Savannah will always hold a special place in my heart.
Shortly after we got married, my husband and I moved to Savannah for his job. We spent countless weekends exploring the city’s historic squares, wandering River Street, discovering hidden corners of the Historic District, and, of course, eating our way through some of Savannah’s best restaurants.
Although we’ve since moved away, Savannah remains one of our favorite weekend getaways. On our most recent trip, we revisited a few longtime favorites and tried several new restaurants that had been on our list, including Savannah’s newest upscale steakhouse.
If you’re planning a trip and wondering where to eat in Savannah, these are the restaurants we believe are worth your time, your appetite, and your vacation budget.
*We personally paid for every meal featured in this guide and all opinions are our own.*
Quick list: our favorite Savannah restaurants
- Garibaldi’s Café for seafood, date nights, and the best martini in Savannah
- Ardsley Station for brunch and a glimpse of a side of Savannah many tourists never see
- Chive Sea Bar & Lounge for creative seafood dishes
- Fire Street Food for a casual lunch break from Southern fare
- Marbled & Fin for one of the best steakhouse experiences in Savannah
Garibaldi’s Café
Best for: Date nights, seafood, and classic Savannah charm
If I could only send someone to one classic Savannah restaurant, Garibaldi’s would be near the top of my list.
Located in a beautifully restored historic building, Garibaldi’s feels like the Savannah many visitors imagine when planning a trip: elegant without being stuffy, historic without feeling touristy, and consistently excellent year after year.
My husband and I first discovered Garibaldi’s when we lived in Savannah and it’s one of the few restaurants we still make time for whenever we’re back in town.
Before dinner, grab a seat at the bar and order what I consider the best martini in Savannah: Ketel One vodka, dirty, shaken, with Garibaldi’s famous hand-stuffed blue cheese olives. If you’re lucky, Charlie will be behind the bar. He’s been a fixture at Garibaldi’s for more than 17 years and is part of what makes this restaurant feel like a local favorite rather than just another stop on a tourist itinerary.
For dinner, two dishes stood out during our most recent visit.
The seafood linguine was loaded with scallops, shrimp, mussels, and lobster tossed in a white wine cream sauce that complemented the seafood without overpowering it. Save a piece of bread because you’ll want every last drop of that sauce.
The real star of the evening, though, was the halibut served with shrimp and risotto. The fish was perfectly cooked with a delicate sweetness, while the lemon chive beurre blanc added just enough richness to make every bite memorable. Even after multiple visits over the years, this may be one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever ordered at Garibaldi’s.
Don’t miss: A dirty Ketel One martini with blue cheese olives
Top pick: Halibut with shrimp and risotto
Worth skipping: The octopus was a bit chewy and lacked the flavor we were hoping for during our visit.Our take: A Savannah classic that continues to earn its reputation.
Ardsley Station
Best for: Brunch and getting beyond the Historic District
Most visitors spend their entire Savannah vacation between River Street, City Market, and Broughton Street.
While those areas are absolutely worth exploring, one of the things we love most about Savannah is venturing beyond the Historic District and seeing parts of the city many visitors miss.
That’s exactly why we recommend Ardsley Station.
Located along Victory Drive, the restaurant gives you an excuse to explore a different side of Savannah. The drive itself is part of the experience. You’ll pass beautiful historic homes, towering oak trees, and several of Savannah’s iconic squares along the way.
The restaurant feels fresh, inviting, and distinctly local. Between the greenery-filled interior, sage-colored accents, outdoor seating, and packed dining room, it’s easy to see why this spot has become such a neighborhood favorite.
The appetizer that immediately won us over was the crab dip. Served with house-made bread, it combined green chili, bacon, lemon, and green onion into a dish we found ourselves reaching for.
For brunch, the Lowcountry Club elevated the classic club sandwich with pimento cheese, gruyere, garlic aioli, and thick-cut bacon. It was large enough to share, but good enough that you’ll probably want it all to yourself.
The steak wedge salad was equally impressive. The steak was tender and flavorful, while the creamy blue cheese dressing tied everything together beautifully. It’s one of the best wedge salads we’ve had anywhere.
Don’t miss: The crab dip
Top pick: Steak wedge salad
Insider tip: Visit on a Monday for half-price bottles of wine $70 and under. Make reservations if you want weekend brunch.
Our take: Worth leaving downtown for a visit.
Chive Sea Bar & Lounge
Best for: Seafood lovers looking for something a little different
Savannah has plenty of places to get seafood, but Chive stands out because it isn’t afraid to do something creative.
Conveniently located on Broughton Street, Chive feels a little more intimate than some of the larger restaurants downtown. It’s the kind of place where you settle in, order another drink, and linger over dinner longer than you planned.
