Atlanta
Polished, precise, civilised. Atlanta's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.
Buckhead · $$$
Glide Through The Night Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Buckhead. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Downtown · $$$
SkyLounge at Glenn Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Buckhead · $$$
Holeman & Finch Public House draws a steady local crowd in Buckhead. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
Kimball House lives inside a converted train depot in Decatur, and it carries itself accordingly. The ceilings are high, the bar is long, and the cocktail list
Buckhead · $$$$
STK Rooftop Atlanta draws a steady local crowd in Buckhead. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Buckhead · $$$
The Betty draws a steady local crowd in Buckhead. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Athens (Atlanta press) · $$$
The Expat draws a steady local crowd in Athens (Atlanta press). Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Decatur · $$$
The Iberian Pig Bar draws a steady local crowd in Decatur. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
The Mercury is the Old Fourth Ward neighbourhood cocktail-and-restaurant — a tight programme of seasonal drinks plus a serious wine programme and a celebrated b
Buckhead · $$$
The Roof at Whiskey Mistress draws a steady local crowd in Buckhead. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.
Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.
Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.
Looking beyond Atlanta? See our guide to the best hotel bars worldwide, or compare hotel bars city by city.