TOP ATLANTA PATIOS 2020
Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/3/20
Umbrellas are blossoming all over town so spring must have sprung! As you can imagine, here in Atlanta we have warm Spring weather and one way to truly enjoy the city is to take it all in on a Patio! Especially, this year being outside has been a game changer to the restaurant experience. We thought intently about our favorite spaces, patios, and outdoor dining destinations and came up with a carefully curated list of our top patios. We considered everything from type and range of views, bites, sips, and the little things in between. Are you ready for the patio lifestyle? Who do you want to see on the list? These are in no particular order.
Ray’s on the River’s Luxurious Lawn Party
We’re in love with Ray’s on the River. On a sunny day in late May, there was a light breeze over the Chattahoochee River and the intermittent clouds cooled down the late afternoon heat. Next to the river sits a beautifully landscaped lawn dotted with large patio umbrellas and a collection of tables, patio furniture, and a serene walkway with purple, red, and pink flowers. Ray’s on the River is the ultimate lawn party that reminds us of an all-day Kentucky Derby soiree with pretty dresses, upscale, sippable cocktails, and on-point tasty bites. They wooed us with their impeccable cocktail menu and service, plus you absolutely can’t beat that view. Being from Atlanta, why hadn’t we visited this wonderful, magical happy place before?
There isn’t a bad bite on this menu, but if we had to chose a recommendation we’d say the Ahi Tuna Poke would be our choice of appetizer because it’s so dynamic, and the Horseradish Black Grouper because it has it ALL. Plus, we mentioned their cocktail menu is perfection, can we recommend them all? If we MUST choose, we’ll go with the Vitamin Sea that reminds us of the beach, and the Fig Old Fashioned because being their most popular drink on the menu, we know why, it’s one of the best Old Fashioned we’ve ever sipped.
Ray’s on the River is located at 6700 Powers Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, GA 30339 and more information can be found at here.
Brews and Views a top New Realm Brewery’s Rooftop Patio
Directly off the Atlanta Beltline, New Realm Brewery is a beer and food lovers paradise with expansive patio, large beer list, and serious bar eats. Whether you settle yourself on the Beltline side patio, beer garden, or rooftop bar, you’ll have midtown Atlanta skyscraper views, an amazing amount of people watching, and a killer sunset views over the Atlanta Skyline. Beyond the view, you can relax with the New Realm Brewery’s latest and greatest brew and a hearty set of wings or a meaty pizza. Beer not your thing? They’ve introduced a line of fun seltzers like Cherry Cola and even distill their own liquor from vodka to bourbon!
Our recommendation is to at least try one of their beers, like Lime of the Party, and either the Cherry Cola Seltzer or cocktail. They have so many beer varieties and depending on your taste, they pretty much have something for everyone. Don’t forget the food here either. If you’re looking for bar food go with the Asian Loaded Fries or the Meathead Pizza. If you want something southern inspired, go for the Spanish Style Meatballs and the Beer Can Chicken. Really, you can’t go wrong with anything!
New Realm Brewery is located at 550 Somerset Terrace NE, Unit 101, Atlanta, GA 30306 and more information can be found here.
Riverside Relaxation and Romance at Canoe
Take a stroll with us through the grounds at Canoe. The quiet river flows by as the covered patio keeps you cool from the late Spring sun and the winding walkways meander around the lawn sending you down hidden paths, can you see it? Good. Located right on the Chattahoochee river near Vinings, Canoe is the perfect escape with a mix of gardens, patio space, ambiance, as well as top notch food and drinks. From the moment you enter Canoe, the staff and servers are there for you and make you feel right at home. Canoe, where have you been all our lives?
While you’re there, we’d recommend starting with the scones that are flaky and wonderful, while washing it down with our new favorite thing, a Sparkling Mule. You also must try the Smoke Salmon starter and the Smoked Chicken on a bed of silky grits. We’ve also heard that they make a mean Duck burger for brunch. Next time?
Canoe is located at 4199 Paces Ferry Rd, SE Atlanta, Ga 30339 and more information can be found here.
