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Atlanta’s population is booming as people discover there’s more to this Southern city than conferences, Coca-Cola, sports, and traffic. Months-long warm weather conducive to outdoor dining and a diverse culinary scene mean endless eating options, from French fare, soul food, and Brazilian dishes to Korean cuisine, barbecue, and all-day brunch. Atlanta also features a thriving pop-up food scene that shouldn’t be missed and is the driving force behind the next generation of restaurants opening here.

Consider this 24-hour food tour as merely an introduction to the South’s gateway city, and get to know ATL in the best way possible — through food. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of other restaurants to explore during your next visit to Atlanta.

8 a.m. - Comfy chicken biscuit at Home Grown

Start the day off with one of Atlanta’s most iconic (and super filling) dishes, the comfy chicken biscuit at Home Grown in the Reynoldstown neighborhood. This Michelin Guide recommended restaurant on Memorial Drive is a breakfast favorite among locals and chefs, and even made for a campaign stop for former president Bill Clinton. The famous biscuit is topped with fried chicken and smothered in a pork sausage gravy. There’s almost always a wait on the weekends, but it’s definitely worth it. Take a post-breakfast stroll through the beautiful and historic Oakland Cemetery, one mile west on Memorial in Grant Park. Read more about the comfy chicken biscuit and its cult status in Atlanta. Located within walking distance of the Eastside Beltline. Accessible via MARTA buses 21 and 107.

Comfy chicken biscuit covered in sausage gravy and a cup of black coffee at Home Grown in Atlanta, GA.

BREAKFAST ALTERNATIVES: Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall on the Beltline has a brand new breakfast lineup at “Morningbird,” a walk-up counter with a grab-and-go option so you can enjoy a stroll with a house pork belly bacon and jam biscuit in hand. Lee’s Bakery on Buford Highway for an early morning bowl of hot pho (and maybe some crispy spring rolls) and jasmine tea. Java Jive on Ponce De Leon Avenue is a longtime institution in Atlanta with its retro decor and hearty diner breakfast dishes like the Sante Fe scramble and delicious biscuits. Julianna’s in Inman Park for Hungarian-style crepes called “palacsinta” and coffee. Le Petit Marche in Kirkwood for breakfast scrambles, grit stacks, and seafood gumbo.

10:30 a.m. — Croissants and pastries from Little Tart Bakeshop

Enjoy a little sweet treat after breakfast at one of Atlanta’s best bakeries with three locations in Grant Park, Krog Street, and Summerhill neighborhoods. Grab freshly made scones, pistachio and rose cake, galettes, and pastries with coffee. Baker Sarah O’Brien debuted Little Tart at Atlanta’s farmers markets in 2010, and continues to make a presence at Freedom, Peachtree Road, and Grant Park farmers markets.

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MID-MORNING ALTERNATIVES: Le Bon Nosh in Buckhead for seasonal French bites, cardamom or lemon and olive oil cake, and an iced jasmine tea. Golden Drops Cafe in Decatur for Latin American pastries and sandwiches, including guava and cheese empanadas, and coffee. The Daily in West Midtown, King Street, Buckhead or Inman Park for a black sesame latte and seasonal salad filled with local greens and grains.

1:00 p.m. — Lunch at Daily Chew

This cafe from chef Julia Kesler Imerman features coffee, protein breakfast bowls, and shakshuka in the morning, followed by rotisserie chicken pitas and salad and grain bowls in the afternoon, all leaning into Imerman’s Jewish and South African roots. For lunch, order the grain bowl, made with hummus, quinoa, greens, broccoli, asparagus, house pickles, shut, and lentil salad. Or try the generously stuffed rotisserie chicken pita with labneh, greens, lemon-herb artichokes, feta, pickled onions, and tahini. Make sure to order the za’atar fries and one of the cafe’s fresh-pressed juices. Accessible via MARTA bus 27.

