This Is the Restaurant Replacing French Bistro Babette’s Cafe in Poncey-Highland

A new restaurant from one of the owners of Johnny’s Chicken and Waffles and Spice House is opening in the former Babette’s Cafe space in Poncey-Highland this summer.

Set to open in August, Sip Restaurant is backed by restaurateur Anthony Carrington and Natale Molinaro and promises to “offer show-stopping, Instagram-able craft cocktails, chef-driven, farm-to-table dishes, and best-in-class service,” according to a press release.

Carrington is also a partner in two locations of Caribbean restaurant Spice House in Midtown and Lithonia, as well as all-day brunch restaurant Johnny’s Chicken and Waffles in Midtown. Molinaro has worked in Atlanta restaurants like Fritti and Sotto Sotto in the past and now works as a restaurant consultant.

Little else is known about what Carrington and Molinaro have planned for Sip Restaurant. When asked, a representative speaking on behalf of Sip declined to provide further details on the types of dishes and cocktails the restaurant will serve, only saying more information should be available later in July.

Chef Marla Adams opened Babette’s Cafe in 1992, naming it for the Isak Dinesen story and film “Babette’s Feast”. Located in a former cottage on North Highland Avenue, the convivial bistro’s cozy dining room was a go-to spot for romantic evenings out, with dishes centered on the cuisines found in the countrysides of France, Spain, and Italy.

Last spring, Adams announced the closure of her beloved French restaurant after 31 years, opting to retire from the restaurant industry, travel, and begin writing a cookbook.

573 North Highland Avenue.