The Waiting Room
Bar · Atlanta ·
Cocktails, live jazz music, and 1970s lounge vibes
Cocktails, live jazz music, and 1970s lounge vibes
"Step inside Midtown’s Bon Ton, ignore the hostess stand, and head up the dark staircase in front of you. The stairs give way to a carpeted, orange-tinted room—with live music, Austin Powers-approved interior decor, and drinks as strong as the kind they serve on Bourbon Street. Walk underneath the disco ball and past the curved booths with shaggy orange fur seats to get to the small bar. You can order everything from Bon Ton’s Cajun-Vietnamese menu downstairs (there are no exclusive menu items up here). But we usually stick with drinks (like the absinthe Hurricane) because it’s too tight of space to fumble around with a crawfish boil. And the place really gets crowded on Tuesdays when they have live jazz performances that make the space even more eclectic and fun." - Juli Horsford
"Throughout December, the cocktail bar above Bon Ton in Midtown will be decked out in holiday finery and serving festive drinks. Look for holiday events, too, like Christmas karaoke, Christmas trivia, a Christmas PJ party, and even Christmas bingo." - Beth McKibben
"This Midtown cocktail lair is likely Atlanta’s grooviest drinking destination. It simply oozes sexy 1970s lounge vibes. Backed by Darren Carr and Eric Simpkins, the Waiting Room takes over the former Top Flr space above their restaurant Bon Ton, sporting banquettes covered in red and pink shag, cozy little nooks for canoodling, and DayGlo mood lighting. There’s even a piano wrapped like a disco ball gracing the stage where DJs and live music kick off at 10 p.m. Look for funky riffs on classic cocktails using ingredients like blue curacao, basil-infused eau de vie, and creme de menthe heavily featured on the menu paired with snacks such as boiled peanuts, barbecue adobe cocktail meatballs, and daily oysters on the half shell. Groups can also order large format cocktails offered in decanters holding multiple servings, including the Rock and Roll mixed with Japanese whisky, bourbon, and Dos Equis Especial and a martini riff in the Train Round the Bend mixed with gin, manzanilla sherry, and blue curacao." - Beth McKibben
"Tucked above Bon Ton on Myrtle Street in Midtown and occupying the former Top Flr space, the Waiting Room channels sexy 1970s lounge vibes with banquettes covered in red and pink shag, bucket and Panton-style chairs, cozy nooks, DayGlo mood lighting, and a piano wrapped like a disco ball on a small stage where DJs and live music begin at 10 p.m. Owned by Darren Carr and Eric Simpkins, it’s a seated, 21+ cocktail lounge (not a dance club) that seats around 50 people, requires guests to check in downstairs before being escorted up, and highly encourages reservations — especially on Friday and Saturday. The tongue-in-cheek menu features funky riffs on classic cocktails using ingredients such as blue curaçao, basil-infused eau de vie, and crème de menthe, plus large-format decanters for sharing like the Rock and Roll (Japanese whisky, bourbon, Dos Equis Especial) and the Train Round the Bend (gin, manzanilla sherry, blue curaçao). Snacks include boiled peanuts, barbecue adobe cocktail meatballs, and daily oysters on the half shell, with wine, beer, and cleverly concocted nonalcoholic drinks also available. Open Thursday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., the Waiting Room aims to fill a post-dinner drinks void with unpredictable nightly programming that might range from R&B or soul to someone strumming a harp." - Beth McKibben
"Above their other Midtown restaurant Bon Ton on Myrtle Street, I learned Carr and Simpkins are opening the Waiting Room, a 'sexy, cozy' and somewhat 'mysterious' cocktail bar that oozes 1970s throwback vibes. Taking over the former Top Flr space, the Waiting Room will offer classic cocktails and shareable decanter drinks, bar snacks, and live music, and is expected to open by early February." - Beth McKibben