Pack your day—and plates—with an eating tour around the Classic City!
Rich in musical heritage as the birthplace of alternative rock and bands like R.E.M., the B-52s and Widespread Panic, as well as the home of the University of Georgia, Athens has also gained traction as a foodie town. You can expect the best in new Southern cuisine, Asian flavors and more, making it the perfect place to indulge.
Start with an empty stomach at Seabear Oyster Bar, where the lengthy list of fresh oysters changes daily. They’re complemented by expertly crafted cocktails, such as the Escubie Snack. Made from London dry gin, the botanical liqueur Escubac, turbinado sugar, lime and Peychaud’s Bitters, it’s a refreshing and zippy sip that offsets the brininess of the oysters. Settle into the casual dining room built in a former Coca-Cola bottling plant.
Last Resort Grill deserves a spot on any Athens restaurant itinerary. The original was a music club that opened in 1966 and featured acts such as Townes Van Zandt, Jimmy Buffett and Steve Martin before they were famous. It was converted into a restaurant in the ’90s and has served cult favorites like praline chicken and shrimp and grits ever since. The wait is usually long but worth it; kill time at the full bar in the side yard. After dinner, head down the street and pop into Creature Comforts Brewing Co. for a quick sip of its famous brews, such as Tropicalia IPA or awardwinning Classic City Lager.
Vibes are high at The National, where a Mediterranean-inspired menu offers classical tapas alongside larger plates such as panroasted mahi mahi with grits and buttered onions, and a robust and filling seasonal veggie plate. For something different, head to Puma Yu’s, an innovative Thai restaurant. Small plates like Sea Island red peas with edamame and collards, shrimp tempura with garlic white pepper sauce and larger plates like tamarind fish soup and mushroom tom yum showcase an eclectic and diverse perspective.
Just outside of downtown is Osteria Olio. Located in the new Rivet House hotel, the restaurant features a modern Italian menu that includes twists on favorites like burrata and carpaccio, plus a handful of mouth-watering pizzas and housemade pastas. Dive in with the family-style chef’s tasting that allows diners to feast on a curated three-course meal.
ZZ & Simone’s in Five Points melds together the best in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Dinner has unique dishes like mortadella with olive chutney and sourdough, and standbys like tagliatelle Bolognese. Pizzas run the gamut from classic tomato and cheese Margherita to lemon topped with red onion, thyme, chili flakes and Pecorino Romano. Jewish favorites such as latkes, babka and an impressive bagel and lox tower are front and center at Sunday brunch.
No foodie trip to Athens would be complete without the OG upscale dining experience at Five & Ten. Originally the brainchild of chef Hugh Acheson, the Five Points restaurant is now under the leadership of Peter Dale, who also owns Seabear, The National and a handful of other restaurants. Upscale Southern cuisine such as fried airline chicken breast with creamy grits and Vidalia slaw, and Carolina Gold “risotto” with asparagus, carrots, cippolini onions and braised turnip greens steal the show. A word to the wise: No matter how you choose to fill your days, come hungry.
CREATURE COMFORTS BREWING CO.
creaturecomfortsbeer.com
FIVE & TEN
fiveandten.com
LAST RESORT GRILL
lastresortgrill.com
OSTERIA OLIO
osteriaolio.com
PUMA YU’S
pumayus.com
SEABEAR
seabearoysterbar.com
THE NATIONAL
thenationalresetaurant.com
ZZ & SIMONE’S
zzandsimones.com
Stay and Play
You’ll need a place to lay your head and belly after all the food fanfare, and the newly refreshed Bell Athens hotel downtown is the place to rest after a long day of eating. It is housed in the former Southern Bell Telephone building that’s over 100 years old and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Walk off your meals around the University of Georgia’s Historic North Campus. The school was the first state-chartered university and dates back to 1785.
Stretch your legs even more by walking around the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Spread over 323 acres, the donation-based attraction includes a Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum, a conservatory featuring tropical and subtropical species and nature trails.
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
botgarden.uga.edu
The Bell Hotel
thebellhotel.com
University of Georgia
uga.edu
