Growing up, I took Beginning French classes four times. Several years ago, I spent a terrible, self-punishing month attending immersion classes in Villefranche-sur-Mer, off the Côte d’Azur. I even earned my Master of Fine Arts in Paris. Yet, I still have not mastered the French language. Although their language might seem impossible, indulging in the French’s dreamy culture is not. Buckhead is home to many French expats and thriving French businesses.
Delphine Jeroudi, the Communications and Press Officer at the Consulate General of France’s office in Buckhead, said that French expats are attracted to Buckhead’s central location and convenient ease of getting around metro Atlanta and that they feel at home here, particularly in some of Buckhead’s more walkable neighborhoods.
As we celebrate our french connections, Here are some people and places in Buckhead to help you experience the French love of food, wine, pastries, and architecture:
Anis Café & Bistro
For an authentic French Cafe experience you should head straight to Anis Café & Bistro. Arnaud Michel brought this mainstay restaurant to Buckhead thirty years ago, arriving only a few years after The Consulate General of France arrived. Anis is the little house with the big porch, and the working Citroën parked outside. Anis is charming. Just like in France’s restaurants, their menu additions are written on chalkboards and their menu and wine list are quintessential French all the time.
Not sure when to go? Go when it rains, lunch or dinner. Sitting on the main porch during a downpour is sublime. Or peruse their Facebook page to find out when live music will be on the main porch—usually Thursdays or Fridays. Sometimes, they enlist a sultry soloist. Other times, it could be a mellow bossa nova quartet. Actually, Anis is always a good idea.
Their main porch is open most days of the year, and the long side porch is a terrific venue for parties and celebrations. Whenever you go, be sure to arrive thirty minutes early and pop into the petit bar. It’s charming and you are likely to meet an expat or two.
What Anis does so well is they let you linger. That seems to be the idea there, so work to resource your joie de vivre. You definitely want dessert. Best profiterole in town. Reservations recommended.
Located at 2974 Grandview Avenue, www.anisbistro.com, 404-233-9889
Perrine’s Wine Shop
The French love their wine, and Perrine’s Wine Shop will show you why, and how. This shop is infinitely more than a wine store. It is a hybrid between a wine shop and an event space. This mighty boutique prides itself on carefully curated selections, personalized recommendations, and hosting in-store events to bring people together for fun and learning about viticulture.
This delightful shop is eponymously named. Perrine Prieur grew up in Burgundy, France, surrounded by vineyards and a family passionate about wine and farming. This passion deepened as she attended Sommelier school in Dijon, France. Before arriving in Atlanta, she worked as a sommelier at London’s 2 Michelin Star restaurant Le Gavroche.
Perrine was drawn to the vibrant food and wine scene in Buckhead, along with the opportunity to create something unique here for a clientele who value quality and unique wine selections. “Ithas always been known for its vibrant community and appreciation for fine dining and wine”, said Perrine.
Perrine’s Wine Shop is committed to supporting small producers and offering unique wines that you will not find elsewhere. It stocks both Old World and New World wines, not just French varietals.
Located at 3112 East Shadowlawn Avenue, www.perrineswine.com, 404-254-5077
Francois & Co
Francois & Co. is a houselhold name in Buckhead. Their classically-inspired architectural elements such as fireplace mantels are found in what seems to be the majority of Buckhead homes. The design firm’s owner and founder, Thierry Francois, hails from a tiny village on the island of Corsica.
This little village, named Calenzana, aided in Thierry seeing the world differently than most of us. While growing up there, he questioned the configuration and details of buildings, structures, and infrastructure in the village. He asked himself questions like, Where did the marble originate from? How were the paving stones created and laid without mortar and positioned so perfectly to prevail against centuries of wear? Given the irregular shapes and colors of the roof tiles glistening in the sun, how did the artisans create such beauty?
Every question and wonderment went challenged by Thierry. He studied the methods and uses of the materials, examined their authenticity and patina. He smelled their antiquated history trying to unlock the secrets of the ancient techniques that had created them so long ago. He learned to respect and appreciate many forgotten techniques and began to implement them in his own pieces.
