Atlanta holidays

The Municipal Market is the place to be if you want to sample Atlanta’s culinary scene without making too much of a dent into your dollar stash. Make a beige banquet with fresh-baked bread, double-crusted pies and French crepes, or snack on fresh fruit and buttery popcorn.

You can get a whole new holiday wardrobe at Atlantic Station if you fancy a spending spree that doesn’t break the bank. H&M, Old Navy and Victoria’s Secret are just a few of the big-name brands that call this huge outdoor mall home. There’s also a Bath & Body Works, if candles are your thing.

Got a taste for the finer things? You’ll have a field day at Lenox Square – Atlanta’s upscale shopping mall, which specialises in boujie buys. It’s got a Louis Vuitton and a Burberry, so designer handbags are up for grabs, while FENDI sorts out fashion fiends.

Head to The Plaza Theatre when you fancy a chilled evening. It opened in 1989, making it Atlanta’s longest continuously operating independent movie theatre, and shows indie favourites like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

You can get your glad rags on for a show at the Fox Theatre when you’re in the mood for an up-tempo night out. This old movie palace – a fancy name for a big cinema built in the 1910s to 1940s – puts on all sorts of live performances, including rock concerts and Broadway shows. Think Hamilton and Wicked.

These aren’t just any chicken wings – they’re zesty Atlanta-style chicken wings, which are coated in seasoning and fried before being doused in butter and fried again. The result? Moreish morsels that go well with fresh celery sticks and a healthy dollop of creamy ranch dressing.

You can’t go to the south without trying BBQ. In Atlanta, it usually comes in the form of beef brisket, which is braised and slow-cooked until it’s melt-in-the-mouth tender. Onion, garlic and thyme form the base flavours of the soupy broth, while Coca-Cola adds a caramelly sweetness.

It’s worth saving room for dessert while you’re in town – this sweet treat features juicy chunks of the local fuzzy fruit. They’re topped with a layer of golden-brown biscuits, which are a bit like the scones we have in the UK. It’s usually served warm, too, alongside a scoop of vanilla-flecked ice-cream.

Don’t be fooled by the name of this staple brunch dish. It’s a silky-smooth mix of porridge-like grains cooked low and slow with heaps of butter and cream. In Atlanta, it’s often topped with spicy shrimp that’s been sauteed with tomato and spinach.

Ask for a cheese sandwich in Atlanta, and you’ll get more than a slab of cheddar squished between two slices of white bread. Sarnies come with a spicy mix of shredded cheddar, mayo and pimento peppers around here, and they’re usually toasted until they’re nice and crisp on top.