Cocktails and Oysters at Kimball House

I finally made it to Kimball House last weekend. It was the first stop in a long night of eating and cocktails in Decatur. The place hits all the right notes, and the bar program is really exceptional. The marble bar is 30-or-so feet long and is backed by library shelves (equipped with ladder). Many of the bartenders are recognizable from their stints at other cocktail destinations around town, and the drinks are creative and tasty. I was particularly fond of the New Tokyo, which somehow managed to use Ardbeg 10 year old scotch to make a lightly smokey but refreshing drink with the addition of pear brandy, lime, ginger, and yuzu.

To go with the great cocktails, there is a raw bar with one of the most extensive oyster lists I've ever seen in Atlanta or otherwise. Each variety on the menu has helpful tasting notes like "face full of seawater" or "sweet, zesty, and super balanced." The accompaniments are smartly limited to lemon and a dropper full of mignonette, which do not overpower the oysters. I prefer my oysters on the briny side, and our bar waiter recommended the Puffer's Petite's (Wellfleet, MA), Island Creek (Duxbury Bay, MA), and Potter's Moon (Potters Island, RI). All three were insanely good. I will be back.

Left to Right: Sazerac, New Tokyo, Pecan Old Fashioned

Kimball House
303 East Howard Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030