The New York Mets (36-51) return from a brief stint in Canada to face their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves (50-35). The Mets, if you can believe it, actually took two out of three from the first place Braves at Citi Field in June. You can probably believe this, but it’s the last time the Mets won a series, and it represents one of only two series the Mets won since the start of June.
Atlanta, GA
What’s New In Atlanta: Hottest Hotels, Restaurants And Things To Do
Mercedes-Benz Stadium will bring many big events to the city in 2025.
iStock-felix mizioznikov
If you’re an Atlanta resident, you may want to turn away for the next sentence. This year will bring a lot more visitors to the already-congested city. With a 2025 calendar filled with big sporting events (January’s College Football Championship, July’s MLB All-Star Game), major cultural moments (one of Kendrick Lamar’s only Southern dates on his Grand National Tour) and steady overall growth — in early 2024, Atlanta’s metro area became the sixth biggest in the U.S., surpassing Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., in the process — there will be no way to avoid the glut of tourists at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and on area highways over the coming months.
But rather than pout about the pending traffic, Forbes Travel Guide wants you to have a good time in all the fuss. To ensure that happens, we’ve put together a list of the best places to eat, play and stay for out-of-towners and locals who are willing to brave an extra 30 minutes in I-75 congestion.
The St. Regis Atlanta
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc
Where To Stay In Atlanta
Buckhead, the ritzy neighborhood where Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The St. Regis Atlanta sits, has gotten decidedly quieter over the past few years. Where popular bars and nightclubs once thrived now you’ll find boutiques and hushed sushi counters.
The more subdued nature suits the St. Regis perfectly. When you step into the lobby, you don’t hear much of anything besides a soft welcome at the door and the loud call of elegance from spiraled staircases and extravagant chandeliers. Inside the rooms, there’s a subtle clamoring for your attention — do you look at the iPad room controls, turn toward the white marble bath or stare at the camping tent and movie treats set up for the new Family Traditions Experience? The answer is “all of the above,” but the hotel encourages you to take your time doing any of it.
Not that clocks aren’t needed at the property, though. Witnessing the 6 o’clock nightly champagne sabering is a must. So, too, is your 7:30 p.m. dinner reservation at Atlas Buckhead, the Four-Star eatery where every dish is a work of art. And whatever you do, don’t forget about the Four-Star The St. Regis Atlanta Spa. With unique treatments like the gold- and citrus-enhanced Buckhead Escape on the menu, you’d hate to miss your appointment.
Delbar’s sabzi polo.
DeMarco Williams
Where To Eat In Atlanta
The only thing popping up in Atlanta with a higher frequency than condominium towers is restaurants. Look any direction around the city and there’s something new cooking. Within walking distance of the St. Regis is one of our new favorites, Delbar. A longtime pick for Persian and North African food lovers in Inman Park and Alpharetta, Delbar just opened its Buckhead location in December. During a recent visit, the place was packed and plates of labneh (yogurt cheese), sabzi polo (Persian rice with a browned crust) and chicken kebabs were plentiful.
Down the road from Delbar is Lucian. While this spot has poured glasses of wine; cooked light, seasonally inspired cuisine; and sold art books for a few years, things have never felt fresher. The food (scrumptious scallops) is amazing, the restaurant draws a crowd (Ludacris’ wife was dining in a corner when we last visited) and the mood is dignified but not detached.
Brasserie Margot. DeMarco Williams
Brasserie Margot is the newly opened French eatery at Four-Star Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. Anyone who’s visited the Midtown hotel knows its Bar Margot is an essential stop for creative cocktails and colorful conversations. Consider Brasserie the more subdued older sibling that allows pendant lights, plush banquettes and comforting dishes such as the côte de boeuf (a massive bone-in ribeye) and a mussels vol au vent (a creamy, pot pie-like dish) do all the talking.
Painted Pickle.
