Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market in Atlanta opened 2015 from a team including Greg Best. Awarded James Beard Outstanding Bar in 2019 for the cocktail programme.
Food program: Bar snacks and small plates
Tip: No reservations; bar seats are first-come. The naval-officers-club aesthetic carries through to the punch service.
Address: 99 Krog St NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
S.O.S. Tiki Bar in Decatur, Atlanta runs classic tiki cocktails in a thatched Polynesian-themed room since 2013. The mai tai is the canonical first order.
Signature drink: Mai tai
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Cash and card. The patio is open in summer. Reservations not taken; queue forms by 21:00 weekends.
The Wrecking Bar in Little Five Points, Atlanta runs a brewpub in a Victorian mansion basement. The house saison and IPAs anchor the rotating taps.
Signature drink: House saison
Food: Brewpub menu
Tip: The patio is the move in summer. Brewery tours run Saturday afternoons; the upstairs ballroom hosts private events.
Biltong Bar at Ponce City Market in Atlanta runs South African biltong, droewors and a serious South African wine list. Counter ordering with bar seating.
Signature drink: South African wine flight
Food: Biltong, droewors, charcuterie
Tip: Order a biltong sampler with three wines by the glass. The retail counter sells cured meats by the pound.
Clermont Lounge in Atlanta's Hotel Clermont basement runs the city's longest-running dive bar since 1965. Famous Anthony Bourdain and Atlanta hip-hop coverage.
Signature drink: Beer and shot
Food: Snacks only
Tip: Cash only at the bar. The Clermont Hotel above has a rooftop bar with a much different vibe; same building.
Manuel's Tavern in Poncey-Highland, Atlanta opened 1956 and has been the city's political-newsroom hangout ever since. Jimmy Carter campaigned here; the booths are unchanged.
Signature drink: Cold beer
Food: Burgers, wings, bar fare
Tip: The booths fill with political-press regulars on election nights. Burgers are the kitchen's strength; reservations not taken.
Argosy in East Atlanta Village, Atlanta runs a beer-and-cocktail bar with wood-fired pizza and snacks in a converted bowling-alley space since 2012.
Signature drink: Beer-and-cocktail program
Food: Pizza, snacks, sandwiches
Tip: Patio is dog-friendly. The Beer Boards run rotating local taps. Weekend brunch service Saturday and Sunday.
