From instant neighborhood favorites to trending hotspots, Atlanta’s restaurant scene is constantly evolving; 2025 will be no different. After years of introducing fine dining and tasting menus, chefs are embracing a more casual type of restaurant, allowing Atlantans to dine out with more regularity. That’s not to say date-night establishments are off the table; chef Fuyuhiko Ito is opening two higher-end sushi spots, while Craig Richards revitalizes the old Table 1280 space with a fine-dining seafood spot. Meanwhile, others are turning to the bar scene to expand. Terry Koval is planning a wine and amaro bar called Fawn, Steven Satterfield is nearly ready to open his long-awaited wine bar, and Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter are having fun with a Thai bar. There’s a lot to look forward to this year. Read on for our Most Anticipated Restaurants of 2025.
Bar Avize
Adjacent to chef Karl Gorline’s Alpine restaurant Avize, Bar Avize will offer a more relaxed spot to drink and dine. Expect a concise menu of Alpine-inspired bar snacks, such as doner kebabs, king crab fondue, and smoked trout toast. It’s slated to open this month.
When his original restaurant, B’s Cracklin’ Barbecue, burned down in 2019, pitmaster Bryan Furman swore he’d rebuild in Riverside. But due to rising costs, Furman’s plans changed. Now Marietta residents will get to sample his smoked meats when the barbecue joint opens later this year.
Delbar founder Fares Kargar’s most ambitious project to date, Eden promises sexy vibes and Mediterranean fare when this restaurant, speakeasy, and lounge opens in late 2025. Located in Star Metals on the Westside, the 5,400-square-foot concept will feature a rooftop bar.
Seafood is the name of the game at chef Craig Richards’ upcoming Midtown restaurant. Named after the Beethoven song, Elise will replace Table 1280 on the Woodruff Arts Center campus this spring. Expect both a la carte options and a tasting menu from the esteemed Lyla Lila founder.
Fawn
James Beard Award–winning chef Terry Koval (the Deer and the Dove) is creating his own wine and amaro bar early this year. Set in Decatur near Café Alsace, Fawn will pour wines from volcanic regions around the world, plus multiple varieties of amaro. A concise food menu will likely include crudo, caviar, and charcuterie.
South Carolina pitmaster John Lewis is bringing his Central Texas–style ’cue to Ansley Mall this summer. With six 1,000-gallon barbecue pits and a location next to the BeltLine, it’s sure to become both a neighborhood hangout and a destination of its own accord. Look for brisket, pulled pork, turkey, sausage, and more.
The Miller Union team is turning its focus to wine with a bar scheduled to launch any day now. (Cocktails featuring fortified wines will be available, too.) Located near Big Softie and Colette in Poncey-Highland, it will serve a vegetable-forward menu of small plates, charcuterie, and cheese.
After 16 years on Buford Highway, this Chinese institution will open another location along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail in February. Dubbed the new flagship location, it will serve the restaurant’s signature items, including soup dumplings, potstickers, and scallion pancakes. The original location and spinoff, the Dumpling Factory, will keep serving as well.
Some Luck
Talat Market chefs Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter are hopping on the bar trend. Their new Thai bar will welcome guests in early summer in the Otto’s Apartment Hotel building. There will be rum-based stirred cocktails made with Thai ingredients, pitchers of Singha beer, and Thai street food dishes.
Chef Fuyuhiko Ito, formerly of Umi, is bringing a modern Japanese restaurant with a robata grill and a sushi counter to Spring Quarter in Midtown. Sister spot Omakase by Ito will serve a 15-course tasting menus upstairs. Both restaurants will open in the summer, in time to show off their patios.
Spina Pizza
Anthony Spina Jr., son of famed Old Fourth Ward Pizza founder Anthony Spina, is putting his own spin on Neapolitan pies in the Atlanta Dairies. After popping up in the area before numerous events, the casual pizza place will officially open in the first couple months of the year.
Spring 2nd Branch
Brian So, who owns Michelin-starred Spring in Marietta, is returning to his roots with a Korean restaurant called Spring 2nd Branch. Originally announced as Bom, the casual and lively restaurant will open in March with Korean hot pots and soju cocktails.
Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole is going after the breakfast market with a vegan-biscuit sandwich spot. Housed in the former Delia’s Sausage Stand building on the Westside, it will serve Caribbean-inspired coffee and tea as well.
Yuji
Does restaurateur Alex Kinjo ever slow down? After launching Le Moon (formerly called Mai Kitchen) and Yakitori Kona, and operating Kinjo Room and MF Sushi, he began working on a Kaiseki-style Japanese restaurant and sake bar in the Junction Krog District. Get ready for a scene with a large patio, two outdoor bars, and a walk-up window, in addition to a dining room. Look for it to open in January.