The 10 Best Restaurants In Athens, Georgia

Beer lovers in Athens need look no further than Trappeze Pub. Here the impressive stock of beers counts over 200 bottled varieties with an additional 30 on tap, including a few of the world’s rarest brews. Spacious rooms, plenty of booths, large tables and outdoor seating welcome the crowds of Athens students who regularly frequent this venue. Trappeze also serves an array of typical and delicious pub fare, allowing patrons to enjoy a hearty meal together with a smooth lager or full bodied ale. Diners may also be interested in a cheese plate complete with exquisite slices of European cheeses.

Acclaimed restaurant 5&10 is run by award-winning chef Hugh Acheson, popular in America for participating in television cooking show Top Chef. Acheson has gained many accolades for his impressive ability to operate a creative fusion of Southern U.S. cooking with French and Italian flavors. The restaurant recently moved down the street from its original location, where it occupied a building which once operated as a five-and-dime store (hence the restaurant’s name). 5&10 now sports a more airy and spacious venue in a renovated house that is at once homey and sophisticated, the perfect match for Acheson’s brilliant and scrumptious preparations.

Following the success of 5&10, Hugh Acheson opened his second restaurant, The National, together with talented chef Peter Dale. Sporting a more casual atmosphere than 5&10, The National puts top quality ingredients sourced from the best local producers at the service of a quirky menu inspired by Southern European and Mediterranean gastronomies. Here, guests have a chance to taste appetizing delicacies such as the Middle-Eastern hummus or stuffed dates, the Italian pizzette or the Spanish patatas bravas, before proceeding to the main course. Like the food, the drink selection is influenced by the Old Continent, with the wine card listing a rich selection of French, Italian, Spanish, Greek and German bottles.

East West Bistro comprises a dining room, a bar and an outside patio, as well as larger rooms ideal for special events and parties. This welcoming restaurant implements fresh and seasonal ingredients for tasty recipes that draw inspiration from Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Menu highlights include a range of courses inspired by Hawaiian cooking, such as the Hawaiian hebi or the monchong with wild fruit salsa, and some of the best Pacific Salmon in town. East West Bistro has won the Wine Spectator Award every single year since its opening in 1995 for its unique selection of prestigious wines.

Last Resort Grill was built out of the ashes of a legendary music club that has brightened up Athens’ social scene since 1966. Today, the restaurant continues the club’s mission to keep the city well and lively, but does so with its tasty and eclectic dishes rather than with basses and guitars. Enjoy the fantastic shrimp quesadillas with roasted jalapeno sauce, the pecan crusted blue trout topped with dijon honey butter or the Last Resort’s praline, the restaurant’s signature dish.

Italian cuisine is arguably one of the best in the whole world, and La Dolce Vita does an excellent job at offering its guests an authentic taste of Italy’s renowned gastronomy. After all, Italian chef Stefano was raised in the foothills of the Alps – he knows exactly what he’s doing when he prepares the fresh, homemade pastas and focaccia bread served at his restaurant, the delicious melanzane alla parmigiana or the gnocchi alla sorrentina (gnocchi filled with ricotta and topped with buffalo mozzarella). La Dolce Vita’s signature dishes are, however, the delectable meatballs – they are prepared with a special recipe that has been secretly passed on from generation to generation in the chef’s family.

Mama’s Boy is consistently packed with a crowd of loyal customers, demonstrating one thing to be true; that the food served here is so delicious, and the atmosphere so delightful, that the good people of Athens are happy to come back time and time again. Voted many years in a row as the best place in the city for breakfast or brunch, the hearty portions of eggs and bacon, vegetables and potato hash or salmon cakes are simply exquisite — and great value for money. As an added bonus the main courses come complete with a Mama’s Boy signature, giant biscuit on the side.