Key points:
- Hunan restaurant Blue Willow will open its first location outside New York City at Inman Quarter this fall.
- Blue Willow takes over the space formerly home to Hampton + Hudson, which closed in 2024.
- Blue Willow’s menu centers on regional Chinese cooking with roots in Hunan cuisine.
A New York City restaurant that built its reputation on Hunan cooking and a 1920s Shanghai aesthetic will open in Inman Park this fall.
Blue Willow will open its first location outside New York City at Inman Quarter, home to restaurants like Bread & Butterfly, Delbar, MF Sushi, and Beetlecat. Located off the Inman Quarter courtyard, Blue Willow takes over the space formerly home to Hampton + Hudson, which closed in 2024.
For Blue Willow founder Vincent Lin, opening a restaurant in Atlanta is a homecoming.
“Bringing a concept to Atlanta has been on our minds for a while, and for me it’s personal,” Lin said in a statement. “I spent much of my childhood in the city after immigrating from China, and those years have stayed with me. Coming back now – not just to visit, but to open Blue Willow’s first location outside of New York – feels like a full-circle moment.”
Along with Blue Willow, Lin also owns Red Sorghum in Long Island City and Ye’s Apothecary on the Lower East Side.
Related story:
• Char Korean Bar & Grill closing in Inman Park after nearly a decade
What’s on the menu
Blue Willow’s menu centers on regional Chinese cooking with roots in Hunan cuisine. Signature dishes include Chairman Mao’s red-braised pork (slow-simmered pork belly with spring onions, star anise, red peppers, and baby bok choy), bone-in ginger chicken, and roasted Peking duck.
The menu also includes hand-pulled noodles, wok-charred vegetables, dim sum, cold plates, and soups, ranging from wonton to hot and sour to dragon bone, along with three variations on fried rice.
Expect Baijiu-infused cocktails and tea-driven drinks, alongside beer and wine, from the bar.
Inman Quarter’s continued build-out
The Blue Willow announcement comes as Inman Quarter finishes a round of property improvements aimed at upgrading wayfinding, connectivity, and the overall public experience. Construction should wrap later this spring.
Jamestown, the real estate firm that co-owns the property with TriBridge Residential, has been courting new tenants to the development over the last year. Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza will open in the former Char Korean space at Inman Quarter in the coming months.
