Atlanta Weekend Guide — Living & Local

ATL. Hawt-LANTA. AYE-TEE-ELLE. Growing up in Texas, Atlanta was always a place where my flights connected … not exactly a destination. BUT OH AM I GLAD I CHANGED MY MIND. And mostly thanks for my local guide, Ann. Ann and I met in college on a study abroad program in Spain, and we became fast friends (who introduced me to her brother, who is now my fiance - its cute). Two people with a love for travel, adventure, food and drink? Click. Thanks to Ann, I’ve been able to explore Atlanta on the weekends and live our best ATL lives. She has quickly become an ATL connoisseur, and has some FABULOUS recs for exploring The Big Peach.

We’ve structured this blog as a full weekend itinerary, with a focus on food (because that’s what we love to do. Food)!

FRIDAY EVENING

Part of Atlanta’s allure is exploring and tasting all of the diverse flavors of the city. Atlanta is sectioned into specific neighborhoods, each with it’s own flare. Decatur is a neighborhood just east of Midtown in Atlanta chock full of great eatery and bar options. Which, would be a great place to kick off your weekend in the ATL.

Exploring Decatur

Cocktails at Kimball House

Known for killer cocktails, small plates, raw bar and authentic absinthe. Start your night here for drinks and apps.

Dinner (multiple options because we couldn’t choose)

Leon’s Full Service. Upscale American food in an old full-service gas station. They offer NINE different sauces to accompany your hand-cut pommes frites. WUTT.
The Iberian Pig. Casual cute Spanish tapas and dinner spot. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. We had Ann’s birthday dinner here and split ALL OF THE THINGS. Also, the waiters are well versed in helping you order (because the menu can be overwhelming if you’re not used to ordering tapas). Finish dinner with a classic porron experience.
No. 246. Classic Italian dishes everyone knows and loves with a fresh twist. Ann’s favorite dish is the squid ink pasta (although she recommends anything on the menu).
Revival. Revival is a restaurant / bar located in a restored 100-year old home (always a cool concept)! We’re going to quote their website because the description is perfect: “The restaurant’s menu is a reinterpretation of what one would find at Gillespie’s [head chef] grandmother’s house: a classic, Southern spread that features farm-fresh ingredients and also showcases refined culinary techniques.”

POST-DINNER

Brick Store Pub. Ann recommends grabbing a local craft brew at the upstairs bar! Its a cozy spot, exposed brick, lots of taps, and knowledgeable bartenders. It may or may not transport you to a bar in Ireland.
Twain’s. Lively, craft beer bar with a number of table games for those who enjoy playing darts, pool, shuffleboard and board games.

SATURDAY

Saturdays in Atlanta are made for the outdoors (well, maybe not during the heat of the summer). Between Piedmont Park and the Beltline, there’s plenty of outside to explore. Thankfully, the city is pedestrian friendly, and you can easily move in-between neighborhoods (either via foot, scooter, MARTA or Uber).

For the early risers…

Head to west mid-town for coffee and brunch.

Star Provisions. Pastries and coffee.
BRASH. Housed in a giant shipping container, this coffee bar will satisfy your caff addition.
Hollar and Dash. You’re in the south. Grab a fluffy, buttery, southern style biscuit for your munchies. Order at the counter.

Morning-Early Afternoon…

THE BELTLINE // PONCE CITY MARKET

Stop briefly for a picture at Piedmont Park (it makes for a gorgeous photo with Midtown in the background).
Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Located in Piedmont Park, the Botanical Garden is one of Ann’s favorite spots.
The Beltline is a giant sidewalk along an old railroad corridor and everyone who’s anyone is out to play on ATL’s sidewalk. It will eventually be a 26 mile loop around Atlanta, connecting all neighborhoods (and all the marathon runner’s will rejoice). Be careful you’ll be surrounded by walkers, bikers, scooters, roller-bladers, pedestrians, dog walkers, etc.

Ponce City Market, a former warehouse for Sears, is a hot spot for locals and tourists alike. It houses a variety of restaurants, bars and shops (to include West Elm, Williams Sonoma and Candlefish). You could spend a number of hours in this spot shopping and eating your way through the food court.
New Realm is a brewery just up the Beltline from Ponce City Market. Hike up to the second floor and enjoy a beer with a view of the ATL skyline.
Lady Bird is a restaurant / bar with a fantastic outdoor area (known for their cheery, yellow umbrellas). SUPER dog friendly (free pets)!
Krog Street Market is like a mini Ponce City Market with a focus on food. You can find some DELICIOUS DUMPLINGS here at Gu’s.
The James Room. Coffee and pastries by day, speak easy by night.

Check out a brewery! ATL is FULL of fantastic brewery options (i.e. Monday Night Garage, Steady Hand Beer Co.). The micro-brewery scene has actually helped shape a lot of ATL’s current social scene - reviving old neighborhoods and bringing in a new crowd, while creating extra space to get out and HANG!

Evening…

ATLANTA BRAVES GAME

Catch an Atlanta Braves Game! SunTrust Park is surrounded by a number of fun restaurants, bars and shops, so there is PLENTY to do / see. Plus, the park itself is pretty and the games are always FUN! #chopon

SUNDAY

Sunday FUNDAY! After spending most of Saturday adventuring along the Beltline, we’d suggest hitting some of the hot-spots downtown. NOTE: Other than these museums / points of interest, we wouldn’t recommended spending a lot of time in this area. The area has been built around the 9-5 businesses and sports, so you can’t really linger like you can on the Beltline.

THE AQUARIUM

Atlanta has one of the world’s largest aquariums with over 10 million gallons of fresh and salt water (and FOUR whale sharks!). This is one of main attractions Atlanta has to offer. A must-see in the ATL!

WORLD OF COCA-COLA

America’s favorite beverage is located in Atlanta, so, naturally, they have an entire museum dedicated to Coca-Cola!

THE CNN STUDIO TOURS

If you love some serious behind the scenes dish, the CNN Studio offers “insider” tours of their network and how it operates.

There are a number of great attractions to check out in Downtown ATL! And the downtown area is fairly easy to navigate.

Phew! There’s so much to do and see (and eat), we could spend a couple of blog posts combing through all of the ATL treasures. The city offers such a diverse array of attractions, you would be hard pressed not to find something worth extending your layover for (AKA: make it a destination). Atlanta is young, vibrant, foodie-focused and offers a number of different experiences for all kinds of travelers. I would 10/10 recommend.

ATL is famous for it’s tiny doors - look for them on the Beltline!