The Best Restaurants in Savannah, According to our Tastemakers

The upscale new American cuisine at 700 Drayton at The Mansion on Forsyth Park fits with the sophistication of its venue in the historic district. The striking dining room features a woodburning fireplace, drapery-divided nooks, dark leather, gleaming chandeliers and a touch of taxidermy. Executive chef Blake Young’s breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch menus reveal a local inspiration with global influences. Fresh seafood is a specialty, and the dinner menu includes some substantial steaks and chops, among them a 28-day aged Midwest corn-fed beef with signature bohemian rub. Also look for daily special features, such as oyster Tuesday, Low County Thursday and prime rib Saturday.

Pacci Italian Kitchen and Bar is inside the Kimpton Brice Hotel in the historic district, a stone’s throw from Washington Square. The restaurant’s rustic farmhouse-chic décor, with black and white fixtures and ample natural light, complements its coastal Italian cuisine prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Signature dishes from executive chef Brian Cripps include asparagus carbonara with a poached farm egg, Coca-Cola glazed short ribs with forest mushroom risotto and ricotta toast on brioche with roasted radish and local honey. Hit up the daily aperitivo hour for great deals on cheese plates, meatball hoagies and Italian beers, wines and cocktails.

Savannah’s coffee aficionados have long recognized Collins Quarter as one of the best restaurants in Savannah for its coffee shop-meets-wine bar-meets-restaurant concept, which is inspired by the café culture of Melbourne, Australia. Collins Quarter presents a very popular brunch and daily breakfasts, and later in the day it's a choice venue for leisurely beers, wines, cocktails and modern, creative cuisine. Expect fusion fare and seasonally inspired items such as the brisket burger, hummus appetizer, hot chicken with spicy Asian sauce and roasted peanuts, and an Aussie lamb shank slow-cooked for 12 hours.

The Emporium, a French-inspired brasserie in the historic district’s Perry Lane Hotel, is a restaurant and wine market designed to showcase local artisanal products. The kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and happy hour seven days a week, as well as brunch on weekends. The French influence is exemplified by classics like steak frites, fresh fish en papillote and croque madame, while other highlights like a smoked pork po’ boy and roasted barbecue oysters with bourbon smoked jalapeno butter are a nod to southern flavors. Look for daily specials such as buttermilk fried chicken on Sundays, rabbit ragout on Mondays and bouillabaisse on Fridays.

Husk's owner, the acclaimed chef Sean Brock, opened his Savannah location in 2018, building upon the reputation of its popular predecessors Nashville and Greenville. The outstanding venue is a three-story, circa-1898 mansion in the heart of the Landmark Historic District that seats up to 200. Husk’s menus change weekly, but always showcase exclusively sustainable, local ingredients that are largely sourced across coastal Georgia. Low country classics like shrimp and grits, cornbread, fried chicken and cocktails that are heavy on the bourbon pay homage to Savannah’s culinary heritage. Expect to see Georgia shrimp, duck, May River oysters and farm-fresh heirloom vegetables whose provenance is displayed on a chalkboard in the dining room.

Prohibition takes inspiration for its vintage décor and heady cocktails from an old-time speakeasy, and its cuisine is an intriguing blend of elevated street food, soul food and southern classics with contemporary twists. Within wood-paneled walls accented with exposed brick and stacks of bourbon barrels, diners choose from a la carte menus for lunch, brunch, dinner, happy hour and late night, or a five-course chef’s tasting menu with optional drink pairing. Signature dishes include deviled eggs with crispy chicken skin, grilled street corn, pig trotter tots and warm oysters, a dish inspired by Brunswick stew.

Rocks on the River at the Bohemian Hotel boasts panoramic river views and a sophisticated venue decked out in marble and dark wood with bold red accents. Its rooftop bar area, which features a fire pit and sometimes live entertainment, is the prime place to dine and take in the views, but the cozy lounge area and dining room compete admirably for diners’ attention as well. The restaurant specializes in comfort food with a southern accent, offering dishes such as fried green tomatoes with jalapeno ranch, feta and chives, and peel-and-eat jumbo shrimp with Old Bay-spiced butter among an array of burgers, Neapolitan pizzas, steak and seafood entrees.

Anthony Debreceny, who also owns The Collins Quarter and The Deck on Tybee Island, draws on his Australian home land as inspiration for The Fitzroy’s elevated pub-style cuisine. Highlights of the Fitzroy’s brunch and dinner menus include a salad of papaya and curry-spiced fried tofu, Korean tomahawk short rib with kimchi, and the Aussie burger loaded with sweet pickled beets, bacon, pineapple, an over-easy egg, bbq sauce and more. The chic but casual venue, a revitalized historic space downtown, features rooftop and indoor seating and a centerpiece bar sourced from London’s Central Station.

Husband-and-wife team Patrick and Jenny McNamara run one of the best restaurants in Savannah for a romantic meal, Noble Fare at the corner of Jefferson and Harris streets downtown. It’s open for dinner only, a fine-dining experience under chandeliers, with a wine bar on the second floor ideal for pre- or post-dinner drinks. Choose from the frequently changing a la carte or chef’s tasting menus, which always include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. A signature dish is the duck-duck-no goose, an entrée of duck breast and duck jus risotto with a touch of star anise syrup. Another highlight is the crispy pork belly starter with black eyed peas and orange mustard BBQ sauce.

