The entrance of Bacchanalia actually leads you into their upscale market, Star Provisions, where you’ll find many of the extremely fresh and exotic ingredients used to make the restaurant’s highly acclaimed dishes. It’s perfect for browsing while you wait for you table. In the rear, the mysterious shadows of the dining room entrance lure you into its depths out of the brightness of the market. As you are brought to your table, you’ll notice the simplicity and industrialism of the dining room’s design, with high ceilings and pale tiled walls reminiscent of the building’s former status as a meat-packing plant. Its edgy minimalism is offset by the sophistication of its bordering plush banquette seating in earth and wine tones.

Bacchanalia is named after the festival of the Roman God Bacchus, celebrating wine, food, and all the pleasures of life. This restaurant stays true to its namesake, constantly changing up the four-course, prix-fixe dinner menu daily and according to season, and using only the finest ingredients, much of which comes from their own gardens. Bacchanalia boasts award-winning chefs, is consistently ranked as one of Atlanta’s best restaurants, and has a glassed-in kitchen which offers diners a unique view of their meal in preparation. Dinner is set at $58 a head, which though high, is actually reasonable for the variety and quality of the Mediterranean-inspired menu portions. Lunch also offers a la carte options and a three-course meal. Keep in mind that Bacchanalia is very popular, and so reservations may need to be made up to a month in advance.

The menu options are extremely creative, labor-intensive, focused on the simplicity of each flavor, and even come with recommended wine pairings. Favorites among the beginning courses include the blue crab fritter appetizer with citrusy Thai pepper and avocado, Maine diver sea scallops with sherry bacon vinaigrette, Hawaiian prawns with garlic and herbs, fresh California snails with shitakes, and ostrea caviar on tiny blini with egg and cream. Main dish specialties include butter-poached lobster or Hawaian snapper, Virginia striped bass, Copper River King Salmon with sauteed Oregon lobster, sautéed turbot with wild mushrooms, wood-grilled prime tenderloin, sauteed foie gras, smoked trout amuse, and wood-grilled squab with fava bean ragout. Among the dessert highlights are warm Roche baron tart with Sauternes ice cream, chocolate truffle laced with lemongrass, ricotta cheesecake with huckleberry sauce, aged Parmesan cheese with Medjool dates, homemade Meyer lemon ice cream, warm Valrhona chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream, roasted beets with Georgia goat cheese and beet sorbet, and the fig tasting with roasted nut-stuffed figs, caramelized fig sorbet and fresh fig salad with a serrano ham crisp.