The team behind Palo Santo is reviving a former Buckhead concept this summer. Felipe Rivera and Eduardo Rivera will open Botánico Cocina & Social Club in mid-August in the space formerly home to Lure at 1106 Crescent Ave. NE. Lure closed in the Midtown space last summer.
Felipe, whose background is Colombian, told What Now Atlanta that they want to focus on a diverse variety of Latin American cuisines in the menu. They plan to draw inspiration from Peruvian, Mexican, Colombian and Cuban cuisines.
The restaurant will serve as a contemporary Latin restaurant and social club. Executive chef Juan Guillermo Hormiga is spearheading the menu, which will feature items such as sea bass ceviche (sea bass marinated with lime juice, onion and jalapeños with mango leche de tigre and tapioca crunchy cracker), shrimp cocktails (marinated shrimp served with guajillo leche de tigre, avocados, sriracha caviar, microgreens, cilantro oil and burnt banana powder) and chicken tamales (served with chupe sauce garnish, cheese sauce and a citrus herb salad). The beverage program will feature Latin American and Caribbean cocktails, with a strong emphasis on tequila and mezcal, as well as pisco and Caribbean and South American rums. There will also be a focus on wines from Hispanic producers with selections from Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Spain, as well as Mexican beers.
The design of the space will feature vegetation, organic textures, warm lighting and bohemian design elements. There will also be live DJs, patio parties and a lounge space with bottle service to establish an upbeat atmosphere.
The Botánico team has seen some recent changes in its Atlanta portfolio of concepts. In late June, the team closed Palo Santo in West Midtown after a five-year run. They also opened new cocktail bar Incognito in West Midtown earlier last month. Felipe said that the city could see a revived version of Palo Santo in a few years if they find the right space to bring it back.
“We want to grow our hospitality team,” Felipe said. “We want to bring new concepts for the city to enjoy and that are inspired by our travels in Latin America.”
