Ponce City Market is the food anchor. Around it sit the Beltline, Krog Street tunnel and a dense block of new bars, brewpubs and restaurants.
Staplehouse in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta opened 2015 inside a converted carriage house and runs a chef's tasting under the nonprofit Giving Kitchen umbrella with profit reinvested.
Signature: Chef's tasting menu, Seasonal small plates
Order: The chef's tasting menu; the menu rotates with the seasons.
Tip: Profits fund The Giving Kitchen, supporting Atlanta hospitality workers in crisis. Reservations on Tock 30 days out.
Staplehouse in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta opened 2015 inside a converted carriage house. Runs a chef's tasting under the nonprofit Giving Kitchen umbrella; profits reinvested.
Order: The chef's tasting menu; the menu rotates with the seasons.
Tip: Profits fund The Giving Kitchen, supporting Atlanta hospitality workers in crisis. Reservations on Tock 30 days out.
Ladybird in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta sits on the Beltline with a summer-camp-themed kitchen and a wide patio. Cast-iron cornbread, smores and burgers run the menu.
Signature: Cast-iron cornbread, Fried chicken sandwich, Smores
Order: Cast-iron cornbread with honey butter, then the fried chicken sandwich.
Tip: The patio is the Beltline's largest; runs dog-friendly. Brunch on weekends is busy; reservations on Resy.
Ria Pell's Memorial Drive diner in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta opened 2000 across from Oakland Cemetery with the city's cult buttermilk pancakes and Southern brunch plates.
Signature: Buttermilk pancakes, Shrimp and grits
Order: Buttermilk pancakes with a side of bacon, then shrimp and grits the second visit.
Tip: No reservations; line forms by 09:00 on weekends. Walking distance from Oakland Cemetery and Cabbagetown.
Ammazza in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta runs wood-fired Neapolitan pizza out of an Edgewood Avenue space since 2013. The Diavola and Margherita anchor the menu.
Signature: Diavola pizza, Margherita pizza, Burrata
Order: Diavola pizza and burrata to start.
Tip: Edgewood Avenue patio in spring. Reservations on Resy; takeaway hatch on busy nights.
Spiller Park Coffee at Ponce City Market in Atlanta opened 2016 from a partnership including chef Hugh Acheson. The honey latte is the cult order; bean roasted in-house.
Signature drink: Honey latte
Tip: Counter ordering. The Toco Hills cafe has more seating; PCM runs the food-hall foot traffic. Try the Toco Hill beans for retail.
Chrome Yellow Trading on Edgewood Avenue in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta runs a third-wave espresso bar paired with a curated goods shop in a renovated 1923 building.
Signature drink: Cortado
Tip: Tight space; counter and one communal table. Good for solo work in mornings, less so at peak weekend hours.
Condesa Coffee in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta runs a third-wave cafe with Counter Culture beans, breakfast burritos and a wide work-friendly room. Open since 2013.
Signature drink: Cold brew
Tip: Patio is dog-friendly. Brunch service runs Saturday and Sunday with the cult breakfast burrito.
Dancing Goats Coffee in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward roasts Batdorf and Bronson beans across a third-wave menu. The North Avenue cafe runs work-friendly tables and natural light.
Signature drink: Single-origin pourover
Tip: Largest seating of any third-wave cafe in O4W; the Decatur and Ponce locations match the bean program.
Spiller Park Coffee in Atlanta roasts its own beans since 2016 from a partnership including chef Hugh Acheson. The honey latte is the cult menu item.
Tip: Counter ordering at PCM and Toco Hills. Roasted beans sold for retail; the Burundi single-origin runs strongest in summer.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Burundi, Kenya, Colombia
How they serve: Espresso, Pourover, Whole bean retail
Batdorf and Bronson roasts in Olympia, Washington and runs the Dancing Goats Coffee Bar in Atlanta, opening in 2007. The Decatur, Ponce and Krog Street cafes share beans.
Tip: Whole bean retail. The Dancing Goats house blend has been on the menu since 1995; cleanest medium-roast in the rotation.
Sources from: Colombia, Ethiopia, Sumatra
How they serve: Espresso, Pourover, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Ladybird's Camper Bar on the Beltline in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta runs summer-camp-themed cocktails in a vintage Airstream parked on the patio. Reservations on Resy.
Signature drink: Summer-camp themed cocktails
Food: Smores, snacks
Tip: The Airstream patio is the move in spring and fall. Smores and snacks the menu; full dinner at the Ladybird restaurant.
Thumbs Up Diner on Edgewood Avenue in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta runs all-day breakfast and burritos since 2002. The Heap (potato and egg skillet) the cult order.
Try: Burrito and pancakes
Tip: Cash and card. No reservations; line builds by 09:30 weekends. The Heap with chorizo runs the heaviest breakfast in town.
Ponce City Market in Atlanta opened 2014 inside the 1926 Sears, Roebuck warehouse with 35 plus food stalls including Hop's Chicken, H&F Burger and Root Baking Co.
Tip: Skyline Park on the roof runs amusement rides. The food hall stalls are the destination; H&F Burger and Hop's Chicken are the cult orders.
Sidewalk Food Tours Atlanta runs an Old Fourth Ward route through five restaurant stops in three hours: soul food, sandwiches and a coffee finish. National operator pedigree.
Tip: Tours run rain or shine. Wednesdays through Saturdays; Sunday tours run a slightly modified route. Book online.
Food Tours Atlanta's Ponce City Market route hits 5 to 6 vendor stops with a craft beer pause in the Old Fourth Ward, the Sears-warehouse-turned-food-hall on the Beltline.
Tip: Best for first-time visitors. Walk is short, 0.5 mile, but the building is large; wear flat shoes. Diets accommodated with notice.
Marcus Bar and Grille runs Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward weekend brunch buffet: Marcus Samuelsson's fried chicken and waffles, shrimp gumbo, $55 spread.
Order: Fried chicken and waffles, shrimp gumbo with chorizo from the buffet line.
Tip: Marcus Samuelsson's Old Fourth Ward room. The $55 buffet runs unlimited mimosas as an add-on; come hungry.