Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore
Whether the date night in question is prom, an anniversary, an engagement, or some less monumental event, Aria is up to the occasion. The pewter-walled room is dim and columned and draped, a modern evocation of ancient Rome. The food similarly updates the classics. Perhaps you’ve had your fill of beet salads, but you haven’t had a beet salad until you’ve had this one; with gold and ruby-red wedges mingling with candied walnuts atop thick, lemony yogurt, the dish is exceptional in its simplicity. Plates are adorned with drops and loops and smears of sauces, and even if that’s not typically your thing, you’ll still be wowed by Aria’s artistry—particularly when the plate holds caramelized scallops with perfect piles of sunchoke, Brussels, and rutabaga. The kind of romance Aria delivers never goes out of style. 490 East Paces Ferry Road, 404-233-7673, aria-atl.com
