Atlanta is such a vibrant city — with fantastic food options for every eater, many markets to explore, an unmatched music scene, greenery in every neighborhood, and an outdoorsy bar scene. Here are some of my recommendations for your next trip to ATL.
Brunch / Lunch
SAMA: Food for Balance
This gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy cafe offers vegan and paleo bowls, organic juices, smoothies, superfood lattes and a meditation studio. I love SAMA's mission, which is to help the Atlanta community find balance in their body, mind, and soul.
I ordered a build-your-own bowl and got their iced dirty chai with chai tea, espresso, vanilla almond mylk, and cinnamon. I’d definitely go back for a wholesome, productive morning!
R. Thomas Deluxe Grill
This funky, outdoor restaurant is vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan friendly. Plus, the decor and menu items have so much personality. R. Thomas Deluxe Grill only uses high-quality ingredients like cold pressed organic oils, fresh produce, home grown herbs from their garden, local organic honey and bee pollen, powerful superfoods, and raw cultured vegetables.
I ordered the chicken curry basil wrap, which is a tortilla stuffed with chicken, pineapple, fresh basil, red bell pepper and mandarin oranges. I also tried my dad’s sloppy veggie joe, which I’d highly recommend. It’s a southwest chile tortilla stuffed with a spicy tangy mix featuring their homemade veggie burger that is served with cinnamon sweet potatoes and red slaw. See, plant-based can be flavorful and delicious!
Flower Child
This restaurant is adorable, offering feel-good food in a cheery atmosphere. Flower Child’s menu includes bowls, grains, greens, or wraps as well as flavored lemonades, kombucha and organic wine and beer. And yes, everything is farm-fresh and made from scratch.
I ordered a salad with cranberries, hemp seeds, apples, feta, sliced almonds, and sweet potato, plus their delicious lemonade. This spot is great to meet up with a friend for a casual lunch!
Kale Me Crazy
This superfood cafe, which has multiple locations in Atlanta, is always a great way to start your morning. Kale Me Crazy, which only offers fresh, organic and raw foods, has a robust menu of juices, smoothies, salads, and wraps. I would start the day with one of their cold pressed juices. The BEET-L-JUICE was my favorite!
Recess
If you’re staying or living near the BeltLine, you need to check out Recess, which offers bowls, salads, and veggies. It’s very vegan, GF friendly, and everything is so fresh and flavorful. It’s a sister restaurant with Bar Mercado, located in the outdoor section of Krog Street Market. (If you’re craving Mexican, you might lean towards the Bar Mercado side, but if you’re open in terms of style of food, you head on over to the Recess side.)
Their bowls are absolutely next level. I ordered their Superbowl, which includes coconut brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, kale, chickpea, coconut-tahini dressing, dried mango & date. I subbed the pickled beet for marinated feta and added grilled chicken, which I’d suggest if you’re not vegan. It’s one of the most flavorful bowls I’ve ever had ― enough for me to come back multiple times during my one-week trip.
Coffee
Read Shop by The Merchant
This half-coffee shop and half-boutique bookstore is one of the most unique cafes I’ve been to. The focus is on both the books and coffee at Read Shop. It’s a hip shop that felt both modern and cozy.
I ordered the cold brew with oat milk, which was delicious. Read Shop offers all the classic coffee shop beverages, so you can’t go wrong when stepping into this spot.
Muchacho
Muchacho was a great stop post-Solid Core workout. It’s a super cute, casual all-day cafe that gives off retro West Coast vibes. The coffee shop includes lots of outdoor seating, too.
I ordered the iced coffee with oat milk, which was the pick-me-up I needed. Muchacho serves breakfast tacos, grain bowls and cocktails for those looking for more than just coffee.
Activities
Krog Street Market
This west-coast style market, which occupies a 1920’s warehouse, is located along the BeltLine. If walking along the BeltLine, I’d highly recommend making Krog Street Market a stop — either for a meal or even just picking up ingredients.
Georgia Aquarium
This is the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere and is home to hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries. I’d highly recommend to any families visiting to spend an afternoon at the Georgia Aquarium ― especially on a rainy day!
Walk The BeltLine
Speaking of the BeltLine, you can make it an activity by just walking the path and enjoying all the puppies, the art, and the overall atmosphere that it provides.
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is such a cute park to spend an afternoon. Whether you're playing with the many dogs in the area, having a picnic with friends (or a solo picnic session!), or reading a book in a relaxing environment, you simply cannot go wrong with choosing Piedmont Park as your destination.
Ponce City Market
This market was converted from the historic Sears building into a vibrant market with so many food hall and shops. I can spend so much time strolling through the market and exploring the variety of foods and cuisines that are from around the world.
You can take your time exploring Ponce City Market, getting bites from multiple vendors and checking out the stores along the way. I’d recommend checking out their site for events going on in the market.
Drinks
Lady Bird
Lady Bird is a hip bar and restaurant with an amazing outdoor set-up right along the BeltLine. It’s actually the first outdoor-oriented bar and restaurant to open along the BeltLine's Eastside Trail. This spot offers local beers and craft cocktails with campfire and lodge themed decor.
Park Tavern
Park Tavern is a restaurant and bar right in Piedmont Park. Their outdoor patio is the place to be on weekends for drinking and socializing, especially for Millennials. Park Tavern is also a restaurant in addition to a bar scene, and their burgers are delicious.
New Realm Brewing
New Realm is an American craft brewery located right along the BeltLine. This spot has a great rooftop, great beer and homemade seltzer choices, and awesome views of the city.
Dinner
Del Bar
Del Bar, which translates to "heart, captured" in Farsi, is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta. This Mediterranean inspired spot has stunning indoor seating and a beautiful outdoor terrace. We ordered the labneh with fresh taftoun bread; the joojeh kabob, which is chicken breast, saffron, onion, and citrus that is charred beautifully; and the fresh kale salad with quinoa, feta, and radish. This spot is super cute for a date-night or a night out with friends.
True Food Kitchen
True Food Kitchen is one of my favorite chains. It’s a great health-driven restaurant with an expansive menu. “Eat optimistically” is their motto, which definitely is encompassed in their food options. I ordered their seasonal vegan pizza with butternut squash. This is a great dinner spot to eat at with family.
Barcelona Wine Bar
Barcelona Wine Bar is another chain and always a classic. We ordered a range of tapas to share, including the grilled hanger steak with truffle sauce and the patatas bravas with garlic aioli, which were incredible. This spot is great for a girls night out!
Atlanta has so many great food, coffee, and activity options to choose from ― and this is just the start. If you have any recommendations that I need to check out the next time I’m there, definitely let me know. Hopefully, this guide provides a great start for you to have yourself a day in Atlanta!