A new trend in Atlanta dining is redefining hotels and condos—and dining in general. Developers for many of Metro Atlanta’s condos and hotels are including amazing restaurants as amenities to attract residents and guests. (What’s more convenient than a short elevator ride for great cuisine?) The trend of incorporating restaurants into hotels and condos in Metro Atlanta is becoming so popular that it would be difficult to find a new development of this type without a restaurant—or without plans for one in the future.

While attractive to residents and guests, the eateries are catching the eye of passersby as well—with their sleek exteriors, trendy interiors and, of course, incredible food. Thus, condos and hotels, once only places for residents and guests to live or stay the night, are fast becoming dining hot spots. The following represent some of the city’s finest in hotel-condo dining.

Dogwood

Executive chef and co-owner Shane Touhy uses local ingredients to create sophisticated Southern cuisine for Dogwood in the luxury condo development Reynolds on Peachtree. The grand staircase, exposed wood beams and bold lighting conspire to create a welcoming atmosphere. “We want Dogwood to truly portray the meaning of Southern hospitality,” says co-owner and managing partner Scott Black.

With dishes such as Vidalia onion soup and SoCo-glazed pork chop with caramelized shallots and Silver Queen soufflé, Dogwood prepares elegant Southern fare to perfection. The menu includes a “grits bar” that allows guests to order the daily grits special (e.g., creamy yellow stone ground) served with choice of Low Country shrimp, fried oyster or ham. A melt-in-your-mouth grilled lemon pound cake with Key lime butter cookie gelato affords a nice finish.

Lobby

Lobby at TWELVE Hotel & Residences Atlantic Station serves up modern American fare in a stylish atmosphere. A floating bar, visible from the entrance, acts as the focal point, and an open kitchen divides the restaurant into two intimate spaces. The diverse seasonal menu features a variety of flavors in both small plates and appetizers, as well as salads and entrees. Highlights include the bianca pizza (made in a wood-fire oven) topped with fresh parmesan, mozzarella, Fresno peppers and olives seasoned with basil and garlic, and a perfectly seared Georgia rainbow trout with artichoke, grape tomatoes and herb vinaigrette.

Maxim Prime

From restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow and Maxim magazine comes Atlanta’s Maxim Prime, a modern steakhouse located in The Glenn Hotel. The trend-setting Maxim Prime boasts a rooftop lounge, two private dining areas (one with an attached terrace), in addition to the main dining room. The restaurant features a Garden of Eden-style theme, with LED-backlit cut-outs of leaves, snakes and a tempting apple, as well as a heavy backlit glass-topped bar carved with the seven deadly sins and seven heavenly virtues.

	Neo’s Tomato Salad.

The majority of the food is served à la carte or as small plates. The focus, of course, is steak. (Only corn-fed, all-natural and hormone-free dry-aged prime from Brandt in California is used.) But the steaks certainly have some competition, from irresistible items such as surf ‘n’ turf options, sushi rolls, seafood dishes like East and West Coast oysters, and Southern dishes such as the fried green tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad stack.

Neo

Neo in the ultra-luxury hotel and residence Mansion on Peachtree serves contemporary Italian cuisine. The intimate restaurant overlooks the property’s exquisite English garden, and many of its tables and booths offer a view of the 12-foot-by-12-foot grand window.

Executive chef Eric Chopin and chef de cuisine Giuseppe Napoli create masterful authentic dishes. The menu is set up in traditional Italian style, with five courses: appetizer, soup or salad, pasta or rice dish, entrée (meat or fish) and dessert. The organic tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella salad is, quite simply, art on a plate. The cheese is stuffed into a whole tomato and topped with two Grissini sticks with aged balsamic drizzled on the plate. And it tastes as good as it looks. Another signature item is the pappardelle neopasta with Maine lobster in a lemon grass sauce. For dessert, try the tiramisu, elegantly served in a martini glass.

Room

At Room, a unique new steakhouse at TWELVE Hotel & Residences Centennial Park, executive chef Nick Oltarsh serves up modernized American classics. With a superb view of the skyline for patio diners and a warm, welcoming atmosphere featuring dark woods, shades of steel and touches of red for those who prefer to dine indoors, Room is the perfect spot to entertain business clients and out-of-town guests, as well as friends and family. “Room does not offer your traditional masculine steakhouse environment, but gives diners a more modern experience from a visual standpoint,” says Room restaurateur Bob Amick.

Room serves modernized American classics in a chic, contemporary space.

Designed for steak and sushi lovers, Room offers prime cuts of filet, Kansas City strip, rib eye and porterhouse (sauces, toppings, veggies and carb choices provide a create-your-own-cut vibe). Experienced sushi eaters may enjoy The Room Platter for two, a large assortment of complex sushi and sashimi chosen and assembled daily by the sushi chef.

Spice Market

A New York City-style restaurant in the South, Spice Market at the hotel W Atlanta Midtown is inspired by vibrant street life in Southeast Asia, serving adventurous Asian culinary offerings in a fun atmosphere. Ropes hang from the ceiling, amid brass, steel and wood chassis, creating a visual centerpiece above the tables.

A lunchtime “Bento Box” containing multiple courses served in only 20 minutes is perfect for a quick business luncheon. The regular dinner menu features delights such as black pepper shrimp with sun-dried pineapple, and red curried duck. The dishes are spicy, but the popular kumquat mojito is a perfect complement.

Featured

Dogwood 404-835-1410 www.dogwoodrestaurant.com
Neo 404-995-7545 www.mansiononpeachtree.com
Lobby 404-961-7370 www.lobbyattwelve.com
Room 404-418-1250 www.tealeavesandthyme.com
Maxim Prime 404-469-0700 www.tealeavesandthyme.com
Spice Market 404-549-5450 www.spicemarketatlanta.com