Buckhead

Come here for a cacio e pepe that rivals anything you’d get in Italian trattoria. It probably has something to do with the fact that chef Michael Patrick not only makes all his own pasta but he also sources his own meat from local farms and grows his own herbs. Those adept in the kitchen will be happy to know that many of the ingredients—the olive oil, the tuna, the dried pasta from a factory south of Naples, as well as meats and cheeses—are for sale in their adjacent storefront. Take note: Wooden tables and bare walls mean it gets noisy pretty fast.

Trainer Tammy Stokes (who moved to Atlanta from LA) is all about full-body training, so you can expect her workouts to use medicine balls, free weights, and a custom-designed bench that she uses for core training. Tammy also does cleanses and nutrition support, for people who want a more holistic weight-loss program.

Sugarcoat gets bonus points for their interiors, which are high-ceilinged and airy, with color-coordinated polish walls and poppy glass bulbs hung sculpturally from the ceiling. We also love their intense commitment to keeping everything clean—each new client gets a kit of nail files buffers, toe separators, and pumice stones to keep, as those products are never used on two different clients. They also have specially designed porcelain sinks with fresh running water, so bacteria from soaking tubs is never recirculated from one client to the next, and you never have to worry about the ick-factor that comes with regular soaking tubs. You can also find them in Virginia Highland and Vinings.

Owned by two ridiculously fit local trainers, Jeff Toney and Amy Selig, the workouts here are based on the Lagree Method, a pilates-based practice that uses a combination of cardio and strength training to get the posture and lengthening benefits of the former along with the calorie-burn and metabolism boost of the latter. Everything happens on a Megaformer, and since the room can only hold a few of them, the classes have the added benefit of always feeling super intimate and personalized. There's a second studio in Midtown.

This sweet little juice bar, now three locations strong, first opened back in 2014 with a commitment to sourcing organic produce from local Georgia farmers and wholesalers. In addition to the requisite juices, smoothies, and elixirs, they have a small selection of solid food, including acai bowls, nori rolls, soups, and salads. Hard-core cleansers might want to try their pre-packaged juice cleanses and meal plans, served in their adorable (and signature) glass bottles. You can also find them in Knight Park and Piedmont Heights.

Cacao founder Kristen Hard is a bit of a local hero—she opened her shop after taking a sabbatical from her law studies to travel (including working as a chef on a yacht). Hard is one of the only “bean-to-bar” producers in the region, which means she sources the beans herself, the roasts and shells them in-house. The result is ridiculously complex chocolate that you can really only get in Atlanta. (There are also locations in Inman Park and Virginia Highland).

The menu here changes every day based on what’s in season (Jenny sources all her produce locally), and you’ll always find plenty of soups—warm in the winter, and chilled in the summer. The entire operation skews healthy, at there's never a time where you won't find both a gluten-free and vegan soup on the menu. They now have four locations (in addition to Buckhead, there are Souper Jenny's in Brookhaven, Decatur, and Blandtown), serving every major neighborhood.

Situated in Buckhead opposite Lenox Square (read: in close proximity to much of the city’s high-end shopping and fancier restaurants) this Ritz has a classic, grand lobby with gilded-frame paintings and dark wood. Upstairs, the guest rooms are light-filled and modern with mahogany floors, custom cabinetry, a walk-in shower and marble vanity. A wellness level, on the 9th floor, features decadent treatments like a honey and rose facial and a lavender body wrap. A rooftop, glass-encased Olympic-sized swimming pool is a great place to unwind in cooler months.

This is our pick for a fine-dining, white-tablecloth experience in Atlanta—Chef Linton Hopkins is known for locally sourced ingredients, delicate plating, and sophisticated flavor profiles, all delivered by a supremely knowledgeable and attentive staff. While ordering à la carte is an option, you’ll be in good hands with their seven-course tasting menu.

This is one of those places that immediately transports you somewhere else: in the case, Austin, Texas. In addition to the endless patio outside, there's a stage for live music inside, and the décor is wonderfully Texan, with a big star behind the bar and a classic longhorn mount. If you're there for drinks, get the guacamole, queso, and a Vampire Weekend, their house horchata cocktail. They also have a location in Cabbagetown.