If you plan to splurge while visiting Atlanta, empty your wallet at one of these five pricey spots where food and excellent service go hand in hand.

Pano's & Paul's
1232 West Paces Ferry Road, N.W
404-261-3662
Dinner for two, before wine, about $120. Reservations recommended and jackets requested.

Having opened way back in 1979 (way back for Atlanta, that is), Pano's & Paul's is one of the pillars of the Atlanta fine dining scene. And though you would not normally think of a strip mall as the location for an outstanding restaurant, Pano's & Paul's is a lesson in not judging a book by its cover. A beveled glass doorway leads you into a plush lounge with Deco overtones. The stylish main dining room, with dark colors and warm fabrics, provides an ambiance that's just right for intimate conversation and dining. The American/Continental menu opens with terrific starters such as wild burgundy escargots. Main courses show off Chef Gary Donlick's artistry in dishes such as a fresh genuine Dover sole, a classic demonstration of the heights to which simple cooking can be taken. Another standout is the restaurant's signature dish of lobster tails lightly fried in a delicate batter. Among several desserts too good to pass up, the creme brulee is tops. There's a sophisticated wine list, of course, strongest with California labels, but with a good representation from some of the best European wine producing areas. Service is polished and helpful; if you want something that's not on the menu, the kitchen will produce it if at all possible.

Food Studio
887 W. Marietta Street
404-815-6677
Dinner for two, before wine, about $90

The Food Studio is a sophisticated, New American restaurant incorporating all the right elements for the genre - former warehouse location, lots of exposed brick as a palette for high-tech lighting and design elements, bold use of color and, above all, an inventive menu that in most cases manages to avoid the cliches of this type of dining. The restaurant is located in West Midtown in the King Plow Arts Center, a focal point for one of the city's hottest rising neighborhoods. Chef Mark Alba will dazzle you with starters such as beef tenderloin tartare or almond dusted foie grass. Main courses are equally exciting, especially the fettuccini braised lamb and black grouper with clams, chick peas, chorizo, and tomato broth. To accompany all this, there's an admirable wine list that is quite fairly priced. There's hardly a night when the Food Studio isn't jammed, so reserve and adjust your attitude to appreciate a wait at the hopping bar.

Joel
3290 Northside Parkway
404-233-3500
Dinner for two, before wine, about $110

Joel is a dining adventure you won't soon forget. The cooking of Chef Joel Antunes is on a par with the best chefs found anywhere. A Frenchman, who got his first training in his grandmother's kitchen, Antunes has worked with some of gastronomy's brightest stars - Paul Bocuse, the Troisgros family, and Mark Meneau among others - and has put in a stint at the Mandarin Oriental where he directed the cooking staff of the hotel's Le Normandie dining room. His latest redesign showcases his lifelong commitment to preparing healthy, simple and creative French cuisine and features an award-winning wine list. The overall experience is one of casual European ambiance. Standout cold appetizers include blue fin tuna tartare and dry beef carpaccio with grilled artichoke. Main courses are every bit as outstanding: lobster risotto, roasted lamb rack, and braised beef short ribs are just a few. And to finish, the hot chocolate souffle with Tonka sauce is unsurpassed, but allow an extra 20 minutes for its preparation. The setting for all this good food and drink is a stylish and well-lit room with bold use of color. It's worth noting that the pre-theatre dinner special at $39 has rejoined the menu.

Kyma
3085 Piedmont Road
404-262-0702
Dinner for two, before wine, about $100

Don't be surprised if the bold, blue ceiling dotted with stars that greets you when you enter Kyma, combined with stark white marble columns and colorful displays of fresh fish, lead you to feel you're in Neptune's antechamber under the sea. Everything sparkles in this evocation of a Greek fish taverna. The menu's main attractions - at least a dozen varieties of fish and seafood - are flown in daily from Mediterranean, Adriatic, and North American waters. Come prepared to do justice to the extravagant selection of "meze", the classic Mediterranean "small plates" that head the menu. Try the delicately crisp baby calamari lightly sauteed in olive oil, the feta cheese with olives, the tzatziki (Greek yogurt) with cucumbers, or any of the two dozen or so other offerings. Many diners stick with the bounteous meze menu as their entire dinner, but it's a shame to miss the simple goodness of fresh, wood-grilled ocean fish - dorado, snapper, rouget, turbot, and more, all done to perfection. If, heaven forbid, you're not a fish eater, there are a few meat dishes, the most notable being the lamb preparations. The stars on the wine list are the many Greek vintages rarely found in North America, and the service is Greek hospitality at its finest.

Aria
490 E. Paces Ferry Road
404-233-7673
Dinner for two about $120, before wine

Casually elegant, Aria's been a mainstay of the hip Buckhead neighborhood since 2000. Think split level, a silver beaded entrance, seats for 70 and light techno music. Chef/owner Gerry Klaskala, recipient of the 2001 Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence, continually wows with eclectic gourmet fare. The starters each include enough creativity for several courses, and offerings like "creamless" celery root soup with black truffles and parmigiano reggiano will tantalize vegetarian and carnivore alike. Entree highlights include pan-roasted breast of duck and Georgia trout with lobster mashed potatoes and there's no stinting on desserts. Red Bartlett pear brioche pudding, warm chocolate cheesecake and a selection of four fresh sorbets are just a few of the fabulous finales. The wine list is among the best in Atlanta, reasonably priced and including a some often-overlooked gems.