Chef Kevin Gillespie (Revival, Ole Reliable) describes his latest restaurant, Cold Beer, as the “sophisticated sister” of his Glenwood Park restaurant, Gunshow. At 7,000 square feet and two stories, Cold Beer is Gillespie’s largest and most ambitious restaurant yet.
Atlanta-based firm Ai3 designed the Eastside Beltline space to highlight Gillespie’s love of art and architecture. Modern and minimalist, the dining room features pops of color from bright yellow trim, live plants, and several panels of preserved mosses and ferns above the bar. Cold Beer’s most striking and purposely designed element comes from the large painting of a polar bear (his spirit animal) beside the kitchen doors in the dining room.
“I want Cold Beer to be about celebrating life. That’s really important to me. I want people to come here and celebrate not just their birthday or an anniversary, but that it’s Tuesday.”
Cold Beer will initially open for happy hour and dinner at 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Weekend brunch could begin as soon as Labor Day weekend.
Take a look inside Cold Beer, opening Tuesday, July 23, on the Eastside Beltline in the Old Fourth Ward.
Front patio
The front patio seats approximately 70 people and is fashioned with ceiling fans, heat lamps, and camp lights on each table. Two front railings offer seating overlooking the Beltline. Opposite the front railings, a longer, second railing looks in toward the dining room. The dining room windows at the railing open up onto the patio, allowing people to sit across from one another.
Dining room and bar
Inside, Cold Beer seats around 70 people at booths, tables, and along the banquette in front of the bar. Nine seats are available at the bar, where Gillespie says beverage director Mercedes O’Brien “really shines”. An area behind the host stand can be partitioned off for private parties.
Gillespie kept the colors neutral in the dining room to highlight the natural light flowing in from the two-story windows and to provide a blank canvas for other design elements, like the colorful panels above the bar. Each panel features preserved mosses, flowers, and ferns from a company called Garden on the Wall.
“I wanted a living wall, but was concerned over how much maintenance that involved. We settled on these preserved plants, which we designed and arranged [in each panel] ourselves and have a shelf life of about five years.”
The polar bear painting
Gillepsie commissioned artist O.M. Norling to create the polar bear painting for Cold Beer. He says the bear represents him and his ups and downs and recent tribulations, which included a battle with renal cancer last year.
Norling worked for over eight months to create the painting. It includes several personal elements dear to Gillespie and wife Valerie. For instance, a Japanese maple tree and a family of cardinals in the lower left hand corner of the painting can be found at the Gillespie’s home.
It’s all Gillespie is willing to reveal about the very personal nature of the painting.
“When I built Gunshow, I wanted the design to look like you were inside the kitchen. It’s extremely rough and crude, almost mechanical. In a way, it channels a bit of that chaos found in most restaurant kitchens,” Gillespie explains of the contrasting designs of the sibling restaurants. “Cold Beer is much more serene and simple and represents my love of art, beauty, and natural light.”
Rooftop patio
Gillepsie admits he was first drawn to the Cold Beer space for its rooftop dining potential. The space currently seats around 130 people at its high top tables, rail seating overlooking the Beltline, and a campfire-style lounge area.
The roof includes its own small kitchen, a bar, and a dumbwaiter system originating from the main kitchen.
“We can run the same food and drink menus on both floors. However, we feel people will just hang out up here for drinks. This space will evolve over time and could eventually have its own snacks menu if we find that’s what people are asking for most often on this patio.”
The rooftop patio holds approximately 130 people and includes its own kitchen, bar, and dumbwaiter system
Reservations for the dining room and the dining room bar will be available online soon. Walk-ins are welcome. Both patios are first-come, first-served. Check in at the host stand before being seated.
Open Tuesday – Sunday at 4 p.m.
670 DeKalb Avenue NE, Suite 101, Atlanta. coldbeeratl.com.
