When you’re craving some alone time with your favorite person, Atlanta makes date night extra sweet. Even when the temperature dips, the ATL has something cozy on the menu. Stroll through the Botanical Gardens, visit the stunning Illuminarium, take a private ride on downtown’s SkyView Ferris wheel—and, of course, get some delicious food.
Entertainment options aside, Atlanta boasts plenty of delectable cuisines. Whether you’re looking for a fun atmosphere for a first date, light bites and cocktails for a parents’ night out, soul food infused with Southern comfort, a romantic escape with a rooftop view, or an intimate venue where you can focus on each other, here are some of the best date night spots in Atlanta for couples to explore.
Soul Food Date Night / Game Night - Bingo Night
360 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta, GA (Edgewood) or 1136 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA (Midtown)
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | 678-705-5757 (Edgewood) or 470-428-2651 (Midtown)
Fin & Feathers nestled in Atlanta in 2019, bringing a menu of “Nu American Soul” full of market-fresh ingredients and inventive cocktails to the city’s nightlife. Its sophisticated and vibrant vibe is “a foodie’s delight and a socialite’s playground,” with choices such as fresh-caught deep-fried catfish nuggets with remoulade sauce, Jerk chicken egg rolls, signature wings in five flavors, and Twisted Tacos featuring pickle cabbage salad and homemade peach and pineapple salsa. Pop in for a bite after a comedy show or dancing, or drop by for one of its regular meet-ups, such as $5 Margarita Monday or “Greatest Hits Bingo.” Toast your sweetie and your luck with the 405 (a boozy blend of cinnamon, honey, and Uncle Nearest 100-proof whiskey) or the East LA, a sweet-tart red wine float made with fresh lime and Avion silver tequila.
Comedy Night
375 14th St. NW, Atlanta, GA (Midtown); 2247 Cascade Road SW, Atlanta, GA (Cascade); or 2591 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta, GA (Buckhead)
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | 404-343-3356 (Midtown), 470-355-4976 (Cascade), or 404-343-0086 (Buckhead)
Proprietor Lino Joseph opened Spice House in 2017, bringing the flavors and the culture of Caribbean cuisine to Atlanta. From its original location in a revamped gas station in Cascade Heights, Spice House has spread its daring and distinctive dishes to Midtown and Buckhead, making it a must for anyone hungry for the tastes of Haiti, Trinidad, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. Favorite dishes include its Signature Lobster Mac, filled with cheesy penne and sauteed lobster and shrimp; Port-au-Prince Red Snapper, served with black mushroom rice and spicy Haitian slaw; and Tropical Seafood Paradise, a dish of seasoned yellow rice tossed with shrimp, salmon, peppers, onions, and pineapple. Check its Facebook page for regular events such as Thursday comedy nights, and order a ginger beer, a Coco Mojito, or an Island Cosmo for a real splash.
Brunch Date
3695 Cascade Road, Suite 440, Atlanta, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | (904) 206-6153
If you and your date hate to say good night—or you want a romantic start to the day—head to Gocha’s Breakfast Bar, a friendly, Southern-style café in Atlanta’s affluent Cascade area. Gocha’s serves traditional fare perfect for a brunch date, such as a chicken and waffle stack or a sunrise breakfast of eggs served with grits or potatoes, toast or a biscuit, and a choice of bacon, chicken, pork sausage, veggie sausage, or salmon. And that’s not all! It also features Southern-style pescatarian and vegan-friendly dishes, such as a lump crab skillet, Shrimp and Grits, “Krunch-Tastic” French toast, Impossible Sweet Potato Nachos, Impossible Nachos, and pancakes topped with smooth bourbon syrup, cinnamon spice, and warm peach jam. In addition, its fully stocked bar includes champagne cocktails, martinis, margaritas, wine, beer, and bottomless mimosas to turn breakfast or brunch into a memorable experience.
