There is a particular kind of Friday that Atlanta does well: the lights go down a little earlier, the first glass of wine arrives before the week has fully left the body, and live music turns dinner into an evening.
That is the idea behind Soulful Sips: Residency with Desmond Champion, a weekly gathering at The Betty, the mid-century-inspired supper club inside Kimpton Sylvan in Buckhead.
Soulful Sips at The Betty: What To Know
Every Friday, The Betty leans into what it does best—warm lighting, a sophisticated but unstuffy room, chef-driven food, and a bar that treats cocktails and wine as part of the night rather than an afterthought. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Atlanta artist Desmond Champion takes the room, filling it with soulful live music that is intimate enough for conversation and rich enough to linger over.
Champion, a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, is the kind of performer who makes a restaurant feel like a listening room without turning dinner into a concert. The residency is built for date night, a low-key celebration with friends, or that first exhale of the weekend when you want the city to feel close and glamorous at the same time.
Wine first, then the night unfolds
The evening’s signature pour is a featured wine flight for $30, a three-glass introduction that travels easily from bright to velvety:
- Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc
- Whispering Angel Rosé
- Charles Woodson Intercept Pinot Noir
It is a flight designed to be shared, compared, and paced with the music—crisp enough to start the night, generous enough to carry it.
Beyond the flight, The Betty’s bar stays in motion with handcrafted signature cocktails and a chef-curated seasonal menu. The restaurant has long framed itself as a modern supper club: hearty, refined plates, shareable dishes, and a dining room that invites people to stay. Fridays now add a soundtrack to that formula.
A room made for lingering
The Betty sits at 374 East Paces Ferry Road NE, with its own presence inside the hotel rather than feeling like a lobby restaurant. That matters on a Friday. The setting is polished without being precious—mood lighting, a proper bar, and the sense that the night can stretch from a first sip to a last song.
Practical details help the romance along. Discounted parking is part of the residency, a small but meaningful courtesy in Buckhead, where the difference between a seamless night out and a logistical hassle often comes down to where you leave the car.
Why it works as a weekly tradition
Plenty of restaurants book a band. Fewer build a Friday identity around one. Soulful Sips works because the pieces fit: Champion’s residency gives the night a familiar pulse, the wine flight gives guests an easy way in, and the seasonal kitchen keeps the evening from feeling like a lounge set with food as an afterthought.
Come for the music. Stay for the Pinot. Leave with the feeling that Friday has a home now.
Make Residency with Desmond Champion your new weekend tradition at The Betty—live soul, fine wine, cocktails, and the kind of night that is meant to be remembered.
Final Word
If you want to check out some other spots in the area, here are the best restaurants in Buckhead. Or you might like to read our Buckhead Steak Guide to find all the best eateries offering mouth-watering prime cuts.
Atlanta has a thriving cultural, food, sports and music scene, with venues like the Tabernacle and the Fox Theatre hosting concerts and shows throughout the year. The city is also home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Opera, offering world-class performances for music lovers.
Atlanta has a lot of cool things to do and places to eat, including some of the top soul food joints and remarkable Thai food spots. Explore the city.
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