Best Happy Hours
A local guide to cocktails, small plates, wine tastings and weekly specials in the Virginia Highland District
Looking for a happy hour in Atlanta that feels like more than a quick stop between work and dinner? Virginia Highland District makes it easy to turn one drink into an evening of exploring one of the city’s most walkable neighborhoods.
Happy hour looks a little different from one business to the next. This guide will help you find the right fit and make the most of your time in the District.
From Morningside Village to Atkins Park, the North Highland Ave corridor connects sunny patios, creative cocktail menus and some of Atlanta’s most beloved legacy bars. Residents can rediscover an old favorite, while visitors can experience several sides of the neighborhood without moving the car.
At a Glance
- For seasonal craft cocktails and Pacific Rim bites: Whiskey Bird
- For a dog-friendly patio, sports, and approachable drink specials: The Family Dog
- For Mediterranean mezze and a seven-day happy hour: Ela
- For margarita, taco and wine specials that last all evening: Bar.bacoa
- For a curated Thursday wine tasting: Murphy’s
- For an iconic martini in a cozy basement: Highland Tap
- For Tuesday oysters on a covered patio: Fontaine’s Oyster House
- For classic PBR pitcher specials and trivia: Moe’s & Joe’s
- For Turkish mezze and an elegant weekday bar hour: Truva
- For a century-old neighborhood tavern and a Friday tradition: Atkins Park
Local Tips for Happy Hour in Virginia Highland District
- The full district from Morningside Village to Atkins Park can be walked in about 30 minutes, but each business block offers enough variety for an entire evening on its own.
- Several restaurants have patios, and some welcome dogs. Confirm current patio and pet policies directly with the business before visiting.
- Weekday parking is generally easier than weekend parking. Arrive a little early during neighborhood events and review the Virginia Highland District parking guide before you leave home.
- Reservations can be helpful for larger groups, but bar seats and patios often work well for a more spontaneous visit.
- Happy-hour menus and weekly specials change. Check the restaurant’s website or social channels the day you plan to visit.
Planning your visit? Review the our parking guide, explore the district and check our events for more ways to make an evening of it.
Explore the Choices
Whiskey Bird
Whiskey Bird brings the same Pacific Rim influence found across its dinner and brunch menus to a seasonal happy-hour lineup. The cocktails are designed to feel like a reason to leave work on time, not simply a discounted version of the regular bar menu.
Current selections include drinks such as a hibiscus margarita, Lo-Fi spritz and frosé Aperol spritz, alongside shareable plates such as spicy tuna crispy rice, crispy togarashi chicken, yakitori and a half order of the restaurant’s okonomiyaki loaded Japanese street fries. The menu rotates with the season, giving all guests something new to try throughout the year.
Happy Hour: Wednesday-Thursday, 4:00-6:30 pm; Friday-Sunday, 3:00-6:00 pm
The move: $10 cocktails and a few shareable bites for the table.
Local tip: The weekend window makes this an easy stop after a late lunch, neighborhood shopping or an afternoon walk.
The Family Dog
Directly across from Whiskey Bird, The Family Dog is a relaxed neighborhood sports bar with a dog-friendly patio, plenty of televisions and a scratch-kitchen menu built for sharing.
Its weekday happy hour keeps the choices straightforward: low-priced beer, margaritas and mules. It is a natural gathering place for coworkers, sports fans and anyone arriving with a four-legged companion.
Happy Hour: Tuesday-Friday, 4:00-7:00 pm
The deal: $4 Montucky and Tecate; $6 margaritas and mules.
Local tip: Check the game schedule before visiting if you prefer either a lively crowd or a quieter patio.
Ela
Ela’s Mediterranean-inspired menu is especially well suited to happy hour. Mezze, dips and grilled breads are meant to be shared, making it easy to order a few plates, settle into the patio and let the table decide whether the evening becomes dinner.
The drinks follow the same coastal Mediterranean direction, with craft cocktails, regional wines, select spirits and beer. Ela is also one of the neighborhood’s most flexible options because it offers happy hour on both weekdays and weekends.
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday, 4:00-6:00 pm; Saturday-Sunday, 3:00-5:00 pm
The Midweek Mezze move: Every Wednesday, enjoy $4 shareables and half-off bottles of wine.
Local tip: Arrive before nearby shops close and turn happy hour into a full Amsterdam Village outing.
Bar.bacoa
Bar.bacoa trades a short happy-hour window for three weekday specials that run throughout the evening. That makes it a particularly easy option when work runs late or a group cannot agree on an exact arrival time.
The covered patio, fresh-squeezed margaritas and shareable mix of tacos and tapas create a lively but approachable start to the night. Choose your visit based on what the table is craving most: tequila, tacos or wine.
