The Best Bars in Atlanta Right Now

Low-key, you might have heard and maybe even been surprised to learn that Atlanta has one of the strongest cocktail scenes in the US. With a lovingly transient population shaped by its history as a regional, national and international travel hub, this town can impart a few lessons for how to drink like a cultured Southerner. Stir that up with serious beverage talent, curiosity, and creativity, and you’ve got a city that’s serious about its drinks. Drinking is communal, but in the capital of Georgia, it’s something closer to societal.

939 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta

The space that houses Bar ANA was once a small nightclub for people passionate about actual dancing, which closed during Atlanta’s COVID lockdowns. In its place is now an intimate, elegant, and energetic dessert and cocktail bar that quickly became one of Atlanta’s favorite date-night spots, led by pastry chef Claudia Martínez, a James Beard Award finalist. Its warm-lit, peach-painted walls wrap an interior where lounge-y music spanning hip-hop, house, and a spectrum of Caribbean rhythms is heard just over buzzy chatter.

Don’t Miss: Fruit plays a significant role in Martínez’s desserts, which means the popular guava glazed doughnuts or the peach white chocolate mousse both pair spectacularly with the ANA Daiquiri, zhuzhed up with rum, tamarind. apricot, lime, and orange flower water. And should your night go better than planned, consider circling back in the morning when the space becomes Mexican coffee pop-up Recuerdos, whose café de olla is undeniable.

640 North Highland Ave NE, Atlanta

Atlanta’s had something of a wine bar boom, and this relaxed, informal Poncey Highland tavern that’s leading the moment. (In fact, it was one of BA’s Best New Bars last year.) Led by two partners of West Midtown restaurant Miller Union and a South Carolinian wine enthusiast, here you’ll find a regularly updated menu of impressive house reds and whites by the carafe, and by-the-glass pours leaning lower on heft and higher on drinkability. That ranges from sparkling Chenin Blanc to Sancerre rosé, Gamays like Du Grappin Côte de Brouilly, plus expressive oranges and whites. It’s also a proper restaurant, and whether you’re in the mood for gloriously textured hummus with snap-fresh veggies or a beautifully roasted chicken, you’ll find exceptional pairing suggestions.

Don’t Miss: Should you want a cocktail at any point, you’ll do fine with their eponymous house cocktail made with 10-year Sercial (a style of Madeira), vermouth, cognac, sherry, and bitters.

505 N Angier Ave, Atlanta

Inspired by Roberto Burle Marx, a famed 20th century Brazilian landscape architect known for beautifying public parks and gardens, Burle’s (pronounced “Bur-Lee’s”) is easily one of Atlanta’s most naturally beautiful bars thanks to its integration with The Victorian, its downstairs sister plant shop. There’s a calming use of green all around, from the bar’s marble countertop and base to the checkered floor tiles, and farther in the metal beams standing between tall window panels looking out at the Atlanta Beltline’s pedestrian path.

Don’t Miss: Burle’s floral beauty is reinforced by the flavors and effects of cocktails like Chips n Salsa, essentially a spicy marg riff with serrano, tomato, vermut de gallo, lime, and agave, shaken into tortilla-chip-washed tequila. And the patio—where long wood benches near firepits back into outdoor plant beds—is a hidden cool kids camp that gets a balance of shine and shade on sunny ATL days.

303 E Howard Ave, Decatur

Kimball House’s stellar reputation began with an inventive absinthe program and unbelievably high-quality oyster happy hour, an effective combo to lure in ATL cocktail lovers to this former Decatur train depot. Co-owner Miles Macquarrie, a widely respected bartender, has led the bar program since its fall 2013 opening, yet a slew of top drinks-slinging talent have served drinks from behind the polished wood horseshoe bar. They’ve established not only a reputation for remarkable cocktails beyond the proverbial “green fairy,” but have gained eminence for their overall restaurant operation, evidenced by their status as a repeat semifinalist and finalist for several James Beard Foundation awards.

Don’t Miss: Balancing familiar, inventive, local, and international, the Sorrel Gimlet merges Georgia-based Murrell’s Row Jam Jam gin with Japanese strawberry gin, rhum agricole, sorrel, lime, lime cordial, and orange blossom.

