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Courtesy of Portman
Atlanta’s dining scene is cruising into 2026 with plenty of flavor. Over the past year, Atlantans embraced sandwiches at spots both nostalgic and inventive, gravitated toward intimate omakase counters and chef-driven tasting menus, and leaned into experiences built around dessert bars and cozy wine lounges.
As we look ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the casual comeback—a shift toward breezy, daylight-friendly dining that feels both intentional and effortless. Many of the incoming restaurants lean into breakfast and lunch, with chefs channeling creativity into pastries, produce-driven plates, and upgraded daytime comfort classics. At the same time, Atlanta’s appetite for smoky, regional barbecue and refined yet approachable Japanese concepts continue to grow, setting the stage for new counters, cafes, and smokehouses that favor simplicity, craft, and a strong sense of place. This year, the excitement isn’t just about where we’ll eat dinner—it’s about how Atlanta’s chefs are redefining the meals we eat before sunset.
Without further ado, here are the most anticipated restaurants of 2026:
Courtesy of Heritage
Hudson Rouse, the chef behind Rising Son, Pure Quill Superette, and the Bib Gourmand–recognized Whoopsie’s, is bringing an all-day café to the Hosea & 2nd development in East Lake. Slated to open in the spring, Babygirl is a departure from the heavy Southern plates Rouse is known for. Instead, he’s planning a daytime menu centered on produce, lighter cooking, and items like smoothies and breakfast salads. Craving carbs? A limited supply of biscuits will be available.
From the team behind Sammy’s comes Broad Street BBQ, a South Downtown smokehouse with slow-smoked brisket, ribs, wings, and a full bar built around quality batched cocktails. Spanning three connected storefronts, the restaurant will feature visible smokers, communal tables, lounge seating, and a compact to-go window designed for quick pickup on game days and lunch breaks. With a bar program led by a BoccaLupo alum and a menu of classic Southern sides to round out the meats, Broad Street BBQ promises to be a lively anchor for a fast-changing stretch of downtown.
Busy Bee Café in Atlantic Station
Atlanta’s most storied soul-food restaurant is branching out. Busy Bee Café—open since 1947 and honored with both a James Beard “America’s Classics” award and a Michelin Bib Gourmand—expanding with a second location. Coming to Atlantic Station in spring 2026, it brings the restaurant’s iconic fried chicken, dressing, and greens to the center of the city. Though the building won’t be as historic, it will broaden the access to the popular institution.
Inman Park residents may be most familiar with chef Demetrius Brown after he purchased Bread & Butterfly in 2023, but he’s had a following long before with patrons flocking to his Heritage Supper Club. Now, he’s opening a restaurant by the same name. Located in Summerhill, it will blend several experiences under one roof: a cocktail bar for small bites, an intimate dining room for a multi-course tasting menu, and a dedicated dessert area to end the evening. The food continues his exploration of Afro-Caribbean traditions and the wider African diaspora. Look for it in late winter or early spring.
Sports bars are aplenty in Atlanta, but their bread-and-butter is showcasing male sports, with a focus on games from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and MLS. Jolene Jolene breaks the mold by showing women’s sports. Founder Chelsea Fishman completed a four-month residency at Pullman Yards recently and is now working on a permanent location.
Khao Thai Isan
From the founder of 26 Thai, Pink Lotus Thai, and Blackjack Bar Tapas comes a new restaurant with bold flavors, beer towers, and food made for sharing. Dishes are inspired by the fare of the Isan region in Northeast Thailand and may include bamboo shoot salad, laab duck, and Isan fried rice. Located in Centennial Yards, it promises to be an energetic pre- and post-game destination.
From the team behind Michelin-starred Mujō comes a new Japanese grill-driven concept expected to land in Buckhead in early 2026. Rather than omakase, Koshu Club leans into binchōtan-fired cooking (seafood, meat, and vegetables cooked over charcoal) along with a blend of traditional and Western-influenced Japanese dishes. The team is also planning a focused bar program built around sake and cocktails. If Mujō represents their polished, special-occasion side, Koshu Club looks like the more playful sibling with less formality and energy.
