Tag: Westside

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Upper Westside, or at least of the Community Improvement District (CID) tasked with developing its local infrastructure, which coined the name in 2016. It seemed an apt time to ask the titular question. In short: Yes, the Upper Westside is a real place, but the name has yet to stick for a reason.

Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Leonardo Yu made his mark on Atlanta flying in fresh fish from Tokyo and serving it in creative presentations at Omakase Table and Ryokou. Now, he’s shifting his focus to steak with a new restaurant called O-nada coming to the Westside. Together, Yu, business partner Matthew Braden, and Argentine chef Pietro Cinti, will bring open-fire cooking, premium global ingredients, and an intimate, upscale atmosphere to this new, 30-seat restaurant.

When Muchacho first opened along the Atlanta Beltline and Memorial Drive, it became known as a place shaped as much by its surroundings as by its menu. That site, housed in a 100‑year‑old train depot, set the tone for how the brand approaches expansion: start with the bones of a building, then let the space tell the story. The newly opened Muchacho West Midtown follows that same philosophy.

Unassumingly wedged between a bike shop, an auto repair shop, and the train tracks on the upper Westside is Atlanta’s only traditional Chinese-style teahouse. The shop is called Wai’s Gong Fu Tea House. Wai is Belonoha’s adopted name as a certified kung fu master, and gong fu (which roughly means “mastery”) is the Chinese style of tea service in which whole tea leaves are steeped several times, each time brewing only a few ounces of tea for each guest.

F1 Arcade, a new-to-Atlanta entertainment venue, opens February 6 in the Interlock on the Westside. Created by one of the founders of Puttshack and Flight Club, Adam Breeden, the high-energy restaurant, bar, and race car simulator venue first launched in London in late 2022 and recently introduced locations in Denver, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. Here's what we saw during a media preview.

At this packed hotspot, there’s one dish guests want the most, and that’s the crispy rice.

In the summer of 2023, Atlanta Beltline Inc. designers made headlines by promising that a world-class bike park for all ages and skill levels was bound for the city’s largest greenspace, Shirley Clarke Franklin Park, or what used to be called Westside Park. In a couple of weeks, they’ll start making good on that promise, with a goal of creating an outdoor amenity like metro Atlanta’s never seen.

A swanky new restaurant has joined the already-hopping Westside hangout that is the Interlock. Lo Kee (pronounced low key) quietly opened in late October, bringing elevated Asian fusion and showy cocktails to the area.

Barrel Proof, a New Orleans and Nashville bar known for its extensive (300-plus) whiskey and rare spirits selection, as well as expertly crafted cocktails, is joining the Westside Provisions District in early November. Taking over the former Little Trouble space, it will serve Southern bar food and classy cocktails in an upscale neighborhood environment.

After a string of accomplished Japanese restaurants, chef Jason Liang takes a sharp turn with his latest project, Lucky Star. Located on Howell Mill Road, the Michelin-starred chef trades in sushi for Taiwanese food, with all its bold, deeply comforting flavors.