LiznJack

Hi all,

My fiancee and I are going to be heading to Atlanta to celebrate his birthday. Neither of us are all that familiar with the city so I'm hoping to get your advice. Can anyone recommend a good hotel for us and resturaunt. It seems like there's plenty to do during the day, High Museum, Aquarium, etc, but I'm not sure what to do at night. Someone suggested the Indigo Hotel which looks cute.

I hear Buckhead is the neighborhood for bars and clubs. We're into that and will probably try to do something fun after dinner.

I can't affor anything too expensive for dinner so the really fancy places are out. I guess $100 for the two of us is about my budget. Hotel can be $100 - $175.

Also, any recommendations are clubs or bars or other nightlife would be awesome too.

Thanks so much everyone!

Liz

Brian_in_Charlotte

If you want bars and clubs, skip Buckhead and stay in Midtown. The Wyndham on 10th is a great location and a decent hotel for the price. Lots of bars/restaurants within easy walking distance.

the_dude07

Since you are going to the High and the Aquarium, yeah I'd agree with Brian and stay in midtown. Plus there are quite a few bars/clubs/restaurants in the area.

Clubs -

1150 (located on corner of peachtree and 14th. Entrance is behind on Crescent Ave.) Great place for dancing if thats your thing.

Halo (located on 6th street between peachtree and west peachtree). Cool music no room for dancing but more of a place to chill out. Its unmarked but there will be a bouncer outside.

Lava--- right around the corner from 1150 on 13th street

Leopard Lounge---right around the corner on 12th street

Sutra--- on Crescent ave...never been there though.

Do not under any circumstances go to Vision.

Bars---

Front Page News on Crescent Ave. Good place to grab a pint and sit outside...DO NOT go for the food.

Vickerys --- right next to Front Page News. more outdoor seating and for whatever reason I like their bar inside.

Charlie G's- walk down 12th street a couple blocks take a left on to w peachtree. one of the area's few "dive bars". pool tables etc.

Stool Pigeons- on peachtree between 9th and 10th. your average sports bar.

Restaurants...there are SEVERAL nice in the area none of which I've been to. go to Citysearch.com and type in zip code 30309.

If you are intent on going to Buckhead here are some suggestions. Some of the places I go include:

Tavern at Phipps (your fiance will love the waitresses...its more of a happy hour place)

Bucket shop---Lots of friendly regulars

Dantanna's--- upscale sports bar

Maggiano's---although mainly known as a better then average italian food chain i like their bar because they always have a piano lounge act duo

Fado's-- chain Irish Pub. Gets really crowded on the weekend

Mike and Angelos--- the dive bar of buckhead

Cafe Tu tu tango--- they serve small plates and have entertainers roaming about as well as having art for sale from local artists. I used to hang out here quite often.


Again, there are several upscale restaurants in Buckhead but the high end ones will be out of your price range. Type in zip code 30326 in citysearch to get some buckhead restaurants.

Lemme know if you have any further questions.

philsbert1

Another vote for Midtown. If you like Thai food, a reasonably priced good dinner in Buckhead can be found at Rama5 of Thailand (previous name Surin of Thailand). In Midtown...Loca Luna if you like tapas, South City Kitchen for upscale southern/American, Apres Diem...low key, good people watching, Babette's, Pasta da Pulcinella . Virginia Highlands has some great restaurants...LaTavola, Noche (excellent margaritas). It doesn't take a lot of money to get a great meal in Atlanta.

LiznJack

Great advice. Thanks so much. So, is Midtown more of a walking area and Buckhead driving? I think we'd prefer to just be able to walk around, bar hop, club hop.

Dude: thanks so much for all those great recommendations. Really great and really appreciate it.

Is there another recommendation for a hotel in midtown. I looked on tripadvisor and the Wyndam didn't rate very well. Some really negative reviews.

Thanks again!!

Liz

the_dude07

In regards to walking/driving area. It depends on how big of an area you want to make midtown and buckhead.

