We will be staying at the Westin Peachtree for an upcoming conference. It has been several years since we have been there but I remember some nice restaurants. The dining room at the Ritz-Carlton, Daily's, Mumbo Jumbo, and an Italian place just down the street from Hard Rock. Are any of these places still good?
In the past we have stayed in Buckhead and enjoyed Bachanilla, Harvest, Dish, Nava, etc.
We just wanted to walk from the hotel this time.
Please give me some new ideas.
Thank you

Here is a website that lists local restaurants and reviews: www.accessatlanta.com Look under restaurants - You will find some good ones, but not as many as Buckhead.

I know I'm probably too late for this to benefit you, but the City Grill is in the heart of downtown, and it is fantastic. Not cheap, mind you, but if you're on an expense account, it's tops.

The Sun Dial at the top of the Westin is fun, too, but it's mainly known for the view more than the food. And it's overpriced, but again you're paying for the view.

Bacchanalia, Harvest, Dish, Nava, are all still faves, but of course you'd need a car or a cab to get to them from dtown.

cheryllj - Thanks for tip on City Grill. We have already been to Atlanta this summer but we will be going back in January 05 and I will for sure try the City Grill. What is your impression of Float Away Cafe? It has also been recommended.
Thanks again
1jan1

FYI, Mumbo Jumbo no longer exists. The chef there, Sean Doty, has opened a new restaurant in Midtown called MidCity Cuisine.

The former Mumbo Jumbo space now houses Luxe---upmarket, soigne food, groovy decor.

Floataway Cafe is the same owners/chefs as Bacchanalia. A bit more casual, and a la carte instead of prix fixe. Very good. Near Emory University, not downtown, so either you or your cab driver needs to know exactly how to get there.

Food Studio is not far from Bacchanalia (so intown west), in the King Plow Center. Based on the sorts of restaurants you've enjoyed here in the past I'd put this one near the top of your list.

Of the others in the initial post, dish (the "d" is lower case) is still great, Harvest has seen better days, Nava is Buckhead Life's spin on southwestern (and not worth the cash, IMO).

Some others to consider are Iris (in an intown neighborhood called East Atlanta, but still very close in), Woodfire Grill (sort of on the edge of Buckhead), and Restaurant Eugene.

Pretty much all of these restaurants have their own web sites---google on the name, restaurant, and Atlanta and you'll find them (search for "star provisions" to find the Bacchanalia/Floataway site). A number of them use opentable.com for reservations, making checking for availability, etc. very easy.

I will second that on Floataway Cafe (which is near my neighborhood in Morningside-Emory area). It's great, but not that convenient to d'town.

I also love Sotto Sotto, in Inman Park n'hood just east of downtown. Some say it's the best Italian restaurant in Atlanta.

http://www.sottosottorestaurant.com/

Atlanta has a lot of wonderful restaurants - use accessatlanta to see reviews, organized by neighborhood or cuisine.

Sotto Sotto's been a bit uneven IMO, but much better than what passes for Italian in much of the U.S. The sister restaurant next door, Fritti, is more casual, serves pizzas and sandwiches (and some fried dishes like fritto misto, hence the name).

Another on line source for restaurant reviews (real reviews, not just ads that sound like reviews) is Creative Loafing at http://www.creativeloafing.com

Glad to hear the old Mumbo Jumbo space has a new tenant. Its closing was a big loss to the downtown restaurant scene.

We loved our 2 visits to MidCity Cuisine - easy to find and get to from DT. Floataway - great food - can be very, very noisy (unless they've done something about that) and nearly impossible to find (do not rely on the cabbie to find it).

As as we have been really impressed by Iris (and like hanging out in funky East Atlanta), I wouldn't recommend it to out-of-towners. It's still a very dangerous area - a dinner guest was shot (killed) on his way back to his car one night we were eating there about a year and a half ago. All because he wouldn't give up his wallet.

If want to walk from the hotel Dailey's is still good. If you want pricey and haven't done it, try Nicholai's Roof at the top of the Hilton for an "experience". Good if you are entertaining customers. If you are just tired from the conferences and want something more casual, Mama Ninfa's (great Mexican - the original is in Houston) has opened up next to Mick's across the street from Dailey's. Ray's on the River has a downtown location about midway down the block from your hotel (Ray's in the City, I think). Good food, but long waits and service can be very slow if you are with a large group.