Today, Francois & Co offers a unique ‘whole home approach’ to handcrafted artistry: from remarkable French oak and limestone flooring to elegant bistro countertops, and even the reclaimed treasures of a 17th century French farmhouse. He offers a carefully curated collection of stunning surfaces, flooring, fireplace mantels, range hoods, architectural elements, and much more. While some styles are rooted in the distant past, others may actually be inspired by modern architecture.
With a life-long appreciation for art, beauty and craftmanship, Thierry continues to travel the globe fueled not only by incessant curiosity, but an essential pursuit of beauty too. After twenty-five years in business, Thierry remains committed to honoring centuries-old artisan craftsmanship. His company has become synonymous with unparalleled craftsmanship and distinctive design in the Atlanta area. Buckhead is home to the company’s manufacturing headquarters, employees and skilled artisans.
Located at The Galleries at Peachtree Hills, 425 Peachtree Hills Avenue, Bldg 1, Suites 4 & 5, www.francoisandco.com, 404-842-9946
Saint Germain French Café and Bakery
Founded by wife and husband team Heather and Mathieu Jourdan-Gassin, this little French bakery shines in the middle of the Buckhead Village District. St. Germain is quickly becoming Buckhead’s café society collecting spot.
Since there are no set hours for menus, all items are available whenever you arrive. Choose from an array of French pastries, sweet and savory croissants, tarts, a rainbow of macarons, sandwiches, quiches, cappuccinos and specialty coffees, wine, champagne drinks, and even beer. They have everything you could desire had you been walking down Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris’s 6th arrondisement.
St. Germain owner, Mathieu, hopes to offer a little French cafe culture and neighborhood feel that you find in France. This is why local Francophiles and visiting Europeans flock there. Walk past their outdoor tables any time of day to hear native French speakers enjoying pastries and coffee.
Mathieu says that Atlanta is a constellation of villages and St. Germain wants to make sure that both residents and visitors alike feel welcomed and special when they visit St. Germain Bakery. Adding that St. Germain is meant to be a vibrant footprint of Buckhead’s F&B scene, he hopes to continue enriching and caring for patrons for years to come.
Saint Germain is also a catering company. Chef Jean-Yves’ country meatloaf, potatoes, and green beans are perfect for family gatherings. That said, St. Germain can prepare most any dish. They also offer custom cakes and operate a wholesale program for restaurants and hotels.
Fun facts about this bakery are that many of the employees are students at the International School and speak fluent French. Also, the bakery sells must-have Parisian gifts. Buy yourself some. Their flour sack kitchen towels are created and printed in France by the owner’s sister. These towels are excellent for drying dishes and bar glasses. If ever you are lucky enough to find them in stock, grab the whole stack.
Located at 3014 Bolling Way, www.stgermainatl.com, 678-732-0437
Café Lapin
With a short stint at ADAC, this restaurant quickly settled in the heart of the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center in 2010. Each day, they offer four specials and several soups in addition to their full menu. They are also a quiet little bakery that you did not know you had in your neighborhood. Any day you can walk in and grab a cake or cookies. All items are packaged in that quintessential white bakery box which always feels so good to carry around. Everyone knows something yummy waits inside it.
What you may not know is Café Lapin loves to help with your holiday culinary needs, special occasions, and getting meals on your dinner table. Not only do they have a full catering menu, on any given day they boast a dozen assorted cakes. Walk on in, pick up slices or purchase a full cake. For Thanksgiving, they offer turkeys, sides dishes, casseroles, and the trimmings. Be sure to order this seasonal gastronomic joy in advance. During Christmas, the offerings are plentiful. The best is their poured frosting cookies in the shapes of elegant reindeer and Christmas trees. You have to ask for these cookies. There is no sign advertising them.
Café Lapin is open every day of the week. However, like most restaurants in France, they close a few hours in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner. Why the name Lapin, which means rabbit? Apparently, the owner just likes rabbits. I counted twelve of them scattered about in porcelain pieces and oil paintings. How many can you find?
In the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, 2341 Peachtree Road, www.cafelelapin.com, 404-233-9889
Another Frenchman has recently arrived in Atlanta with a 6-feet-10-inch wingspan. In June, the Hawks drafted French forward Zaccharie Risacher. Sports experts consider him to be the best player of the 2024 NBA draft. He will probably land right here in Buckhead. Now, all we are missing is the Seine River.
