It’s time to look at this Southern capital with fresh eyes: Atlanta is stealthily emerging as one of the country’s great urban destinations, with tantalizing eats, creative cocktails, ample museums, and plenty of green space. Atlanta has always held a particular magic, and what really makes the city shine is its abundance of Black history and culture—here’s how to see the best of it in three days.
Day 1
Atlanta wouldn’t be Atlanta without the wealth of contributions that African Americans have brought to the city. Set out early from Hotel Clermont, which opened three years ago in a 1924 apartment building turned motor lodge, and head toward Auburn Avenue (affectionately known as Sweet Auburn), where Martin Luther King Jr. spent his childhood.
Start with breakfast at Sweet Auburn Curb Market. During the Jim Crow era, African American vendors could only sell along the curb, but today the market is a hub for Black-owned businesses: Stop by Rawesome Juicery for fresh-squeezed juices, Huskers Cafe for chicken and waffles, and Breeze Confectionary Oven for sweet treats and coffee.
Walk a few short blocks to Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park to learn about the civil rights hero’s life and activism. Visit the 1895 house where he was born and Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he preached until his assassination in 1968. Pay your respects at the King Center, where both he and his wife, Coretta Scott King, were laid to rest.
Take a break to indulge in a taste of the Caribbean at Mangos Caribbean Restaurant, where you can choose from dishes like jerk chicken, escoveitch red snapper, and shrimp curry. After lunch, cross the street to For Keeps Books, which specializes in rare editions by Black authors, and continue along to the APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum. You’ll need to book a timed-entry ticket in advance to explore the collection, which includes an exhibit on Black women in STEM.
End the day with dinner at one of the city’s renowned Black-owned restaurants, Paschal’s. The original location on West Hunter Street was founded in 1947 by two brothers, James and Robert Paschal, and later served as an integral gathering place during the civil rights movement. This new location, opened in 2002, remains a favorite spot for soul food classics like fried chicken and mac and cheese.
Day 2
From major museums to locally owned galleries, art thrives throughout Atlanta. Start with a quick breakfast at Star Provisions Market & Café, where you can’t go wrong with one of the two hearty biscuit sandwiches: fried chicken with sweet pickles and hot pepper honey or ginger sausage with strawberry preserves.
Drive 10 minutes east to the High Museum of Art, a sprawling Midtown campus with buildings designed by Pritzker Prize–winners Richard Meier and Renzo Piano and a collection of 18,000-plus artworks, including an Auguste Rodin bronze in the courtyard. (Visitor numbers are currently limited, so be sure to reserve your ticket in advance.)
Hang around Midtown and grab pizza at Slim & Husky’s, where the bold murals are sure to catch your attention. Hip hop and R&B serve as inspirations for this restaurant, meaning you’ll find pizzas like the meat-topped Cee No Green and the vegan Nothin But a “V” Thang.
Continue along to the Castleberry Hill historic arts district and browse through Besharat Gallery, the Granite Room, and ZuCot Gallery, the largest Black-owned fine art gallery in the Southeast. From here, drive about four miles north to the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Piedmont Park to see America’s largest permanent orchid collection; the thousands of flowers are as boldly colorful and unique as the art you’ve been viewing on gallery walls all day.
For dinner, slide into the luxe life at Buckhead’s Atlas in the St. Regis hotel. The walls are lined with paintings from a private collection (including works by Picasso, Chagall, and Monet), and the menu includes highlights such as butternut squash ravioli, grilled turbot for two, and a signature steak with tallow tater tots.
Day 3
Begin a day of food-themed exploration with brunch in West Midtown at Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. Here, chef Deborah VanTrece spices up soul food dishes with international influences from her travels, with standouts including hoisin oxtails, lemon pepper basil wings, and a collard-green Caesar salad topped with crawfish tails.
To truly get a taste of Atlanta’s ever-evolving culinary scene, you’ll need to crisscross the city a bit. Start by driving 15 minutes south to the Grant Park neighborhood, which is known for its ornate Victorian architecture, for a tour with Atlanta Food Walks. Over two and a half hours, you’ll stop for tastings at a number of restaurants, including a French bakery and a seafood spot, before strolling through the 171-year-old Oakland Cemetery.
From here, head north on Interstate 85, and in about 15 minutes you’ll reach ASW Distillery at American Spirit Works, where you can learn the ins and outs of making bourbon, rye, apple brandy, and even a Scotch-like peated single malt—the first-ever distilled in Atlanta.
For your last dinner, go old-school with a visit to The Varsity. This Atlanta institution opened in 1928 as a drive-in where carhops on roller skates would enthusiastically bring orders out to your car. The roller skates may be long gone, but you’ll still find staples like chili cheese slaw dogs, onion rings, and frosted orange shakes. And don’t forget to top it all off with a Georgia classic: fried peach pie.
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