8 Best Restaurants in Savannah, Georgia

This restaurant dates back to 1924, when Ben T. Byrd began baking small batches of cookies in his Savannah bakery; today the Byrd Cookie Company distributes far and wide. Guests of the simple yet sophisticated restaurant, specializing in soups, salads, and sandwiches, can catch a peek inside the factory from the dining room. Countless menu items are made on the premises, from the breads to the pickles to the ricotta cheese. Savor the deviled eggs, roasted turnip bisque, or the thick-cut BLT with pesto aioli, each adding a refined twist to a Southern favorite. In the evening, the seared sheepsheads are a delectable selection.

Housed in an old Savannah ice factory, the Florence has lots of original architectural details and serves up some of the city's most innovative flavors. The Italian-influenced menu is crafted by Kyle Jacovino, who has worked in kitchens all over Atlanta and New York. The food speaks for itself, and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The menu changes seasonally, but there are raves all around for the Neapolitan-style pizza with Calabrian chilies, the fresh, homemade pasta selections, and the octopus starter. For cocktails, enjoy the signature Florence Cup—a twist on the Pimm's Cup—or an impressive array of amaros and other liqueurs. The adjacent coffee bar is open in the morning and offers small bites during lunch hours. If you have trouble getting a table, grab a seat at the bar.

Pacci has the look and taste of a high-end Italian eatery, but with a laid-back and welcoming atmosphere. Guests gather in the beautifully designed dining room or the open-air patio for signature cocktails like the Biarritz or the Negroni before moving on to some of the best charcuterie and crudites platters in the city. Breads, pastas, desserts, and pickled vegetables are all made in-house.

Y'all, this is the place that made Paula Deen famous. There are plenty of crowds these days, but everyone patiently waits to attack the buffet, which is stocked for both lunch and dinner with crispy fried chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens, lima beans, and other favorites. Gooey butter cake, peach cobbler, and banana pudding round off the offerings.

A Savannah landmark, the oldest parts of this bucket list destination date to 1734, only a year after the colony's founding, making this the oldest standing structure in Georgia. The lunch buffet has all the Southern standards, including a particularly delicious squash casserole, but the food is better on the à la carte menu; there's no buffet for dinner, but the dessert menu is worth sticking around for. Its popularity with tour groups has given it a reputation as a tourist trap, but the food is surprisingly tasty and offers lots of choices for families. Try the specialty fried chicken dressed with a honey-pecan glaze. It gets its name from its time in the 1750s as a tavern for seafarers.