Our Recommended Sights & Eats in Atlanta, Georgia
A few years back, my brother moved to Atlanta; as such, it’s become a larger part of our lives than I ever thought it would be. Our first visit was in 2021 to celebrate his wedding! Obviously I can’t recommend “attend my brother’s wedding” for your trip to Atlanta, though, so here are some things we can recommend instead:
Our Recommended Sights
Our #1 recommendation in Atlanta might be an obvious one, but it’s worth the hype: the Georgia Aquarium is a must-see! I am enamored by large aquatic animals, and this aquarium - one of the largest in the world - has the facility needed to house whale sharks. Walking through the tunnels that weave through the whale shark exhibition was absolutely incredible; seeing these gentle giants up close and personal was a spiritual experience. In addition to the whale sharks, you can watch the playful beluga whales chase toys for enrichment, swing by the mesmerizing jellyfish displays or try to spot their octopus camouflaged in its tank. Plan to spend multiple hours here - there’s so much to see!
Revery VR Bar: Imagine a karaoke bar where you can rent out your private rooms, but instead of karaoke, you’re playing VR games! The set-up is cool: the nightlife vibe is interrupted only by the flashing TVs in each group’s little cubicle. There are multiple bars surrounding the rentable rooms - grab a drink, put on your favorite VR game and enjoy your time with friends!
World of Coca-Cola: this is another super-touristy thing that we did in Atlanta, but it was cute enough that we can recommend it. There are multiple hands-on displays that take you through the creation of Coca-Cola and introduce you to other Coca-Cola products made around the globe. A few of my favorite experiences include the flavor profile room where you can smell and compare the various flavors in their products, and the around-the-world taste test where you get to sample some of their lesser known (to Americans) global products! My favorite is the Inca Kola, a soda that tastes like bubble gum and sold primarily in Peru.
I don’t mind visiting the touristy areas when I’m a tourist - it gives me an opportunity to sign off on whether or not they’re worth visiting. After all, in many cases, these touristy spots are popular for a reason! In addition to World of Coca-Cola, other tourist hotspots we’d recommend are Ponce City Market and the BeltLine. For you New Yorkers out there: these spots are essentially Atlanta’s versiosn of Chelsea Market and the High Line. But beware, because the cyclists on the BeltLine are out for blood. Make sure you visit Piedmont Park, too - Atlanta’s Central Park, with a bit less hustle and bustle.
There are so many neighborhoods outside of Midtown that we want to explore. So far we’ve had the chance to visit Avalon and Little Five Points. We loved both! And they both come with completely different vibes. For an artsy grunge vibe, visit Little Five Points. Browse through their selection of unique shops - including oddity shops, mystic and spiritual shops, record stores, thrift stores and more. Avalon’s vibe is the exact opposite - pristine and expensive. This walkable community has every high-end brand name you can imagine, all sandwiched in within this busy, beautifully-landscaped neighborhood.
Our Recommended Eats
Now, it’s time to eat! Everyone knows the South does food right, and Atlanta has so many options.
Our #1 Southern go-to will always be Hattie B’s. We first discovered this spot in Nashville, and make sure to get it any time we’re in the same vicinity. Hattie B’s sells Nashville hot chicken flavored mild to “clucking hot.” We tend to go with ‘medium’ and load up our dark meat platter with sides like pimento mac & cheese, collard greens, cheese grits and french fries. Quick tip: we find their white meat not be even nearly as moist and flavorful as their white meat, so we’d recommend you avoid the tenders or sandwich. Get yourself some dark meat paired with any side and you’ll be in for a meal to remember!
One thing the South does best? Brunch! Visit Flying Biscuit and Another Broken Egg for our two favorite Southern brunches (so far.) I still dream about The Flying Biscuit’s fried green tomatoes, and both restaurants crank out some incredible biscuits and gravy.
And let’s just go down the list of food the south does best, because next is BBQ. Though we know there are so many BBQ joints to explore, we loved our visit to City BBQ. Every time we go, we make sure to get the brisket and pulled pork, and then add a plethora of sides. Top it all off with some banana pudding!
One of the best burgers I’ve had was at The Vortex; I got the black and blue burger, and it was perfection.
For dessert, swing by Jeni’s Ice Cream. Jeni’s started in the South, but is slowly opening locations farther North - including one in Chicago that opened this year! Daniel would rate Jeni’s among his favorite ice cream experience - he loves their salted peanut butter in a waffle cone and orders that without fail. Most recently I got a mix of their wildberry lavender and darkest chocolate in a waffle cone bowl. Quick Tip: Though Wild Scoops and Salt & Straw still rank as our favorite ice cream shops in the country, Jeni’s is a close follow-up for Daniel.
And we saved the best for last: when in Atlanta, you must visit The Consulate. This incredible restaurant won the James Beard award in 2021, and for good reason. Every 3 months, a lucky customer gets to throw a dart at a map; wherever it lands (as long as their menu has never “traveled” there before) will be the nationality that inspires the next quarter’s menu! When we visited, they were “traveling” to Cambodia. There’s a second menu, too, that is a compilation of the best dishes from past “travels” - so expect to eat “around the world” when you go! There were four of us when we visited, so we ordered a bunch of dishes and split them, tapas-style. We sampled dishes inspired by local cuisines from Cambodia, Greenland, Cuba, Côte D’ivoire, South Korea and Ukraine - and every single dish and delicious!
As if I need to say more, the general vibe of the restaurant was super cool. Imagine a swanky twist of “around the world” meets “James Bond.”
As New Yorkers, we didn’t necessarily think we’d find a place that felt like home in the South, but Atlanta surprised us! With so much art, diversity, good food and things to do, we’re excited to return.