A sampling of great eats in and around Buckhead.
ANIS CAFÉ & BISTRO
Anis is everything you’d hope to find in a French bistro, without having to buy a plane ticket: traditional Provençal dishes, relaxed patio dining and often a small congregation of French-speaking diners to help set the mood. Grilled North African-style Merguez sausage, coquilles St. Jacques or a bright, crisp salade d’Arnaud (named after the owner) are all winning starters. Entrées of truite meunière, poulet rôti and boeuf au poivre are sure to bring you back to that quaint Provençal village square. Best-inclass items are the croque monsieur, salade Niçoise, moules marinières and not-to-bemissed chocolate mousse.
Lunch: $8-$19 • Dinner: $8-$35
BONE GARDEN CANTINA
Beyond the colorful Día de Muertos dining room decor, the well-curated mezcal and tequila selections and the uber-friendly service, Bone Garden Cantina offers some of the most authentic Mexican cooking in Atlanta. Tastier guacamole and hot dipping queso you will not find, and we’ve tried! The tender-to-the-bone Mexican pork ribs are meaty, miraculous bites of earthy richness, and the tomatillo-rich pozole verde soup is pure south-of-the-border goodness. Garlicsautéed shrimp enchiladas and adobo steak quesadilla seasoned with guajillo chile are among many fine familiar classics. Smaller plates include exemplary tamales and tacos.
Appetizers: $2.50-$9.50 • Soups and salads: $4.50-$9 • Tamales, tacos and empanadas: $3.50-$5 • Mains: $7.50- $12.75
CANOE
Dining at Canoe feels like a vacation. Nestled on the shores of the Chattahoochee River, it serves upscale food and pampering service surrounded by manicured gardens, flowing water and birds. Celebrating its 27th anniversary in 2022, Canoe offers more than 300 bottles of wine, 40 by the glass. Beers range from well-known international brands to local craft brews. Creative cocktails are updated often and include riffs on classics. The food menu is driven by ingredients at the peak of flavor, so changes are frequent. While salmon, steak, chicken, rabbit and kangaroo are menu constants, presentations vary. Meats are cooked to perfection and paired with impressive sides such as tender brie ravioli, crusty vegetable tart, savory bread pudding or other creations. The signature dessert is popcorn-flavored ice cream layered with peanut Cracker Jack, Chantilly cream and salted caramel sauce for a satisfying combination of textures and flavors.
Cocktails: $9-15 • Appetizers: $9-22 Burgers & Sandwiches: $14-19 • Entrees: $16-48 • Desserts: $11
ECLIPSE DI LUNA
At the tail end of Miami Circle is one of the most convivial joints in town. Head over for happy hour Monday through Thursday when most drinks and tapas are half price, and there’s live music. Yummy small plates of habanero-spiced ahi tuna ceviche, smoky sun-dried-tomato mac and cheese (made with three different cheeses) and refreshing Granny Smith apple salad are some of our favorites. Still hungry? It’s hard to pass up the succulent balsamic-y spare ribs and flavorful, crunchy calamari. If you’re with family (or a family of friends), consider the exquisite saffron-infused paella, made with authentic Calasparra rice.
Tapas: $2.95-$14.95 (most in the $5-$8 range) • Large plates (for two or more): $20-$24
THE HUNGRY PEACH
Despite the hyper-elegant surrounding showrooms, The Hungry Peach, located inside the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, serves up anyone’s idea of a perfectly down-home lunch. Colossal salads and delectable renditions of classic sandwiches, such as the melt-in-your-mouth corned beef Reuben, egg salad and smoked bacon-pepper jack wrap, are sure to please welcome visitors and hungry professionals alike. Sides including the Cajun mac ‘n’ cheese and loaded potato salad will knock your designer socks off. Not to be missed are the freshly made sweets, such as the five-layer coconut cake and Callebaut chocolate brownie. Wash it all down with a bottomless mason jar of iced sweet tea.
Starters: $4-$9 • Salads: $10-$12.50 Sandwiches: $8.50-$12.50 Desserts: $2.50-$6
KALEIDOSCOPE BISTRO & PUB
Kaleidoscope is one of Brookhaven’s most popular watering holes. Fabulous small plates include pimento mac and cheese, roasted cauliflower seasoned with garlic and a touch of lime, and the smoked pork and pimento spring rolls. The steak frites with garlic-heavy chimichurri is exceptional, as is the poutine, a Canadian treat consisting of crisp, hand-cut fries smothered in gravy and mozzarella. Looking for somewhat lighter fare? Go for the fried chicken club salad tossed with sundried tomatoes, fresh avocado and golden chunks of bird. A table on the pet-friendly patio guarantees top-notch people-watching.