The BeltLine is about to get a buzzy new breakfast rival with PopUp Bagels, the New York–born sensation rolling into a 1,300-square-foot carry-out spot just steps from Emerald City Bagels—a location choice that’s already stirred up some friendly neighborhood carb drama. PopUp’s whole schtick is hot, unsliced bagels meant for its “grip, rip, dip” ritual, with rotating schmears that range from classic to over-the-top. Love it or side-eye it, PopUp Bagels is guaranteed to bring lines, opinions, and a competitive spark to the city’s bagel scene.
The team behind Lucian Books & Wine is taking their talent to Old Fourth Ward with Sargent, a BeltLine-facing restaurant centered on wood-fired American cooking layered with French influence. Set to open in spring 2026, a larger space will allow chef Jason Paolini to move beyond Lucian’s tight format, offering seafood, shellfish, roasted meats, and seasonal produce dishes that feel both familiar and elevated. An all-day approach means lighter sandwiches and salads at lunch, with dinner shifting toward more polished plates built around the kitchen’s wood-burning hearth. Designed with high ceilings, abundant natural light, and a covered patio, Sargent aims for a bright, neighborhood-driven energy—complete with a bar program, expanded wine list, and shelves stocked with books and magazines tied to art, design, and culture.
Some Luck
The Talat Market team led by Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter, is bringing the party to the old Highland Inn building in Poncey-Highland. Located near Colette and Big Softie, Some Luck will be a Thai-inspired bar with street food-style snacks—think papaya salad, grilled meat skewers, and even soup. Spicy fried chicken wings are said to be in the works. Drinks will utilize Thai flavors for a potent punch.
Chef Fuyuhiko Ito, known for his work at Umi and MF Buckhead, recently opened an intimate omakase restaurant called Ishin and a modern cocktail bar named Celestia on the roof of Spring Quarter in Midtown. This year, he’s launching the building’s anchor, a ground-floor restaurant that will spotlight his refined approach to modern Japanese dining, featuring a sushi bar and a robata grill turning out wagyu and other charcoal-kissed plates. Expect premium touches—caviar, truffles, specialty sauces, and double-fermented soy imported from Japan—woven throughout the menu. Pastry chef Lisa Ito will helm the dessert program, bringing tableside presentations to the 4,000-square-foot space.
Brian So’s Michelin-starred restaurant closed in late September for renovations. It’s set to reopen in Marietta Square in early 2026, picking up where it left off with seasonal cuisine centered on simplicity. In the meantime, hungry Atlantans can visit So’s new Korean restaurant Spring 2nd Branch nearby.
Bacchanalia owner-chef Anne Quatrano is turning her attention to daytime dining with Summerland Cafe, an upscale breakfast-and-lunch restaurant and bakery opening at Upper West Market. The menu will be small and highly composed—think 12 to 14 seasonal dishes—with highlights like Carolina Gold rice porridge, baked cottage cheese with eggs, and chicken schnitzel, designed to showcase layered flavors and textures. The space will offer counter service for pastries and coffee, and dining room seating for about 50–60 guests, creating a relaxed, neighborhood-minded spot.
Todd Ginsberg’s unnamed South Downtown restaurant
On Mitchell Street in South Downtown, chef Todd Ginsberg (the General Muir) and longtime collaborator Josh Kim are opening a casual breakfast-and-lunch spot that taps into both their strengths: approachable diner classics and Korean-leaning flavor. The duo has described items such as a Korean fried chicken sandwich, bibimbap-inspired salads, soups, club sandwiches, and sour-cream doughnuts—a nod to Kim’s offering at Bloom’s Market. The restaurant will emphasize speed and accessibility, with a layout designed for morning regulars, quick lunches, and all-day grazing.
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Carly Cooper
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