Savannah, Georgia is known for being one of America’s most haunted cities. Saturated with civil war history, the town and many of its historical homes are well-preserved, especially those within its large historic district. Cobblestone streets are lined with old school pubs, inns and several new restauranteurs who have brought southern-style cooking to a whole new level. It’s certainly easy enough to enjoy 48 quick hours, but lovely enough to want to extend your stay.

Stay

Kimpton Brice Hotel

Located on the east side of Bay Street, the Kimpton Brice Hotel is a short walk from everything you want to explore in the Savannah Historic District, and just a block away from the River Street Waterfront. The hotel has a ton of amenities including an outdoor pool, a small fitness center, coffee and tea in the lobby, a full restaurant and bar, Pacci (see Eat & Drink), a garden, and valet service.

Eat & Drink

The Olde Pink House

The Olde Pink House is exactly what you’d imagine - an old, pink house. Located on Reynolds Square, this Colonial mansion has been transformed into a high-end restaurant serving classic southern dishes throughout former ballrooms, living rooms, libraries and more. They’re well-known for their flounder which is a hidden special not included on the menu, fried chicken and shrimp and grits.

Cafè M

If you’re looking for a simple but delicious breakfast, head to Cafè M near River Street. Croissants, donuts, macaroons and individual sized pies line the counter, and their menu has an assortment of yogurt parfaits, egg sandwiches and paninis. I recommend the Normandy croissant with Brie and walnuts, classic scrambled eggs with bacon, and iced cappuccino.

Cotton & Rye

A former bank-turned-gastropub, Cotton & Rye is serving up American classics with a southern twist. Owned by one of the area’s most renowned chefs, Zach Shultz, the chic restaurant boasts a beautiful bar with an extensive cocktail, beer and wine list. I highly recommend ordering the cheese and sausage board to start, and the fried chicken thighs with spicy maple syrup, the sweet potato casserole, and the steak to share. We had the NY Strip steak with brown garlic broccolini, a special for the night, but the hanger steak on the menu sounded pretty amazing, as well.

The Collins Quarter

It might be 5:00 somewhere, but 12:30 PM on a Sunday in Savannah is the new 5:00! At 12:30 on the dot, The Collins Quarter, an Australian restaurant, becomes the go-to brunch spot in Savannah - the music is turned up, the booze starts flowing, and a man ringing a cowbell comes running through the restaurant to let you know it’s party time. The food is outstanding and I highly recommend the Swine Time Beni - a pulled pork benedict over french toast, the Bacon and Egg Roll, and the peach bellini. There’s often a wait, but don’t be deterred. It only takes about 30 minutes and they have a coffee window pumping out Toby’s Estate roast - only the best!

Vic’s on the River

One of Savannah’s finest dining institutions, Vic’s on the River was once an industrial warehouse. There is a cafè on the ground floor, but the second floor restaurant is where it’s at. The bar overlooks the Savannah River and the docked riverboats, and there’s light jazz music playing in the background. We stopped in here for a drink and highly recommend the Dirty Bleu Martini, a dirty Belvedere martini with bleu cheese olives. Divine!

Moon River Brewing Company

A brewery, bar, and dog-friendly beer garden, Moon River Brewing Company serves self-made craft beers on tap. They also feature a few other local brewers and cider producers on their menu. The bar itself is said to be haunted which makes the experience a bit more fun (depending on who you ask). They’re best known for their Swamp Fox IPA, but being less of a beer drinker, I really enjoyed the seasonal cider.

Mata Hari Speakeasy

Mata Hari is a Prohibition-era speakeasy located on the lower portion of Bay Street. You have to walk down the “historic” stairs to get to it, and a unique password is required each evening. Some hotels are privy to that information (which is how we got ours), otherwise you need to be recommended or invited by a regular. Old classics were playing until a live singer came out on stage, and there were professional dancers planted in the bar for anyone that wanted a lesson.

Pacci

Pacci, the restaurant off of the Kimpton Brice Hotel lobby, serves lovely cocktails and modern Italian fare. We decided to have our last dinner here because after walking by everytime we left or returned to the hotel, it smelled so good and had a really nice vibe. We shared the fig and ricotta pizza, cacio e peppe pasta, and corn risotto.

Things to Do

Carriage Ride

Carriage Tours of Savannah is one of the more well-known companies in the city, and they provide tours for just about everything - American history, culture, architecture and haunted history. Carol, our guide, and Bo, the beautiful, friendly horse, showed us around historic Savannah for an hour and certainly gave us a good understanding of the layout of the city as well as its history.

Walking River Street

River Street is a waterfront strip lined with industrial warehouses transformed into bars, restaurants, markets, inns and boutique shops. It’s great for a stroll throughout the day, and the far end turns into a pretty crazy bar scene at night with everything from country music bars to hip-hop clubs and speakeasies.

Savannah’s Candy Kitchen

No River Street stroll is complete without a stop into Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. The shop is known for their praline bear claws but is also producing tons of salt water taffy, fudge, candy coated apples, and other amazing sugary treats. Do yourself and everyone you love a favor, and make an assorted box of goodies to bring home.