Take a first look at Rise & Revelry in Atlanta Savi Provisions

Back in March 2017, owner Paul Nair and the team behind Atlanta's Savi Provisions neighborhood markets opened Jai Ho Indian Kitchen & Bar in Morningside.

It was the first full-service restaurant for Nair, who drew inspiration from his upbringing in India. Now comes Rise & Revelry, a sleek rooftop restaurant and bar situated atop Savi Provisions' second Buckhead location on Pharr Road.

First announced for a late May or early June 2018 debut, R&R will have its grand opening celebration from 2-6 p.m. Saturday.

Guests will get a preview of the restaurant and the food, along with live music, beer, wine and spirits samples, and tastes from local Savi vendors, such as High Road Craft Ice Cream and King of Pops frozen pops.

Nair launched Savi in 2009, with his first location in Inman Park. Now there are six outposts around metro Atlanta, with the latest in Decatur.

Pitched as upscale bodegas, with staples, fancy foods, beer and wine, the on-site cafes serve soups, salads and sandwiches, plus the likes of grain bowls, omelets, and breakfast burritos.

During a recent afternoon visit to Savi on Pharr, the cafe was busy, and so was the drive-thru serving up Jittery Joe’s coffee.

Credit: Mia Yakel

Credit: Mia Yakel

Up on the rooftop, it’s a very different scene. Like the name implies, Rise & Revelry moves things up to a different level. The leafy, treetop views of Buckhead take in the monster movie-like fish that marks the Atlanta Fish Market up the street.

The design and decor conjure a beach resort, with outdoor and covered seating, a retractable awning, and a patio with umbrella tables, sofas and teak chairs. In the bar area, there’s a dumbwaiter that delivers dishes from the combined cafe and restaurant kitchen below.

Now serving dinner seven days a week, Rise & Revelry has a menu that is still a work in progress. But look for small plates and snacks such as Southern-style meatballs with bourbon barbecue sauce, and Mediterranean-style steamed mussels with white wine, tomatoes, garlic and basil.

Larger offerings include a shrimp roll with Alabama shrimp salad, lemon mayo, and local lettuce on a hoagie roll, and fish tacos with black bean corn salsa, habanero aioli, and vegetable rice.

Credit: Mia Yakel

Executive chef Donny Crock, who was the opening chef de cuisine at Camps Kitchen & Bar in east Cobb, has been helping with tweaking the menu.

“We want to do a lot of bold flavors in an atmosphere that’s made for drinking and dining and having a great time,” Crock said last week. “I think it should be more of a small plate menu, so that someone can come in once or twice a week and find something to try. Instead of entrees every day, there will be weekly specials.

“Right now, I’m doing a coriander-crusted ahi tuna with vegetable egg rolls, ginger vinaigrette with habanero aioli. And we’ll be doing three different tacos with fish, shrimp and steak, so you mix and match them.”

For his part, Nair said a few weeks of soft opening have given him a lot more ideas about what guests want.

“We opened this about three or fours weeks ago, and since then, we have a lot of comments from people and what Buckhead people want to see,” Nair said. “With that in mind, we decided to go ahead and redo the menu. And based on the ambiance and the design, we decided it should be small plate-based, rather than full entree-based.”

Credit: Mia Yakel

But besides the feedback from guests, Nair revealed that he had another reason for changing up the menu, too.

“One of the main reasons is that I decided to invest in a 7-acre organic farm in Stockbridge, Ga.,” he said. “So now we actually have an in-house farmer, pretty much growing all our produce for us.

“So what we’re trying to do is change the menu based on seasonality, and trying to create more fresh dishes with local and organic produce. But we don’t want to lose that revelry or fun in the atmosphere. We want it to be relaxed. And with all that, we’re bringing in some consultants to help us make sure we’re doing it right.”

5:30-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 5:30-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays.

Small plates and snacks, $9-$15; bowls, $16-$18; salads, $7-$14; sandwiches, $10-$15.

308 Pharr Road, Atlanta. 404-228-6591, riseandrevelry.com.

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