A Wine Cafe for Book Lovers Opens Soon in Buckhead

Wine cafe and bookstore Lucian Books and Wine, owned by Atlanta sommelier Jordan Smelt (Cakes and Ale) and former Cover Books owner Katie Barringer, opens in early June at Modera Buckhead along Peachtree Road.

Named for British painter Lucian Freud (Barringer’s favorite artist), Lucian will specialize in books centered around art, design, food, and culture and carry nearly 250 wines by the bottle and 15 wines by the glass.

Led in the kitchen by chef Brian Hendrickson, expect wine-friendly food options on the menu throughout the day, with larger, shareable dishes served at dinner. Hendrickson worked with Smelt at Cakes and Ale and will create food easily paired with the mostly European-leaning wine list at Lucian. Barringer and Smelt also plan to offer a special takeout option on Fridays and Saturdays called “At Home with Lucian”, which comes with a book from the shop.

“Lucian will operate as both a retail bookstore. specializing in beautiful books on art, design, food, wine and culture, and a place to sit down to enjoy great wine and food,” Barringer tells Eater. “Guests can stop in just to browse the book selection, sit down for a quick glass of wine and a snack, enjoy a full dinner — and everything in between!”

Barringer opened Cover Books in 2016 around the corner from Octane on Marietta Street, before closing the shop two years later. At Cover, Barringer often hosted food and wine events and cookbook and book release parties.

Smelt, whose previous work includes stints at Restaurant Eugene and Holeman and Finch Public House, was the wine and beverage director for Cakes and Ale in Decatur, and later for Bread and Butterfly in Inman Park — both owned by chef Billy Allin. Allin closed Cakes and Ale in 2018 after over a decade in Decatur. The space is now home to the Deer and the Dove, owned by chef Terry Koval.

Open Tuesday - Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dinner service begins at 4 p.m. Takeout available.

3005 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. lucianbooksandwine.com.

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