Sandy Springs gets overlooked. Most people know it as the office towers along Georgia 400 on the way to somewhere else, but it is one of the easiest places in metro Atlanta to spend a really good day: a riverside hike in the morning, an excellent lunch, and a night that can go from Persian kabobs to an escape room to a hidden speakeasy without ever getting on the interstate.
AT A GLANCE
Don’t miss
The bamboo forest at East Palisades, birria tacos at Rreal Tacos and dinner at Yalda.
Best night out
Dinner, then Escapology, then a nightcap at Chapter Room or dancing at Starlight Lounge.
Where to stay
Perimeter Center, close to the restaurants, Perimeter Mall and Georgia 400.
One perfect day in Sandy Springs
Morning: Hike the East Palisades Trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, where the path drops through a bamboo forest to bluffs over the river. Go early in summer, before the heat and the weekend crowds.
Lunch: Keep it easy with a plate from Local Expedition Wood Fired Grill or a bowl from Fresh One Kitchen, or go bigger with kabobs at Yalda, which serves lunch until 2:45 PM.
Afternoon: Walk the gardens and the original spring at Heritage Sandy Springs, then cross to City Springs, the city’s civic center with its green and performing arts theater. On Sundays there is a farmers market.
Dinner: Choose your mood. Steaks at Kaiser’s Chophouse, oysters at C&S, pasta on the rooftop at Tre Vele, or tacos and margaritas at Rreal Tacos.
Night: Book a room at Escapology, then finish with an old fashioned at Chapter Room or head to Starlight Lounge to dance on a Friday or Saturday.
By day: the river, trails and parks
The best thing about Sandy Springs is not a restaurant. Several units of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area run along the city’s western edge, so you can be on a wooded river trail within minutes of Roswell Road.
East Palisades Trail
This is the hike to do if you only do one. The trail climbs to rocky bluffs with long views over the Chattahoochee, and one stretch passes through a tall bamboo forest that feels like it belongs somewhere else entirely. Wear proper shoes, because parts are steep and rooty.
Island Ford
Island Ford is the gentler option, with riverside trails and a historic log lodge that serves as a park building. It is a good choice with kids or for an easy walk by the water.
On the water
In summer the Chattahoochee is popular for tubing and kayaking. For a quieter view, Morgan Falls Overlook Park looks out over Bull Sluice Lake behind Morgan Falls Dam, and the Lost Corner Preserve has woodland trails, gardens and a 1930s cottage.
Heritage Sandy Springs and City Springs
Heritage Sandy Springs preserves the natural spring the city is named for, along with gardens and a historic house museum. A short walk away, City Springs brings together a performing arts theater and a green that hosts concerts and a Sunday farmers market. The Abernathy Greenway Park, with sculptures and playgrounds, is another easy stop with children.
For more outdoor ideas, see our Sandy Springs city guide.
Persian and Mediterranean
Two of the best restaurants in Sandy Springs cook the food of Iran and the eastern Mediterranean.
If you eat one dinner in Sandy Springs, make it Yalda. The dining room on Aria Blvd is the most striking in the city, with crystal chandeliers, greenery and a long glowing bar, and the food lives up to it.
Start with a spread or two and warm bread: the kashk bademjoon, fried eggplant with whey, mint and crispy onion, is the one to order, with smoky mirza ghasemi or za’atar labneh alongside. Then go for kabobs. The salmon and lamb are the standouts, and saffron rice or herbed baghali polo is the right side. Finish with baklava or Persian ice cream.
Yalda serves lunch until 2:45 PM and dinner from 4 PM. Book ahead for a weekend dinner, and ask for the patio when the weather is good.
Kid Cashew is the place we would send a mixed group, because it works for nearly everyone. Small plates, big salads and butcher cuts come off a wood-fire grill, and gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan diners get real choices rather than an afterthought.
Order the rotisserie chicken or the lamb skewers, add the shrimp and polenta to share, and take a table on the patio. It also does a good happy hour and brunch.
