“Bae don’t play” – Beyonce
When it comes to date night in Atlanta, you have no shortage of options. But – everyone’s been in the spot where they have a date coming up and they just aren’t sure where to go. We think you can’t wrong with any of the choices below – so go on, take a gander.
1. Canoe
Special thanks to one of Atlanta’s classiest ladies Meghan DeFoe
and @gt_sx
Address: 4199 Paces Ferry Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30339
Phone: (770) 432-2663
Yelp Link: (4 stars with 100+ reviews)
Website
Beautiful, romantic restaurant on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. CBS named it as one of the restaurants to rekindle your romance at in Atlanta and it’s easy to understand why – the serene ambiance, food and wine make this one of the South’s most romantic places to have dinner or brunch.
– Go outside for drinks after dinner – super romantic
– It’s so romantic you just might see someone propose
2. King + Duke, Buckhead
Images courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Address: 3060 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 477-3500
Yelp Link: (4 stars with 400+ reviews)
Website
King + Duke, a chef-owned restaurant from Atlanta’s Ford Fry, offers a seasonal dining experience in the heart of Buckhead. A 24-foot open hearth is the restaurant’s centerpiece, and our passion for cooking over wood comes through in every dish. Named after characters in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, King + Duke nods to classic literature and American traditions. The locally sourced dishes harken back to the way food used to be prepared: cooking over fire is a primitive technique that lets the ingredients speak for themselves.
3. Floataway Café
Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee Photography
Shoutout to the ever so charming actress Anastasia
Address: 1123 Zonolite Rd NE, Ste 15, Atlanta, GA 30306
Phone: (404) 892-1414
Yelp Link: (3 stars with 300+ reviews)
Website
Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, the chefs who charmed Atlanta diners with the debut of Bacchanalia in 1993, opened Floataway Café across town in 1998. Located in a renovated warehouse, Floataway Cafe reconstructed the industrial space into a contemporary dining experience. A courtyard area is transformed into a romantic outdoor cafe in the evening with the night sky forming a starry canopy. Floataway Café offers in-town dining, just minutes from Emory Village with an expanse of on-site self-parking. The menu features fresh seasonal cuisine created with country French, Mediterranean, and Italian influences. Changing daily, the menu reflects seasonal influences and the finest local ingredients.
– Warm Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Gelato is perfect for sharing with your date
– When the service is good, this place is a delight, but it can be spotty
4. Fernbank’s Martinis & IMAX
Image provided by Joe Boris
Address: 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
Phone: 404.929.6300
Website
Fernbank’s Martinis & IMAX is one of the most unique “culture and cocktail” opportunities in Atlanta. Guests enjoy special cocktail menus, small plates, live entertainment, dancing and a chance to see a film on the biggest screen in town. This popular event, the first of its kind in Atlanta, is held every Friday (excluding holiday weekends*) from 7pm to 11pm. Live entertainment begins at 7:30pm.
5. Grocery on Home
Phone: (404) 234-8050
Website
Grocery on Home is often called a music venue, but it isn’t a traditional music venue. It is a curated space that hosts performances. Most events are posted on Facebook and RSVPs are required.
6. Empire State South
Images courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Address: 999 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 541-1105
Yelp Link: (4 stars with 500+ reviews)
Website
Bocce ball on the patio, great food & drink made by a Top Chef judge – definitely some major date night potential.
Empire State South takes a modern approach to creating authentic Southern dishes, relying on the beautiful foods of this region. Run by the legendary Hugh Acheson, author of the James Beard Foundation Award Winning Cookbook “A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen,” “Pick a Pickle: 50 Recipes for Pickles, Relishes, and Fermented Snacks,” and “The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits.” He is a chef/partner of the Athens, Georgia, restaurants 5&10, The National, the Atlanta restaurant Empire State South, and The Florence in Savannah. He is a James Beard award winner for Best Chef Southeast and was named a Best New Chef by Food & Wine Magazine. Hugh competed in Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, Season 3 and currently stars as a judge on Top Chef.
7. One Midtown Kitchen
Address: 559 Dutch Valley Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Phone: (404) 892-4111
Yelp Link: (3 stars with 300+ reviews)
Website
Two of Atlanta’s top culinary talents, Co-Chefs Matt Weinstein (Woodfire Grill) and Christopher Maher (4th and Swift, Ritz Carlton Buckhead), make this Midtown staple a unique destination for its regulars and new diners alike. Weinstein’s out of the box modern cooking perfectly complements Maher’s more classically refined approach resulting in a menu that exudes both strengths. ONE’s 60 bottle wine list is broken into two categories. The “ONE For All” section focuses on classic grape varietals, blends, producers and growing regions. The “ONE of a kind” section features slightly more adventurous varietals, blends and modern day growing regions. ONE boasts serene, understated décor with an incredible view of the Atlanta skyline, Piedmont Park and the bustling BeltLine.
8. Pricci
Address: 500 Pharr Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 237-2941
Yelp Link: (3 stars with 200+ reviews)
Website
Bustling upscale spot with a vibrant bar scene serves traditional Italian entrees. Dramatic interior and friendly service; casual and classy at the same time.
9. Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft
Images courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Address: 1745 Peachtree St NE, Ste Y, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (678) 539-6181
Yelp Link: (3 stars with 400+ reviews)
Website
Recently named one of the Top Thai Restaurants in the United States by Travel + Leisure Magazine, Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft brings new flavors and creations of Thai Cuisine to Atlanta. Offering a variety of small plates done in a tapas style, as well as larger entrees that showcase gourmet Thai Street Food. Chef Dee Dee Niyomkul, daughter of Charlie & Nan Niyomkul, (Creators of Nan’s Thai & Tamarind Seed) calls upon original recipes used by her mother and grandmother, an original street food vendor in Bangkok, to enchant local diners. Bringing these unique flavors and spices to the table in a real gourmet fashion.
