Savannah is the perfect place to see, eat and do new things if you are looking for a getaway. It’s a beautiful southern city with lots of history and charm. Below is my guide to the top things to Eat, Drink and Do in Savannah, GA as of May, 2021:
Stay:
AirBnB Studio on Broughton in the historic district – loved the location of our Airbnb! This was a Luxury Superhost AirBnB – our host Alyssa was amazing, and she provided us with a great guide to the city and gift basket! Gotta love a good gift basket! Would definitely recommend.
Check out my first look here:
Eat:
- “BLT” Salad at the Olde Pink House Restaurant– I had multiple recommendations for the Olde Pink House, so when we went, I tried the “BLT” Salad (award-winning, by the way) and I can see why! The salad had fried green tomatoes, sweet applewood bacon, and black pepper thyme buttermilk dressing. So many contrasts of flavor – sweet, salty, fried, warm and cold. What an amazing combination of ingredients, along with the best fried green tomato I’ve had! Definitely visit this restaurant and get the salad when you go.
- She Crab Soup at the Olde Pink House Restaurant – My boyfriend said this was the best crab soup he’d ever had! It had healthy-sized pieces of crab and was seasoned to perfection. (I’m allergic so could not partake but he loved it!)
- Pork Osso Busco from a.Lure – Oh my goodness. These pork shanks were fall off the bone, so tender, so juicy, so delicious. One of those dishes where you stop talking and just eat. It was served with Goat Cheese Grits, and Collard Greens. Definitely one of the top dishes we had!
- Fried Duck and Waffles from a.Lure – I was skeptical about having fried duck, but I tried this item and was blown away! The waffle had a delicious blueberry compote and the star of the waffle was the cinnamon in the batter. The duck was absolutely delicious, I don’t have a picture of this, but definitely add this to the list!
Healthy Food Options:
In the midst of all of the rich, delicious southern food, we found ourselves looking for healthy options, because it’s all about balance! We found green smoothies and other healthy options at the below restaurants:
- Brighter Day Natural Foods Market and Deli – We came here for green smoothies and sandwiches for lunch, and it was a perfect healthy meal option. This store seemed to mainly have locals shopping there, and it was so educational just walking around and seeing all of the different types of healthy foods and supplements available. This was like Whole Foods to the next level. Cool store to visit if you are by Forsyth Park – nice place for a good healthy smoothie!
- Art’s Cafe at the SCAD school also had tasty smoothies and sandwiches, and the ambiance was very creative with the bus as the kitchen area. They had a nice outdoor dining area, and we enjoyed our time there eating at the table outside watching the tour trolleys roll by.
Drink:
Mojitos from Mint to Be Mojito– This place was the best- it’s a nice break from the typical Southern fare, as they specialize in Mojitos and Empanadas- perfect spot for a little drink and a bite. We ended up going there 3 times! I tried the Strawberry, Passionfruit and classic Mint Mojito and they were ALL good. The empanadas were tasty too – not too dry and the crust was flaky and delicious. We had so much fun dancing at their salsa night, where they cleared the tables and had a DJ – call them for days/hours. They also have live music on some nights. Great place!
Play:
Plant Riverside District – This is the trendy entertainment district right by the water, and the JW Marriott hotel is at the center of it all. Inside the hotel is an impressive chrome dinosaur and there are a number of stones on display like Amethyst, etc. Gorgeous. Something interesting to see. There are a number of restaurants and rooftops in this area.
One place to stop by when you are on your way out on the town is Boabab Restaurant – This is an African-themed restaurant, but we were thinking that it’s more of a lounge where you would go to kick off your night on the town. Gorgeous African decor, including pictures and sculptures, and the menu has a nice variety of food and cocktails. I thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance – very inspiring.
Genteel & Bard’s Savannah Dark History & Ghost Encounter Tour – was really more of an evening history walk, and there were some creepy stories told, but I wasn’t scared. More informational and entertaining than anything. I will say that I did feel some potential ghost “energy” at one point, but it didn’t spook me- just a feeling that something bad happened there. I just said a prayer and kept it moving. Good option if you are looking for something to do in the evening.
Old Town Trolley Tours of Savannah Gave us a great lay of the land around Savannah- I always like doing trolley tours the first day when I visit a new city. The tour guides all have their own unique styles, so when you hop on and hop off, you will have a different experience. My favorite part was when we drove by the Girl Scouts building when all the Girl Scouts on the bus recited the Girl Scout Pledge “On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country – to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law!” – that was fun! Any other Girl Scouts in the house?
Shop:
- Savannah Bee Company – this is a fun place to shop for honey – they have a honey bar where you can taste different kinds of honey, and they also have body butters and lotions. You can also do a Mead tasting (which is a honey wine) while you are there. I purchased the Acacia honey (my favorite from the tasting) and some fantastic body butter!
- Paris Market – I had so much fun shopping at the Paris Market – it’s set up like a Parisian Market and there are so many wonderful things to look at, including antiques, gifts and books. There is also a French cafe with the cutest seating area. The whole place is a vibe and one of my favorite places to shop when I was in Savannah.
- Spice & Tea Exchange of Savannah – as The Chef and the Baker, we had to stop by the Spice and Tea Exchange to get some cooking inspiration, and we got a few spices to take home with us. The staff was great and there was such a large variety. If you like to cook, this is a nice place to visit to switch up your spice game.
Planning Tips:
- Book your restaurant reservations early! As soon as you book your flight, book your restaurant reservations. The Olde Pink House is about 4-6 weeks out with reservations at the time of this writing. Luckily we were able to do a walk-in around 5pm. We wanted to visit The Grey Restaurant which is led by Black Female Chef Mashama Bailey, but they were booked as well (they are only open Thursdays through Sundays as of now, so plan accordingly) we just stopped by just to visit, and we saw her in the open kitchen, so that was cool! We were told that they do hold some seats at the bar for walk-ins. Very cool ambiance- used to be an old segregated Greyhound Bus Station & now it has a Black female chef! Such history! What an inspiration.
- Savannah is a small city, and you really don’t need more than a few days there. We stayed from Monday evening through Friday afternoon, and we were ready to come back by Thursday as it’s a small town. If you plan your stay well and book your reservations in advance, you can make the most of your time there.
Hope these tips help as you plan your trip to Savannah! Full of good eating, beautiful sights, and rich, deep history.