Tacos and Mexican food
Roswell Road has Mexican food on almost every block. These three are the ones worth crossing town for.
Rreal Tacos is the best taco in Sandy Springs and one of the most popular restaurants in the area. Tacos come on handmade corn tortillas, and the range is wide: al pastor carved off a spinning trompo, pork belly, picanha with chimichurri, grilled shrimp and beef barbacoa roasted for more than 12 hours.
The order here is the birria. Get the birria tacos or the quesabirria and dip them in the hot consomé that comes on the side. Add table-side guacamole and a margarita, or a flight if you cannot decide.
It is open until midnight Monday through Saturday, which makes it the best late dinner in town.
Mexico Lindo has roots going back to 1984 and feels like a neighborhood institution, with a huge menu of fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, seafood and a taqueria section with birria, al pastor and pork belly tacos.
What sets it apart is a full vegan menu made with Impossible meat, from carne asada to enchiladas, which is rare for a Tex-Mex restaurant. Pair anything with a skinny margarita on the patio.
La Parrilla is the easy family choice: a colorful room, quick seating and a broad menu of dips, nachos, combination plates and fajitas, plus kids’ and lunch menus. Try the burrito cubano or the mango chicken, and watch for margarita specials.
For a special night out
For birthdays, anniversaries and business dinners, these four bring serious cooking and a sense of occasion. Book ahead for weekends.
Kaiser’s Chophouse is the work of two well-known Atlanta chefs, Peter Kaiser and Kevin Rathbun, and it is a steakhouse done the classic way. The prime steaks are dry-aged, the room is clubby and polished, and valet parking is complimentary.
Start with the wagyu short rib dumplings or the iced shellfish tower, then order a dry-aged ribeye or strip with Granny’s creamed corn and the truffled potato gratin. The bananas Foster bread pudding is the dessert to share, and there is a cigar list if you want to make a night of it.
It is open for dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 PM.
C&S Seafood & Oyster Bar is where to go for oysters, whether raw on the half shell, chargrilled or Rockefeller. Beyond the raw bar, the kitchen does crab cakes, lobster risotto and fresh fish.
It is one of the priciest dinners in town, often $100 or more a head. For a lighter visit, come for happy hour oysters at the bar.
The Select at City Springs is the best-looking room for a celebration, with Art Deco styling, an open kitchen and a glass conservatory. The menu is modern European: duck meatballs, miso sea bass, braised short rib and East Coast oysters.
Do not leave without the sticky toffee pudding. It is also our pick for a Sunday brunch.
Tre Vele is the pick for Italian. The pastas are made in house, and the cacio e pepe with black pepper and lemon zest is the dish to order, followed by a wood-fired pizza to share or the 8 oz filet with herbed gnocchi.
Start with the honey whipped ricotta. When the weather is good, ask for the upstairs patio or the rooftop.
Planning a trip to Sandy Springs?Compare hotels, flights and vacation rentals for Sandy Springs on Expedia.Book nowQuick, casual and healthy
For a fast lunch near the Perimeter Center offices or an easy weeknight dinner, these are quick and good value.
Local Expedition Wood Fired Grill on Hammond Drive builds plates around a wood-fired grill, with hormone-free chicken, smoked pulled pork or vegan falafel, rice or salad, pita and sauces, plus more than a dozen vegetable sides. Get the Brussels sprouts and the LA street corn. Closed Sundays.
Fresh One Kitchen makes healthy bowls to order. Our pick is the spicy chicken bowl on sweet potato noodles, and most bowls cost $10 to $20.
Food Terminal cooks Malaysian street food: nasi lemak, curry laksa, claypots and beef rendang with roti. A robot server helps bring dishes to the tables.
City Wok on Hammond Drive is a friendly Pan-Asian counter for hibachi plates, noodles, General Tso’s chicken and dumplings, for dine-in, takeout or delivery.
