Late summer surge sees more than 20 new restaurants open around metro Atlanta
After a slightly slower month of openings in July, August has been a return to form for the Atlanta restaurant scene, with more than 20 new places opening across the metro area.
With Pataaka now open, Midtown’s Spring Quarter development has become a dining destination unto itself. The property now has five restaurants in operation — Celestia, Habaneros, Ishin by Ito, Sozou and Pataaka — with a new location of Hal’s The Steakhouse planned for next year.
Some familiar names moved, returned or reopened.
Kamayan, the acclaimed Filipino restaurant on Buford Highway, moved to a new space next door to its original location but never experienced an interruption of service, so it is not included in the list of new openings below. The Botanico name was resurrected in Midtown by the team behind the former Buckhead restaurant of the same name, and the all-pink High Noon Brunchery made a big move from Douglasville to a prominent location on Peachtree Road. And sushi and ramen returned to Ponce City Market’s central food hall with the opening of NoriFish and Okiboru.
But the industry also said goodbye to multiple long-running restaurants, such as Nori Nori in Sandy Springs and Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft in Buckhead. Baraonda, the Italian restaurant that moved to Sandy Springs after more than 20 years in Midtown, shuttered after about five years in its new neighborhood.
August restaurant openings in metro Atlanta
Amasa Mexican Kitchen opened Aug. 28, restaurant representatives announced. From TQM Hospitality, the team behind Chicheria Mexican Kitchen and Buena Vida Tapas Bar, Amasa is inspired by the food of Baja California and has a completely gluten-free menu. The new restaurant also has a rooftop bar, which will open Sept. 3.
15 Academy St., Alpharetta. 470-299-5596, amasamexican.com
Beyond Juicery + Eatery, a health-focused restaurant chain, opened a location in Dunwoody in late August with smoothies and breakfast and lunch offerings.
5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. beyondjuiceryeatery.com/location/dunwoody
BOSK Coffee Wine and Tapas opened in Southwest Atlanta on Aug. 28, according to a Rough Draft report. It offers a coffee and tea menu and a variety of breakfast sandwiches, acai bowls, pastries and other brunch offerings.
510 Fairburn Road SW, Atlanta. 404-228-1216, boskcafeandwine.com
Botanico Cocina and Social Club, the new Midtown restaurant from the team behind now-shuttered Palo Santo, opened Aug. 13. The Latin American restaurant is owned by brothers Felipe and Eduardo Rivera and reprises the name of their prior Buckhead restaurant, which closed in 2021. Botanico is meant to feel like “a global dinner party,” according to a news release, with a menu that includes ceviches, wood-fire grilled meats, fresh seafood and shareable plates. The kitchen is led by executive chef Juan Guillermo Hormiga.
1106 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-975-3403, botanicoatlanta.com
Bun & Bombay, an Indian cafe from former Chai Pani sous chef Salman Khan, has opened in the historic former Waffle House space in Avondale Estates, 285 South first reported. The menu features Indian street foods like samosas, chaat and vada pav, as well as other dishes like paninis, sliders, biryani and chai.
2711 E. College Ave., Avondale Estates. 404-205-5657, instagram.com/bunandbombay
Delilah’s Everyday Soul held its grand opening in South Downtown on Aug. 14, the restaurant announced on social media. Delilah’s also has locations in Midtown and the Upper Westside.
227 Mitchell St. SW, Atlanta. 470-670-0574, delilahseverydaysoul.com
El Jalisco opened a stall in the Marietta Square Market food hall in late August, according to a news release. The Mexican restaurant offers a menu of items like street tacos, quesabirria, fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, carne asada and guacamole. It also offers a full-service bar with margaritas, cocktails and beer.
68 N. Marietta Parkway NW, Marietta. eljaliscorestaurant.com
Ford’s Chicken opened between Decatur and Avondale Estates on Aug. 14, the restaurant announced on social media. It serves multiple styles of chicken, but its calling card is whole birds cooked on a charcoal-fired rotisserie.
2759 E. College Ave., Decatur. 404-963-1996, fordschicken.com
Graze Craze, a charcuterie catering franchise, has opened a new location in Alpharetta, according to a news release. The shop offers charcuterie-themed events, gifts and catering from its storefront in Stonewood Village. Graze Craze Alpharetta is owned by Sara McNabb and her husband, U.S. Air Force veteran Scott McNabb. The franchise has 10 Georgia locations, including six in the metro Atlanta area.
670 N. Main St., Alpharetta. 770-688-0663, grazecraze.com
Grove and Barrel Provisions, a new market inspired by the Mediterranean diet, opened at the Alpharetta City Center development on Aug. 15, according to a news release.
211 Market St., Alpharetta. 678-296-7123, groveandbarrelprovisions.com
High Noon Brunchery, the pink-saturated brunch cafe, opened in early August in Buckhead, the restaurant announced on Instagram. The brunch restaurant, open from 8 a.m. — 4 p.m. seven days a week, found popularity in Douglasville before moving to its new address on Peachtree Road.
2285 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 678-398-7853, highnoonbrunchery.com
J. Alexander’s opened Aug. 31 in Peachtree City, according to a news release. It will be the restaurant chain’s fourth metro Atlanta location and its 41st across the country. The new J. Alexander’s celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, along with a Champagne christening — a tradition within the company that involves breaking a Champagne bottle and a Champagne toast. After the festivities, the restaurant opened to guests for dinner service.
100 Market Place Blvd., Peachtree City. 678-360-4607, jalexanders.com
NoriFish and Okiboru, two established restaurant concepts from chef and co-owner Sean Park, both opened Aug. 28 in Ponce City Market’s central food hall. They replaced Miso Ko, which opened in 2018, and Ton Ton Ramen & Yakitori, which had been part of the food hall for a decade.
