Georgia Trend. August 2025
Steps away from The High Museum of Art, Woodruff Arts Center and Atlanta Symphony, is a historic building known as The Castle aka Fort Peace. The former residence of wealthy agricultural supplier Ferdinand McMillan (1844–1920) is an iconic Atlanta landmark that you may have driven past without knowing its legendry history. Home to The Golden Horn Café (thought to be the first espresso café in Atlanta), the Castle became a popular gathering place for international artists, poets, professors and musicians, then became a pop-up living room bar, a fine dining establishment, and its latest incarnation, Divan Restaurant and Bar.
Divan became one of the first Persian restaurants in Metro Atlanta when it opened at its Buckhead location 20 years ago. When the spacious Fort Peace became available in 2021, Divan’s owner, Mansoor (Max) Lotfi jumped at the opportunity. From the outside, the building looks like a granite structure, but inside you will find five floors of restaurant space, including bars, outdoor patios, and private dining rooms. While Lotfi couldn’t do much to the structure of the historic building, he says he added staircases, dramatic light fixtures and drapes, Persian-inspired accents, and even commissioned artwork that carefully interplays a harmonious blend of the south and the eastern world.
Just like a castle may have different atmospheres in each of the rooms, at Divan, you may go from a speakeasy-style dark bar to an elegant dining room, or from an airy rooftop overlooking Atlanta skyline to a chic hookah lounge with contemporary music.
Once you settle in a plush seat, order a glass of Pomegranate Martini or Queen of the Castle (blended Scotch) while you decide on dinner options. While the cocktails are hip, and the wine list globally inspired – it may be the only restaurant that serves pomegranate wine from Armenia – the food at Divan is traditional Persian and Mediterranean. Under culinary director, Christian Evans, expect flavor-packed slow cooked lamb shank, saffron spiced chicken kabobs, and pistachio crusted seabass. The sharable family-style meat and seafood platters are designed to serve two or more people.
An important aspect of Persian culture is hospitality, and Lotfi makes no compromises when it comes to making each guest feel special. Lotfi says he came to Atlanta to study engineering but couldn’t find any good home-style Persian food, which inspired him to open the restaurant. Today, he says he pays it forward by hiring other foreign students, so they can have a cross-cultural interaction with Divan’s diverse staff and offer their own perspectives of Persian hospitality.
Lotfi also plays the Ney – a Persian flute, in a local band (he says they recently played at The High), and runs Divan’s sister restaurant, The Persian Basket Kitchen and Bar in Johns Creek, and an online grocery store and meal order service, The Persian Basket that is very popular with the immigrant Persian community.
Persian restaurants (such as Rumi’s Kitchen, Yalda, and Delbar) have become popular in Atlanta because of their hip ambiance, enticing aromas and exquisite yet comforting flavors.
With its majestic location, Divan is not just a place to dine at an old castle; it’s a unique experience that merges history, culture, and cuisine and captures the essence of Atlanta’s rich heritage.
~ Written for and published by Georgia Trend magazine. All rights reserved.