Why it's hot: More often than not, Atlanta's best new drinking spots wind up being the bars in equally exceptional restaurants. That's why it's great that this intimate, European-inspired cocktail bar, nestled into the hulking Inman Quarter development, is such a treat. The focus is squarely on smart, satisfying drinks mixed, stirred, shaken, layered and more, with managing partner Shanna Mayo, an ATL drink-scene vet, at the helm.
Must-order: The Bling Machine (vodka, blackberry, ginger, orgeat, vanilla, lemon juice and Chambord) if you're feeling fruity, the Deep Red (rye, mezcal, vermouth, grapefruit juice, Zucca, Cynar) for something funky.
Insider tip: The same owners also run Bocado; head there if you like what you find at Amer, but want something more substantial to eat than the available light bar fare.
As a follow up to yesterday's Unique Zagat restaurants in Atlanta, we wanted to present this bar list. Agree with it? Have more to add? Let us know!
When you've been to one bar, you've been to them all, right? Not the case in Atlanta, where a number of nightlife spots don't focus their creativity on just the cocktails, but on the surroundings as well. These bars are curious, unique and sometimes just plain weird, but all worth a visit when you're looking for an interesting night out.
Photo by: Kurz Creative
Battle & Brew
This Sandy Springs pub brings new life to the concept of bar entertainment, making itself a mecca for gamers with video stations where guests battle it out on the latest computer and console video games. The bar and food programs are just as playful, mashing up nerd culture with foodie fantasies, and keeping plenty of craft brews and creative cocktails on hand whenever a player needs a power up.
What to Order: Go fully nerdy and order a glass of Pie ($7), an apple-juice-and-cider cocktail inspired by a cult drink found at the annual Dragon*Con convention.
5920 Roswell Rd., Sandy Springs; 678-560-1500
Czar Ice Bar
At $400, the most city's most expensive cocktail (you get to keep the Swarovski crystal martini glass) can be found at this Buckhead oddity. While those looking for a bar built fully out of ice may be disappointed — try Vegas or Sweden for that — you'll still get the best you're likely to do in Georgia. Czar's 27-ft. bar is topped with a four-inch-thick slab of ice.
What to Order: The Sweet Georgia Peach ($12) combines both vodka and whiskey flavored with peach with OJ and cherry liqueur.
56 E. Andrews Dr. NW; 678-244-3610
Photo by: Sarah Dodge
Little Trouble
The cocktail pedigree of this Westside bar is impeccable (it's from the same team behind Victory Sandwich Bar and Paper Plane), as is its aesthetic vision. Nowhere else in town will you find a spot that dives so fully into its atmosphere — in this case, a neon-and-concrete lair reminiscent of futuristic neo-noir films like Blade Runner and Brazil.
What to Order: The Found Art ($12) made with rye, mezcal, Zucca rhubarb liqueur, mole bitters.
1170 Howell Mill Rd.; 404-500-4737
Studio No. 7
Along the western edge of Downtown where the Marietta Street corridor crosses Ivan Allen you'll find this spot that's unassuming on the outside but bustling with creativity within. The bar's somewhere between a globally inspired tapas bar, an art gallery, an event space and a general cool-kid hangout. Drinks and food change according to season and according to whatever art show's up in the space.
What to Order: My Other Studio is in Paris ($9), combining gin, honey syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine
393 Marietta St.; 404-549-9839
Photo by: Sister Louisa's
Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room & Ping-Pong Emporium
Locals "praise the Lord" for this "unique" Sweet Auburn bar known just as Church that's loaded with with choir robes for wearing, church-organ karaoke and some of the city's most renowned Ping-Pong tables; "down-home hospitality," "drinks you can afford" and "kitschy" religious decor complete the picture.
What to Order: Mixed drinks and beers are the standard here, though pitchers of strong sangria sometimes surface.
466 Edgewood Ave. SE; 404-522-8275
El Bar
Fans of this "underground basement" club in Poncey-Highland say "shhhhh, don't let the yuppies find out" about the "wild, sweaty dance parties" going down beneath the Mexican restaurant El Ponce; sure, it may be a "cave" that's "about as big as your closet", but the DJs (mostly club and hip-hop) are "awesome", the drinks are "inexpensive" and it's got an "after-hours" "NYC feel"; P.S. open Thursday–Saturday.
What to Order: This isn't a craft cocktail kinda place — find your favorite beer and stick with it.
939 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE; 404-881-6040
Eleanor's
This speakeasy-style bar is located in Smyrna restaurant Muss & Turner's. Can't find it? Ask a member of the staff, or just head toward the back of the restaurant, to the right of the main counter, and open what looks like a giant walk-in refrigerator door. The exclusive feeling remains thanks to moody lighting and tucked-away nooks where guests dig into New American cuisine or just spend time over drinks.
