17 fun first-date restaurants
Where to get your first-date game on in Atlanta
Photo credit: Joeff Davis
What makes a place great for a first date? First of all, it should be nice. Not like special-occasion-fine-dining nice (unless you’re into that sort of thing), but somewhere fun and relaxed and preferably a notch or two above your neighborhood Waffle House (unless you’re into that sort of thing). Delicious food is obviously the goal any time you go out to eat, but good, strong drinks and engaging ambiance are of particular importance when navigating the potentially awkward first-date situation. It’s all about the experience. A place with games like bocce ball or ping-pong can help break the ice, and outdoor seating or quirky décor can help provide spontaneous talking points to alleviate any weird lulls in conversation. Last but not least, the place should probably be lively, with lots of people around, just in case your date happens to be a stranger from the Internet. Not judging, but safety first!
Ammazza Edgewood
Neapolitan-style pizza made with essential ingredients from Italy and sustainable meat and produce sourced from community farms.
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Brick Store Pub
This outstanding neighborhood pub, complete with an upstairs Belgian bar that has potent brews on tap, offers roughly 215 beers. The menu’s beer descriptions are humorous and approachable. The service is so friendly, no one will look you askance if you simply order a bottle of Sweetwater 420.
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Cooks & Soldiers
This Castellucci Hospitality Group restaurant offers up Basque cuisine. Located between France and Spain, the Basque region draws equally on both nation’s culinary traditions. The menu consists of smaller, tapas-style dishes and larger racciones, created by Landon Thompson, from the restaurant group...
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FLIP burger boutique (permanently closed)
Flip Burger Boutique is Richard Blais’ first project since leaving Tom Catherall’s restaurant Home, where he stopped by for a while after almost winning Bravo’s “Top Chef.” The restaurant’s mission is contained in its catch phrase: “fine dining between two buns.”
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Highland Tap
Looking to drink yourself under the table under the city? Since the late 1980s, this subterranean restaurant billing itself as Virginia-Highland’s oldest steakhouse has churned out what are considered some of Atlanta’s best martinis (they come with a “sidecar” — a little extra shot of booze).
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Joystick Gamebar
An arcade for grown-ups in Old Fourth Ward. Joystick Gamebar features lively bar bites (via its innovative Kitchen Incubation Program), creative cocktails, and a collection of vintage games.
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Shoya Izakaya
Japanese public house serving sushi, sashimi, noodles and more. Shoya’s encyclopedic menu, spread over seven crowded pages, will either send you into a rapture of excitement or cripple you with indecision. Dishes tend to be surprising. Order away and see what shows up.
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Spondivits
Around for more than 30 years, this boisterous, no-frills seafood shack has a wrap-around bar and outdoor seating. The draw here is the steamed shrimp and lobster sold by the pound in aluminum bucket with tangy beer butter.
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The Colonnade
The overt country-club feel meshes with a distinct undercurrent of mellow booziness at this Southern-style restaurant that stands out from its surroundings on one of Midtown’s seediest strips. Don’t be daring. Go for the basic meat-and-two and choose the hot vegetables for sides. The fried chicken i...
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Twain’s Brewpub & Billiards
Excellent pool tables (and other games), big-screen TVs, some of the best bar food in Atlanta; a true local brewpub. Besides brewing its own beer, Twain’s also features a sturdy kitchen, with a menu that ranges from pub-food standards like wings, chicken strips and a variety of satisfying burgers to...
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TWO urban licks
The cinematic chaos and glamour of Two Urban Licks draws a decibel-shattering crowd eager for rambunctious dining and willing to sit out the long wait just for the youthful exuberance that fills the restaurant. For the best dining experience, stick to the appetizers and small plates. Outdoor bocce c...
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Victory Sandwich Bar - Decatur
Victory Sandwich is a hip bar known for its Jack and Coke slushies, ping-pong table, and a selection of cheap-but-tasty little sandwiches that cost $4 each. The menu changes somewhat regularly, but you can usually count on favorites like the Beast on Yeast (roast beef with horseradish sauce) and the...
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Young Augustine’s
This neighborhood gastropub built in a refurbished filling station formerly known as Young Augustine’s is a neighborhood favorite for its vast beer selection, laid-back atmosphere, and oh-so-sweet menu offerings, including the short rib grilled cheese and pimento cheese BLT sandwiches.
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