5 Sweet Spots in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland Neighborhood

Atlanta’s food scene has come a long way in the past few decades, namely in thanks to an influx of diverse citizens and industry. The city has gone both gourmet and global, incorporating as well as starting food trends.

The former streetcar suburb Virginia-Highland has blossomed into one of Atlanta’s most acclaimed neighborhoods, notably for its walkability, quaint early 20th-century architecture and array of top-notch restaurants. Hit up these sweet spots next time you find yourself inside the perimeter. If you’ve got the right stomach, you can easily knock them out in a few hours.

1. Murphy’s
Murphy’s originated as a bakery in the early 1980s and has since expanded to include weekday lunch, dinner and some of the best weekend brunch in the city. The aroma of whatever’s baking often overflows into the dining area, leaving expectant chocolate chip muffins, sweet cornbread biscuits and colossal cinnamon rolls to overpower what’s already on the table.

2. Paolo’s Gelato Italiano

Photo: Paolo’s Gelato Italiano

Opened in 2000, this old-school Italian spot boasts a rotation exceeding 60 flavors spanning from classics like stracciatella and pistachio to more adventurous, floral notes such as violet and jasmine (pictured). Paolo’s range of indulgences also includes Italian coffee, cookies and a customizable array of cannoli shells, filled to order.

3. Cacao Cafe

Photo: Cacao Cafe

Cacao Atlanta Chocolate Co.’s Virginia Highlands outpost sells their own gourmet chocolates as well as coffee and treats like pale pink macarons and cookies with ample chocolate chunks. Standouts include their sipping chocolate, which has been acclaimed by publications such as Travel + Leisure and Zagat (and also comes frozen) and chocolate salami, which emerges for special occasions and holidays.

4. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

Photo: Sarra Sedghi

Start off your morning (or early afternoon) at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, the hit Charleston spot’s younger sister. Callie’s roundup of toppings and fillings includes classic like sausage patties and gravy, but if you’re looking to satisfy a sweet tooth, go for the peach—the biscuit’s salty notes and doughy texture mix with peach preserves to create a breakfast that tastes like Southern cobbler.

5. San Francisco Coffee

Photo: San Francisco Coffee

Just a few blocks away from Virginia-Highland’s main drag, this shop sells desserts that deserve to be paired with their quality coffee, particularly their chocolate croissants—they’re rich but not overloaded, an admirable accoutrement to a jolt of caffeine.

Sarra Sedghi is Paste Food’s Assistant Editor. She can usually be found arguing about mayonnaise on Twitter.