The James Room

"Not everyone understands Aquarius, but these air signs thrive on being outside the box. Honor esoteric Aquas at The James Room with “Lost in Translation” (Toki Japanese whiskey, Haikara Yuzu saki, Fee Brothers orgeat syrup, and lemon juice) or “To Be or Not to Be” (St. Teresa Rum, Angostura bitters, Old Forester rye, orgeat syrup, and lemon juice)." - Denise K. James

"Open late on weekdays and until 2am on Friday and Saturday, The James Room on the Eastside Beltline is the place to head when you want to prolong your birthday but feel like you might have finally outgrown tabletop dancing. Bypass the cafe's front entrance and head straight to the dimly lit, hidden speakeasy. Go ahead and lounge on big, fancy leather chairs while choosing from a list of classic cocktails like daiquiris, Manhattans, and sidecars, and revel in the whole "grown and sexy" energy as opposed to the worn and tired reality that you’ve been dodging all week. Then get dessert. We think their Oreo cheesecake makes the perfect sweet ending to celebrate another year around the sun." - nina reeder, jacinta howard

"While the hidden speakeasy and full service restaurant behind the cafe bookshelves isn’t the place you’d want to go in workout gear (there’s a strict dress code), you’ll feel totally welcomed in the front cafe. By day, The James Room serves coffee and a variety of pastries and desserts like macarons (ask for the Negroni macaron), cheesecake, and homemade pop-tarts. The clean, bright white front room is small with just a few tables and leather chairs, but there’s outdoor seating with views of the BeltLine. Whether you sit inside or out, you’ll feel like you’re at a quaint bakery as you sip your coffee and devour a sweet treat. " - juli horsford, demarco williams, nina reeder, jacinta howard

"The James Room is just off the BeltLine near Krog. During the day, it doubles as a cafe, serving brunch and light bites. But when you enter the cafe at night, you'll walk through doors disguised as bookshelves and into a hidden lounge with a swanky interior. It's like a speakeasy that just happens to serve up some truly noteworthy cocktails. If you’re just here to drink, may your cup runneth over. But if you’re hungry too, you can fill your table with shareables like crab cakes, charcuterie, and vegan meatballs. Most often it’s a chill retreat, but on certain nights when they have live music sets with DJs to fill the downtime, things are, it’s a party. " - juli horsford

"The James Room is just off the BeltLine near Krog. During the day, it doubles as a cafe, serving brunch and light bites. But when you enter the cafe at night, you walk through doors disguised as bookshelves to a hidden lounge, where leather booths line the walls and large couches run through the center of the room beneath chandeliers. The swanky interior and the hidden entrance will remind you of a speakeasy that just happens to serve up some truly noteworthy cocktails. If you’re just here to drink, may your cup runneth over. But if you’re hungry too, you can fill your table with shareables like crab cakes, charcuterie, and vegan meatballs. Most often it’s a chill retreat, but on certain nights when they have live music sets with DJ’s to fill the downtime, things are far less lowkey and it’s a party." - Juli Horsford