John Q. P.
Yelp
The Beltline is now studded with various industrial conversions that host diverse restaurants and breweries, but Lee+White is the best one of all. I live in Midtown and can easily access Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market, but not infrequently we pile into the car and drive to Lee+White.
Lee+White has character. I have lived in Atlanta since the mid-90s, and back in the day many neighborhoods in Atlanta had character. They were not cookie cutter, they were diverse, they didn't ooze money, style-correctness, and political-correctness. Much as I love Midtown, its hipness is rather generic.
The breweries, restaurants, and clientele at Lee+White are diverse, interesting, sexy -- you name it, and not because they are striving to be that, but simply because they are. It is the most racially-mixed place I know, but it is not as the result of affirmative action or liberal guilt; it is just because black and white people live in the neighborhood.
The food and drink is very good. Monday Night Brewing has an amazing balcony and great beer. Wild Heaven has good pub food and great people watching. Boxcar is a bit fancier, and the food is excellent. The Balkan dining at Best End Brewery is delicious.
The outdoor seating faces south, so even on a chill winter day you can dine outside in the sunshine. And the Beltline is right there, so if you are lucky you can get there by bike.
This is not one of Atlanta's fanciest places, but it is one of the best.