Rare spirits replace vodka Red Bulls at new steak bar in former Ivy space
The team behind longtime sports bar Ivy in Buckhead is opening a steak bar this fall in its place.
Owners Jamey and Benjie Shirah of Revival Restaurant Group traded sports bars for steak bars after they closed the Ivy in December after 14 years of operating as a nightlife destination in Atlanta. Jamey Shirah told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they wanted to move away from the nightlife scene as they’ve gotten older and started families.
Luella will be a sister restaurant to the Shirahs’ Birmingham, Alabama, steak bar Little Betty. It will have a similar menu of wood-fired steaks, pastas, seafood and “globally-inspired shareable plates,” according to a news release.
The beverage program will include New and Old World wines, rare spirits and classic cocktails.
Jamey Shirah said they’ve completely transformed the mansion at 3717 Roswell Road NE. The bottom floor will feature a horseshoe bar with hardwood floors, tiling and bar stools. Farther in back, the dining room will seat around 130 people. A side bar will have hand-painted wallpaper and Venetian plaster on the ceiling, like a “classic Buckhead mansion where each room is kind of designed to its own style but it all matches,” he said.
The upstairs level, expected to open in 2026, will house a private cocktail club and event salon.
Shirah said he wants the restaurant to replicate a European dining experience, where service isn’t rushed and the goal isn’t to “turn tables as fast as we can.”
“We want people to sit; we want people to enjoy (each other’s) company,” he said.
The University of Georgia alums opened the Ivy sports bar in 2010 as part of their hospitality group, Revival Restaurant Group, which includes the Family Dog in Atlanta’s Morningside neighborhood, as well as Little Betty, the Southern and Uptown Cantina in Birmingham.
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About the Author
Olivia Wakim is a digital content producer on the food and dining team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
