Stay Informed: Latest News from Across Georgia
- Find halal eastern Mediterranean at Aviva by Kameel: shawarma wraps, hummus, 12-spice rosemary chicken; owner Kameel Srouji greets regulars.
- Support the mission-driven Cafe Momentum: trains local youth from the juvenile justice system; menu includes smoked fried chicken pho and wagyu burger.
- Dine at iconic Polaris under its blue dome; rotates every 45 minutes, historic ties, offers steak Oscar and panoramic Atlanta views.
- Explore the historic Municipal Market (Sweet Auburn Curb Market): century-old stalls selling seafood, soul food, Mexican street fare, produce, and pantry goods.
- Head to Reuben’s Deli for New York style overstuffed sandwiches like Reubens, tuna melts, and lemon pepper chicken.
Whether you’re in town for business, a convention, or attending a game or concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium or State Farm Arena, downtown Atlanta includes dozens of dining and drinking options. While big brands and restaurant chains dominate the landscape in this part of the city, you’ll also find locally owned and operated restaurants, many catering to office workers, Georgia State University students, and residents living in and around the neighborhood.
Check out this list of places to eat and drink like a local the next time you’re visiting downtown Atlanta.
Aviva by Kameel
756 W. Peachtree St.
Located in the food court at Peachtree Center, Aviva by Kameel serves halal dishes from countries throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Expect wraps stuffed with shawarma and falafel, savory soups and zesty salads, and comforting plates of 12-spice rosemary chicken with sides of hummus and grilled vegetables. Don’t be surprised if you see owner Kameel Srouji working the line, or telling his customers that he loves them, many of whom have supported Aviva by Kameel since it opened in 2012. There are also locations at the Collective at Coda in Midtown and on Piedmont Road in Buckhead.
Breakfast on Luckie
320 Luckie St.
If you find yourself Downtown during breakfast and brunch, this recent addition to the restaurant scene is all about giving folks a “Southern sunrise” meal. For breakfast, try the Buford Highway Fiesta omelet with jam, peppers, onions, jalapeños, sausage, mushrooms, and cheese, or the country-fried steak and gravy or Southern fried chicken biscuits. There’s also a hot chicken sandwich, classic burger and fries combo, and a breakfast burger topped with a fried egg, bacon, American cheese, and chipotle mayo.
The Food Shoppe
123 Luckie St.
Check out this Creole restaurant for jambalaya, gumbo, red rice and beans, or bowls of mac and cheese topped with barbecue. Add bread pudding for dessert. Need breakfast? Order a shrimp omelet with a side of Creole-spiced potatoes.
100 Luckie St.
Serving a mostly North Indian menu, this Luckie Street restaurant offers everything from samosas and pakoras to biryani, mulligatawny soup, and lamb, goat, beef, and chicken curries and masalas. Order a mango lassi, or partake in a cocktail from the bar.
Reuben’s Deli
57 Broad St.
Longtime Atlantans know that when you’re Downtown and you want an overstuffed, New York-style sandwich, you head straight to Reuben’s Deli on Broad. This is the spot for tried-and-true Reubens, along with tuna melts, hot pastramis, turkey clubs, and a little taste of the A in the lemon pepper chicken sandwich. Grab a soup and sandwich combo here for under $11.
Meehan’s Public House
200 Peachtree St.
This downtown Atlanta Irish pub has become a gathering space for soccer fans, especially on the weekends when it opens early for overseas matches. Start with an order of salt and vinegar chips, Reuben egg rolls, or pub nachos. For traditional pub fare, try the fish and chips or bangers and mash. Or grab a burger, like the mushroom Swiss burger with a side of fries and Southern slaw. Beer is the name of the game at Meehan’s, including doubling up with a half and half or black and tan.
Cafe Momentum
200 Peachtree St.
While the restaurant includes locations in Dallas, Denver, and Pittsburgh, the mission behind Cafe Momentum remains wholly local. As a restaurant also functioning as a nonprofit, Cafe Momentum employs local youth who have spent time in the juvenile justice system. The kitchen serves as a way for these teens to build professional skills through training and mentorship in the hospitality industry. The menu in Atlanta features everything from smoked fried chicken pho and pan-seared salmon to roasted beet niçoise tuna and a wagyu burger.
Polaris
Hyatt Regency, 265 Peachtree St.
It’s hard to miss this downtown Atlanta restaurant with its conspicuous blue dome atop the Hyatt Regency. Opened in 1967, Polaris makes a full rotation every 45 minutes and includes ties to the Civil Rights movement and famous figures like Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, and Gladys Knight. Located on the 22nd floor, Polaris offers more than just a spectacular view of Atlanta. Head here for steak Oscar or pan-roasted grouper, before indulging in desserts like a blue-tinted cocoa butter dome of chocolate mousse and caramel honey. You’ll find everyone from office workers to tourists to locals grabbing dinner and drinks at this iconic Atlanta restaurant.
Related story:
Tracking the 2026-2027 downtown Atlanta restaurant openings
Pepper’s Hotdogs
84 Peachtree St.
Gourmet hot dog pop-up Pepper’s Hotdogs, owned by Tarina Hodges, opened a permanent location at the Flatiron Building on Peachtree Street. The Downtown location features an expanded menu, including premium hot dogs, a turkey burger, melts, sides, and options for building your own hot dog. Pepper’s now serves biscuit sandwiches for breakfast.