Socca crepe made with chickpea flour, sunny side eggs, braised turnip greens, carrots, pickled onions, green onions, and cauliflower puree from Daily Chew in Atlanta. — The socca crepe at Daily Chew in Atlanta.

LUNCH ALTERNATIVES: Chai Pani for their lunch buffet packed with Indian classics like butter chicken, saag paneer, and uttapam. Lan Zhou Ramen for hand-pulled noodles and dumplings on Buford Highway. Busy Bee Cafe on the edge of Vine City for some of Atlanta’s most iconic fried chicken served with an assortment of Southern and soul food sides. BonaFide Deluxe in Edgewood for seriously legit deli sandwiches, like the chopped chicken or porchetta melt. Get the pickled beets.

3:30 p.m. - Exploring Sweet Auburn Curb Market

Grab a snack from one of the many food stalls at the Municipal Market (Sweet Auburn Curb Market) in downtown Atlanta, like Jamaican beef patties from Afrodish, and wash it down with a cold-pressed juice or smoothie from Rawesome Juicery or order coffee and gelato from Three Peaches. Then explore the market’s produce, meat, and seafood vendors. Make sure to pick up some pralines and popcorn from Miss D’s. Accessible via the Atlanta street car and MARTA bus 3.

The Municipal Market known locally as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market offers a variety of food stalls alongside its meat, seafood, and produce vendors.

MID-AFTERNOON ALTERNATIVES: Just Add Honey for tea service and light snacks on John Wesley Dobbs. Bread and Butterfly for coffee, wine, or an aperitif and a scone, a slice of quiche du jour, or rice croquettes. Yay Beignet at Irwin Street Market for beignets dipped in praline sauce and a cup of Ethiopian coffee. Explore the many food stalls at Plaza Fiesta on Buford Highway or one of the best food halls in Atlanta, Krog Street Market.

5:30 p.m. — Wine and a good read at Lucian Books and Wine

Stop in at Lucian Books and Wine for one of the most curated wine lists in town, as you sip against a backdrop of bookshelves lined with reads on art, food, and architecture. Order bubbles by-the-glass to start with crisp polenta and black truffles. Read through the ever-evolving wine list to look for treasures like Château de Béru, Peter Lauer, and Castello Conti 1994. Owners Jordan Smelt and Katie Barringer are likely around and always willing to chat about wine and art. Be sure to get reservations at this unassuming restaurant because seating goes fast.

Lucian Books and Wine is a wine bar and book shop combo in Buckhead serving French-American fare. — The seating at Lucian Books and Wine.

HAPPY HOUR ALTERNATIVES: Poor Hendrix in East Lake for cocktails, wine, or beer and basket of sticky sesame wings. Michelin Guide recommended Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market is one of Atlanta’s hottest places for a cocktail. There are plenty of whiskey, mezcal, and gin cocktails to choose from, including a sherry flight. Looking for the perfect martini? Vesper, a Bond themed bar and lounge in Glenwood Park, has that covered.

7:45 p.m. - Dinner at Gunshow

Chef Kevin Gillespie’s flagship restaurant remains a mainstay in Glenwood Park. At Gunshow, be ready to make new friends as you sit at communal tables. Chefs bring out their dishes, one course at a time, and get this — you get to say yes or no to the plate by simply looking at it. If the fried oysters topped with caviar meet your fancy, fire fast and say yes. Chef de cuisine Cody Chassar leads a brigade of chefs who put together innovative dishes weekly. Get the tableside cocktails, they’re a must.

DINNER ALTERNATIVES: Delbar for lavish spreads of Middle Eastern fare, innovative cocktails and regional wines. Highland Tap, a local hangout in Virginia-Highland for below-street-level steaks, martinis, and chill vibes. Little Bear in Summerhill for a low-key meal of wildly creative food, drinks, and natural wine from chef Jarrett Stieber. OK Yaki in East Atlanta for great takes on Japanese street food, like okonomiyaki, and cocktails leaning into ingredients and flavors from Japan. Check out Laotian pop-up So So Fed at OK Yaki on Sunday and Monday evenings. If you can manage a reservation, Gigi’s Italian Kitchen and Restaurant is an award-winning restaurant by chefs Eric Brooks and Jacob Armando, serving up a menu of traditional red sauce classics made with in-season produce and fresh pastas.