Painted Hospitality
Where To Play In Atlanta
Painted Hospitality didn’t invent the “competeatery” category with its two popular date-night addresses, Painted Pin and Painted Duck, but it cements its position as the city’s go-to for games and grub with its latest entries, Painted Pickle and Painted Park. The former capitalizes on pickleball’s popularity by offering cushioned, regulation-sized courts, equipment rentals and a 12-seat bar on one side of the building and lawn games (cornhole, a putting green) and a full kitchen that impressively dishes out everything from popcorn rock shrimp to sashimi cucumber rolls on the other.
Sister spot Painted Park debuted this past October in Inman Park. A gathering place for those strolling along the Beltline trail, Painted Park is great for a cold beer on the patio or a hotly competitive round of pingpong in the gaming parlor. Whatever your motivation is to stop by, make sure to try the chicken and cheese sandwich and tunnel cake (its tasty take on a county fair funnel cake) before you leave.
Kim Chong Hak (Korean, b. 1937), Fall, 1980, watercolor on hanji paper.
The artist, Seoul, South Korea. © Kim Chong Hak.
Not all the fun around town involves a fork, of course. The High Museum of Art has been on a tremendous run with its temporary exhibits lately. While “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys” may have wrapped up its colorful show, the museum keeps the cultural train humming along with “Georgia O’Keeffe: My New Yorks” (through February 16), “Thinking Eye, Seeing Mind: The Medford and Loraine Johnston Collection” featuring postwar American drawings (through May 25), as well as solo spring shows for Ryoji Ikeda, Kim Chong Hak and Ezrom Legae.
And that’s on top of a calendar already packed with monthly programs (Family Saturdays), live music (Malcolm-Jamal Warner, February 21) and special workshops (cocktail-making class, March 22).
PS Atlanta.
DeMarco Williams
Where To Escape In Atlanta
We haven’t forgotten about the traffic. There are ways to avoid it. When it comes to steering clear of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport commotion, for example, we’ve long sang the praises of the PS private luxury terminal. But just when we thought no-wait TSA lines and personal suites were as good as it could get, PS chefs Matt Roman and Morgan Heller’s new seasonally governed menu amps it up. With items like party wings tossed in a Georgia peach and habanero sauce and juicy roasted hen with collard greens paired with timely tipples such as The First Snow (spiced rum, hazelnut liqueur, double spiced chai tea, cinnamon and heavy cream), travel day is downright tranquil.
Serenbe.
J Ashley
But for the ultimate respite, look about 30 minutes south of the airport to Serenbe. While full-time residents and savvy weekenders make up most of the traffic in the idyllic farm community, there’s plenty of room for day trippers. There’s a full-scale spa, a farm animal village and a robust arts scene. Still, it’s the epicurean options that keep us coming back — even during the week. Complementing the Farmhouse’s stellar breakfast and the Hill’s consistent dinner is the just-opened Austin’s, a 1920s-styled cocktail bar that not only mixes incredible pours (like the bourbon- and honey-doused Front Porch Swing), but it serves a flavor-packed short rib and a scallion- and sage-topped halibut, too.
MORE FROM FORBES
If you thought that the June Swoon might have been the cause of the team’s problems, well think again because the Mets kicked off July with a putrid effort in a 9-3 loss on Canada Day at Rogers Centre. It capped off a series loss in which they fell 2-1 on Monday but blanked the Blue Jays 3-0 in their lone victory.
Despite escaping with one victory in the three-game set, the offense yet again remained the biggest culprit. New York scored seven runs across the three games, with six of the seven coming via the home run. The team also did not record a single hit with runners in scoring position, going hitless in 17 tries across the series and leaving 17 runners on base. Most glaring of all was the Monday game, when they went 0-for-9 and left 7 on base, and given that they lost by one run, they squandered several chances to steal the game from Toronto. Dating back to their loss on Sunday against the Phillies, New York is 2-for-25 with RISP over their past four games.
On the bright side, I mentioned the home runs, and Francisco Lindor contributed two of the five. In doing so, he doubled his home run total on the season, with two now post-IL to match the two he hit before landing on the injured list. In addition, Carson Benge hit his tenth of the year in yesterday’s loss, a two-run blast that got New York on the board. Lastly, both Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens homered in Tuesday night’s victory.