Local 11ten Food and Wine occupies a restored 1950s-era bank in historic downtown Savannah, a stunning location just south of Forsyth Park. The menu of sustainably sourced, market-driven cuisine changes frequently but consistently focuses on Georgia coast seafood and southern flavors. Exemplary dishes include a blue crab souffle, seared sea scallops in a chive-lemon beurre blanc, a smoked bison brisket, and fried Virginia oysters with fermented green garlic slaw and rhubarb gastrique. Opt for a street-front window seat for delightful people-watching to go with an elegant meal.

Lonely Planet calls The Olde Pink House Restaurant “one of Savannah’s most consistently great restaurants.” Its stunning venue is a 1771 mansion in the historic district with the dining room upstairs, an underground tavern with live piano music and outdoor seating as well. Add to its charms a nightly dinner menu of classic Low Country cuisine and it’s clear why the Olde Pink House is regarded one of the best restaurants in Savannah for a special occasion. Lavish platters are a specialty, with seven options including chilled seafood towers and the Habersham platter with shrimp and grits, crab cake and seared scallops. Appetizers and entrees share space on the lengthy menu with approximately 20 sides, among them cheddar grits, sweet potato with pecan-vanilla butter, collards with ham and other southern comfort food classics.

Alligator Soul is an elegant and romantic farm-to-table restaurant in the basement of Colonial-era grain warehouse in the historic district. Its focus is on organic, natural, locally sourced ingredients, with a signature nightly offering of uncommon meats and games. The night’s “exotic specialty” might feature elk, camel, kangaroo, ostrich or pheasant. Just as tempting are the local day boat fish of the day, a gumbo with Georgia shrimp, clams, mussels, crawfish and andouille, and the oysters a la soul appetizer stuffed with bacon, crawfish, scallions and a spiced creamy sauce. Savannah Magazine named Alligator Soul a Best of Savannah Award winner in 2016.

Elizabeth on 37th, which occupies a circa-1900 mansion on Thomas Square, has impressed Savannah’s critics, locals and visitors alike since 1981. Its chefs focus on coastal seafood and local produce, including herbs grown in the restaurant’s own garden. The restaurant is open for dinner only, presenting a menu of Low Country classics evolved to satisfy contemporary tastes. Options might include spicy Savannah red rice with Georgia shrimp, Half Moon River clams, grouper, sausage and okra, or a double-cut Berkshire pork chop with five-cheese macaroni and an apple-cabbage slaw. When they’re in season, local blue crabs, oysters and Virginia sea scallops are certain highlights. Forbes once named Elizabeth of 37th one of the top 40 restaurants in America.

Vic’s on the River is one of the best restaurants in Savannah for refined southern cuisine with glorious views. The five-story brick building, a beautifully renovated former warehouse, boasts window tables with views of the Savannah River. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily, plus brunch on Sundays. Among its offerings are a herb-crusted grouper entrée with trumpet mushrooms, green apples and fingerling sweet potatoes under a leek cream sauce, and an award-winning appetizer or crawfish beignets with tabasco syrup.

A historic district charmer, a.Lure Savannah presents contemporary versions of classic southern cuisine in its rustic-meets-modern setting. The farm-to-fork restaurant focuses on fresh seafood, and all the meats, produce and dairy used in its playful preparations are sourced locally and regionally. Small plates are a popular option among diners happy to share. Among them are fried green tomatoes with Cajun remoulade and a pickled and grilled green salsa, and lamb carpaccio with basil, capers, scallion oil and savory sweetgrass dairy blue cheese ice cream. Don’t overlook a.Lure’s creative cocktails, such as the award-winning ginger skyline, nor its dessert menu featuring a decadent chocolate peanut butter s’more tort.

Circa 1875 Savannah takes equal inspiration from casual pubs and fine French bistros, presenting a casual vibe in its bar area and a more formal setting in its restaurant dining room. The historic district gem exudes charm throughout with its vintage artwork and jazz soundtrack. Meanwhile its menus present creative, southern-tinged takes on bistro fare, offering escargot, pate, steak frites, French onion soup and cassoulet, among other tempting choices. Other signatures include coquilles St. Jacques, baked scallops in a mornay sauce, and crepes aux crevettes, with local Georgia shrimp, peppers and asparagus in a Pernod bechamel.

One of the oldest restaurants and inns in Savannah, 17Hundred90 Inn and Restaurant takes guests back in time to the year of the city’s founding. The property combines three early-19th-century residences with many original features (and naturally a lot of ghost stories) and offers its nostalgic cuisine in both tavern and formal restaurant settings. Signature dishes include Miss Annette’s crab stew with blue crab, scallions and sherry, and 1790 signature escargots over puff pastry with tomato, mushrooms, garlic and a white wine butter sauce. Other highlights include a spicy jambalaya, a dozen wild Georgia shrimp, either sautéed or blackened, and pork osso bucco. A bar menu offers more casual fare including a grilled cheese on sourdough with jalapeno mayo.