooden beams, dark nooks and crannies and a moat with live
pointy-nosed crocs. Entrees cost around $25, and there's nightly
live jazz for an extra $6.
Flying Biscuit 1655 McLendon Ave NE tel 404/687-8888.
Tiny café near Little Five Points, renowned for breakfasts in
particular and healthy New American food with a Southern twist.
Front Page News 1104 Crescent Ave tel 404/897-3500, .
Late-closing midtown bar/grill popular for its Cajun dishes and
outdoor seating.
Mary Mac's Tearoom 224 Ponce de Leon Ave tel
404/876-1800. A cute, small restaurant renowned for cheap
traditional Southern cuisine. Mon-Sat 11am-8.30pm, Sun
11am-3pm.
Mumbo Jumbo 89 Park Place tel 404/523-0330. Very chic
downtown restaurant, offering Tuscan/American cuisine, with an open
kitchen and a bar full of posers.
Nava 3060 Peachtree Rd NW tel 404/240-1984. Spicy, modern
Southwestern food plus mighty margaritas in glitzy Buckhead
surroundings.
Sylvia's 241 Central SW tel 404/529-9692. This downtown
affiliate of the legendary Harlem restaurant is a must if you're in
the mood for soul food.
Tamarind 80 14th St NW tel 404/873-4888. Stylish midtown
joint with a great selection of flavorful Thai dishes.
Thelma's Kitchen 768 Marietta St NW tel 404/688-5855.
Inexpensive downtown soul-food institution forced to relocate when
its much-loved former home was destroyed to build Centennial Park;
try the salmon and grits for breakfast. Mon-Sat 8am-3pm.
The Varsity 61 North Ave NW tel 404/881-1706. Vast,
packed midtown fast-food drive-in diner: a true Fifties throwback.
Open till 11.30pm.