5 Atlanta Date Nights
For a memorable night out in Atlanta, make a beeline to one of these surprisingly scrumptious venues.
Atlanta’s top culinary talent are upping the date night ante and opening one-of-a-kind, chef-driven venues where the eats are equally as noteworthy as the entertainment. Here are five places that are sure to impress.
1. Dinner and Golf at TopGolf
A day at the driving range hasn’t always been an activity to please the masses… until TopGolf Alpharetta opened. The three-story, dog-friendly facility boasts more than 100 hitting bays (each with a digital scorecard, game center with HDTVs, plush couches and a dedicated server), video games, pool tables and live music.
As if that weren’t enough reason to go, you must try the food. Start with an order of the wings bathed in sauces like Asian Sesame before moving on to plays on comfort food classics, like fried chicken and waffle sliders with spicy jalapeno gravy, and a dangerously delicious burger topped with green chili mac ‘n cheese, all washed down with beer from Jekyll Brewing. For a sweet finish, go with the cinnamon-sugar-dusted donut holes, which are injected tableside with fillings like chocolate, raspberry jelly or Bavarian cream.
2. Dinner and Bowling at The Painted Pin
With a menu that includes wood-fired pepperoni pizza laced with truffle oil, hand-cut fries loaded with cheddar, chiles, bacon, scallions and crema, and fried chicken sliders with spicy mayo and housemade pickles, you’d never guess you were eating a bowling alley. But, Justin Amick has knocked down all 10 pins with his latest venture, The Painted Pin. The gaming mecca is home to 20 vintage bowling lanes, upscale service, incredible small plates — don’t miss the In-and-Out-inspired burger — craft cocktails and a wine list rivaling those in the city’s top restaurants. There’s often a wait for bowling, but an indoor gaming courtyard full of complimentary games (bocce courts, shuffleboard, ping pong and Skee-Ball) and live music will entertain you while you wait.
3. Dinner and a Movie at CineBistro
At CinéBistro at Town Brookhaven, you can relax in an ultra plush, high back leather rocking chair while a dedicated server brings you buttermilk fried chicken with loaded mashed potatoes, bacon and cheddar waffles, and honeyed Tabasco while you watch the latest blockbuster. Not to mention, there’s complimentary popcorn and a full beer, wine and cocktail list, too. Discuss the plot over a Peachtree Street cocktail (Maker’s Mark, peach purée and fresh lemon juice) afterward in the swanky lounge.
4. Dinner and a Spa Visit at Jeju Sauna
It's not often that a relaxing visit to the spa comes with spectacular international eats, but at Duluth's Jeju Sauna, one of the largest, most authentic Korean spas in the country, spagoers can finish their detox with refreshing fruit smoothies and juices, mandu (Korean dumplings), ddukbokgi (rice cakes stir-fried with sliced fish cake in a chile sauce) and traditional soups, like kimchi jjigae. Even better, you get to eat barefoot on the floor in an ensemble so comfy you may just want to curl up in one of the saunas afterward for a nap.
5. Dinner and a Concert at Stationside
Atlantans have been flocking to Terminal West for live music since 2012, but the addition of Stationside in 2013 pushed the King Plow Arts Center venue over the top. Chef Dan Brown opened the counter-service spot as a modern take on the traditional soup and sandwich joint. You’ll be hard-pressed to leave your trendy red oak table and make your way to the stage — though, you won’t have to miss a beat as TVs screen the live show next door while you nosh.
