JoJo's Beloved inside Politan Row at Colony Square is the Midtown cocktail room with cathedral ceilings, an all-vinyl soundtrack and a brooding, romantic feel for late-night classic cocktails.
Tip: Walk-in or Resy reservation. The bar runs through Politan Row; vinyl selectors swap nightly, cocktails skew classic-with-a-twist.
Address: 1197 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30361
Bulldogs at 893 Peachtree has been the Black gay anchor of Midtown Atlanta since the late 1970s, with a back patio, weekend DJs and a regular roster that has held the corner for more than 40 years.
Tip: No cover most nights, $3 to $5 on weekend headliners. Cash bar; weekends pack from 23:00 onward.
Blake's on the Park, established 1988 on 10th Street steps from Piedmont Park and the Rainbow Crosswalk, runs nightly drag from the front window stage and a packed cocktail patio in summer.
Tip: Hours run 17:00 to 03:00 weekdays; weekends open earlier at 14:00. The window stage drag set kicks off most nights at 22:00.
The Heretic on Cheshire Bridge is the Atlanta leather, bear and circuit-party club with a labyrinthine layout, outdoor deck, leather shop and circuit-week residencies during Bear Pride and Atlanta Pride.
Tip: No cover before 23:00. Bear Pride takes over in April, Pride circuit weekend in October; leather shop runs Friday and Saturday.
Kimball House inside the 1891 Decatur train depot pours one of the country's deepest absinthe lists and Atlanta's defining cocktail program, with a raw bar of Georgia and East Coast oysters.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Resy for tables, walk-in at the bar; the absinthe service and the oyster happy hour are the orders.
Ticonderoga Club inside Krog Street Market is the cocktail tavern from Greg Best, Regan Smith and Paul Calvert, with rotating drinks, sherry by the bottle and a Michelin-listed kitchen alongside.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Thursday. Friday through Tuesday only, 17:00 to 22:00; walk-in or Resy for the long bar seats.
Bulldogs at 893 Peachtree has been the Black gay anchor of Midtown Atlanta since the late 1970s, with a back patio, weekend DJs and a regular roster that has held the corner for more than 40 years.
Tip: No cover most nights, $3 to $5 on weekend headliners. Cash bar; weekends pack from 23:00 onward.
Blake's on the Park, established 1988 on 10th Street steps from Piedmont Park and the Rainbow Crosswalk, runs nightly drag from the front window stage and a packed cocktail patio in summer.
Tip: Hours run 17:00 to 03:00 weekdays; weekends open earlier at 14:00. The window stage drag set kicks off most nights at 22:00.
Mary's on Glenwood is the East Atlanta Village queer bar with a 15,000-song karaoke catalog, weekend drag, weekly residencies and a regular crowd that has anchored the EAV scene since 2002.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Karaoke runs nightly, drag shows on most Saturdays; cash-friendly bar, no cover.
The Heretic on Cheshire Bridge is the Atlanta leather, bear and circuit-party club with a labyrinthine layout, outdoor deck, leather shop and circuit-week residencies during Bear Pride and Atlanta Pride.
Tip: No cover before 23:00. Bear Pride takes over in April, Pride circuit weekend in October; leather shop runs Friday and Saturday.