Appetizers: $5-$12 • Salads, pizzas and burgers: $7-$14 • Mains: $13-$19
NEWK’S EATERY
This Mississippi-based chain has popped up in the Atlanta market, and though it looks like a fast-food joint, it tastes like homemade. Salads—from shrimp remoulade salad to a delicious steak-and-blue-cheese version to old-fashioned chicken salad—are a standout. At this casual, family-friendly, crowd-pleasing spot you can also get sandwiches, pizzas and mac and cheese but, refreshingly, no burgers. We are pretty crazy about the sausage-and-pepperoni pie, with its thin crust and warm and gooey toppings. And who can resist a crispy rice treat with chocolate and peanut butter? Not us.
Salads, sandwiches and pizzas: $7-$11
THE ONE SUSHI +
This glam space wedged in the back corner of Brookhaven’s Town Village is a neighborhood hot spot for Japanese small plates. The freshest fish flown in from Japan’s Tsukiji Market will impress the discerning sushi eater, while colorful rolls with clever names please the occasional dabbler. Sharable offerings and inspired snacks of zesty, yellowtail jalapeño shots and crispy fried bang bang rock shrimp are as fun as they are tasty. The drinking experience is worth celebrating as well, with a large selection of sake, shochu and whisky. We recommend the smoked toro, tender slices of tuna served under a dome of hickory smoke and the bulgogi-like Gangnam-style roll.
Dinner: $6-$37
PRICCI
Opened in 1991, Pricci is the Italian jewel in Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s crown. This Buckhead institution still aspires to (and delivers) exceptional service, superlative Italian cooking and a vibe that’s both elegant and inclusive. Nothing says buon appetito like silky burrata Pugliese (cream filled mozzarella), tangy parmesan and anchovy-rich Caesar salad and aromatic steamed cozze (mussels in tomato-garlic sauce). Barbera-braised short rib ravioli, pecorino-sauced cacio e pepe and pizzas of all varieties are favorites, but if you’re extra peckish, order the Dutch-imported 16-ounce veal chop. Mangia bene, but don’t forget to try Pricci’s world-class tiramisu.
Appetizers and salads: $8-$26 • Pizza and pastas: $17-$27 • Entrees: $24-$46 Desserts: $6-$15
R. THOMAS DELUXE GRILL
Open 24/7 and bedecked with ’70s-style disco lighting, beaded curtains and groovy plastic walls, this Buckhead favorite feels like a throwback to the days when the health food craze was in its genesis. Whether you go for the sizzling bone-in hot wings or Dr. Joe’s Mango Salad with a side of raw cashew “cheese,” R. Thomas lives up to its promise to “treat carnivores and vegetarians with equal respect.” More menu favorites include the quinoa-rich Thai Express bowl, the classic Thomas Burger with sprouts and guacamole, the curry coconut seafood linguine, Southwestern-style R.’s Quesadilla and an unforgettable peanut butter chocolate pie.
Breakfast: $9.75-$14.75 • Appetizers: $4.50- $17.50 • Sandwiches, salads and veggie mains: $5.99-$17.50 • Entrees: $13.25-$20.75 Desserts: $6.50-$8.75
SOUTHBOUND
A “welcome to the neighborhood” vibe lingers throughout Southbound in Chamblee, whether you sit at the bar stocked with artisan spirits, on a comfortable chair in the main dining room or under an umbrellaed picnic table on the patio. Weathered wood, exposed bricks and dangling light bulbs give the space casual elegance. The menu presents Southern comfort food with some creative international flavors and influences. Variety means there’s something for just about any preference, diet, budget and hunger level. The menu changes about three times a year, but popular favorites remain, including the double-stack burger, Southern ramen, smoked short rib, Chamblee hot chicken and wild Georgia Shrimp.
Small plates: $4-$18 • Mains: $14-$33 Sides: $4-$6 • Desserts: $6-$9
THE WOODALL
With its friendly, relaxed vibe, it’s easy to feel among friends at The Woodall in Westside Village, whether you prefer the comfortable dining room or outdoor patio. Whitewashed brick, shiny metal, warm woods, brown leather and modern light fixtures cozy up the converted warehouse while a mural of eagle talons clasping a silver spoon adds personality. The dinner and brunch menus present globally inspired dishes and drinks featuring local ingredients. The menu changes seasonally, with options such as lump crab beignets, openfaced tenderloin sandwich, Sicilian calamari and rock shrimp and fried chicken tucked into a feather-light biscuit. The restaurant’s website confidently asserts, “You’ll be back!” There are plenty of reasons to do just that.
Small plates: $9-$15 • Salads: $9-12 Sandwiches: $11.5-17 • Mains: $13-$43 Sides: $5-$6 • Desserts: $9-$10
BY: Wendell Brock, Rebecca Cha, Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Angela Hansberger, Hope S. Philbrick
PHOTOS: Sara Hanna, Joann Vitelli