We started with the vegetable spring rolls, which were perfectly crisp and paired with a sweet Thai chili sauce that complemented rather than overwhelmed the dish.
The crab cake with fried green tomato was another solid choice. Packed with blue crab and paired with a lightly fried green tomato, it felt like a thoughtful blend of coastal seafood and Southern comfort.
But if there’s one reason to visit Chive, it’s the Chilean sea bass.
Served over orzo pasta with your choice of lemon caper or red curry sauce, this was the dish we were still talking about the next day. Our server graciously brought both sauces for us to try and somehow that only made the decision harder. The lemon caper sauce was bright and buttery while the red curry sauce added warmth and depth without overwhelming the fish.
The sea bass itself was perfectly cooked and incredibly tender. By the end of the meal, we were literally negotiating over who got the last bite.
Don’t miss: The Chilean sea bass
Pro tip: Ask if you can try both sauces
Our take: We would return for the sea bass alone.
Fire Street Food
Best for: A casual lunch and a break from Southern food
As much as we love Savannah’s seafood and Southern cuisine, sometimes it’s nice to switch things up.
Fire Street Food has become one of our favorite lunch stops when we’re exploring the city. It’s casual, quick, and a welcome escape (in air conditioning!) from Savannah’s summer heat.
We’ve stopped in several times over the years and appreciate the variety on the menu. Whether you’re craving sushi, noodles, or something lighter between sightseeing stops, it’s an easy place to find something everyone in your group will enjoy.
On this visit, the shrimp pad Thai was the standout. Flavorful, perfectly cooked, and generously portioned, it was one of those dishes where you keep saying “just one more bite” until suddenly the plate is empty.
We also ordered a couple of sushi rolls, which paired perfectly with the pad Thai and made for an easy lunch before heading back out to explore.
Don’t miss: The shrimp pad Thai
Best for: A relaxed lunch between sightseeing stops
Our take: A quick yet delicious lunch spot
Marbled & Fin
Best for: Special occasions and steak lovers
We were excited to try Marbled & Fin before we ever arrived in Savannah.
As the city’s newest luxury steakhouse, it had quickly generated buzz among locals and visitors alike. After one meal, we completely understood why.
The restaurant itself is stunning.
Downstairs, large arched windows frame views of Savannah’s iconic live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Upstairs, the dining room feels almost like a treehouse, with branches and greenery surrounding the windows and creating a uniquely Savannah atmosphere.
Before dinner, we enjoyed cocktails and took in the space. My cocktail, the Much Appreciated, combined kiwi, matcha, yuzu, and sea salt into a drink that was refreshing and surprisingly balanced. Fruity without being overly sweet, it was the perfect way to begin the evening.
The oysters, sourced from nearby Beaufort, were another highlight. Fresh, briny, and slightly sweet, they needed little more than a squeeze of lemon.
Then came the steak.
I’ve eaten a lot of good steaks over the years, but the Japanese Miyazaki Wagyu filet was in a category of its own.
Perfectly charred on the outside and cooked to a flawless medium rare, it was rich, buttery, and unbelievably tender. Cutting into it felt more like slicing through softened butter than steak. Even now, writing this, my mouth starts watering thinking about it.
The bone-in USDA Prime ribeye was excellent as well, but the Wagyu was the dish everyone at the table kept coming back to.
For sides, the creamed corn was a surprise favorite. Layered with cornbread and topped with creamy corn, it held its own alongside some truly exceptional steak.
And because apparently we hadn’t eaten enough already, we finished with the vanilla bean crème brûlée. The crisp caramelized top, creamy center, and fresh strawberry layer at the bottom made it the perfect ending to the meal.
Our only regret?
Not having enough time in Savannah to go back a second time before heading home.
Don’t miss: The Japanese Miyazaki Wagyu filet
Worth the splurge: Absolutely
Our take: One of the most memorable meals we’ve had in Savannah.
Final thoughts on where to eat in Savannah
One of the things I love most about Savannah is that it never stops giving you reasons to come back.
The city has changed quite a bit since we first called it home, but the combination of historic charm, beautiful architecture, and incredible food remains just as strong as ever.
This trip reminded us why Savannah continues to be one of our favorite Southern cities. We revisited old favorites, discovered a few new ones, and left with an even longer list of places we want to try next time.
From martinis with Charlie at Garibaldi’s to brunch at Ardsley Station, fighting over the last bite of sea bass at Chive, and experiencing one of the best steaks we’ve ever had at Marbled & Fin, every restaurant on this list offered something memorable.
If you’re planning a trip to Savannah, start with these five restaurants. And if you discover a favorite of your own while you’re there, we would love to hear about it in the comments below.
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