The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Uptown eatery has island f lavors
J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen scheduled to open Sunday.
Tasha Cyril, the owner of popular St. Lucian-inspired restaurant Belle & Lily’s, hopes to find further success with another Caribbean eatery.
Set to open Sunday, J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen will occupy a 2,500-square-foot space at 558 Main St. NE in the Uptown Atlanta development, formerly known as Lindbergh Center.
The restaurant (pronounced joo-VAY), is named for the festival that traditionally kicks off the start of Carnival parades and also is the French Creole phrase for “start of the day.” J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen will feature Caribbean and fusion dishes, as well as a full bar and weekend brunch.
Cyril, a native of St. Lucia who also co-owns Apt. 4B restaurant in Buckhead, said the menu “places an emphasis on other Caribbean islands that don’t necessarily get a lot of play. If you’re going to a Caribbean restaurant in the United States, chances are you’re eating Jamaican food. But Caribbean culture expands way past one island.”
The menu features items such as vegetable roti; doubles, a Trinidadian street food with flatbread filled with chickpeas; a jerk-infused burger; brunch dishes like pancakes topped with passion fruit and pina colada French toast; and traditional dishes such as jerk chicken and oxtail stew.
“Our goal is to infuse our island flavors into dishes that might be more familiar while not neglecting our own recipes and flavors,” said Cyril, who developed the menu with Apt. 4B chef Rory Grange.
The full bar also leans heavily on tropical ingredients for its craft cocktails. The Rum Punch uses St. Lucian rum, while the pina colada is made with soursop. The Pink and Powder is infused with guava, and J’ouvert’s take on the Sidecar uses elderflower. Other beverage offerings include
house-made ginger beer and a hibiscus brew also known as sorrel, as well as several nonalcoholic drinks including a lychee mojito.
The 2,500-square-foot interior pulls in island elements, with lots of blues, lush plants, wicker-backed chairs and wallpaper that looks like it was covered with a splash of blue paint, a nod to the bright paints and powders used during J’ouvert festivals.
The space offers seating for about 80, while a small patio offers seating for about 10 guests.
Cyril opened Belle & Lily’s on Chamblee-Tucker Road in late 2021, and said that while the restaurants complement each other with a handful of shared dishes, the concepts are distinctive.
“There’s enough of Caribbean culture to share that we don’t have to duplicate very much between the two,” she said.
In addition to J’ouvert, Uptown Atlanta soon will be home to Mexican restaurant El Gordo, Korean barbecue eatery Bene Korean Steakhouse and White Windmill bakery.
Uptown Test Kitchen opened last year with Chow a la Carte, which hosts popups and dinners with international chefs.
Uptown Atlanta tenant 26 Thai, which has been open in the development since 2016, has renewed its lease. Owner Niki Pattharakositkul also has locations for 26 Thai in Brookhaven, at Battery Atlanta at Truist Park and two in Dunwoody, at Perimeter Mall and Politan Row at Ashford Lane food hall.
Uptown Atlanta is undergoing redevelopment by Rubenstein Partners, along with design firm ASD|SKY and Gensler. The first phase includes construction to revitalize Main Street.
Eventually, Uptown will have nearly 1 million square feet of office space and 120,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, as well as community gathering spaces. The project will be accessible to pedestrian trails, including the Beltline and the South Fork Trail.
Additionally, MARTA has signed a 130,000-squarefoot lease at Uptown and will relocate up to 540 employees to that new space. 558 Main St. NE, Atlanta. jouvert-caribbean-kitchenbar-1708211562.resos.com/ booking