It’s been 15 years since Chef Steven Satterfield opened Miller Union on Brady Avenue in Atlanta. Since then, the critically acclaimed restaurant has racked up numerous accolades, including a James Beard award for Best Chef: Southeast for Satterfield, multiple nods to its wine program, and a Michelin recognition for outstanding service.
Now Satterfield will open his first new restaurant in years: a wine bar called Madeira Park in Poncey-Highland.
Satterfield partnered with Miller Union co-owner and wine director Neal McCarthy and Dive Wine pop-up founder and sommelier Tim Willard for Madeira Park. It will take over the cafe space at the former Highland Inn, now known as Otto’s Apartment Hotel, next door to Colette Bread, The Zero Co. and a forthcoming location of Big Softie ice cream shop. Neighboring restaurants along the block include Sweet Auburn BBQ, Tio Lucho’s, Fishmonger, Soul Vegetarian No. 2, and East Pole Coffee Co.
People who attended Dive Wine’s January pop-up at Banshee in East Atlanta Village unwittingly got a taste of what the trio has in store for Madeira Park. But the journey to open the wine bar began in 2019 and with another location closer to Miller Union on the Westside. The pandemic would alter those plans and put opening the wine bar on the back burner, forcing Satterfield and McCarthy to pull the plug on the deal to focus on shoring up Miller Union.
It was McCarthy who revitalized the plans again in 2024 and quickened the timeline for moving forward with the wine bar when he discovered the old cafe space at the Highland Inn had come on the market.
“People often ask me where I grew up. I grew up in Atlanta because I’ve been here for 28 years,” said McCarthy, a UK native. “My wife was born and raised here and I didn’t really grow up until I had my first child. I’ve always been drawn to this building on North Highland. It was one of the first places I remember when I moved here and it’s a part of Atlanta history.”
The space just felt right to McCarthy and a good fit for Madeira Park, something Willard and Satterfield agreed with when they walked into the empty cafe space for the first time earlier this year. They signed the lease within days of the viewing and immediately got to work planning the design, food, and wine. The wine bar’s name tips its hat to the park that was once the centerpiece of the garden community of Copenhill. It would later become part of Poncey-Highland.
Look for a large bar anchoring Madeira Park inside and a variety of seating options throughout the space. Counter-height seating will extend into the center of the room from the bar, with wraparound seating and communal areas. The front patio will offer additional places to sit or stand. The idea behind the seating at Madeira Park will allow small groups to morph into larger gatherings as people stop by for food and wine and visit with friends and neighbors.
Like the food at Miller Union, Satterfield will lean into the freshness of the seasons at Madeira Park. But he’ll keep the menu simple and sharable with less composed dishes. Expect a vegetable-heavy menu, along with charcuterie and cheese plates and a few standalone protein dishes. While Satterfield’s food will be a big draw, wine will be the main attraction at Madeira Park.
Willard and McCarthy have known each other for years, running in the same wine circles in Atlanta and beyond.
“Tim brings fresh ideas and fresh perspective to what Steven and I want to do here. His wine knowledge is more advanced than mine, bringing in wines to the state that otherwise wouldn’t be here,” McCarthy said of Willard, an advanced sommelier and National Portfolio Manager for European Wine Cellars. “He’s not afraid to push us and will bring Madeira Park to another level. I love bouncing ideas off of Tim. He gets what Steven and I want to do with service and food.”
The wine menu will feature by-the-glass and bottle options offering familiar favorites, boundary-pushing vintages, and hard-to-find wines catering to collectors. Look for a section dedicated to vermouth, sherry, port, and madeira, with cocktails using these fortified wines as mixing ingredients or base spirits.
“We want this to be a neighborhood restaurant and hospitality-focused. We will have wine for people to stop in for a quick and affordable glass and for people who want to linger for a while and taste something rare or that they haven’t had before in Georgia,” said Willard. “We want to engage people and have fun, but also challenge them a bit with wine.”
Willard will continue operating Dive Wine as a pop-up, but with less frequency as Madeira Park inches closer to opening at the end of the year. He plans to be at the Madeira Park often, juggling his duties at European Cellars and running Dive Wine.
Satterfield and McCarthy also hope to be at Madeira Park often, floating back and forth between Miller Union and the Poncey-Highland wine bar.
“We’ve hired and promoted the right people at Miller Union and have the best team in place there,” Satterfield said. “Having that team has enabled us to dial in and do something else now. We’re excited about Madeira Park and what’s happening with all the new restaurants opening. There’s a lot of synergy happening on that block and we are excited to be a part of that soon.”
