Municipal Grand

Worth getting out of bed for

You’ll get the most out of Savannah on foot: this is a city designed for wandering, where leafy squares stitch together neoclassical mansions and grand townhouses, many now open as small museums, such as the stately Davenport House Museum. As you walk, the city’s stories surface naturally — from Civil War lore (Savannah was famously spared by Sherman) to cultural touchstones like Moon River, written by local son Johnny Mercer, whose namesake river lies just beyond downtown. Pause in Forsyth Park to watch the light shift through magnolias, then follow your curiosity toward galleries and studios (don’t miss Laney Contemporary or Gustein Gallery) shaped by the influence of Savannah College of Art and Design, which has helped usher in a creative undercurrent beneath the city’s old-soul exterior.  

Beyond the urban spell, salt marshes and open beaches await on nearby islands — with Tybee Island offering an easily reached dose of sea air and surf-chic sandy stretches. Other day trips could include Whitemarsh Island for tranquil trails through oak and palmetto forest, and wilder Skidaway Island State Park, where kayaks drift past egrets and dolphins. 

Local restaurants

Savannah is where serious cooking hides behind heavy doors and handsome façades. The candlelit Olde Pink House, just along Abercorn Street from Municipal Grand, serves classic Southern cooking in a grand 18th-century mansion with a dinner-party atmosphere. For something more contemporary, Common Thread champions Georgia’s farmers and fishers with confident, produce-led plates that shift with the seasons. And then there’s The Grey, set inside a restored art deco bus terminal. 

Local cafés

At The Collins Quarter (either downtown or by Forsyth Park), brunch stretches comfortably into the afternoon, with favorites ranging from eggs Benedict and shrimp-and-grits to Australian-leaning plates like bubble and squeak or smashed peas on toast. Over at Shuk, tuck into shakshuka, chicken shawarma pitas, muhamarra and house-made spreads designed for sharing — or hoarding, depending on hunger levels. 

Local bars

At Late Air wine bar, the focus is on minimal-intervention bottles and a short, confident food menu, where bright, punchy flavours replace anything fussy or overworked; standouts include olives slicked with zhug, oysters sharpened with shiso mignonette and crudo finished with a hit of ferment and heat.