The big story from the week was Steve Cohen joining Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on a podcast and confirming that David Stearns is safe for the duration of his five-year deal (for those keeping track, he’s currently in the middle of year five of the contract). I’d argue that it’s not really a surprise, as Cohen is committed to Stearns’ vision and also is probably in no hurry to have to fill that role again after how long he waited to get Stearns away from the Brewers.
Fans have been out in full force against the team’s President of Baseball Operations, but it also makes no sense to cut bait now, especially close to both the draft and the trade deadline. Cohen’s comments, at the very least, put all questions to bed and turn attention to Stearns fixing this mess. Cohen did express a lot of disappointment at the team’s play and the position they currently find himself in, so while he essentially said Stearns is safe (for now), that was not necessarily a glowing endorsement of the work he’s done over the past two years, given the team’s current position. However, fans should get comfortable with Stearns at the helm for the next two seasons, which will include navigating a potential lockout.
There is, perhaps, no team in baseball happier than the Braves to see the calendar turn from June to July. Atlanta started the month by going 5-2 but ended it by dropping 12 of their final 16 games, bringing their overall record in June to 9-14. They have gone 1-1 so far in July and ended up dropping two out of three in their series with the Cardinals.
The Braves’ offense was putrid in June, which resulted in their sub-.500 record. They posted the lowest wRC+ (65) and scored the fewest runs (77) of any major league club. They also hit the fewest home runs in the month (19) and had the lowest OPS (.599). Their rotation was not any better in June, as they posted a 5.69 ERA, which is somehow even worse than the Mets’ ERA for the month (5.46), and is the fifth-worst mark in the majors. Their bullpen is just about the one aspect of their game that didn’t fall apart in June, as their relievers posted a 2.14 ERA, which is the best mark in the majors.
Friday, July 3: Christian Scott vs. Grant Holmes, 7:15 PM EDT on WPIX
Scott (2026): 45.0 IP, 53 K, 21 BB, 5 HR, 3.20 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 79 ERA-
Scott made his first start in 15 days after landing on the IL with a right hip impingement and was relatively effective against the Phillies. He lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits. He struck out six in the game and walked just two. In the end, he needed 82 pitches and threw 54 of them for strikes. He did not seem to be suffering any ill effects from his injury and is set to make his next turn against the Braves. He has continued to be one of the lone bright spots for New York and has established himself as one of the faces of the club’s future.
Holmes (2026): 77.1 IP, 69 K, 37 BB, 14 HR, 3.96 ERA, 5.19 FIP, 94 ERA-
Holmes made his first relief outing his last time out, going four scoreless innings while limiting the Giants to one hit. Atlanta put him in the bullpen because he had failed to go deep in any of his previous three starts (3 2/3 innings, two innings, and 4 2/3 innings). This outing was by far his most effective of the four, and he showed enough that the Braves feel comfortable plugging him right back into the rotation after that brief reset.
Saturday, July 4: Sean Manaea vs. Chris Sale, 8:08 PM EDT on FOX
Manaea (2026): 63.0 IP, 64 K, 22 BB, 6 HR, 4.71 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 117 ERA-
Manaea bounced back from a rocky (and short) start against the Cubs by holding the Blue Jays to two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched. Unfortunately, he was bitten by a misplay to start the game, which resulted in a little league home run and put him behind one batter into his start. That was enough to saddle Manaea with his third loss of the year, despite the solid showing. Since being inserted back into the rotation on June 13, he has a 4.05 ERA and a 2.91 FIP in 20 innings across four starts, so at the very least he’s gotten his season back on track following the rough stretch in the bullpen to begin the year.
Sale (2026): 90.0 IP, 109 K, 22 BB, 6 HR, 2.10 ERA, 2.55 FIP, 50 ERA-
The 2024 NL Cy Young winner is having a really strong season for the Braves. He currently owns the third-best ERA (2.10) and FIP (2.55) among NL starting pitchers with at least 90 innings pitched in 2026. He’s also third in HR/9 (0.6), fourth in K% (29.6%), and seventh in BB% (7.0%). He’s probably right behind Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sánchez in the Cy Young race right now, but it’s still impressive to see what he’s doing at 37 years old. He suffered a loss in his last start to the Giants, as he allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits over six innings. In the loss, he reached double digits in strikeouts for the second time this season. He’s also been able to give Atlanta a lot of length this year, pitching into the sixth inning in 13 of his 15 starts. He’ll be happy to see the Mets, as he owns a 1.97 ERA in 32 career innings across five starts against the Mets.