Park Bar
150 Walton St.
Sports fans of all stripes often tailgate here before heading to The Benz or State Farm Arena to catch a game. But Park Bar is equally as popular with fans just looking to watch games on TV with food and drinks, or regulars catching up with each other at the bar. Spread out over two floors, enjoy burgers, patty melts, and entrees of New York strip steak paired with a beer or a cocktail. Park Bar also features an extensive collection of whiskey and bourbon.
Baraka Shawarma
68 Walton St.
This Fairlie-Poplar district staple serves a variety of Mediterranean fare, including kebabs, falafel, gyros, and its namesake, shawarma. Great for a quick lunch or when grabbing takeout for a hotel room picnic in the evening.
Trader Vic’s
Hilton Hotel Downtown, 255 Courtland St.
Trader Vic’s offers diners Polynesian pop culture, food, and drinks in a space that’s barely changed since opening day in 1976 at the Hilton in Downtown Atlanta. It’s the only location still associated with Hilton, and one of two locations still open in the United States. Dine on crab rangoon, volcano shrimp, and oven-smoked rack of lamb paired with tiki classics like the Mai Tai, Zombie, and Painkiller. Look for Thursday night drinks specials here.
South Downtown
Mitchell and Broad streets
This development project encompasses 56 buildings and six acres of parking lots in downtown Atlanta. Sympathetic renovations continue on century-old storefronts and hotel buildings in what’s considered part of Atlanta’s oldest commercial district. Upon completion, the revitalized district will house new restaurants, retail shops, apartments, and offices within walking distance to the Georgia state capitol and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Several local restaurants are already open here, including Tyde Tate Thai Kitchen, Spiller Park Coffee, Bottle Rocket, Glide Pizza, Brewhouse Cafe, El Tesoro, and Broad Street BBQ’s to-go window.
Centennial Yards
Ted Turner Drive
The Centennial Yards mega project encompasses the old Norfolk Southern Railway buildings and the Gulch, once home to the rail lines passing through downtown Atlanta. The 50-acre entertainment district adjacent to South Downtown will eventually include hundreds of new apartments, new restaurants and offices, entertainment venues, and brand new hotels catering to people living, working, and visiting downtown Atlanta. Georgia-based Wild Leap Brewery & Distillery and The Irish Exit are currently open here, along with immersive entertainment spot Cosm Atlanta.
Dolo’s Pizza
50 Lower Alabama St.
Dolo’s Pizza began as a pop-up based out of Stone Mountain. Owned by Stone Mountain native and Howard University graduate Alyson Williams and Chef Yusef Walker, Dolo’s Pizza quickly outgrew its tiny kitchen space at Gilly Brew Bar. Williams and Walker went on to open a permanent location of Dolo’s Pizza at Underground Atlanta in 2023, where they continue slinging pizzas topped with ingredients like callaloo, roasted tomatoes, and Jamaican ackee sauce. Try the Black Pizza topped with mozzarella, spinach, roasted tomatoes, and charcoal pesto.
Capolinea
Signia by Hilton, 159 Northside Dr.
Located across from Mercedes-Benz Stadium at the Signia by Hilton, Capolinea serves up charming ambiance, elegant Italian food, and stellar martinis. It also features unobstructed views of The Benz and the downtown Atlanta skyline. Dine on everything from burrata with roasted beets, pomegranate, and clementine dressing, or asparagus topped with guanciale vinaigrette to duck ravioli stuffed with foie gras or a whole branzino. Kick off your meal with brioche or Appalachian sourdough served with cacio e pepe butter and Calabrian chili butter. Order a martini mixed table side from the rolling cocktail cart. For dessert, order a cannoli filled with fior di latte whipped ganache or panna cotta wrapped in chocolate.
Atlantucky Brewing
170 Northside Dr.
On the outskirts of downtown Atlanta proper, in the neighborhood of Castleberry Hill, members of the Grammy-nominated Hip-Hop group Nappy Roots own and operate a brewery. With its name paying homage to the group’s roots in Kentucky and Georgia, you’ll often see Nappy Roots members Fish Scales and Skinny DeVille keeping an eye on things at Atlantucky Brewing. The popular brewery is known for its IPAs and lagers as well as for hosting Black and brown restaurant entrepreneurs and chefs serving food in the taproom. You might even catch an impromptu Nappy Roots performance here.
The Municipal Market (known locallly as Sweet Auburn Curb Market)
209 Edgewood Ave., Sweet Auburn
Opened in 1918, and located between downtown Atlanta and the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, the once open-air market continues serving the surrounding communities. Referred to by locals as Sweet Auburn Curb Market, you’ll find independently owned shops selling seafood, meat, produce, and pantry goods, along with food stalls serving soul food, barbecue, Mexican street fare, pizza, and Caribbean-American fusion dishes.
Auburn Angel
302 Auburn Ave., Sweet Auburn
Led by Chef Robert Butts, this Southern-leaning, fine-dining restaurant gets you away from the fray of downtown Atlanta and into the heart of one of the city’s most historic and iconic neighborhoods. Sweet Auburn served as the epicenter of Black commerce and culture from the early to mid-20th century. In fact, the building in which Auburn Angel now resides was once home to Auburn Avenue Rib Shack, where Martin Luther King Jr. and John Wesley Dobbs frequently dined during the height of the civil rights movement. Located along Soul Food Row, Butts blends Southern ingredients and French techniques to create a seasonal menu of dishes. Think beef rib bourguignon or fumeé sumac chicken with a succotash emulsion.
Read the full article on the original site
