The Best Bars In Athens, Georgia - The Infatuation

"It’s easy to mistake this dive bar for a shuttered downtown business. But inside the barred windows and unassuming entrance, Manhattan Cafe is a charmingly eclectic cocktail paradise that fills with more locals than students (likely thanks to a strict no-fake ID policy). The mood is foreclosed-storage-unit-chic with antique dolls hanging from the ceiling and ancient threadbare couches held together by sheer willpower. And it’s the only bar we’ve been to where it’s quite normal to read a book by lamplight and drink solo—there's also unlimited free popcorn. They make great classic cocktails, like the gimlet and moscow mule, and a silky-sweet espresso martini that’s rightfully the talk of town." - delaney tarr