Camp Yourself at Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall
Located in Atlanta’s historic Old Fourth Ward district, Ladybird is the first outdoor-oriented restaurant and bar to open along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. The restaurant’s pet-friendly “Grove” space is a go-to for outdoor revelry and includes an outdoor bar in a vintage, painted camper, relaxed seating, communal, beer garden-style tables, string lights and more. Ladybird’s full-service menu of elevated campfire cuisine and beverage program of craft cocktails, wine and local beer can be enjoyed on the outdoor patio overlooking the Grove. Michael Lennox, Founder of Electric Hospitality, is behind the restaurant and its sister spots Golden Eagle and Muchacho in Atlanta’s Reynoldstown neighborhood.
Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall is located at 684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave, Atlanta, GA 30312 and more information can be found here.
Photo c/o Blue Hominy PR and photographer Andrew Thomas Lee.
Beer Heaven at Wild Heaven West End’s Patio
Quickly you realize you have arrived at Beer Heaven when you step off the West-Side Beltline and are greeted with Wild Heaven West End Brewery and Gardens extensive patio. With tons of space, they have several places to sit and relax all along the lawn and the space even extends up to Boxcar ATL, ASW Exchange, and up into Monday Night Garage, who has some fun spaces of their own. So, you can stop by for a tasty brew, hard seltzer, wine, cocktail, and even a Whiskey Slushie and just relax after a long beltline walk or ride. We’d recommend grabbing a brew from Wild Heaven like one of the Happiest Hour Exploration Project Series that brought you Fauci Spring or our favorite, Zoom Fatigue Porter. Please don’t forget to pick up a snack, like our favorite taco in Atlanta, Walking Taco from their on-site Fina Fine Foods. Then, stay a while for a Whiskey Slushie like the strawberry lemonade from ASW Exchange or try one of Monday Night’s new Narwhal hard seltzers. Monday Night Garage also does a tasty stout if that’s your thing. HINT: It’s ours. If you’re feeling even more adventurous head over to Best End, they’re building a tiki bar on the beltline!!
Wild Heaven West End and Gardens is located at 1010 White St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310 and more can be found here.
9 Mile Station’s Sweeping Skyline Views on Ponce City’s Roof
You’re in for a treat up a-top Ponce City’s Roof from the moment you enter the elevator hearing about the rich past of the Ponce City Market’s history and then walk out onto the game-centric boardwalk. If you delve a little bit deeper, 9 Mile Station just beyond the boardwalk is the destination for spectacular skyline views of downtown and midtown Atlanta. Whether you sit on the covered patio, around the fire pit, or on the ledge seating, you can’t help but marvel at the stellar view. Being one of the IT spots to spend a sunset, let’s not forget the bites and sips that will compliment any occasion. We’d recommend you sip on one of their cocktails, like the One Way Ticket to Mars that was whiskey and wine (what!) to the Rose All Day 2.0 which was bubbly and refreshing or opt for a wide variety of beer and wine. Plus, their light bites are the perfect pairing to relax and watch the sunset, be it the delectable lemon pepper chicken wings to the beautifully plated, earthy, and crunchy smoked trout croquettes.
9 Mile Station is located on top of Ponce City Roof at 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30308 and you can find out more information here.
Show me the Cocktails at the Fox Theatre’s Marquee Club
The Marquee Club Presented by Lexus is the Fox Theatre’s premium membership club, recognized by Venues Now magazine as 2019’s “Best New/Refurbished Space in Food and Drink.” The Moroccan and Middle Eastern-style club is 10,000 square feet of interior and exterior space with five stationary. Open only during public events at the Fox Theatre, the Marquee Club offers a preeminent pre-show through post-show experience for club guests with amenities, including priority pre-sale ticketing notifications, access to private restrooms, concierge guest services and self-parking access to an adjacent lot for some membership levels. Visit FoxTheatre.org/MarqueeClub for limited, single-event access passes.
The rooftop terrace at Marquee Club presented by Lexus overlooks the famed Peachtree Street, offering public access to the Fox Theatre rooftop for the first time in decades. Club guests can get up close and personal with the iconic marquee sign while also enjoying pre-show through post-show amenities. The perfect blend of outside and in, there are three rooftop environments including the climate-controlled Conservatory, patio covered Arcade Terrace and the outdoor Rooftop Terrace with access to private bars and restrooms.
From the grand atmosphere to seasonal bites, the Marquee Club was intentionally designed to enhance your night beyond the performance. Start your night at the Fox Theatre with a warm welcome, then enjoy delicious, locally sourced foods; hand-crafted drinks; and vibrant company before and after the show. At the Marquee Club, you get the time you want to enjoy and savor each performance.