What to Order: The bar specializes in featuring Georgia beers, and has a killer wine selection too.
1675 Cumberland Pkwy. SE, Smyrna; 770-434-1114
Photo by: Sundial
The Sun Dial
The iconic and recently renovated restaurant at the Downtown Westin rotates more than 70 stories above Atlanta. Elevated above the main dining area you'll find the bar — there's live jazz several nights a week — where you can sit, sip and take in the famous sights. A limited bar menu offers snacks and small plates.
What to Order: The Tallulah ($11), one of several champagne cocktails named after famous Georgia women, combines bubbly, limoncello and fresh raspberries.
210 Peachtree St. NE; 404-589-7506-
"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." So goes some party-pooping bit of ancient cynicism. But while many restaurants these days can blend into samey-samey exposed-brick this, farm-to-table that, there are still some wonderfully weird places under that hot Georgian sun. These are some of ATL's more unique restaurants, all worth at least one visit.
After perusing this list of Atlanta's most idiosyncratic restaurants, check out the Zagat Atlanta look at Atlanta's most unique bars.
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Truett's Luau
Have you ever thought you love Chick-fil-A, but wanted the chicken chain to take more inspiration from its Polynesian dipping sauce? In one suburb south of Atlanta, that's exactly what happened. Named after Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy — and inspired by his love of South Pacific kitsch — this full-service restaurant serves chile-roasted shrimp, kalua pork and a burger topped with bacon and pineapple…all alongside an expanded Chick-fil-A menu (including off-the-wall dishes like a cream-drenched interpretation of a hot brown and a chicken pot pie made with Chick-fil-A nuggets).
Side note: On the other side of Fayetteville, you'll find Truett's Pizza Café — another Chick-fil-A spin-off. It was originally named Upscale Pizza, but was recently renamed in honor of its founder. The joint features a pizza buffet on Tuesdays and Saturdays and has a pizza called The Legacy topped with Chick-fil-A fried chicken and pickles.
600 W. Lanier Ave. #103, Fayetteville; 770-461-5828
Photo by: Angie Mosier
Gunshow
The ever-changing creative food at Top Chef fan fave Kevin Gillespie's Glenwood Park restaurant is top notch, but it's the experience that sets Gunshow apart. Executive chef Joey Ward, a Zagat 30 Under 30 honoree in 2014, and his team of culinary pros roam the restaurant with multiple dishes, offering just-cooked small plates from table to table, interacting with guests and discussing the food. It's personal, surprising, unpredictable and completely unlike any other spot in town.
924 Garrett St.; 404-380-1886
Auto Spa Bistro
Do you need a car wash? Do you also need a meal? Auto Spa Bistro in Home Park is just what you're looking for. The plush purple-velvet surroundings and glittery interior read like Tom Haverford's ideal "Treat Yo'self" way to run an errand. A full menu offers breakfast dishes named after cars, multiple burgers, a red-velvet waffle and globally inspired pub fare — plus, a breakfast cocktail beats a months-old copy of Golf Digest any day.
348 14th St.; 678-974-8187
Photo by: Instagram/thedi51
Abdullah the Butcher House of Ribs & Chinese Food
This no-frills West Atlanta spot's claim to fame comes courtesy its owner, '80s wrestling icon Abdullah the Butcher (aka Larry Shreve). The cuisine combines crowd-pleasing barbecue and ribs with populist American Chinese food. The ever-hospitable Abdullah roams the dining room charming tables, mugging for selfies and delivering his "It's Fork Time" catchphrase.
2387 Fairburn Rd SW; 404-629-2332
Photo by: Flickr/toorayray
The Vortex Bar & Grill
Ever since the Vortex drew the attention of Man vs. Food and other stunt-food TV shows, the Little Five Points restaurant had a line out the door. (The Midtown location's not as crowded, but doesn't sport a giant skull.) The burger spot's Triple Coronary Bypass Burger is a show-stopper, but the Vortex also deserves credit for being one of the first restaurants in Atlanta to think beyond the typical lettuce-cheese-tomato accoutrements for a burger. It's been drawing crowds since the '90s with creative toppings, and its 21+ policy and idiosyncratic house rules make for a unique environment.
438 Moreland Ave. NE; 404-688-1828
Photo by: Ben Rose
Polaris
Polaris isn't Atlanta's only rotating restaurant located atop a Downtown hotel (there's also theSun Dial), but it's the only one that looks like a retro-futuristic flying saucer. This resurrected, space-age Atlanta gem reopened after years of absence from the city's scene, offering a one-of-a-kind experience in a 360-degree space split into a lounge, bar and restaurant spinning around an open kitchen and great views.
265 Peachtree St. NE; 404-460-6425
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