Wine cellar | Aria
Through the kitchen, down a flight of creaking stairs, and at the end of a dark, narrow tunnel is Aria’s close-quartered wine cellar, lined with bottles and lit entirely by candles. A corner booth fits one to two couples comfortably and is the most intimate seat from which to experience Aria’s signatures, like herb-crusted snapper and New York strip with black garlic. Save room for dessert, always. Regular dinner and tasting menus available. 490 East Paces Ferry Road
Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore
Chef’s table | Local Three
At the bottom of an office building just off Northside Parkway is a true chef’s table. Local Three’s stainless steel kitchen is nearly as big as its dining room, and guests sit in a prep area that looks out onto a brigade of chefs busy preparing their full-throttled eight-course tasting menu. From truffled Parmesan popcorn to hearty bowls of scallops and gnocchi flecked with slices of bacon, Chris Hall proves that he’s a chef of the people with an aversion to dainty plates and silly foams. 3290 Northside Parkway
Cellar | Porter Beer Bar
Cellaring beer? It’s a thing, and in a chilly room in the back of the Porter Beer Bar sit large-format bottles the size of toddlers and brews as old as 1996 (it’s the Gale’s Prize Old Ale). Narrow and cozy like the pub itself, the private room is walled with more than 300 vintage beers and is centered on a long, glossy table cut from a fallen oak tree, which seats up to 30. Available for rent only; 1156 Euclid Avenue
The Grog Shop | Muss & Turner’s
Behind an unmarked freezer door, Muss & Turner’s speakeasy, Eleanor’s, feels like a buccaneer hideaway. Maneuver down the dimly lit, disorienting hall toward the bar and find the Grog Shop, a private dining table tucked off to the side. It seats 14, and the food-and-beverage minimum is only $400 on weekends—which servers are happy to break into separate checks. Order off the regular menus, or arrange something custom. 1675 Cumberland Parkway, Smyrna
This article originally appeared in our February 2015 issue.