Photo c/o Brave PR.
Park it at Park Tavern at Piedmont Park
Several groups of people dot the lawn outside Park Tavern at Piedmont Park, one group is enjoying a picnic, the other are stretching for a long run, while the third are laughing as their dog jumps, this is the scene at Piedmont Park almost every day. Next to it, situated on the corner of 10th and Monroe is Park Tavern, THE go-to hang out for Piedmont Park lovers. Beyond the beauty of the park and magnificent midtown views, Park Tavern also invites you to enjoy a cocktail, some upscale bar food, or maybe some sushi. If we had to recommend a bar bite, we’d suggest the super plump and juicy Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich or when sushi returns, that’s a must. Park Tavern brews their own beer, so grab a crisp and cold pint, or even some of their refreshing sangria, as well as a ton of fun options like High Noon canned cocktail.
Park Tavern is located at 500 10th St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 on the edge of Piedmont Park. More information here.
Meatballs are a Must at Grana
On the busy corner near Rock Springs on piedmont, Grana’s newly erected rooftop bar and patio, as well as impressively upscale dining room pay homage to the Chef’s Italian heritage. It’s stunning. The second you enter the patio, you’re greeted with the neon sign that reminds you that this place will be known for it’s balls, meatballs that is. As you come around the corner from there, you immediately get a beach vibe with beautiful outside bar adorned with blue tile, lounge furniture, and partial cover to keep you out of the sun. Plus, we’re being told that they have spectacular sunset views. On top of the ambiance, they have stellar bites and sips. We’d recommend the best meatball ever, their Crispy Veal Meatball or one of their array of pizzas like the Roni that boasts of pepperoni and honey. Of the sips, let us recommend the Frozen Aperol Spritz. They sometimes will have Froze instead, but frozen sips are all the rage right now, so get this while you can.
Grana is located at 1835 Piedmont Ave Atlanta, GA and more information/reservations can be found here.
All the Possibilities at “Patio Row” on the Beltline
For as a long time, Krog Street Market and Auburn was about the end of the Beltline, but then along came our friends at Hawkers, Nina and Rafi, Guac Y Margys, Pour, and more in a conglomerate of wonderful patio space, what we call Beltline Patio Row. What’s amazing about this little spot is the unlimited possibilities you can get by just hanging out here for an afternoon. You can start with some tacos and margaritas at Guac Y Margys to a good stout down at Pour Taproom to our favorite lettuce wraps at Hawkers to some delectable pizza at Nina and Rafi. It’s a smorgasbord of tastiness.
We reached out to Nina and Rafi since their one of the main go-to destinations the Beltine Patio Row and they wanted you to know, “Named one of Bon Appétit’s 50 Nominees List for Hot 10: America’s Best New Restaurants in 2019, Nina & Rafi is an Italian-American restaurant and bar from restaurateur and bar aficionado Billy Streck of Hampton + Hudson and Anthony Spina of O4W Pizza. Located in Old Fourth Ward on the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, the restaurant features expansive steel-frame garage doors to offer patio seating on warm days. Nina & Rafi’s menu of Italian-American comfort food includes famed pizzas from Spina’s nationally renowned O4W Pizza, Italian snacks to start, salads, parmesan heroes, and Italian specialties – chicken parmesan and eggplant parmesan – available after 5pm. The “Meat Me in Detroit” pizza, a favorite among diners, was a “Best Dish” finalist in the 2019 Eater Awards. Curated by Beverage Director Corey Phillips, the bar offers craft and Italian beers on draft and in cans and bottles, as well as a selection of Italian wines – red, white, sparkling, orange, and rosé. A tight cocktail list rotates regularly, and the full bar features a very large selection of Amara and Italian spirits.”
On top of that, we love Hawkers and when you to see them on Patio Row, you should grab a lettuce wrap and definitely get one of their adult capri suns called, That’s My Bag Baby. You heard us, stick a straw in it and enjoy. Plus, we know John who owns Pour Taproom, and we love that you can get lost for hours in the beer offerings that the pour-your-own-beer store has, as well as wines and cocktails. It’s amazing how many stouts we’ve discovered there, from Monday Night down the street to IPAs from across the country.
This row is located off the Beltline at 661 Auburn Ave, Atlanta, Ga 30312.
Nina and Rafi photo by Bart Sasso provided by Blue Hominy PR.
