Atlanta’s dining scene has long been a force, but in recent years, its flavors have only grown more powerful. Chefs from around the world have brought global recipes here, while local talent continues to prove that Southern cooking is far more than just fried chicken (though you’ll find plenty of that, too). Eight Atlanta restaurants have MICHELIN stars, with many more recognized with distinctions and Bib Gourmand nods. Whether you’re craving soul food, steaks, or spiced curry, here are 18 spots worth seeking out.

Photograph by Kate Blohm

Photograph by Kate Blohm

Global Meets Southern

In Atlanta, international flavors mingle with Southern traditions, giving rise to inventive fusion cuisines. Sweet Auburn BBQ in Poncey-Highland is proof of this: Siblings Anita and Howard Hsu combine their Chinese heritage with their Atlanta roots in dishes like pimento cheese wontons and char siu–style smoked ribs. At Smyrna’s Heirloom Market, housemade kimchi and macaroni and cheese accompany meats like smoked brisket and Korean spicy pork. At Talat Market in Summerhill, “fusion” speaks less to the dishes than to the sense of place. The restaurant calls itself “Georgian Thai,” a nod to its use of regional produce in deeply rooted Thai dishes like crispy rice salad with seasonal greens sourced from Georgia farms (Woodland Gardens, Hickory Hill) and pork from nearby Riverview Farms.

Courtesy of Lees Bakery

Buford Highway Hits

Atlanta’s 36-mile stretch of road known as Buford Highway is home to the city’s most dynamic international dining. Along the street’s Brookhaven section, Vietnamese mainstay Lee’s Bakery is well-known for its bánh mì prepared with from-scratch rolls. At Yet Tuh, hidden in the back of a Doraville office park, Korean favorites like kimchi pancakes and bibimbap are served in a homey setting. Also on a Doraville section of Buford Highway, Filipino flavors delight at Kamayan ATL, where veggie lumpia and sizzling sisig deliver bold spices; cool off with the fruit-filled halo-halo.

Courtesy of Mary Mac’s Tea Room

Courtesy of Mary Mac’s Tea Room

A Taste of History

Peer into the past at Atlanta’s landmark restaurants. At Paschal’s in Castleberry Hill, Civil Rights leaders (including John Lewis and Andrew Young) gathered over fried chicken, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organized the movement over soul-food dishes like macaroni and cheese and ham hocks at Vine City’s Busy Bee Cafe. Mary Mac’s Tea Room, open in Midtown since 1945, serves up classic Southern hospitality and sweet tea in six bustling dining rooms. Also in Midtown, the world’s largest drive-in restaurant, The Varsity, has boisterously asked customers “What’ll ya have?” since 1928 (a chili dog, of course).

Photograph by Andrew Thomas Lee

Photograph by Heidi Geldhauser

Photograph by Andrew Thomas Lee

Locally Inspired

Long growing seasons and a favorable climate yield a bounty of local produce that inspires area chefs to new levels of creativity. The Chastain in Buckhead grows herbs and vegetables in its on-site garden, visible from the farmhouse-style dining room, showcasing them in drinks, dishes, and a garden tasting menu. At West Midtown’s Miller Union, James Beard Award–winner Steven Satterfield has made the seasonal vegetable plate a must-order (The New York Times says it’s the dish that showcases the restaurant’s “full effect.”) In Reynoldstown, chef Reid Trapani partners with local growers to create Latin American–inspired vegan dishes at La Semilla, often featuring peak-season fruit desserts, like apple empanadas in fall or strawberry tres leches in spring.

Photograph by Andrew Thomas Lee

Photograph by Thomas Espinoza

Photograph by Thomas Espinoza

Upscale Fare

MICHELIN began awarding stars to Atlanta restaurants in 2023, signaling to the world the strength of the city’s dining scene. Recipients include Lazy Betty, where chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Philips craft a seasonally driven tasting menu in a cosmopolitan Midtown setting. Buckhead’s Atlas, also a MICHELIN star winner, surrounds diners with high art (Picasso, Chagall) while chef Freddy Money delivers equally artful dishes (don’t skip the lavish cheese cart or the water-garnish service). In West Midtown, Chef J. Trent Harris of MICHELIN-starred Mujō prepares world-class omakase meals featuring traditional Edomae-style nigiri with fish flown in from Japan. A hip-hop soundtrack keeps the mood upbeat in the dark intimacy of the blackbox setting.

Photograph by Matt Wong

Courtesy of Little Tart Bakeshop

Neighborhood Gems

Atlanta is a patchwork of pocket neighborhoods, each with its own personality reflected in its restaurants. In East Lake, Pure Quill Superette is located in a former tire shop, encapsulating the neighborhood’s historic yet gritty charm. Inside, the team prepares elevated comfort food like fried cod sandwiches, tofu rice bowls, and squash hoecakes served with housemade preserves. In Old Fourth Ward, Staplehouse reflects the neighborhood’s evolution, where creative types gather in a former boardinghouse that speaks to the area’s layered past. Dishes are simple—sourdough pizza, salads, and an Italian grinder among them—but prepared with precision. The Little Tart Bakeshop matches Grant Park’s blend of charm and community with its plant-filled decor and buttery, flaky croissants and galettes filled with seasonal fruit, plus a full coffee program that keeps the neighborhood humming.

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Congratulations.