The seasonally changing botanical ceiling at the Select – now enhanced with a dynamic content screen! – has been a fixture on social media. But this is no Insta-trap – Gunshow and Bread & Butterfly alum Remi Granger now helms the kitchen as executive chef. His unforgettable French onion soup “Beat Bobby Flay,” and the towering Maine lobster wedge salad topped with housemade bacon jam are standouts. Seasonal dishes like housemade pasta (try the spinach and beet campanelle with truffle parmesan cream), fresh fish, and steakhouse classics show that with the right ingredients and techniques, one place can fit all, and look real cute doing it.

“Middle Eastern” food and hospitality is a point of pride for Atlanta, yet it’s Sandy Springs we can thank for its rise. Many of the first Persian restaurants in the area started here, including Ali Mesghali’s first venture, Shamshiri, back in 1998, and Persepolis Persian Cuisine, which he was also involved with. Years later, the Iranian-born and LA-raised chef still remains a top name for the food of his culture, with five locations (including D.C. and Houston) of the Sandy Springs-originated Rumi’s Kitchen under his umbrella. 

This restaurant has been a mainstay since opening in 2006. Natural light flooding through cream-painted rafters light up the dining room, which feels like a palatial garden courtyard. Start with the Sabzi Tonica, a palate-cleansing cocktail. Move on to the eggplant and pepper hummus topped with chunks of marinated smoked salmon and fresh-baked flatbread, or a version with Merguez lamb sausage. Visit after 4 p.m. for the vinegary roasted cauliflower and the half-and-half stew-tahdig combo from the secret menu — this lets you try both beef stews as an appetizer for only $12.

At this Vietnamese restaurant, there are over 300 bottles of wines, available for retail sale or with your meal. These are displayed proudly throughout a bright, casual dining room where colorful parasols and paper lanterns are festooned across the ceilings. The outdoor seating offers views of City Green’s fountains and bench swings. 

Executive chef Thuy Bich uses influences from both the northern and southern regions of her homeland. You can get traditional pho and bun, of course, but also try the sauteed dishes like lemongrass grouper, meats cooked in clay pots with sweet caramelized Nam sauce and veggies, and grilled pork chops and jumbo shrimp with a fried egg.

At NoriFish, the inspiration for owners Justin Lim and Sean Park was to merge the familiarity of tapas-style dining with omakase-quality sushi. That means flying fresh fish in weekly from the Toyosu Fish Market in Japan and offering memorable shareables like yuzu honey ponzu oysters with blood orange and serrano, and a chili oil-infused spicy tuna and rice chip version of chips and dip. It also means you can choose your own adventure with a la carte sushi bites, going by the book with one of two omakase menus, dining at the chef’s counter, or having a more private journey in a cozy booth with tableside service. 

The premise here is “seafood of the most pristine quality and widest variety.” This means the restaurant receives shipments of lobster from Maine, king crab from Alaska, snapper from the Gulf, and locally sourced seafood. In the Market Fish section, look for shrimp from Texas, flounder from North Carolina, and ask the fresh catch that can be grilled, broiled, blackened, or sauced to order. Pair it with an excellent gumbo or their signature chargrilled oysters to keep things in the South.

The name Yalda comes from a Persian festivity of the longest and darkest night of the year, when families come together to share food and stories. With a second location on the West Side, chef Ash Famili shares his food stories through spreads like mirza ghasemi smoked eggplant, grilled meats, roasted halloumi cheese with truffle oil mushrooms, and spectacular polo (rice) dishes. The lentil, raisin, and frizzled onion crispy rice is a must, and the recent Shirin Polo addition to the menu is also worth trying. Generous slices of tender orange peel, barberry, pistachio, and almond combine for that savory, sweet, and fragrant combo that kills.

This Michelin Guide Malaysian spot has a Sandy Springs outpost. Food Terminal (and Sweet Hut) founders Amy Wong and Howie Ewe make it easy to find Indian, Guang Zhou, Hokkien, Teochew, and Hakka-influenced street food in one place. While it’s a breeze to decipher the glossy magazine-style picture menus, it’s hard to choose only a handful of dishes. The made-in-house garlic noodles are a springy, aromatic pleasure, and the tableside Cheese ‘N’ Cheese is a frankenjoy of tomato-braised rice, cheddar, mozzarella, bacon, Spam, and egg. Then there are the roti or rice plates, and noodle soups with curry or bone marrow bases. Place your order and, if you’re lucky, a robot server will bring the dishes to your table.

A native of the French Riviera, Café Vendôme owner Hamid Rouchdi, is a stickler for authentic French baking. Just like at the original Buckhead location, baguettes and croissants are baked daily using local ingredients and French techniques. This is where serious pastry fiends can get classics like eclairs, seasonal tartelettes, and macarons. And as a viennoiserie (a bakery with laminated pastries) be sure to order an extra croissant for the road, particularly the Swiss chocolate almond one. Salads, sandwiches, and a savory French brunch like warm quiche or croque madame slathered in bechamel with a proper café au lait are also available.

Sandy Springs’ Casi Cielo serves up Oaxacan fare, paying homage to Mexico’s food capital and the birthplace of corn and squash. Try the Hoja santa rolls with Oaxaca cheese, huitlacoche — a corn fungus now touted as Mexican truffle, and duck with black mole. Much like the food, the atmosphere is bright, pretty, and informal, and it can get even more so with enough sips from the largest mezcal collection in Atlanta. Flights of three are available with Verdita, orange slices, and grasshopper salt, if you’re feeling adventurous.