Although I wouldn't necessarily describe Iris' neighborhood as "very dangerous" (there aren't snipers or land mines or anything, and in fact I routinely take my children there), I would strongly suggest using their valet parking (which is free, but of course you tip a buck or two). What valet is in this instance is basically attended parking, but instead of the usual surly attendant who mutters a demand for cash it's a nice young person who welcomes you to the restaurant (and does park your car about five feet away). You can also get your car washed there while you dine.

Visitors to Atlanta should be at least as wary of muggings in the downtown area. Near muggings in the form of aggressive panhandlers are nearly as bad: if you visit downtown Atlanta please don't give them money, as it just makes it worse for everybody.

You're right Therese, "very dangerous" was an overstatement. We used to love hitting the bars and restaurants in East Atlanta, but were careful where we parked and had our radar up a bit more (but no more so than downtown). I just wanted to relay that Iris's neighborhood is very different from Midtown, Buckhead or Virginia Highlands.

And after working downtown and living in midtown for 10 years, amen to your final statement regarding giving money to "homeless".

If you do head out to try restaurants outside of downtown, Scott Peacock's restaurant in Decatur is great! The name is Watershed, it's co-owned by one of the Indigo Girls and is a funky little place with great food. If are in town on Tuesday nights, get there early for the best fried chicken in town.

Here's a link if you are interested - http://www.watershedrestaurant.com/C...%20Peacock.htm

Watershed is indeed great. Scott Peacock used to be the chef at the governer's mansion here in Georgia, and recently published a cookbook with Edna Lewis (said cookbook got a James Beard nod this year).

Really great wine selection, as the restaurant has a dual license, so that they can sell for off-premises consumption as well.

A plus for visitors to Atlanta is that Watershed is close enough to a MARTA train stop that you could take the train from downtown (where conference-goers are generally held prisoner) to Decatur for dinner or lunch, avoiding either a rental car or a cab. Lots of other downtown Decatur restaurants and shops to check out as well.

What about Aria, in Buckhead off Peachtree? We've never been disappointed, and in fact, I refuse to order soft shelled crabs anywhere else - they're beyond description! The slow cooked pork is outstanding, too. The decor is quirky and modern but it's in an older home with lovely traditional architectural details. A real contrast! Be sure to make reservations, and ask for the wine cellar table for a really unique dining experience!

Aria's got generally well-prepared food, and decent if not exceptional service. The menu seems a bit static to me. Same owners as Canoe (who also have a part in a number of chains in Atlanta and elsewhere).

I don't know that that building was ever actually a residence, mpmgm, but it does have lots of great moldings and other architectural details. When I moved to Atlanta in 1985 it housed Hedgerose Heights Inn, a really elegant restaurant with a Swiss chef (who has since passed away). It was bought by the present owners and re-styled as Hedgerose, a lovely but apparently not sufficiently stylish spot to attract the Buckhead crowd.

So they slapped white paint on everything (really, just about the entire interior is white) and installed some horrifically ugly light fixtures, and now it's doing pretty well.

Another great downtown dining spot is Park 75 in the Four Seasons Hotel. We like to go there and walk over to the Arts Center/Symphony Hall. They also have one of the best bars in Atlanta and an awesome 11 course Sunday brunch.

Park 75's a great location near the Arts Center. Some other restaurants within walking distance to the Arts Center are South City Kitchen, Tamarind (Thai), Veni Vidi Vici (upmarket Italian, not bad though not the best in the city), and (I think) MidCity Cuisine.

We went to a wonderful Thai restaurant in Virginia Highlands several years ago. Does anyone have any idea what the name might have been and if it's still there? I think it was right on Highlands Ave.

You were most likely at Surin, Postal---large storefront sort of place located on a corner, high pressed tin ceilings, blue accents, vaguely tropical/colonial feeling?. There are actually better Thai places in town, but Surin's quite popular, particularly with visitors to VaHi. Still going strong.

A few blocks away and around the corner on Greenwood is a really fantastic Thai place called Panita Thai Kitchen. Only go if you're not in a hurry, as the owner is also the chef is also the manager---well, you see where it might be hard to get in and out in 45 minutes. But the food is well worth the wait, and the atmosphere is very relaxed.

Other in-town Thai options are Thai Chili (go to the one on LaVista, near Emory) and Tamarind. The owners of Tamarind have opened an upmarket place called Nan that I've not tried yet, reportedly very good.