Food in the Starland district was on fire in 2025, and the news of openings and new concept announcements clues that 2026 will be no different. The openings of Kyle Jacovino’s Lucia Pasta Bar in September and Garden Square in November have stacked the culinary scene atop of already notable bites such as Sixby and Brochu’s. Needless to say, the Starland locale is one to keep an eye on, especially now that Fishbar, a brand-new alcove from Southern Cross Hospitality (Collins Quarter, Ukiyo, The Deck, and others) by culinary proprietor Anthony Debreceny, has only helped add to the neighborhood’s allure.
It’s a tight spot on Savannah’s historic Bull Street that even the astute might miss if it weren’t for the magnificent, hanging fish lamp that dimly illuminates the tables beneath it, but one that holds a pot of culinary gold in a time where many hospitality-group restaurants have struggled to create something unique. From this, I must say that Fishbar is far and away the exception.
This fine-dining seafood joint takes on a similar open-kitchen layout to its izakaya cousin, Ukiyo, just two doors down. Guests can pick between seats at the bar, seats in the dining room, or seats at the chef’s table, to which I am partial, nestled among the expeditor’s station and overlooking the kitchen’s fiery range in its entirety. Cooks are clean, but not unnaturally so, as they swing between charcoal ovens, height-adjustable grills, a dry ager, and a resting rack beneath the hood vents…