Coffee Date
1800 Jonesboro Road SE, Atlanta, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | 323-823-0571
Wake up and stay woke with the Black Coffee Company’s signature brews and mugs, bringing empowering vibes and good taste to the Lakewood Heights area since 2018. Perk up a coffee date with the Slight Drip or Big ol’ Drip, the Dirty South (chai, coffee, and vanilla, served hot or iced), or espresso options such as Brown Skin Keisha (macchiato, caramel, and cinnamon brown sugar). The Black Coffee Company also serves teas, including Texas Green Tea, Georgia Peach, and “The Auntie,” a vanilla chai latte, as well as small bites such as the Bagel and Boujee (a toasted bagel and cream cheese) and the ATL (avocado toast with arugula garnish and balsamic drizzle). Look on its website and Facebook page for fun date options such as Sip & Paint, a way to tap into your inner artist while savoring a latte, and Game Night, featuring card and board games, food, music, and trivia.
Ice Cream Date
25 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Instagram | Facebook | Website | 404-205-5002
When you and your love want to chill, Sweet Stack Creamery has scoops of tasty options for an ice cream date. Based in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn Historic District, this dessert bar has a menu of handcrafted ice creams, doughnut sandwiches, and cookie sandwiches with both traditional and innovative flavors. Classic praline and salted caramel ice creams share the freezer with Dirty Bird (a vanilla ice cream with pecans), Cuban Coffee Cream made with Café Bustelo ground coffee, and Chocolate Fetish, a chocolate ice cream rich with fudge and milk chocolate flakes. Even vegans can find something to savor here, with dairy-free chocolate, vanilla, and fruity flavors such as Vegan Lemon and Let the Man Go, made of—what else?—Alphonso mango.
Vegan Date Night
2036 Sylvan Road SW, Atlanta, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram |Facebook | 404-464-5139
Atlanta’s only fine-dining vegan restaurant, Life Bistro, specializes in “classic American comfort food, veganized.” So if you’re casting about for a vegan date night, your taste buds won’t be disappointed. Specialties include Black Bean Chili and Cornbread featuring “lentil veef;” New Orleans-style seafood gumbo with okra, konjac shrimp, veggies, and quinoa; Beyond patty sliders served with lettuce, tomato, pickle, house-made cheese sauce, and sweet potato bacon; and Seafood Rasta Pasta, featuring konjac shrimp, chimichurri, and mango salsa. For lighter fare, try a Kale Wrap or other handheld bites, including Po’ Boys with oyster mushrooms, battered konjac shrimp, or Beyond Bratwurst.
Karaoke Date Night on Fridays
3775 Main St., College Park, GA or 103 W. Mill St., Jonesboro, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | 404-343-6785 (College Park) or 770-703-5168 (Jonesboro)
An energetic establishment with two Atlanta locations, Nouveau Bar & Grill features homestyle Southern cuisine and cocktails, plus entertainment in a hip atmosphere. Satisfy your appetite with crispy-fried chicken wings and sweet potato Belgian waffles, charbroiled jerk wings with mango salsa, chipotle shredded chicken quesadillas, buffalo shrimp with blue cheese crumbles, and other starters to share, or order a heartier entrée such as Ultimate Cajun Seafood & Grits, Island BBQ Salmon, Michigan Avenue Ribeye, Grilled Lamb Chops, or Windy City Crab Cakes. While you dine, enjoy events such as live R&B artists, Friday night karaoke, or brunch—or head to the rooftop for a skyline view with Happy Hour favorites such as the Nouveaurita, Rum Punch, Watermelon Savage, and Holy Water, a mix of silver tequila, silver rum, pineapple, and blue curacao.
