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Atlanta Bars and Clubs

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Atlanta’s Club and Bar scene offers just about everything you can imagine. For the most electric nightlife, Edgewood Ave offers the energy of the City with all kinds of clubs, bars and nightlife. The most popular districts for bars and clubs are in East Atlanta around East Atlanta Village, Little Five Points, Virginia-Highland and Midtown/Old Fourth Ward but the Westside is picking up these days. The East side has famed clubs MJQ Concourse, El Bar on Ponce de Leon, the Druken Unicorn and the famous EARL in East Atlanta Village. On the West side, West Midtown has Atlanta’s favorite dive bar Northside Tavern but also has the Red Phone Booth, the bar at Miller Union, and the signature cocktails and Oysters at the Optimist.

Don’t rule out fun at Atlanta’s Hotel bars - some of the most interesting places are found in hidden away places. On a typical Friday night you might find yourself sipping cocktails at a swank Buckhead hotel bar (try the bar at the Waldorf). If you are downtown, there are a few places that are legendary - the bar at the top of the Westin Peachtree Plaza offers the best rooftop bar in the area but also the bar at the top of the Hyatt Regency. The best people and celebrity watching occurs at the Clermont Lounge in Old Fourth Ward. The Clermont Lounge is the dive bar/strip joint in the basement of the Clermont Hotel. The Lounge and the Hotel are separate but if the basement lounge isn’t your cup of tea, head to the roof of the Clermont Hotel for a high brow view of the City. You’re also near City Winery for some great music.

If you’re looking for a bit more chill, low key but high quality cocktails and beer, the bars in Castleberry Hill, Decatur and all the neighborhoods in between offer some great choices. You’ll find some fun places tucked into Inman Park, Kirkwood, Cabbagetown, and all over downtown Decatur. The nightlife in Atlanta is pretty broad and you’ll have fun looking for all the hole in the wall bars around Atlanta. Our Best of Atlanta Bar and Club list is a good guide.

From the highest perches in Atlanta to the lowest - the Masquerade in Underground offers the most music from any club in town. With 3 stages, the Masquerade keeps things hopping on weeknights and weekends. Other notable mentions are the Red Phone Booth for dance clubs and a little bit down Peachtree Street towards Midtown, the Ravine is a newish dance club on the scene.

Midtown is the playground for some of the best LGBTQ bars and clubs in Atlanta. Blake’s on the Park, Joe’s on Juniper and My Sister’s Room offer a little bit of everything in Atlanta’s diverse gay scene. Midtown is also home to Center Stage. Close by there is Smith’s Olde Bar, Blind Willie’s and a drive near Piemont Park to the Red Light Cafe. The Ravine is one of Midtown’s newer dance clubs. There are all kinds of late night places around. Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium should be on your bar hopping bucket list.

Buckhead clubs and bars go thru a full makeover every 5 to 10 years but has always been a place for the best college bars, high end cocktail bars, wine bars, and plenty of hookup bars. There are some good sports bars, beer bars all along this part of Peachtree as well as Piedmont Rd. The Havana Club is always a hot place.

On the more risque side, Atlanta has a long and storied history with its strip clubs. Hip Hop culture in Atlanta has celebrated stripper culture for a while but the presence of such a massive Convention business has kept a few clubs visible. The biggest clubs are the Pink Pony and the Cheetah but there are clubs around town. Swinging Richards is a gay strip club on the West side that is also popular.

Finally, the Comedy scene has been getting stronger over the years. Atlanta has been getting more and more Hollywood talent along with the of Georgia’s Film industry and this is bringing with it an emerging comic scene. Atlanta has a handful of comedy clubs worth checking out with more clubs hosting special comedy nights as part of its club offering. As always, check Creative Loafing for all the details about atlanta events happening every night.

Bars/Clubs Articles

Live Music Clubs

Comedy Clubs

Strip Clubs

Dance Clubs

Best Bars

Cocktail Bars

Dive Bars

LGBTQ Bars

Neighborhood Bars