The new NoriFish menu will feature a selective list of hand rolls, sushi rolls and Japanese small plates, according to a news release. NoriFish will also serve cocktails, sake, wine and Japanese beers.
Okiboru, which is co-owned by Justin Lim, will serve traditional ramen and tsukemen, with collagen-rich broths and house-made noodles. Okiboru will have its own beverage menu, with cocktails, a variety of sake options and craft beers.
675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. norifishsushi.com; okiboru.com
Pataaka, a modern Indian restaurant from Atlanta-based chef Anish Nair, opened Aug. 22 at Midtown’s Spring Quarter development. It joined other recently opened restaurants Sozou and Habaneros at the property, where rooftop bar Celestia and omakase counter Ishin by Ito opened last year. The development will also be home to a forthcoming location of Hal’s The Steakhouse, which plans to open next year.
The name Pataaka comes from the Hindi word for firecracker, meant to convey a sense of energy, warmth and celebration, according to a news release. The menu focuses on small plates meant for sharing, with dishes like a chulbule jhinga tart, a savory tart made with tiger prawns and avocado mousse; oysters Rockefeller made with spinach, paneer and fennel; lamb empanadas; shrimp malvani, featuring a thick coconut curry; and old Delhi butter chicken.
1020 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. 470-559-6258, pataakaatl.com
Riverline Coffee opened at the Cumberland Crossing Shopping Center in Smyrna on Aug. 8, the new coffee shop announced on Instagram. According to the website, owners Nick and Erica Zinkie source their coffee from ethical local roasters like East Pole Coffee.
2778 Cumberland Blvd. SE, Smyrna. 770-376-7055, riverlinecoffee.com
Sagra, an Italian wine bar, opened in East Atlanta Village for limited service on Aug. 29, the restaurant shared on social media. The wine bar will allow diners to bring their own alcoholic beverages while it awaits approval of its liquor license.
535 Gresham Ave. SE, Atlanta. instagram.com/sagra_eav
Sargent, the new restaurant from the team behind Lucian Books + Wine, opened Aug. 18 in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, just down the steps from the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail. Owners Jordan Smelt and Katie Barringer have carried over the same love for wine and books into their second concept.
Named for American artist John Singer Sargent, the new restaurant’s menu was developed by executive chef Jason Paolini and focuses on American and French classics with a modern sensibility, he previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Diners can expect a raw bar and dishes like leeks vinaigrette, chicken paillard, a prime rib dinner for two and a classic club sandwich with fries.
405 N. Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-855-5549, sargent-atlanta.com
Shake Shack opened its latest Atlanta-area location at Centennial Yards on Aug. 13.
85 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW, Atlanta. 470-200-4526, shakeshack.com
Siren, the seafood-focused sister restaurant to Arnette’s Chop Shop, opened Aug. 18 in Brookhaven. It is the latest restaurant from Michel Arnette, and the kitchen will be led by co-executive chefs Stephen Herman and Matt Swickerath, the business announced this month.
The atmosphere at Siren was designed by Arnette to be intimate and modern, with moody lighting that allows large, colorful pieces of artwork stand out on the walls of the dining room. The menu will feature plenty of raw-bar items like crudo and oysters on the half-shell, as well as seafood cooked over a wood fire. Sommelier Andrew LeClair has curated the wine program, and the restaurant will be managed by Trent Stanger.
2700 Apple Valley Road NE, Brookhaven. 404-963-1919, sirenatl.com
Spina Pizza has opened in the Atlanta Dairies development several years after it was first announced. The restaurant comes from Anthony Spina Jr., the son of Anthony Spina Sr., who founded the now-shuttered O4W Pizza and co-founded Nina & Rafi. Spina Pizza offers an Italian wine program and a menu of “Old World pies (with a little Northern flair),” according to a social media post.
777 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. instagram.com/spinapizza
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream opened its third metro Atlanta scoop shop Aug. 13 at Park Place in Dunwoody, the company announced. The shop joins the metro area’s two other locations at Ponce City Market and in Peachtree Corners.
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE, Atlanta. vanleeuwenicecream.com
Varuni Napoli, the Neapolitan pizzeria, opened its third Atlanta-area location at the High Street development in Dunwoody on Aug. 5, restaurant representatives announced.
120 High St., Atlanta. varuni.us
August restaurant closings in metro Atlanta
Atlanta Coffee Roasters in the Toco Hill Shopping Center has closed. The company began as Coffee Plantation LTD in 1983, and its most recent owner, Bill Ledbetter, bought into the business in 2005, according to its website. Signage on the storefront indicates the coffee roasters will be replaced by a new location of Blue Donkey Coffee.
Baraonda, a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Sandy Springs, announced its closure on its website after more than 20 years of business. It did not cite a reason for the closure. Baraonda first opened in Midtown in 2000, but it closed in 2021, then relocated to Sandy Springs about two years later.
“It’s heartbreaking to close a restaurant that has been such a big part of our lives,” according to the website. “We’re grateful to everyone who did choose to support us, and we’ll always remember the people who walked through our doors.”
Casa Balam has permanently closed, making way for a new location of Mister Burger in downtown Decatur. The announcement of the new burger restaurant ends what was expected to be a temporary closure for repairs to the restaurant’s grease trap.
Nori Nori, the long-running Japanese restaurant in Sandy Springs, has closed after nearly 20 years, Tomorrow’s News Today reported.
Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft, the casual, rooftop restaurant in Buckhead that opened in 2010, abruptly closed in a move that was first reported by Tomorrow’s News Today. The restaurant was run by the family behind Nan Thai Fine Dining and was the first to be helmed by chef DeeDee Niyomkul, daughter of Tamarind Group founders Charlie and Nan Niyomkul.
Staff writer Olivia Wakim contributed to this article.