Personally, I would consider midtown anything between piedmont and west peachtree on the east and west sides going north from North Ave to 17th Street. In other words thats somewhere around 17 blocks south to north. All the places I listed in midtown are within walking distance of one another.

Buckhead I would consider anything from Lenox Rd to the north down to a couple blocks south of pharr rd and the streets that branch off of Peachtree street....approximately 1 1/2 miles north to south.

At worst in either location buckhead or midtown you will have a very short cab ride between bars.

Virginia Highlands, as Philbert mentioned, I would not consider midtown but its own entity which definitely requires a cab ride from midtown or buckhead. There are ZERO hotels in this area. Its a nice area though for bars and restaurants, but not exactly convenient.

But in my opinion its worth a cab ride from Midtown to check it out one night. There's a really good pizza place in the VA Highlands, Everybodies Pizza, a fairly decent steak house in Highland Tap (its in a basement great atmosphere), Dish (excellent restaurant possible choice for your dinner---). Going a few blocks north of the Highlands on Ponce de Leon Ave you'll find one of my favorite bars, The Local, as well as the Righteous Room, and the bar everyone should go to at least once, the Clairmont.

More suggestions to confuse you......

the_dude07

I meant to say that Ponce de Leon Ave is a few blocks SOUTH of the Virginia Highlands.

Brian_in_Charlotte

Good to hear Halo (great club) and the Local (our favorite neighborhood bar) are still there.

Too bad about the negative reviews on the Wyndham - it really is in the best location to walk to any part of Midtown. A few of the reviews seem suspect to me (one complained because of other guests, one didn't like the firestation nearby - hello - it's an urban area, and one actually left in the middle of the night because of boogers), but the absence of any truly positive reviews would give me pause too. As there aren't really any alternatives in your price range that well located, I'd probably stay there anyway, especially if I expected to be out most of the day and night.

I guess you could stay further south at the Georgia Terrace down at North Ave(unless it's converted back to condos, again) and I've heard that ratty old Days Inn next door was recently renovated into a boutique hotel. Is that Hotel Indigo? While that would put you at the south end of Midtown, you'll be very close to Baraonda (one of our favorite restarauts), Eno (a great wine bar) and Halo. And it's really not a bad walk to the other places mentioned in Midtown. 10 years ago, that walk would have been considered somewhat dangerous, but it's a whole new place now.

Have fun.

Lex1

Keep in mind that Buckhead and midtown are linked by a Marta train which traverses the span in minutes (the Aquarium is downtown, not within walking distance of midtown, so you'll be riding anyway). You might try Hotwire or Expedia for a hotel in either location, if you like the thrill of the gamble.

You should know that Buckhead for years has been overrun by outsiders, poseurs and amateurs and has lost some of its cachet. That said, you might enjoy the Lobster Bar, one of true jewels of the Buckhead Life restaurants. We often see celebs there. You could dine there on your budget, provided you don't imbibe.

"Virginia Highland" has no "s" in its name. We enjoy the Highland Tap for red meat.

LiznJack

Great ideas! Thanks everyone. I think Hotel Indigo is next to the Fox theatre. There's nothing going on there when we'll be in town which is too bad. It looks like a great old theatre. we've been to the fox in Detroit and it is very cool.

We're going to have our hands full trying to hit so many good bars and resturaunts! This is going to be a lot of fun.

By the way, Jack mentioned something about the clairmont (and the dude mentioned it too) Is it really seedy?

Anyway, if you have any other ideas I'll be checking back. And I'll let you all know how it turns out afterwards.

Thanks again!

Liz

starrsville

You can do a walking tour of the Fox on Saturday mornings if you are interested in spending an hour that way.

You can also get great deals on hotels via Priceline in Midtown and Buckhead. Check www.betterbidding.com for ideas on where and what $$$ to bid.

starrsville

Brian, they gutted the Days Inn and created Indigo (the Holiday Inn ichotelsgroup first foray into boutique hotels). I love it.