1055 Howell Mill Rd, Ste 110, Atlanta

Combining an innovative cocktail program with Taiwanese cuisine, pastries from the talented chefs of Michelin-starred sushi restaurant Brush, and a specialty coffee program, Lucky Star shines in ways requiring far more skill than serendipity. Simultaneously cozy and spacious, with tall cream-colored walls and archways, mint green suede seating and a large, glossy black-top bar centered in the dining room, it has an understated energy that’s perfect for pregaming a great night. Book the cocktail omakase, which requires reservations. The menu consists of six or so cocktails for parties of up to six guests, served over a two-hour period with light appetizers and accompaniments like Taiwanese chicken nuggets topped with caviar.

Don’t Miss: Can’t commit the time for the omakase experience? Order à la carte cocktails like the Lucky Rabbit, a sweet-savory shaken concoction of tequila, mezcal, carrot juice, jalapeño, scallion, and lime. Hang around until 8 p.m. and benefit from the 120-minute Lucky Hour every Wednesday through Sunday, which offers drink and food specials at $10 or less.

299 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta

When a bar is truly great, plans for one drink or two can swiftly, unexpectedly spiral into an epic night. This is the energy of Little Spirit, where unassuming exterior signage doesn’t fully prepare you for the half-dive, half-parlor setup inside—and thankfully, it stays open until 2 a.m. Whether you’re at the curved brown-marble-topped bar and seating area near the front door, or among the separate seating areas hung with gold-framed portraits of Prince, David Bowie, and 2Pac and Biggie, expect to sit and imbibe in harmony with your fellow tipplers.

Don’t Miss: Written in chalk above the bar, the cocktail menu shifts seasonally, but the Watermelon Man (a Negroni-esque tipple featuring the summertime fruit and basil), is a great example of how this new-school Inman Park haunt updates classics.

661 Auburn Ave NE, Ste 280, Atlanta

The James Room’s dark, sexy backroom lounge reveals itself through a convincingly simple lobby café front, past a door disguised as a bookshelf. You’re here for the vibrations, and perhaps the Beltline location plays a large part as well. But ultimately, the James Room is all about the people, Atlanta’s in-town movers and shakers, who show up stylishly for refined drinks, great music, and the requisite mingling and mixing.

Don’t Miss: Jungle birds, palomas and chili-oiled dirty martinis line the menu of classic cocktails, but consider the Until You See the Cross, essentially a premium spicy margarita but clarified with milk, adding silky sophistication.

99 Krog Street NE, Ste W, Atlanta

You always feel good leaving Ticon’, however you felt coming in notwithstanding. That’s because this supercool, charming cocktail den, dimly lit with string lights, was crafted by a group of partners that include beloved ATL bartenders Greg Best and Paul Calvert, before the “let’s open a ’70s-themed bar” craze hit ATL a few years ago. The crew here not only serves thoughtfully balanced drinks—including very reasonably priced wines as low as $12 per glass—but delivers outstanding hospitality worthy of a James Beard finalist.

Don’t Miss: There’s no way to go wrong with the cocktail menu, whether you’re into dry gin and sherry martinis or mint- and amaretto-kissed mai tais, but the power move is the Reserve Ticonderoga Cup, a fancier play on the bar’s regular $15 version of pineapple, lemon, and mint with cherry, cognac and aged rum. This “choice” variation upgrades your spirits, literally and figuratively, to VSOP and select levels, all over pebbled ice in a metallic vessel, for $8 more.

931 Monroe Dr NE, Ste C-106, Atlanta

It’s all about feeling like one of the homies here. Having taken over the former space of Tapa Tapa less than a year ago, Buddy Buddy is the un-performative, soft-lit brainchild of bartender and co-owner Nick Chaivarlis, whose experience pouring potions goes back more than a decade to 8ARM (RIP), The Lawrence, and Ration & Dram. You might see an existing friend sitting at the bookshelf-ish bar, where they also keep a slow cooker full of soup broth you can order as a drink pairing, or you might make friends with Chaivarlis, who could be on either side of the bar enjoying the space as much as his customers. The atmosphere is more deep-cut than divey, like an album released while bonus tracks are still being recorded.

Don’t Miss: Gorgeous, delicious cocktails like the tropical Selina Kyle (Catwoman’s government name, if you forgot), whose creamy purple hue comes from coconut and ube blending with overproof and Saint Lucian rum, charanda, and pineapple.