Atlanta food scene: what are the best restaurants in town?

Lot's of new places to try, and it depends on where you are staying!  Here are some top stops for me, just to name a few:

Breakfast - Home Grown Restaurant, Octane Coffee Bar at Grant Park, West Egg Cafe, Highland Bakery also in Buckhead, The General Muir, Rosebud...

Lunch - Star Provisions, Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, Taqueria Del Sol also other locations, Bocado, West Egg Cafe, Krog Street Market, Souper Jenny, YEAH! BURGER or Farm Burger Decatur (multiple locations), Noni's Bar & Deli, Highland Bakery, Alon's

Dinner - Miller Union, Cooks & Soldiers, BoccaLupo, Cakes & Ale, Kimball House, Antico Pizza Napoletana, Octopus Bar, Murphy's, Wisteria Restaurant, JCT Kitchen & Bar, Iberian Pig, The General Muir, Wrecking Bar Brewpub...

Just stick to Eater Atlanta and you will be good.  It really does come down to where you are staying and what you are doing at any given moment.

http://atlanta.eater.com/

Since price is not a factor, Bacchanalia!  My husband and I make it a point to eat here each year for our anniversary. The chef, Anne Quatrano, has been awarded multiple James Beard Awards including a semi-finalist (so far) this year, for Outstanding Restaurant.

The food is spectacular and we leave in awe. Many times the vegetables come from the chef's own farm, Summerland.  You choose each of your five courses when you arrive and each course is brought out to you at just the right time. The staff is also wonderful, they are not pretentious (which you sometimes find in restaurants of this caliber), and they help you through your menu choices.

For not-so-pricey options, you can't beat Antico Pizza Napoletana, and Taqueria Del Sol.  We haven't tried Gunshow, yet, but it sounds like a great experience along with a good meal.

Have a great trip and enjoy the food!

Krog Street Market

Restaurant Eugene 

Arepa Mia or Grindhouse Killer Burgers at Curb Market

Empire State South

The Shed at Glenwood

Yebo Phipps Plaza

Woodfire Grill

No. 246 in Decatur

Cafe Alsace

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Lee's Bakery

King + Duke One of my favorite Atlanta restaurants

Bone's Restaurant Old school steakhouse. Never been to Rathbun's to compare

Antico Pizza Napoletana This is definitively the best pizza in ATL

Vortex Bar & Grill If you're into burgers

Takorea Korean BBQ infused tacos

Nuevo Laredo Cantina Best Mexican in ATL

JCT Kitchen & Bar Great southern meal

Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern for brunch

For sushi, the best spot in town is definitely Umi. It's located in Buckhead and is quite the popular place at the moment, so you'll have to make reservations. If price isn't a factor, I'd recommend sitting at the sushi bar in front of Chef Ito and choosing one of his omakase offerings (chef's choice).

For some amazing modern southern food, try JCT Kitchen & Bar. Also requires reservations.

Probably the best steaks in the city can be found at Kevin Rathbun Steak. Amazing restaurant.

There are so many great restaurants in the city and it's really hard to rank them, so I'll just name a few other random ones that are my favorites: Rumi's Kitchen (Persian), Flip Burger Boutique (burgers, several locations), Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant (tapas, decent food, great atmosphere), Chai Pani Decatur (Indian "street food"), Antico Pizza Napoletana (authentic Neapolitan pizzeria)

And here are some that I haven't been to recently (or ever), but all are known to be on most Top 10 lists: Gunshow, The Optimist, Octopus Bar, King + Duke, St. Cecilia, Miller Union, Holeman & Finch Public House.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!

You heard right :) There are some fantastic restaurants in Atlanta. Not knowing where you're staying so I'm going operate under the assumption you have means to transportation to explore around Atlanta.

Breakfast:

Murphy's in Virginia Highland is one of the brunch spots in Atlanta (only served on Saturday and Sundays).  I highly recommend the shrimp & cheddar grits (when in the South!), and the corned beef hash. The down side is they do not take reservation for Brunch and you do have to queue up pretty early to avoid long waiting time.

Le Petit Marchein the Kirkwoodneighborhood is a place you can get a super tasty breakfast sandwich all day, everyday, starting at just $5.00 (you choose your bread, meat, cheese and additional toppings). There are two things that cannot be missed at LPM: the grits stack (cheddar grits with scrambled eggs, shrimp and bacon); and the salmon croquettes (also with grits). 

Other good breakfast places are West Egg Cafe , Empire State South and Ria's Bluebird Note Empire State South does not serve breakfast on weekends, but they do a mean dinner :)

Lunch/Dinner:

You can't come to Atlanta and not have proper southern food, and Mary Mac's Tea Room , an Atlanta institution, is where you can get proper home cooked Southern goodness. I don't even know what to recommend so just get everything.

South City Kitchen makes a modern twist on Southern cookie. I highly recommend getting their chicken & waffles, as well as the catfish rueben (only at lunch). 

Two Urban Licks is a great place to grab a brew and enjoy a night out with your friends. Food is tasty here and service is wonderful. Definitely try the salmon chips.

Vortex Bar & Grill isn't exactly a fancy place or even a nice one; but they have greasy good burgers (served in many interesting combos) and beers are cheap. 

Umi and Tomo Japanese Restaurant are two fancy Japanese restaurants with trendy decor, innovative eats and great for people watching.

Canoe is where you go for a classy dinner; food is good but if you're into more of a lively crowd, maybe skip this place.

Ecco has been around for a while but probably still my favorite Italian place in Atlanta. Their cheese and wine selection is wonderful.

Hankook Taqueria for some yummy value eats; Korean/Mexican fusion burritos and tacos. Dinner for two will not cost you more than $20.

Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant is hands down, my favorite place to get a glass of wine in Atlanta. They have an extensive wine list as well as many delicious (and reasonably) priced Tapas. 

Eats is a hole-in-a wall place serving mean Cajun spiced chicken with collards, mashed potatoes and homemade corn bread. $10 gets you entree, 3 sides, and a drink. Can't beat it.

Also check out Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market, both have many food installs as well as sit-down restaurants.

At last, don't forget to get some The Varsity.

Have a great time in Atlanta!

breakfast=Huddle House