10:30 p.m. - Drinks and snacks or dessert Whoopsie’s

Head over to Reynoldstown and the delightfully unpretentious bar and restaurant Whoopsie’s for late-night snacks and bites from chef and co-owner Hudson Rouse and outstanding takes on classic cocktails from barman and co-owner Tim Faulkner. Order the snack tray of deviled eggs, house-made chow chow, pimento cheese, and pickled vegetables with toast points or the Tarzan’s Delight, based on Rouse’s grandmother’s chocolate mousse ice box pie. There’s also prime rib dinners, meaty sandwiches, and fresh seasonal salads for hungry night owls. Pair with an amaretto sour or an El Presidente from Faulkner, or try one of the fun and funky wines on the daily specials menu. Whoopsie’s is only 40 seats, so prepare to wait for a table or bar seat during prime hours. Accessible via MARTA busses 4, 32, 74.

The Southern snack tray with pickled vegetables, pimento cheese, olives, deviled eggs, and toast points from Whoopsie’s in Atlanta sits in a plastic partitioned cafeteria tray.

LATE-NIGHT ALTERNATIVES: Led by longtime Atlanta bartender Kysha Cyrus, Mambo Zombi resides just above Georgia Beer Garden. Step into a space (via a neon-lit pink coffin) themed after celebrations like Día de los Muertos for Caribbean-style drinks and classic cocktails. Local haunt Octopus Bar in East Atlanta Village for drinks and snacking into the wee hours. Our Bar ATL on Edgewood for drinks, dancing, and late-night wings or food from an automat. Northside Tavern for cheap beer, shots, and Blues music. Midtown Bowl for late-night bowling, snacks, and close to 200 local, domestic, and imported craft beers.

1 a.m. - Beer and a show at the Clermont Lounge

Hit up the infamous Clermont Lounge in the basement of the Hotel Clermont on Ponce, directly beneath restaurant Tiny Lou’s (another great option for dinner in Atlanta.) This iconic strip bar is a frequent stop for both tourists and locals, and has been for over 50 years. The dubious vice den is where to head for PBR and a peep show filled with aging strippers, including beloved Atlanta icon, Blondie Strange. Watch the Atlanta living legend crush a few beer cans between her breasts. Absolutely no photos allowed. Lyft or Uber. Buses tend to stop running after 1 a.m.

8 a.m. - Redemptive breakfast at R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill

Seek out the comfort foods found on the menu R. Thomas’ Deluxe Grill on Peachtree Street in Brookwood Hills. After more than 30 years, R. Thomas’ is still bringing a healthy dose of breakfast and brunch paired with strong coffee and power smoothies. The menu here caters to folks living vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free lifestyles, too. Try the breakfast quesadilla in a sun-dried tomato tortilla filled with eggs, cream cheese, basil, cheddar, bacon, peppers, and onions or the breakfast stew with red potato corn chowder, quinoa, and veggies topped with dulse and nori. Accessible via MARTA bus 110.

BREAKFAST ALTERNATIVES: Bomb Biscuit for chicken biscuits and a cinnamon bun at the restaurant on North Highland Avenue. The 75 year-old Mount Paran Country Store in Buckhead for gas station biscuits and biscuit sandwiches. Sublime Doughnuts on 10th Street for an A-Town Cream, a chocolate-glazed, A-shaped doughnut filled with custard. Omni Coffee and Eggs in Castleberry Hill for creative lattes like sweet potato, dulce apple, and blueberry lavender. A popular destination for breakfast, Petit Chou serves up French bistro-style dishes with a Southern spin in Cabbagetown.

How to Eat Through Atlanta in One Day

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