A booming metropolis, fueled by job growth—a magnet for migration and immigration and, consequentially, an influx of culture—Atlanta is one of America’s richest dining destinations, where the best restaurants are a sum of the city’s parts, from distinctly Georgia Thai to Southern-inflected Peruvian fare. It is a cosmopolitan anchor, home to one of the largest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies in the world, an art and music mecca, and a draw for the world’s biggest sporting events, including the 1996 Summer Olympics, multiple Super Bowls, and baseball’s All-Star game. It’s also soon to be one of 16 North American cities that will take center stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The population of the city and the surrounding suburbs has nearly doubled since the Olympic Games in ’96, and in the years since the pandemic, the region has leapfrogged from ninth largest in the US to sixth, as young professionals flock to the metropolis in search of opportunity.
Atlanta’s airport is regularly ranked as home to the busiest airport in the world, which makes it easy to import the best of food and drink the world has to offer, from Japanese seafood to exquisite wines, meats, and cheeses. Georgia is blessed with rich farmland, and its produce and livestock have always been the bedrock of how Atlanta cooks and eats. And over time a cadre of chefs have learned to use these riches in a way that distinctly defines the city’s cuisine.
The Atlanta Beltline, a former railroad corridor turned 22-mile multiuse loop, has brought a new sense of energy to the city’s dining scene by connecting 45 once disjointed neighborhoods, while the coming of the Michelin Guide has given ambitious chefs something to strive for.
The immigrant enclaves along Buford Highway and in Gwinnett County have long been destinations for adventurous diners and those seeking a taste of home. As they integrate, these communities birthed a new generation of chefs who trained in some of the country’s top restaurants before branching out on their own, combining their complex cultures and American upbringings to expand what we call Southern food today.
Amid it all, a pop-up culture thrives in the early part of the week, when most of the city’s restaurants are closed. These ephemeral eateries have gone on to become many of Atlanta’s newest buzzy restaurants.
Atlanta is a city constantly in conversation with itself. It’s swanky, rich with history, and in a steady state of evolution. With every twist and turn amid go-go growth, this too-often-overlooked city has become one of America’s most exciting places to dine.
The SkyView Atlanta, a nearly 20-story Ferris wheel with panoramic views of the city.
Gigi’s Italian Kitchen
Tables adorned in checkered red and white, walls lined with family photos, and a worn candelabra prominently placed on the bar signal a red-sauce joint in an American Little Italy, but you won’t find lasagna on the menu at this intimate restaurant from chefs Jacob Armando and Eric Brooks.