Date Night Exploring African Cuisine
1133 Huff Road NW, #D, Atlanta, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | 404-350-5500
Award-winning chef Deborah VanTrece based the concept of this “modern global soul food” restaurant on her travels as a flight attendant. Its African-infused menu features small plates, sandwiches, entrees, and more that are ripe with flavor. First, sample a serving of Apricot Cilantro Chili Salmon Rolls, Bayou Prawns with lemon Creole gravy, or Fried Green Tomatoes. Then dive into the Southern Marinated Fried Chicken with three-cheese mac and sweet potato apple chutney; Hoisin Glazed Oxtails with vegetable basmati fried rice; or Herb-Crusted Roast Pork Loin. Complement your meal with wine, beer, scotch, whiskey, tequila, and more from the curated drink menu, and save room for delicious desserts such as Bourbon Peach Cobbler or Lemon Mascarpone Mint Pound Cake with a sweet tea moonshine glaze.
Date Night Exploring Caribbean Cuisine
2293 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | 404-709-2906
Explore Caribbean cuisine in an eclectic yet intimate atmosphere at Apt 4B, an address that includes an extensive vinyl collection perfect for a sexy dinner or creative brunch. Chef Day draws on Haitian culinary traditions to whip up remixes of classic dishes such as Oxtail Hummus, Cracked Conch with a scotch bonnet pepper emulsion, Plantain Beignets, Island Seafood Curry with sauteed Maine lobster tail, Fried Whole Snapper with pickled vegetables, and Tamarind Glazed Short Ribs. Drop by for Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays for Deleon Shots, Pomegranate Margaritas, Courvoisier Side Cars, or even Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned, or stop in on Sundays after 10 p.m. for a late-night menu of turkey wings, mac and cheese, fried oyster mushrooms, and other bites to groove with the beats.
Fine Dining Steakhouse
1010 W. Peachtree Street, Suite C, Atlanta, GA
Black Restaurant Week Listing | Website | Instagram | Facebook | 770-213-0830
Perfect for a Southern comfort date night, this elegant restaurant offers appetizers such as Big Den’s Famous Crab Cake, Tuna Tartare, and Wonton Ravioli stuffed with goat cheese, shiitake mushrooms, and chicken. Savor entrees such as Georgia Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits, Pan Roasted Rosemary Chicken, Pan Seared Trout, or a USDA Prime steak such as filet mignon, bone-in ribeye, New York Strip, or the Chef’s House Selection, served with spicy Hollandaise, truffle butter, Cajun garlic butter, or garlic herb butter. Also featuring lunch, brunch, coffee, and desserts such as doughnut bread pudding and double chocolate mousse, LowCountry Steak prides itself on curated holiday menus, such as a Valentine’s Day selection of Blackened Steak Oscar, Tomahawk (a dish of lobster, corn, bacon, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, and avocado), and a Red Velvet Soufflé served with vanilla ice cream.
11. The James Room
Luxurious Cocktail Date
661 Auburn Ave. NE, Suite 280, Atlanta, GA
Website | Instagram | Facebook |678-705-8381
This cocktail lounge and café on the Belt Line encourages visitors to leave their stresses at the door and immerse themselves in a curated mix of pop, hip-hop, R&B, soul, and reggaeton; handcrafted cocktails; cozy lighting; and savory bites. Treat your love to a luxurious cocktail date here featuring charcuterie, vegan meatballs, kale Caesar salad, chicken wings, crab cakes, broccolini, and an array of beverages. Request a classic such as a margarita, sidecar, daiquiri, or Manhattan, or select a specialty cocktail. These include Orchid #8, a mix of Empress Gin, Orgeat Syrup, Giffard Caribbean Pineapple Liqueur, coconut water, lemon juice, and orange bitters; and About Last Night, a blend of Vida Mescal, Mathilde XO Orange, Blended Family Peach Liqueur, lime juice, and spiced honey. Not a night owl? The James Room also hosts an intimate brunch featuring the James Room French Toast with house-made caramel and whipped cream, Tomato Ricotta Toast, Shrimp Crudité, and more.
Whenever you and your sweetie want to sip, dine, and savor each other’s company, you’ll find plenty of date night spots in Atlanta to suit your taste and your mood. From bustling with music and bursting with flavor to cozier spots with low-key comfort food and laid-back ambiance, each has a vibe that’s only missing one thing: you.
Author: Black Restaurant Week
Content Team