Monday: $6 house margaritas from 4:00-10:00 pm
Tuesday: Half-price tacos from 4:00-10:00 pm
Wednesday: $30 select bottles of wine from 4:00-10:00 pm
The move: Margaritas, skillet queso, guacamole and several tacos to share.
Murphy’s Wine Shop
Murphy’s has been a Virginia Highland District landmark for more than four decades, and its attached wine shop offers one of the neighborhood’s most distinctive Thursday experiences.
The weekly happy hour is structured as a guided tasting rather than a standard discounted bar menu. Guests sample four curated wines with seasonal charcuterie, making it equally useful for discovering a new bottle, meeting a friend before dinner or beginning a date night in the heart of the neighborhood.
Wine Shop Happy Hour: Thursday, 4:00-8:00 pm
The deal: $20 for four wines with seasonal charcuterie; additional pours are available for $8 per glass.
Local tip: Leave a little extra time to browse the wine shop or continue into the restaurant for dinner.
Highland Tap
Walking downstairs into Highland Tap still feels like discovering a neighborhood secret. The wood-paneled basement, stone walls, and red leather booths give this longtime Virginia Highland District steakhouse a cozy atmosphere that is especially appealing at the end of the workday.
Highland Tap is best known for its generously poured dirty martini with hand-stuffed blue cheese olives and a chilled sidecar. Rather than building your visit around one fixed promotion, think of it as the classic cocktail stop in a Virginia Highland District happy-hour route and ask about the current nightly specials when you arrive.
The move: A dirty martini with blue cheese olives and a chilled sidecar.
Best for: A cozy indoor drink, a classic steakhouse atmosphere or an evening that may naturally turn into dinner.
Fontaine’s Oyster House
Just above Highland Tap, Fontaine’s offers a completely different mood: a casual seafood bar, cozy booths, an oyster counter and a covered patio beneath the neighborhood trees.
Tuesday is the day to plan around. The house raw oyster special makes Fontaine’s an easy first stop before exploring the Virginia-Highland intersection or heading downstairs for a martini at Highland Tap.
Tuesday Special: $15 house raw dozen oysters on the half shell.
The move: A dozen oysters and a cold drink on the covered patio.
Local tip: Oyster quantities can be limited, so arriving early is never a bad idea.
Moe’s & Joe’s
Moe’s & Joe’s has been a neighborhood gathering place since 1947 and remains one of the corridor’s most casual stops. The appeal is simple: familiar bar food, a sidewalk patio, cold beer and prices that encourage regulars to return week after week.
Its rotating PBR and pitcher specials are not limited to a narrow happy-hour window, which makes this an easy addition to almost any Virginia Highland District outing. Fun fact: Moe’s & Joe’s is the #1 seller of PBR in the world!
Sunday: $5 PBR pitcher.
Tuesday: $3.50 PBR pitcher.
Wednesday: $2 PBR tallboys and trivia.
Thursday: $5 rotating pitcher.
The move: Choose the weekly beer special, grab a patio table and settle in for an unfussy neighborhood evening.
Truva Turkish Kitchen
At the southern end of the corridor, Truva offers an elegant weekday happy hour centered on crafted drinks, Turkish and Mediterranean meze, and appetizers that invite the table to share.
It is a strong choice when you want a quieter, food-forward experience or a drink that can transition seamlessly into dinner. Order a few spreads and warm bread, then explore the rest of the menu if the evening continues.
Happy Hour and Bar Bites: Monday-Friday, 3:00-6:00 pm
The move: Crafted drinks with a selection of spreads, meze and appetizers.
Local tip: Truva is only a short walk from Atkins Park, Osteria 832 and Blind Willie’s.
Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar
Atlanta’s oldest continuously licensed tavern has been welcoming the neighborhood since 1922. Atkins Park combines a lively bar, Southern-leaning comfort food and a backyard patio where families, longtime regulars and after-work groups comfortably share the same space.
The restaurant’s best-known early-evening tradition happens every Friday at 6:00 pm, when the bell behind the bar rings and the tavern offers a complimentary round of shots to guests inside and on the patio. It is less a promotion than a neighborhood ritual that signals the official beginning of the weekend.
Friday Tradition: The Six O’Clock Shot at 6:00 pm
The move: Arrive early, order a drink and a tavern favorite, then join the neighborhood toast.
Local tip: Check the VHDA Events Calendar for live music, festivals and other reasons the Atkins Park area may be especially lively.
Before You Visit Virginia Highland District
Park Once
Virginia Highland is made for walking. Start in one spot and explore the neighborhood on foot. Check out our parking guide.
See What's Happening
From the Farmers Market and Porchfest to Mardi Gras and Winterfest, there's almost always something happening. Check out our upcoming events before you visit.
Editor's Note: Business hours, menus, happy-hour offers and special events may change throughout the year. Be sure to check individual business listings before your visit.
