Where adults go to drink in East Atlanta: This bar rises admirably above the hipster fray surrounding its Flat Shoals address and cultivates a laid-back, neighborhood-pub feeling. Above-average bar food is available (burgers, wings, and vegetarian options).

Halo is a case study in lounge management. Tucked inside the basement of the former Biltmore Hotel, this bar-club sidesteps the anxiety-provoking music and bone-crushing crowds one normally associates with venues of this size. Its spacious, split-level layout means that patrons can dance and mingle into the early-morning hours without stepping on each other's toes. A planned 2007 renovation will spruce up existing spaces and add another bar.

Closed Sundays.

Looking to get the most bang for your nightlife dollar? Take note: Buckhead is out. Midtown is in. GPS your way to the corridor bordered by Peachtree and 12th streets (or better yet, grab a cab) and plan on making a night of it. Hit Ra Sushi's street-facing patio bar for eats and cocktails with risqué monikers. (Dare you not to smirk when ordering the Shiso Naughty martini and Hot Mess crispy rice balls.) Or seek traditional pub favorites, such as corned beef and hash or Guinness BBQ burgers, at neighboring Rí Rá Irish Pub. Some of the ornate wooden bar fixtures were reclaimed from old churches, the 250-year-old front doors once stood at the entrance of a Dublin shop, and (in case you were wondering) most staff members aren't faking their brogue.

Still going strong? Good. Because a night's worth of dance, club, and lounge scenes are just steps away. Flip Flops has a casual beach-house theme and a premixed frozen drink bar that's popular with bachelorette entourages and ex-fraternity types looking to relive their heydays. Celeb spottings are common at Opera, an upscale spot themed as a lavish playhouse. For hookah pipes, bottle service, and a dance-loving crowd, venture across the street to Sutra, which houses a mood-lit main space and bar, terraced back patio, and glass-partitioned VIP lounge.—Tiffany J. Davis

Ra Sushi open Sundays 11 am to midnight, Mondays through Saturdays 11 am to 1 am.
Rí Rá Irish Pub open Mondays through Thursdays 11 am to 2 am, Fridays and Saturdays 11 am to 2:30 am, Sundays 10 am to midnight.
Flip Flops open Wednesdays through Saturdays 5 pm to 2 am.
Opera open Thursdays through Saturdays 10 pm to 3 am.
Sutra open Tuesdays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 11 pm.

This Colony Square rooftop lounge continues to dazzle Atlantans with its South Beach–style cabanas and panoramic city views. So spectacular are the vistas and chef Shayne Vaughan's eclectic menu that the restaurant-bar's 18,000 square feet and ear-splitting noise levels are more annoyances than deal breakers.

Closed Sundays.