It’s About Time: A Look At the New Sun Dial

Inside the Sun Dial

If you’ve been writing off the Sun Dial as an overpriced tourist trap, it’s time you took another look at the rotating dinner-with-a-view. After a $3-million makeover, the shiny new spot is dressed to impress. We visited on a cloudy, rainy Friday night–turns out, when you’re a local who’s not desperate to see all the sites, literally eating in the middle of the clouds is kind of cool and eerie.

The cocktail menu got a shake-up. There’s a lot of fun, fruity flavors; a white chocolate mudslide that seemed popular; and bartenders who also know how to make a decent standard Manhattan.

Pre-dinner: caramel apple martini. Post-dinner: mint chocolate almost-a-milkshake

Tested and approved menu items: bacon-wrapped gulf shrimp, duck a l’orange, low country boil, magnolia buttermilk tart, and a candied-bacon-chocolate-pistachio-shortbread-caramel concoction of joy.

Bacon-wrapped gulf shrimp, pickled peaches, and peach bbq sauce

Duck l’orange

Magnolia buttermilk tart

Seriously, bacon.

If you’ve never had chocolate and bacon together, you’re failing at life.

Honestly, the Sun Dial isn’t going to change the way you think about food, but where previously patrons seemed to pay for a great view and decent food, it now seems more balanced. Don’t cancel your reservations on a cloudy day, and don’t forget–this is an awesomely festive view around the holidays for those who want to see all the lights in Atlanta without having to drive.

Con: not sure if they’re trying to dump the tourist vibe, but the bar area previously had signs on the walls telling directions and a general idea of what’s currently in view (ie, “Stone Mountain” or “Buckhead”), those signs were sadly missing. Kind of sad for people who don’t know the local geography.