
Bread and Butterfly in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy Bread & Butterfly]
Inman Park
Atlanta’s first suburb, this late 19th century intown neighborhood has given way to an exciting food and drink scene in the last decade.
Start your night in Inman Park with an aperitif at Bread & Butterfly, an exquisite jewelbox of a French cafe. Founded by the same team that opened the now-shuttered but highly acclaimed Cakes & Ale, it’s an oasis of calm in an area that draws youthful nightlife crowds on the weekends.

Ticonderoga Cup at Ticonderoga Bar in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy Ticonderoga]
You don’t have to go far for your next stop; next door at Watchman’s, bartenders pour Chartreuse shots from a retrofitted dispenser and serve impeccable daiquiris, swizzles, and highballs in an airy space filled with greenery tumbling from overhead. The small patio fronting busy Krog Street is a hit among guests—but for the full experience, saddle up to the oyster bar and order the bar’s eponymous drink, a martini riff with verjus and Chartreuse, served with a sampling of garnishes (“choose your own adventure”-style).

Watchman’s in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy Watchman’s]
Few Atlanta neighborhoods have exploded in growth quite so dramatically as the Old Fourth Ward. Ten years ago, Edgewood Avenue at Boulevard offered little beyond vacant storefronts. Now, it’s arguably one of the most popular nightlife destinations in the city.
Few businesses on this strip draw quite as much attention as Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium, a wacky bar shellacked in irreverent art made by the bar’s proprietor, church deacon-turned-folk artist Grant Henry, a.k.a. Sister Louisa. Order a Spiritual Sangria, pause to take in Henry’s campy paintings, and head upstairs for a game of ping-pong. Oh, and you can just call it “Church.”

Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium [Photo courtesy Sister Louisa’s]
As exciting as a Saturday night on Edgewood is, little of it would be here without Sound Table, a dimly lit, low-key cocktail lounge and dance club. Opened by service industry vets in 2010, Sound Table still feels just as hip as the day it opened its doors. With a roster of DJs spinning funk, soul, and hip-hop, music is key to the distinctive vibe here. So are the smartly made drinks, which years ago helped set the stage for the spread of cocktail culture in Atlanta. Pay homage to this pioneer with one of the bar’s signatures, the Horse’s Neck, then stick around until the dance floor is in full swing.

Paper Crane Lounge in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy Paper Crane Lounge]
Midtown
Atlanta’s iconic Peachtree Street, which slices through the city from downtown all the way up to Buckhead, is flanked by high-rises and office buildings in Midtown. But don’t be fooled by its all-business facade: Tucked away inside some of those skyscrapers, and along tree-lined side streets, hide some of Atlanta’s finest bars.
One of those places is Empire State South, a standard-bearer of food and drink that, due to its location just off the rear lobby of an office building, isn’t the place one stumbles upon fortuitously. Here, Kellie Thorn helms a seasonal menu of thoughtful, creative drinks like the city’s best Pimm’s Cup—made with a caramelized lemon gastrique, it’s one of the bar’s signatures, and when it isn’t scorching outside, is best enjoyed outside over a game of bocce. (Cognac fans, take note: Kellie’s an expert and can steer you toward the good stuff.) Don’t skip the wine list, either: sommelier Steven Grubbs curates some of the most interesting, unconventional bottles to be found in Atlanta.

The Lawrence in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy The Lawrence]

Bon Ton in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy Bon Ton]
Lastly, while 8Arm is on the very outskirts of Midtown (it’s technically in Poncey-Highland), the tiny yet always-buzzing spot is worth a sojourn down Ponce. In the venue’s outdoor bar (a hollowed-out shipping container), Joshua Fryer and his team serve drinks from a tightly curated, heavily researched cocktail list, along with carafes of esoteric vermouths and fortified wines. With fuschia overhead lighting and a disco ball dangling overhead, it’s all about the vibes here.

Clover Club cocktail at 8Arm in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy 8Arm]
Decatur
Yes, Decatur is technically its own city. But with an absurdly high concentration of great food and beverage establishments relative to its tiny size, it’s worth the 20-minute drive (or MARTA ride) from intown Atlanta. Once you’re there, you can relish in the easy walkability and charm of the Decatur Square, where just about everything, from a Beard-nominated restaurant to one of the country’s best beer bars, is within just a few blocks.
Where to start your night in Decatur? You can throw a rock in any direction and hit a good bar, but it’s tough to beat slurping a frozen whiskey and Coke under the string lights on the patio at Victory Sandwich Bar. The boozy slushies at this cheeky hangout are practically the stuff of local legend, and the sliders and ping-pong tables aren’t too far behind.

Victory Sandwich Bar in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy Victory Sandwich]
If your tastes veer more toward pilsners than punch bowls, head to the Decatur Square, where you’ll find Brick Store Pub. Long before craft beer began its explosive growth in Georgia, Brick Store has been serving tough-to-find Belgians and esoteric brews from independent producers in a cozy tavern setting. Head upstairs to the Belgian bar, which offers dozens of rare bottlings in a quiet, tucked-away nook.

S.O.S. Tiki in Atlanta, Ga. [Photo courtesy S.O.S. Tiki]