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Viral food trends come and go. (Remember cronuts and cruffins, breakfast charcuterie, and “Girl Dinner,” aka snacks for dinner?) These trends feed off the social media hype machine, quickly flaming out and replaced by the next fad spreading across the internet.
Other food trends aren’t as obvious or sexy. These are scene-defining trends with staying power that quietly emerge in response to subtle shifts in the economy, area demographics, and consumer dining and spending habits, or prompted by major events and even climate change. The 1990s were defined by brass-and-fern restaurants, while cupcakes, bacon, and burgers became the IT foods during the 2010s. In recent years, we’ve seen a proliferation of brunch spots and omakase restaurants opening around Atlanta and watched pop-ups transform into some of the city’s best restaurants.
What’s in store for Atlanta restaurants in 2025? We’re monitoring these five food trends emerging on the dining scene this year.
Wine is winning
Wine-centric restaurants, bars, and pop-ups have risen in popularity over the last four years in Atlanta with the openings of Larakin, El Vinedo Local, Lucian Books & Wine, The Vibrary, and Commune. Atlantans’ enthusiasm for wine and wine-driven spaces will continue in 2025.
Amaro and wine bar Fawn just opened in Decatur, while Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant opened in Alpharetta, and wine bar Madeira Park, backed by the owners of Miller Union and Dive Wine, opened in Poncey-Highland. Natural wine pop-up Stanky Wine returned after a year-long hiatus.
Look for Side Saddle Wine Saloon to open this spring in Boulevard Heights and Nostalgia Wine and Jazz Lounge to open later this fall in downtown Atlanta.
Comfort food
From fried chicken to Caesar salad to the McGriddle to the diner breakfast, comfort food is getting the chef treatment in 2025.
New restaurants holding space for comfort food include Mother’s Best Fried Chicken in Decatur and Small Fry at Atlanta Dairies, where a vodka parm sandwich reigns supreme. There are ham and cheese beignets at Madeira Park, New Zealand hand pies at Heaps in Decatur, grilled kimcheese sandwiches at Heart & Seoul Cafe in Roswell, and diner breakfast served the brand new L5P Diner in Little Five Points.
At the new Spanky’s pop-up, you might be served a raviolo stuffed with blistered local eggplant, fermented chili, and bean paste sprinkled with Cheez-It focaccia breadcrumbs, ending the night with Jell-O shots and maybe a squirt gun fight.
Over in East Atlanta Village, newcomer The Pub at EAV serves everything from disco fries and a Scotch egg to a Cobb salad with hammock greens and lemon pepper chicken to boozy bread pudding.
After opening fine dining restaurant Avize Modern Alpine Kitchen on Brady Avenue last year, Chef Karl Gorline just debuted Bar Avize next door. Here, the mood is chill and casual paired with snacky dishes like flammekueche, truffle fries drizzled with Taleggio Cheez-Whiz, a venison brat hot dog, and chicken nuggets topped with caviar accompanied by hot honey and crème fraîche.
Related story:
• Bar Avize opens for cocktails, flammekueche, and cheese fries
• Black chef collective, The New South, proves there’s joy, strength, and support in numbers
Supper clubs and chef collectives
Bovino After Dark and Seventh House, Wick and Nick’s, The New South, Stolen Goods, Maria ATL, Dirt Church, Fork Goes Clink, Homeakaseatl, and Light Metal are just some of the supper clubs and chef collectives popular on Atlanta’s underground dining scene.
Limited to a few seats and by reservation only, you’ll find these supper clubs and chef collective dinners hosted at restaurants on off days, private homes, parks, and even at a chef’s house. Unlike members-only clubs, supper clubs are open to the public, inclusive, and meant to be communal dining experiences tied to storytelling through food.
Related stories:
• Stroll serves coffee and Latin street food from a Midtown Airstream
• Add these Atlanta-made gins and sojus to your home bar
• Communidad Taqueria opening in old Highland Bakery space
More collaborative spaces
In 2025, expect more restaurants collaborating with other restaurants, pop-ups, and markets to open around Atlanta.
The silver Airstream that once hosted Banjo Coffee’s Beltline location now houses Stroll Coffee y Snacks, a collaboration between Andy Bibliowicz of Atlanta Collaborative, Luis Enrique of Chispas Snacks, and Marissa Childers of Tanbrown Coffee. Look for other partnerships here in 2025.
After launching Minhwa Spirits last year in Doraville, James Kim and Ming Han Chung partnered with Asian-American-owned Postern Coffee and Korean food pop-up Ganji to open a coffee shop and cafe at the tasting room.
Opening later this spring in the old Highland Bakery space, Tex-Mex restaurant Communidad Taqueria, from Poco Loco chef Nick Melvin, will include a small market and Mexican pastries and desserts from Teresa Finney of micro-bakery At Heart Panaderia.
Upper West Market, a new indoor farmers market opening this summer in Underwood Hills, will include a wine bar from Hop City and Summerland Cafe from James Beard award-winning chef Anne Quatrano, along with several food stalls.
Power lunches
Is the “power lunch” returning? Maybe. After discontinuing the meal service during the pandemic, Atlanta restaurants are beginning to bring lunch back with specials and deals aimed at the business meeting crowd.
Despite people returning to the office, however, it appears remote workers may be behind the renewal of the power lunch. But today’s power lunch doesn’t look like those from the 1980s and 1990s. Remote work has definitely altered the vibe, what’s served, and even where and how a power lunch takes place.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Tech women lose