Just north of Atlanta, Sandy Springs blends legacy Southern flavors with Atlanta’s international energy—and a healthy splash of suburban comfort.
The city’s best tables are lively, neighborly, and seriously, deliciously diverse.
1. Café Sunflower
A celebrated pioneer for plant-based Southern cuisine, Café Sunflower’s kitchen is full of surprises: spicy Cajun “shrimp” over grits, carrot “lox” bagels, crispy eggplant fries, and vegan chocolate cake that shows up at half the city’s birthdays.
The sunlit, art-filled space feels like a sanctuary—and the menu changes seasonally to highlight local Georgia greens.
2. Rumi’s Kitchen
Persian warmth perfumes every dish at Rumi’s.
Diners tear off pieces of freshly baked barbari bread and scoop up saffron rice, maple-glazed lamb kabobs, and pomegranate walnut stew.
The space is modern, the playlist global, and by dinner’s end, you’re family.
3. Southern Bistro
A go-to for fried green tomatoes with farm cheese, skillet chicken with red-eye gravy, shrimp and grits, and a bourbon pecan pie worth writing home about.
Portions are generous, cocktails are Southern with a twist, and the weekend brunch is as lively as any Atlanta crowd.
4. Il Giallo Osteria & Bar
Handmade pasta is the showstopper, with Chef Jamie Adams rolling tagliatelle and gnocchi and tossing them with duck ragu, clams, or rich vodka sauce.
The bar is full of house-cured olives and imported amari; the service mixes a bit of Italy with solid Southern manners.
5. Hammocks Trading Company
A beach house reimagined as a grill and oyster bar, Hammocks brings easy elegance to Southern seafood: oysters, fried catfish, crab cakes, slow-simmered chowder, and fresh Key lime pie.
The patio fills up fast, and staff keep everyone smiling through the last round of cocktails.
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