International Escape
AH&L slips inside the Common Ground development near the Beltline’s Eastside Trail for a globally influenced experience
Inspired by the years his family lived in Paris as well as the Yucatan Peninsula, Scott Wilkins says he sought to replicate the authentic experiences of each region inside the Common Ground development’s new BeltLine-adjacent restaurant and retail experience.
Enter Bazati—which offers a European-inspired brasserie and specialty shops—and Estrella, a Yucatan-inspired rooftop restaurant. Owned by Wilkins and operated by The Diligence Company, the concepts sprawl to 7,000 square feet with lofty, 23-foot ceilings and a spacious patio overlooking the Beltline. Bazati encompasses The Brasserie, a Parisian-influenced eatery, and eight specialty retail kiosks. “The Brasserie is open all day serving a full menu, and that’s what we do,” says Wilkins.
A lounge bar near the BeltLine entrance serves espresso, pastries and libations, and features cozy seating (all of The Brasserie’s custom furniture was imported from Europe and Latin America) that invite guests to read the newspaper, hold meetings or enjoy a cappuccino. A second, larger bar caters to the evening crowd.
Led by chef Remi Granger, formerly of Inman Park’s Bread & Butterfly, the menu skews French, featuring classic brasserie fare such as croque monsieur, duck confit and Niçoise salad. The beverage program is rooted in French wines and 1920s French cocktails.
Behind the restaurant space is Bazati’s second component: eight specialty shops offering products sourced from across the globe, many of which you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the states. Expect everything from floral arrangements from Atlanta-based The Fleur Shop and curated global wines to books by German publisher Taschen and Yucatecan textiles from Mexican brand Taller Maya.
“We wanted to create a large room that almost felt like a brasserie in a bustling part of a city fronting a street or even fronting a train station so that you have people coming in randomly or coming in as a destination,” Wilkins says.” If you’re in a large train station, for example, you have all these little shops, where you can pick up a newspaper, a gift or a book.”
Also internationally inspired is the rooftop restaurant, Estrella, which offers skyline views and a breezy, coastal atmosphere evoking Miami, Yucatan and the Caribbean. The airy space is awash with white, while hints of capri blue and soft gray achieve “a very lively, beautiful, carefree but quietly sophisticated feel,” Wilkins says. “It’s a place to escape and really be transported.”
An open-air bar, spacious patio and Yucatecan menu, helmed by chef Cam Floyd, offer all the ingredients of a coastal getaway. Choose from shareable plates and main dishes rooted in fresh ingredients and plenty of seafood—think ceviche, tacos and lobster rolls. There’s also a robust sparkling wine list and classic Latin American cocktails (don’t miss the hibiscus champagne punch).
“We hope downstairs will become a neighborhood go-to, a place you can go any time of the day, whereas upstairs is more of a destination,” Wilkins says. “This is an attempt to present something that looks, feels and tastes authentic.”