Everything old is new again

Kimball House, the most recent in a string of restaurants that has occupied the old Decatur train depot, exemplifies the marriage of past and present. The restaurant’s name pays homage to a glorious hotel that helped define Atlanta in the 1870s, about the same time the train station was constructed.

At Kimball House we find an inspired revival of the once-dying cocktail culture and a raw bar with a brilliant oyster selection unparalleled in Atlanta — the restaurant’s two main draws. We also find an impressive restaurant garden and co-executive chefs Philip Meeker and Jeffrey Wall taking inspiration from early Kimball House hotel menus as they develop new and mostly successful combinations with scores of ingredients, many pickled, cured or fermented in-house.

If you can save room after gorging on oysters, try the sweet and salty fun of the luxuriant pork belly dotted with crisp fennel slices and brightly sweet orange segments. And be sure to experience the kitchen’s veggie skills with a bowl of soft, roasted sunchokes, charred scallions and beech mushrooms enriched by smoked lardo.