Plant Shop the Victorian Opens on the Eastside Beltline With an Upstairs Cocktail Bar

Plant shop the Victorian officially reopened in its new location at New City’s Fourth Ward development on the Eastside trail. And this location features a cocktail bar upstairs called Burle’s Bar opening this Saturday.

Cary Smith and Libby Hockenberry, who met while attending Georgia State University, first opened the Victorian in 2017 selling rare and tropical house plants inside Citizen Supply at Ponce City Market. In 2020, the couple moved the Victorian to an independent space at Ponce City Market, before closing the shop ahead of its move to the New City development. During that time, Smith and Hockenberry opened another location of their popular plant store in East Atlanta Village (EAV), partnering with Bellwood Coffee to open a coffee shop inside the Victorian.

Located on the second level of the Old Fourth Ward location of the Victorian, Burle’s Bar overlooks the plant shop below and features a selection of cocktails, non-alcoholic mixed drinks, beer, and natural and small production wines. Smith and Hockenberry also plan to serve bar bites and snacks from a rotating group of Atlanta chefs at Burle’s Bar.

Named for Brazilian landscape architect and artist Roberto Burle Marx, Burle’s Bar channels the vibe and decor of a 1960s cocktail lounge. Many of the tropical plant species Marx discovered over his 62-year career are now sold at shops around the world, including at the Victorian in Atlanta. Burle’s Bar offers nine seats at the bar, along with an additional 35 seats in the lounge, with more seating outside on the patio.

A grand opening for Burle’s Bar and the Victorian takes place Saturday, September 16, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and includes plant raffles, giveaways, and DJs throughout the day.

Joining the Victorian and Burle’s Bar at the New City development in November is 3 Parks Wine Shop. This marks the second location of the Glenwood Park wine shop, owned by Sarah Pierre, which will feature outdoor seating and daily wine flights. A grab-and-go section will sell tinned fish, crackers, and pre-made charcuterie boxes. Located off the central plaza below MailChimp at the emerging mega-development, the Old Fourth Ward location is double the size of its Glenwood Park counterpart and allows Pierre to host more private events and larger wine tastings.

Described as a “12-acre, modernist mini-city” on the Eastside Beltline, the New City development includes a stair-stepped apartment building and retail complex and three office towers with outdoor plazas, a large central staircase leading down from the Beltline, and other public spaces. Live music venue and bar Venkman’s, owned by Yacht Rock Revue members Nicholas Niespodziani and Peter Olson, could eventually reopen as part of the New City development in the next two years.

The Victorian

Burle’s Bar, Wednesday - Friday, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.

The Victorian in Old Fourth Ward open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

505 North Angier Avenue, Atlanta. thevictorianatlanta.com; burlesbar.com.