Photography by iStock

It’s often said that while people in Atlanta make small talk by asking you what you do for a living, in Savannah, they simply ask you what your drink is. The Southern U.S. city is pleasure seekers’ heaven, a picturesque port offering decadent feasts with heaps of Southern hospitality. No wonder its nickname is The Hostess City. We dish on where to eat, shop and rest in this city filled with Southern drawls and nothing but charm.

1. Where to eat

TV chef Paula Deen and her heart-clogging fares may have put Savannah on Food Channel viewers’ culinary radar, but the Hostess City’s culinary scene, blessed with the Low Country produce and fishery, had a proud tradition of soul food long before television was invented. Now, many excellent eateries put quirky local spins on Southern cuisine.

A.Lure
309 W Congress St.
(912) 233-2111
aluresavannah.com
This year-old upscale eatery accentuates traditional local food with a touch of modern, with daring fares like risotto served with cornmeal-dusted chicken livers or rucola salad topped with crispy pigs’ ears. Crab cakes with green tomato relish are delish, too.

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The Olde Pink House
23 Abercorn St.
(912) 232-4286
plantersinnsavannah.com/savannah-dining.htm‎
A tried-and-true local legend, this elegant restaurant isn’t afraid to indulge in whimsies like the Southern Sushi (creamy grits and smoked shrimp rolled and fried crisp in seaweed) while setting standards in traditional fares like pork chop with collard greens.

Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room
107 W Jones St.
(912) 232-5997
mrswilkes.com
Join the line that snakes around the block for Mrs. Wilke’s down-home country cuisine, served family style on long tables where you’ll soon make friends with strangers over sweet potato soufflé, gumbo and fried chicken.

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The Public Kitchen & Bar
1 W Liberty St.
(912) 200-4045
thepublickitchen.com
Rub shoulders with the city’s young professions over locally grown beef burger with Sriracha aioli or sirloin paired with chimichurri, the Argentinian sauce of herbs and vinegar.

Where to shop in Savannah on the next page…

Photography by iStock

2. Where to shop

When you’re ready to burn off all the calories from the feasts, head over to the revitalized Design District along Bull and Whittaker streets. Along the way, make sure you take in the historic downtown’s 24 lush squares and architectural marvels. It’s best you take your time—the city is affectionately called Slow-vannah, after all.

Arc
320 W Broughton St.
(912) 721-7745
shop-arc.com
Downtown’s coolest store has a carefully curated selection of up-and-coming designers and vintage goods, as well as the shop’s own fragrance line.

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Custard
422 Whitaker St.
(912) 232-4733
custardboutique.com
The friendly staff will gladly put together complete looks for every occasion from the shop’s eclectic selection of clothing, accessories and jewelry.

shopSCAD
340 Bull St.
(912) 525-5180
Unique artwork and limited edition designs by the local art academy students, alumni and faculty make great souvenir your friends will actually appreciate.

Trunk 13
414 Whitaker St.
(912) 349-4129
facebook.com/trunk13
This walk-in closet-size shop stocks young couture on the budget.

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Alex Raskin Antiques
441 Bull St.
(912) 232-8205
alexraskinantiques.com
A mishmash of colorful objects, displayed across 12,000 square feet of rickety mansion, bear testimony to Savannah’s gilded era.

One Fish Two Fish
401 Whitaker St.
912-447-4600
onefishstore.com
This homeware specialist, spread over two buildings across the street, was one of the first to move into the Design District—and remains the neighborhood’s anchor.

Find out where to stay in Savannah on the next page…

Photography by the Bohemian Hotel

3. Where to stay

The Bohemian
102 West Bay St.
(912) 721-3800
bohemianhotelsavannah.com
The boutique hotel, opened in 2009, pays homage to the city’s forefathers with its British maritime décor in its 75 riverside rooms.

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Ballastone Inn
14 E. Oglethorpe Ave.
(912) 236-1484
ballastone.com
The 1838 mansion, on the National Register of Historic Places, is a cozy B&B—hard to believe that it was once a bordello.

17Hundred90
307 E President St.
(912) 236-7122
Three separate historic residences merged into one of the city’s oldest restaurant/inns. But it’s not for the fainthearted: some swear Room 204 is haunted by a ghost named Anna.

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