When Hope Webb and Walter Cortado opened their Filipino restaurant Estrellita in a 529-square-foot space in Grant Park in 2020, they embarked on a mission to share their food and culture with the Atlanta community. Now, the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recipient is moving into the next step in its journey with a move to South Downtown at 115 Broad Street SW planned for later this year.
“It’s been one of our goals to see Filipino food more in major cities across the U.S. What better place to expand to than Atlanta’s downtown area?” Webb told What Now Atlanta. “I know that they have really big plans for revival down there, and it’s just so exciting to be a part of a historical resurrection of that area.”
Webb and Cortado, who are originally from the New York and New Jersey area, have been serving menu items such as Pork Adobo, Pork Sinigang, Branzino sa Baga, Filipino Chicken BBQ and Lechon Kawali out of their space in Grant Park. When they opened there in 2020, their goal was to offer a pulutan-style atmosphere, offering Filipino dishes alongside beer, wine and cocktails. While the business has been thriving, they have faced space limitations, preventing them from having a full bar and additional storage space for ingredients.
The new South Downtown space will give the Estrellita team a lot more flexibility, offering a kitchen that is about three times the size of their current kitchen. The additional space will allow them to bring Filipino classics such as Pancit and Bistek back to their menu, and it will allow for more dining space and a full bar.
The South Downtown space is not the only new venture for the team heading into 2026. They are also launching a retail product, a Filipino sausage called Longaniza, in 13 stores across Florida. There are also a few Georgia stores that will carry the product.
Although they are growing, Webb and Cortado are dedicated to maintaining the same homey atmosphere dedicated to Filipino roots. They will continue to pull education about Filipino food into their concept, speaking with customers about Filipino history and various culinary elements.
“That’s one of the things that we pride ourselves on — the tableside education and educating the public on what Filipino food is,” Webb said. “This tableside education is very important in spawning the passion for a new culture. This particular space, at 1,300 square feet, still gives us that intimate setting to where we can do our table touches, and it feels just right. It’ll still have that cozy feeling. It’ll still be buzzing with people. Creating that same vibe that we have at 580 Woodward was extremely important to us.”
South Downtown has been bringing plenty of new tenants into the mix, including Glide Pizza, Mule Train and a restaurant from restaurateurs Todd Ginsberg and Josh Kim. Leather goods brand KMM & Co. is also joining the area.