Had appetizers and drinks there before a Fox show this week. Bright. Funky. Fun.

LiznJack

So, I booked us a room at Idigo. It just looked so great and different from the corporate places -- even though I know it's a Holiday Inn.

Any great places within walking distance from the hotel for a drink or appetizer?

Thanks!

liz

starrsville

Good choice.

And, a big YES!

Just across the street is Baraonda (at Peachtree and 4th). GREAT Italian and wonderful pizzas.

2 blocks south on Peachtree is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta - the Pleasant Peasant @ 555 Peachtree.

Spice is great. Walk 2 blocks north and then take a right on 5th for a block. Spice is across the street at 793 Juniper. On the opposite corner is a Greek restaurant (can't remember the name). Next to the Greek restaurant is a great Chinese restaurant, Mu Lan.

If you want original Southern cooking, then go to Mary Mac's. Head down the hill on Ponce de Leon for 3 blocks for Mary Mac's Tea Room at 224 Ponce de Leon. MM's is an Atlanta institution - great food, a real Southern experience. MM's son-in-law was the owner of the Peasant restaurant group, of which the before mentioned Pleasant Peasant was one.

If you want Starbucks, walk north on Peachtree (to the right as you leave the hotel) for a few blocks until you get to 6th-7th.

If you want good, casual choices keep walking a block to a great cluster of new casual (order at the counter) restaurants - Little Azio's (Italian) and Fresh 2 Go (wide range).

A very interesting sleek new restaurant is Globe at 75 5th Street. I was shocked to see mussels & frittes on the menu in that section of Atlanta.

If you want to experience an amazing church service in what a friend's child calls "God's Castle Church" with gorgeous stained glass windows, a very young, diverse great group of people visit at St. Mark Methodist at Peachtree and 5th (www.stmarkumc.org). Can you tell I walk to restaurants after church fairly often

As Brian said, that street of Peachtree used to be a bit "iffy". Now, it's full of new condos going up, new restaurants and new residents. A great place to be in Atlanta.

Be sure to grab a drink or appetizers in the lobby bar of the Hotel Indigo. Lots of fun.

Have a blast in Atlanta!

Lex1

I second the vote for Mary Mac's Tea Room. Do try the pot likker and hoppin john w/ chow chow. (as an historical aside, MM is named after its founder, Mary McKinsey. Her successor, Margaret Lupo, had the son-in-law who was one of the founders of the Peasant Restaurant group). Enjoy your stay.

starrsville

Oops! Good to know, Lex1. Wrong Mary.
BTW, have you been to Serenbe? It's amazing what "Phase 2" has been for them.

Lex1

LiznJack:

You want seedy? Try the Clermont Lounge, in the Clermont Hotel, 789 Ponce de Leon. If RuPaul did not get his start there s/he could have. Haven't been in years but it was an adult club where girls will be boys and boys will be girls, and where champagne tasted just like cherry cola I'm told (with apologies to the Kinks).

LiznJack

Hey guys -- thanks for all the great suggestions and advice. I can't wait til next weekend. I will definately post a note once we get back and let you know what we did.

Lex: no, don't want seedy. Jack saw something on tv about the claremont and now he wants to go. I was just wondering what it's like. I don't think we'll go, too much else to do!!

Liz

Brian_in_Charlotte

Great suggestions - esp in starrsville's post.

I'll again mention Eno as a great place for a drink and an appetizer in their front room wine bar. Corner of 5th and Peachtree. Great selection of wines by the glass or taste. No smoking.

Have fun. We lived in Midtown for 10 years and really miss it.

the_dude07

Someone on here earlier suggested going to the Globe to eat. I've been there twice for lunch and have been completely underwhelmed. Yes, the space is nice but the food, at least for lunch, was very lacking. Maybe dinners are better. Just an FYI.