Sotto Sotto

Atlanta's best-loved upscale northern Italian spot
Word to the wise: Sample more by ordering the half portion of pasta.

Tipple of choice: For an aperitivi, go for the traditional Italian Negroni: Campari, gin, and vermouth.
Sotto Sotto has been tucked into a cozy Inman Park nook since 1999, back when the neighborhood scene was empty and a little sketchy. But around this spot has grown up a fully-fledged Atlanta hotspot of wining and dining, and some say Sotto Sotto had something to do with it. People drive from all over for the restaurant's fresh pastas, but the place has kept its neighborhood vibe, quaint and romantic but always bustling.

Popular dishes include: roasted beets with radishes and hazelnuts, pappardelle with braised duck ragu, a creamy risotto mantecato with aged balsamic, and the seasonal roasted whole fish. For a more casual bite from the same restaurateur, walk but ten steps to Fritti.