Bones steakhouse in Buckhead, Atlanta opened 1979 and remains the city's classic white-tablecloth chophouse, with dry-aged steaks and Wine Spectator Grand Award wine list.
Signature dishes: Bone-in ribeye, Lobster Savannah
Must order: The dry-aged bone-in ribeye, with the Lobster Savannah as the seafood add.
Tip: Dress code: jackets preferred. Mondays through Saturdays; closed Sundays. Reservations a week ahead on OpenTable.
Address: 3130 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
Chef Gerry Klaskala's Buckhead institution in Atlanta opened 2000 and runs a slow-cooked New American menu of braised meats and seasonal plates. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Signature: Braised short rib, Tasting menu
Order: The slow-braised short rib; the chef's tasting on Friday and Saturday.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the lounge bar takes walk-ins with the full menu.
Kimball House in Decatur, Atlanta opened 2013 inside a converted 19th-century train station, with the city's deepest oyster selection and a James Beard nominated bar.
Signature: Oysters, Absinthe service, Patate dauphine
Order: Two dozen oysters and the absinthe drip service.
Tip: Reservations on Resy; the bar takes walk-ins until late. Sunday Happy Hour 17:00 to 18:30 is the under-the-radar bargain.
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.
Paschal's in Atlanta has served soul food since 1947, when brothers Robert and James Paschal opened on Hunter Street. The civil rights movement met here; SCLC was anchored at the bar.
Signature: Fried chicken, Collard greens, Peach cobbler
Order: Fried chicken plate with collard greens, mac and cheese, candied yams.
Tip: The current Castleberry Hill location since 2002 expanded with a banquet space; the original Hunter Street site is preserved at Clark Atlanta.
Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta opened 1945 and runs Southern Sunday dinner classics in a four-dining-room compound on Ponce de Leon, with the same recipes through three ownership changes.
Signature: Fried chicken, Pot likker and cornbread, Peach cobbler
Order: Pot likker with a side of cornbread, then fried chicken with three sides.
Tip: Order the pot likker as a starter; it comes free with cornbread. No reservations Monday through Thursday lunch; OpenTable for dinner and weekends.
Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta opened 1947 on MLK Drive and won the James Beard America's Classics Award in 2022 for its decades of soul food service near the AUC campuses.
Signature: Fried chicken, Oxtails, Collard greens
Order: Fried chicken with two sides; the oxtails on lunch special when available.
Tip: Cash and card. Lunch and early dinner only Tuesday to Sunday; line forms before noon weekends.
Chef Gerry Klaskala's Buckhead institution in Atlanta opened 2000 and runs a slow-cooked New American menu of braised meats and seasonal plates. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Signature: Braised short rib, Tasting menu
Order: The slow-braised short rib; the chef's tasting on Friday and Saturday.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the lounge bar takes walk-ins with the full menu.