Scoville Hot Chicken cooks Nashville-style hot chicken at the spice level you choose, from a kitchen inside Mutation Brewing. Get the chicken sandwich with dirty fries and take it out to the brewery’s yard with a beer.
Fun things to do and nightlife
Sandy Springs is not just a dinner town. Here is where to go for games, live entertainment, a hidden bar or a night of dancing.
Escapology is our favorite thing to do with a group in Sandy Springs. Each team is locked into a detailed themed room and has to solve its way out against the clock, and the rooms range from a Mona Lisa heist and a haunted house to a murder mystery and a Scooby-Doo room that works well for families.
It is ideal for birthdays, date nights and team outings. Book ahead, especially on weekends, and come hungry: Mexico Lindo and Starlight Lounge are both close by on Roswell Road.
Battle & Brew is a video game restaurant and bar with console and PC gaming, board games, geek trivia, tournaments and cosplay events. The menu plays along, with burgers like Il Classico and The King Ghidorah. It is closed Mondays.
Mutation Brewing and Distilling Company is the best afternoon-into-evening hangout in town, with a big outdoor space, swings, arcade and board games, beer pong, trivia and a speakeasy-style bar. The beers and frozen seltzers change often, and Scoville Hot Chicken cooks inside.
Chapter Room is a hidden, speakeasy-style bar on Roswell Road, with a wood-and-stone room, low lighting and comfortable booths. Order the old fashioned or pick from a deep craft beer list. It is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 PM, and it is small, so arrive early on weekends.
Starlight Lounge & Grill is the place to dress up and dance. The lounge has a starry ceiling, a glowing bar and a dance floor, and the kitchen serves kabobs, hummus and calamari before the party starts. It is open Thursday to Saturday, until 2 AM on weekends.
Cigar City Club is a grown-up cigar lounge and cocktail bar with a humidor, live music, a kitchen and outdoor seating. It draws a mature crowd and gets lively on busy nights.
The Ship & Anchor Pub is a cozy English pub, all oak and stained glass, with comedy shows, music bingo, live music, trivia, pool and darts, plus a patio with fire pits. Open every day until 1 AM.
North River Tavern is the late-night standby, open until 2 AM every day with karaoke, trivia, pool, darts and pinball, jumbo wings in more than 15 flavors and craft burgers like the Triple Bypass.
Pubs and sports bars
For a pint, a long brunch or a big game.
Thos. O’Reilly’s Public House at City Walk pours Guinness and serves Irish classics like shepherd’s pie and corned beef and cabbage, with live Irish music, a rooftop and patio, and a brunch with bottomless mimosas.
Hudson Grille is the big game-day bar on Roswell Road, with screens everywhere, wings, sliders, shrimp and grits, a patio and a private dining room. Open until 2 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.
Where to stay
Stay around Perimeter Center. You are close to Perimeter Mall, the restaurants on Hammond Drive and Aria Blvd, and Georgia 400, which runs south to Buckhead.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center is an all-suite hotel with spacious, updated rooms, free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, an outdoor pool, a fitness center and a lobby coffee and cocktail bar.
La Quinta Inn & Suites Atlanta Perimeter Medical is a casual, practical option near the Perimeter medical centers, with free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, free parking and an outdoor pool.
Practical tips
- Book ahead for Kaiser’s Chophouse, C&S, The Select, Yalda and Escapology on Friday and Saturday nights.
- For a late night, North River Tavern is open until 2 AM daily, and Starlight Lounge and Hudson Grille stay open until 2 AM on weekends. Rreal Tacos serves until midnight Monday through Saturday.
- Plan around closing days: Battle & Brew is closed Mondays, Chapter Room on Mondays and Tuesdays, Kaiser’s on Sundays and Mondays, Local Expedition on Sundays, and Starlight Lounge opens only Thursday to Saturday.
- The river trails get busy on summer weekends. Go early, bring water and wear shoes with grip.
- Hours and menus change, so check each profile for today’s hours before you go.
More in Sandy Springs
See our Sandy Springs city guide for more things to do.
