You can easily spend a whole weekend walking aimlessly through the charming oak-lined streets of Savannah, Georgia, admiring the beautiful old squares, parks, and historic buildings. When you want to refuel or sit down for an incredible evening meal to end your day, you’ll find that Savannah offers a wide range of restaurants that caters to almost every preference and taste.
With a dizzying array of options, from modern bistros and international cuisine to traditional old Southern cooking, the Savannah restaurant scene is one of the best in the entire state of Georgia. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your next date night, a family day out, or a friendly group get-together, we picked some of our favorite spots in town to share with you. We’re sure you’ll find at least one to savor.
Cotton & Rye
Cotton & Rye has been one of the highest-rated restaurants in Savannah for years, attracting local regulars and out-of-town visitors alike. This eatery enjoys putting a modern twist on traditional ingredients and culinary methods. The chefs here make breads, sausages, and pâtés from scratch, ensuring that their customers have access to the freshest ingredients around.
The dishes are incredibly creative and imaginative while still including old Southern staples, such as cornbread and grits, which most customers highly recommend. If you’re going to try just one appetizer, go for the award-winning crispy chicken wings. Check out the incredible wine selection while you’re here, and make sure you leave room for dessert — the Candy Bar dessert is amazing.
Chive Sea Bar & Lounge
This 1920s-inspired restaurant and lounge is nestled in the beautiful historic district. In addition to serving some of the classiest and most delicious vintage cocktails in town, the Chive Sea Bar & Lounge also specializes in seafood dishes, as the name suggests. But it serves other cuisines as well.
Although you can’t go wrong with almost any item on this carefully crafted menu, try the crab soup, Prince Edward oysters, or tuna ceviche. If you want an alternative to seafood, go for the asparagus risotto. This is also a good place to visit if you have a vegetarian in the group, as the restaurant happily caters to customers with dietary preferences or restrictions, and many dishes are vegetarian.
The Olde Pink House
The building in which The Olde Pink House restaurant is nestled is almost as incredible as the mansion itself. Located in Savannah’s historic district, this pink-tinged mansion was originally built in 1771. In accordance with its historical setting, the restaurant focuses on perfecting and serving traditional local Southern cuisine.
Try the cornbread fried oysters, jumbo sea scallops, and chef’s fried chicken. After a night of music, excellent service, and an incredible meal, stop by Arches Bar within the house for a nightcap. Reservations are highly encouraged, as the restaurant tends to fill up quickly, especially on evenings when you can catch live music in the cellar tavern.
Jazz’d Tapas Bar
Walk down to this chic, sophisticated, industrially styled space to experience a night of incredible food and cocktails. Because this location also doubles as a bar, you must be 18 or older to enter, so save Jazz’d Tapas Bar for a date night rather than a family outing.
As you might have guessed from the name, the bar frequently has live music playing for an extra cultured touch. The tapas menu makes it easy for customers to taste a big variety of dishes without getting too full. Even though the restaurant is tapas-style, most of the dishes are inspired by American — and more specifically, Southern — cuisine. A few local favorites include lamb lollipops, the Terra Cotta Cheese Platter, and the Low Country Shrimp & Grits.
Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room
This is the only restaurant we’ve included in our list of favorite dining spots before, but it’s so good we couldn’t help ourselves.
Come get a taste of true Southern hospitality at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room. This unique restaurant does things a little bit differently, offering shared tables for its customers, so you can sit down right next to new people, share a meal, and make new friends.
The idea behind the restaurant is to make guests feel at home, with a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere and the mass sharing of plates across the big tables, even with people you don’t know. You’ll taste delicious homemade Southern dishes that’ll remind you of the cooking you experienced back home with mom.
Try the staples, such as fried chicken, black-eyed peas, and macaroni and cheese. Keep in mind before you go that this is one of the most popular spots in Savannah, and it only serves lunch. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., but you may have to line up 30 minutes to an hour before to get inside. However, the experience, food, and hospitality are truly worth it.
The Wyld
Eat a meal right on the docks, with a beautiful view of the water below you, at The Wyld. Focused almost exclusively on seafood, the menu rotates with the season, so if you go twice in three months, you might find completely new dishes.
For now, you can try the local fish tacos, clam rolls, and crispy okra. Spend a weekend evening relaxing in this ultra-casual eatery, and if the weather gets chilly, crowd around the fire pit along with everyone else. If you want to spend some more time here after you’re done with your meal, grab a cocktail and line up for a game of bocce ball.
Whether you’re looking for something casual or upscale, a menu with light seafood dishes, or hearty Southern cuisine, Savannah restaurants have something for every taste. We’ve listed some of our favorites above, but if you have a local spot you absolutely love that we missed, please contact us at Vaden Chevrolet Savannah and let us know, as we would love to include it in a future post.
The Olde Pink House Restaurant & Tavern — 23 Abercorn Street Reynolds Square Savannah (GA) 2012 by Ron Cogswell is licensed with CC BY 2.0
