C. Ellet’s is a next-generation steakhouse housed in a commanding corner of The Battery, the new mixed-use entertainment district that includes SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. It is the latest concept from James Beard award-winning chef, Linton Hopkins, who named the restaurant after his great-grandfather, an engineer who built bridges across the Southeast.

Charles Ellet, Jr. thus served as our muse as we gathered design inspiration from the language of cartography and the meandering tributaries that flow into the Mississippi and down to New Orleans. A modern, Big Easy mood is set by the pearlescent tones and textures of Venetian plaster walls, soft grey marble, silvery mirrors, old wood floors, and zinc, with brass accents and diffuse light through gauzy drapery.

Gently radiused corners and edges provide a detailing motif as materials come together throughout the space. The restaurant is organized as a procession of individual spaces, flowing from public to private. A gracious main entry receives guests with access to both the dining room and bar area. Intimate banquettes are tucked along the perimeter of the dining room under a scenic mural that curves along the soffit above.

A long, linear wine hall leads to a small vestibule and ultimately, the private dining room and secluded bar. The oyster bar anchors the front corner of the restaurant with a window opening onto the pedestrian promenade for take-away orders. Patio dining flanks the main entry, offering a view of the scene along the promenade. A generous kitchen and back-of-house area allow Chef Hopkins and his staff to produce the locally-sourced, innovative cuisine for which he’s well-known.

Design: Square Feet Studio
Photography: Andrew Thomas Lee