First Look: Sargent Is Set to Bring Parisian Style to Atlanta’s BeltLine

The team behind the Atlanta restaurant and bookshop Lucian is set to unveil Sargent, a striking new addition to the city’s BeltLine trail, in mid-August. Named for Gilded Age painter John Singer Sargent, the restaurant builds on the literary sensibility established at Lucian while creating something even grander.

Located steps from the Forth Hotel, Sargent looks as though it could just as easily be in Paris as in Atlanta’s buzzy Old Fourth Ward. Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space with natural light, while dark wood accents, soft green Venetian plaster, globe lights, and shelves of books add warmth and texture. “We are in a brand-new building, and as someone who prefers older architecture, it was very important that we had patina where it made sense,” says Katie Barringer, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Jordan Smelt. 

While Lucian draws inspiration from French classics in its famed omelette and steak frites, Sargent leans more American. “We focus on American classics with a little French brasserie on top,” Barringer explains. Executive chef Jason Paolini has centered the menu around an expansive seafood selection, a hearty club sandwich, and prime rib. “Just things that are craveable,” Barringer says. “That people can grow attached to and say, ‘You know what I’m in the mood for?’”

Here’s a peek inside Sargent. 

Green ripples throughout the restaurant, and Barringer wanted the color to have a big moment. That comes in the form of a prominent bar placed between two dining rooms. “We have an archway that’s a really beautiful green Venetian plaster and wanted something that felt like a true centerpiece,” she says. Meanwhile, amber-hued glass panels offer glimpses of the kitchen and the private dining room. “The textured glass and the color obscures the chaos of a kitchen but still gets that cinematic energy.”

Barringer and Smelt aimed to channel Sargent, a Gilded Age painter known for glamorous portraits of high society, in “lush moments” throughout the restaurant, including the layered drapery. The emerald banquettes enhance the plush feel, while the globe lights nod to the couple’s original restaurant, Lucian.

Barringer, who owned the now-closed Cover Books, brought her eye for oversized art and photography books to Lucian, and now Sargent boasts an even bigger bookstore footprint. “I’m happy to have magazines again,” she says. Guests can expect to find copies of Neptune Papers and Noble Rot, among other international publications. 

The twenty-foot-long antique table in the book section came from Cover. “My first question to our architects was, ‘Please tell me that we can fit the Cover table,’ because it seemed destined for the space,” she says. Floral-inspired chandeliers from London’s Pinch look airy and soft but are actually made from woven canvas.

Barringer and Smelt knew early in the planning that they wanted a club sandwich on Sargent’s menu. “It felt like it represented such a classic dish, something that’s instantly recognizable when done right,” Barringer says. 

Another American classic that stands out on the menu is the prime rib dinner for two, served at dinner alongside pomme puree, creamed spinach, and bordelaise sauce. The dish will also be available during the restaurant’s extended Sunday lunch service.