A Food Lover’s Guide to Savannah’s Iconic Restaurants
Dining in Savannah is not an afterthought; it is a ritual, woven into the city’s rhythm. Here, meals are not rushed; they are layered experiences that draw from history, the nearby sea, and a certain quiet grandeur that the city wears with ease. For guests of The Douglas, whose journeys are defined by discernment, Savannah’s tables extend an invitation to savor not just food, but the very spirit of the South.
Brochu’s Family Tradition
Savannah whispers hospitality at Brochu’s, where tradition meets a lively spirit in a setting meant for gathering. Chef Andrew Brochu, a cook with connections to high-end kitchens, returned to the South to create a place that feels at once rooted and free. Brochu’s isn’t an exercise in nostalgia; it’s the energy of a family table reimagined with care. Here, classic flavors, fried chicken, seafood, and crisp sides are rendered with precision and heart. A half bird may arrive composed of fried thigh, sous vide breast, and a chicken salad component, paired with house-made biscuits and creative sauces.
Brochu’s Family Tradition is located in Savannah’s Starland District on Bull Street, approximately a 6-minute ride-share from The Douglas. Its ambiance is casual but confident, making it ideal for an evening of unpretentious comfort, where each dish is familiar, but every detail is thought through.
Late Air
Late Air is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that feels like it’s always been there, even before its doors opened. Housed at the corner of Bull and Victory Streets, it brings a sophisticated casualness, focusing on seasonally shifting dishes and a curated selection of natural wines. Under Chef Daniel Harthausen, menus evolve with the seasons. Ingredients speak softly, dishes arrive without fanfare, but they linger in memory. The wine list does the same: natural, expressive, thoughtfully chosen, and meant to complement rather than compete.
Late Air is approximately a 7–10 minute ride-share from The Douglas. Its refined yet unforced style makes it a perfect stop for a concert of flavors in a relaxed, elevated setting.
The Grey
The Grey is a restaurant that feels both grounded in Savannah and entirely its own. Set within a restored 1938 Greyhound bus terminal, the space retains its history while opening the door to something forward-looking. Under Chef Mashama Bailey, a James Beard Award winner, Southern ingredients are treated with a global perspective, creating dishes that are daring in conception yet graceful in execution. Plates arrive with restraint, service moves at an even rhythm, and the experience as a whole balances refinement with ease.
The Grey is about a 10-minute walk from The Douglas, making it an effortless addition to an evening in the city. For those drawn to innovation that never loses its sense of place, it remains one of Savannah’s defining dining rooms.
Lucia Pasta Bar
Lucia Pasta Bar is small in scale but ambitious in spirit. Situated in Savannah’s Starland District on Bull Street, it brings handmade pasta to the city with a clarity of vision: organic ingredients, chef-led execution, and a wine and cocktail selection that leans deeply Italian. The interior channels the elegance of a bygone era, with Art Deco touches restored to echo its 1930s bones. Here you might begin with a wood-fire roasted shishito bruschetta or clams finished with ‘nduja butter, then progress to dishes like squid-ink bucatini with regional seafood or tagliatelle bolognese.
Lucia Pasta Bar is approximately a 6-minute ride-share from The Douglas. It is designed for those who relish craft in simplicity, where conversation and cuisine inhabit equal space.
Common Thread
Common Thread is a restaurant that speaks in a low voice yet leaves a lasting impression. Set just beyond the historic district, the space is contemporary but unassuming, designed to put the focus squarely on what arrives at the table. The kitchen works closely with local farms and small producers, building menus around what is fresh, available, and worthy of attention. Plates are thoughtful without being showy, service is attentive without insistence, and the entire experience feels both personal and deliberate.
Common Thread is about a 7-minute ride-share from The Douglas. For those who value subtlety and precision over spectacle, it offers a kind of dining that feels quietly luxurious.
A Note on The Douglas’s Upcoming Dining Experience
For those who appreciate exceptional cuisine without leaving the comfort of The Douglas, anticipation is building for the hotel’s own restaurant, Lester’s. Helmed by two-time James Beard Award nominee Jacques Larson, Lester’s promises a refined menu that honors Southern ingredients with inventive technique. The opening is just around the corner, savvy diners will want to keep an eye out for reservations, as this is poised to become one of Savannah’s most talked-about tables.
Your Culinary Journey
To experience Savannah’s dining scene fully is to embrace variety: one evening in the elegance of a landmark restaurant, the next in the refined ease of a seafood bar, followed perhaps by a night in a contemporary space where the menu shifts with the seasons. Reservations are recommended, particularly at the most sought-after venues, where tables fill quickly with both locals and travelers who recognize their worth. For guests of The Douglas, this progression of meals becomes part of the journey itself, a way to taste Savannah’s many voices in harmony.
A Lasting Sense of Place
Savannah is not a city that rushes you. Its beauty lies in its ability to slow the hours, to give meals the same reverence as its architecture or its squares. To dine here is to move through history, tide, and innovation with every course. For those who measure travel by experience rather than distance, these restaurants promise more than sustenance; they offer a lasting sense of place.
Book your stay at The Douglas and experience some of the best restaurants in Savannah.