by Anonymouse

Created on: October 29, 2008   Last Updated: November 14, 2008

With such a vast range of upscale restaurants in Atlanta, choosing where to dine can be difficult. So how does anybody decide on just one? By knowing the best of the best: the ones with features that stand out from the rest.

Most Authentic Local: Restaurant Eugene

Most Atlanta restaurants take pride in Southern hospitality, but Restaurant Eugene is one of the few that offer upscale down-home cuisine to go along with it. With dishes like "A Study in Mississippi Rabbit" and "Georgia English Pea and Buttermilk Soup", there's plenty of regional flavor to be savored. To top it all off, the beverages are as delectable as the Southern gourmet meals. Restaurant Eugene received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence four years in a row!

Most Authentic Foreign: Veni Vidi Vici

Two years in a row, from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Veni Vidi Vici received the Consumer's Choice Award for Business excellence. Not only is the service laudable, but meals arrive steaming, fresh from the kitchen. Duck is served straight off the spit! As the Executive Chef at Veni Vidi Vici, Jamie Adams must deliver authentic Italian tastes. Good thing he spent nearly five years mastering his craft in Italy.

Best Menu: JOEL

Chef Joel Antunes founded the gastronomic gem that is JOEL. To make him the culinary mastermind that he is today, he learned and practiced his skills in London, Asia, Paris, and Southern France. Once Atlanta, he created French dishes with outstanding Asian and Mediterranean panache. JOEL's extraordinary menu offers fine entrees like "Duck Leg Confit, Fregola Pasta, Banyuls Jus", scrumptious desserts, such as "Chocolate Pistachio Millefeuille", and includes an exquisite thirty-page wine list.

Most Unique: Kyma

Nothing quite compares to Kyma, the posh Greek seafood tavern. Upon walking in, two words come to mind: upscale spaceship. Imitation constellations sprawl across the deep blue ceiling. The structure includes bold curves, which makes sense; "kyma" translates to "wave" in English. Even the food is innovative. Executive Chef Pano I. Karatassos puts a modern twist on traditional Greek. His ingenious work has been recognized in national publications like Wine Enthusiast and In Style.

Best Chef: The Dining Room

Through 21 years of booming business, The Dining Room of the Buckhead Ritz-Carleton has delivered mouth-watering meals, surpassing the highest of expectations. Executive Chef Arnaud Berthelier is the fourth appointed to The Dining Room kitchen. He has perfected his talent all of over the world, from the Sinai Peninsula to his native Northeastern France. The tastes of Spain, Africa, France, and the Mediterranean are all palpable in the dishes he prepares.

Best Decor: Bluepointe

Contemporary, cool, and colorful are all defining qualities of Bluepointe. This sleek restaurant is a bustling singles scene where anyone can get an impressive martini. When it comes time to dine, be prepared for American fare with a bold Asian flair. This kind of cuisine is admired for its distinctive flavors. Standing out in Atlanta's upscale dining scene is not easy, but places like Bluepointe still manage to make it look effortless.

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