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Whether you’re in town for business, a convention like MomoCon or DragonCon, 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 Atlanta, you’ll also find several 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 Street
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 at his original location or telling his customers that he loves them, many of whom have supported Aviva by Kameel since it opened in 2012. There’s also a location at the Collective at Coda in Midtown.
The Food Shoppe
123 Luckie Street
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. Consider taking your food to go for a picnic in nearby Centennial Olympic Park.
Related Link: All Downtown Atlanta coverage from Rough Draft
Jamrock Jamaican
111 M.L.K. Jr. Drive
For jerk chicken, curry goat, braised oxtails, and brown stew chicken, there’s no better place than Jamrock Jamaican. Jamrock has been slinging traditional Jamaican dishes in Downtown Atlanta to locals and tourists alike since 2006. At breakfast, the restaurant serves fried dumplings, callaloo and saltfish, and saltfish fritters. Keep an eye out for daily specials and the porridge of the day.
Polaris
Hyatt Regency, 265 Peachtree Road
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.
Park Bar
150 Walton Street
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 co*cktail. Park Bar also features an extensive collection of whiskey and bourbon.
Trader Vic’s
Hilton Hotel Downtown, 255 Courtland Street
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. Mai Tais are $7 each on Thursdays, with live music starting at 7 p.m.
Tyde Tate Thai Kitchen
229 Mitchell Street
Sai Untachantr and Bank Bhamaraniyama create many of the dishes served at Tyde Tate from family recipes, including the restaurant’s popular chicken curry puffs, basil chicken, dumplings, and pad Thai. You’ll also find Thai street food dishes such as cheese rolls stuffed with shredded crab, skewers of chicken satay, and sweet chili crispy tofu. The bar serves co*cktails, too, like the Passion Fizz with rum and passion fruit nectar. Tyde Tate is conveniently located across the Nelson Street pedestrian bridge from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Related Link: Spiller Park Coffee opens in South Downtown
Spiller Park Coffee
233 Mitchell Street
Located a couple of doors down from Tyde Tate, South Downtown marks the fourth location of this homegrown coffee shop. Owned by Dale Donchey, the self-proclaimed history buff and ardent baseball fan named the coffee shop for Rell J. Spiller; the owner of defunct minor league baseball team the Atlanta Crackers. In addition to coffee and espresso drinks, Spiller Park also serves toasts, pastries, and sandwich specials, including the Grand Imperial salami sandwich.
Wild Leap Brew Co.
125 Ted Turner Drive
Just around the corner from Spiller Park Coffee and Tyde Tate Thai, LaGrange-based brewery and distillery Wild Leap became the first business to open at Centennial Yards; a historic building complex once home to Norfolk Southern Railroad. Two years later, it’s one of South Downtown’s most popular places to drink beer, sip co*cktails, or sample the latest spirits from the distillery. Spread out over two levels, the patio behind the building overlooks the Gulch and offers views of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Food trucks are regularly parked here, too.
Dolo’s Pizza
50 Lower Alabama Street
Dolo’s Pizza began as a pop-up based out of Stone Mountain coffee shop Gilly Brew Bar. 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 Drive
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 co*cktail cart. For dessert, order a cannoli filled with fior di latte whipped ganache or panna cotta wrapped in chocolate.
Related Link: Centennial Yards’ first apartment tower, The Mitchell, tops out
The Municipal Market (Sweet Auburn Curb Market)
209 Edgewood Avenue
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, Asian fusion sandwiches, tacos, and Cajun and Creole dishes. Sweet Auburn Curb Market is easily accessible via the Atlanta StreetCar.