Sunday, July 5: Nolan McLean vs. Martín Pérez, 12:30 PM EDT on NBC/Peacock
McLean (2026): 95.1 IP, 113 K, 36 BB, 10 HR, 3.78 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 93 ERA-
McLean enjoyed his best start of the season and looked like the ace the Mets were hoping he would be this year. The right-hander tossed six shutout innings against the Blue Jays, scattering five hits while walking two and striking out seven. The effort was good enough to get him his fifth win against five losses this year, which matched his win total from 2025. The outing also highlights a really fascinating split from the right-hander’s season. So far, he owns a 2.49 ERA in eight road starts while pitching to a much less palatable 5.03 ERA in nine starts at Citi Field. It’s curious to see just how much better he’s pitching away from home, but hopefully that trend continues, at least for this next go-around.
Pérez (2026): 77.0 IP, 61 K, 30 BB, 9 HR, 3.27 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 78 ERA-
Pérez is coming off of a couple of tough outings. His last time out, he was charged with four earned runs on five hits over five innings in a loss to the Cardinals. Prior to that, he was charged with three earned runs on four hits over four innings in a loss to the Padres. In those two starts, he walked seven while striking out five. He also surrendered three homers in the two losses after giving up six homers in his first 15 starts. He did very well against the Mets on June 13, limiting New York to one earned run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. It ended up being the only game the Braves won in their trip to Citi Field.
Monday, July 6: Freddy Peralta vs. Reynaldo López, 7:15pm on SNY
Peralta (2026): 95.1 IP, 92 K, 38 BB, 13 HR, 4.81 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 119 ERA-
Peralta continues to be really maddening for the Mets this year. He was tagged for five earned runs on seven hits against the Blue Jays as he picked up his seventh loss of the year. He walked three and struck out four, and again failed to pitch deep into a game. With the club all but out of it, Peralta is almost sure to be moved by the trade deadline, so his performance over the next few weeks will basically just be used to increase his value and help New York recoup some (hopefully) top prospects.
López (2026): 51.2 IP, 46 K, 22 BB, 6 HR, 3.31 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 79 ERA-
López has bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen this year but appears to be sticking in the rotation for now. He is coming off one of his best showings this year, as he held the Cardinals to one earned run on two hits over five innings of work. He walked just one and struck out six, and the result was his fourth win of the season. It was just the fourth time this year that the right-hander completed five innings of work or more.
Atlanta, GA
Decatur Square businesses thrive during 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and WatchFest: “…beyond our wildest imagination”
With all the soccer fans visiting metro Atlanta, local businesses are reaping the benefits.
In Decatur, shops and restaurants on the Decatur Square are seeing a surge in foot traffic during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and Decatur WatchFest.
Lee Fewell, manager and bartender at The Brick Store Pub on the square, said the excitement has been nonstop. “It’s been really crazy,” Fewell said. “We have our outback garden area just completely filled up. We added some TVs, and it’s just been full capacity at any given moment.”
While Wednesday night was relatively slower than recent days, Fewell noted that business is usually quieter during the summer. This year, however, the restaurant saw its biggest day ever when the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team played its first match in the tournament.
“It’s been 29 years this month since this place opened, but usually, it is definitely not like this,” Fewell said. “This is, I think, beyond our wildest imagination.”
Across the square, Siam Thai Restaurant is also enjoying record-breaking business. “We sold out of beer,” said Narit Narajit-McCrary, who works at the restaurant. “I had to go to the supermarket to restock for Monday.”
Narajit-McCrary said the World Cup boost has far exceeded expectations: “During the summer, normally it’s very slow for business, but this summer has been very good for us.”
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