This section is organized north to south--starting around Chastain Park at the edge of Sandy Springs/top part of Buckhead and moving south towards Midtown. All of these options will be especially convenient for guests staying at the Tess in Buckhead or the AC/Moxy or Four Seasons in Midtown.
The Chastain is fantastic for a fine dinner, or stop by in the morning to visit their coffee & breakfast counter--enjoy on the patio (they might even have a fire going), in their kitchen garden, or take yours to go and walk around
Chastain Park. (PSA--be prepared for a line if you are going on Saturday morning!). Nearby on Roswell Road is
Buttermilk Kitchen, another great breakfast spot.
Any list of breakfast or late-night options in Atlanta that leaves out
Waffle House is just wrong (in Mary Craig's opinion, anyway). We like the ones on
Howell Mill or
Roswell Road, but it's Waffle House--any location will be delicious.
For lunch in the heart of Buckhead
Henri's Bakery & Deli has amazing sandwiches and is famous for their thumbprint shortbread cookies (second only to Grandaddy/John Lindgren's Christmas shortbread). In this part of town you'll also find another location of
Cafe at Pharr for a quick lunch. The Atlanta History Center is a fantastic museum (just ask Kate!), but even if you don't have time for a tour
Souper Jenny is great for a quick lunch. Parking is free and the food is fantastic! If you'd like to really experience a classic Atlanta lunch you can't go wrong with a reservation at the
Swan Coach House.
Grab dinner at
Chido & Padre's, another great spot on Mary Craig's list of mexican restaurants, or enjoy some finer French fare at
Anis or
Le Bilboquet (reservations recommended). Other great spots around here include
Lucian Books & Wine and
Nan Thai.
Travel down Peachtree a bit to
Fellini's Pizza for an affordable slice (another location on
Howell Mill is easy to access from both Vinings/West Paces and Midtown). At the Peachtree Battle shopping center
Jalisco's is a legendary tex-mex favorite, and
Café Lapin offers a lovely lunch menu. Around the corner in Peachtree Hills
Treehouse Restaurant and Pub is a great casual spot for a bite or a beer.
There is another
Houston's on Peachtree (two words: artichoke dip). Nearby
Cafe Sunflower has an entirely plant-based menu (hi vegans!) and is fantastic.