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The bar at Highland Tap in Virginia-Highland boasts some prime people-watching spots.
Highland Tap

18 Prime Spots for People Watching Around Atlanta

From a swanky hotel lounge and 24/7 diners to Beltline patios, steakhouses, and dive bars

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The bar at Highland Tap in Virginia-Highland boasts some prime people-watching spots.
| Highland Tap

Atlanta is a diverse place. Neighborhoods with distinct personalities demand their own local watering holes and restaurants, which serve as places for the community to gather, drink, and dine. But some establishments attract such a splashy crowd that the real star is the people watching. Here are a few spots to spectate, from a swanky hotel lounge, an infamous vice den, and 24/7 diners to Beltline patios, steakhouses, and dive bars

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Palo Santo

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While the vibey Mexican restaurant is always buzzing with diners, the real people watching action is found upstairs at Palo Santo’s clubby rooftop patio bar. Offering both open-air and covered seating and great views of the emerging skyline along Atlanta’s burgeoning westside, grab a cocktail and nori tacos or oysters from the bar. It becomes a bit of a scene the later it gets in the evening.

Landmark Diner

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The Landmark Diner in Buckhead is “where the stars meet at night,” and where anyone seeking late-night food and coffee heads to after an evening on the town in Atlanta. Prime people watching can be had at the Landmark any time of day, but later in the evening is the best time to take in the scene, which could include locals popping by for dessert and coffee, the occasional celebrity, and people post-club soaking up the booze with a burger and fries or pile of fried shrimp. 24/7. The downtown Atlanta location on Luckie Street is also 24/7.

The bar at St. Regis Atlanta

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Forget the gin and tonics, the champagne sabering and the mixed nuts, and the transient crowd of this high-end hotel bar will enthrall. Look for Buckhead big shots doing business, ladies of the night drumming up business of their own, and throngs of dressed-up 20-somethings amongst curious hotel guests at what might be the city’s most notorious people-watching spot.

Johnny's Hideaway

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Order a scotch and down it because the best place to watch the magic at Johnny’s is on the dance floor (where drinks aren’t allowed.) The bouncers and bartenders proudly sport shirts and buttons touting the bar’s infamous cougars, but don’t be fooled, because after midnight the crowd gets decidedly younger as folks trickle over from nearby Buckhead bars.

Blake's On The Park

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A Midtown institution, Blake’s is running a tight race with Mary’s in East Atlanta Village for Atlanta’s favorite drag show. The lip sync battles are not to be missed, and do not sit down for the shows either.  

People watching is good, but dog watching is better. Settle in at Fetch with a cold beer and let the dog do the socializing in the park’s enclosed grassy patio while you chat with fellow pet owners or watch a game on the big screen. Fetch also includes locations at the Works and in Alpharetta.

Biggerstaff Brewing Company

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Grab a seat on the sunny patio facing Edgewood for prime people watching in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward. Open in the morning for coffee before shifting to beer, wine, and cocktails and food in the afternoon, the lively front patio at Biggerstaff is a great place to hang with friends and your dog. You never know who you’ll see or meet on this patio.

Any Waffle House after midnight

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Atlanta’s hometown diner turns into a hungry and hilarious mashup of people from every walk of life the later in the evening it gets, when folks are looking to soak up booze with all things smothered and covered. But, really, the people watching at Waffle House is good any time of day.

Carroll Street Cafe

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Street front cafe dining at its best and most quaint, Carrol Street Cafe is peak Cabbagetown. Sit al fresco for dinner on a nice night — and be sure to be friendly with neighborhood passersby and their dogs. 

Nina & Rafi

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The best people- and dog-watching spot at this Eastside Beltline pizzeria and Italian restaurant is on the patio or at the rail inside overlooking the patio. Hop off the trail and find a seat outside and order a Detroit-style pizza paired with a cold beer, glass of wine, or a spritz. The Beltline views and people watching rarely disappoint

New Realm Brewing

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New Realm Brewing occupies prime trailside real estate sporting great views of the Eastside Beltline and its cyclists, walkers, and runners. Head upstairs to the rooftop and look down over the Beltline and out toward the city for real king-of-the-world vibes.

Clermont Lounge

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Start the night upstairs at the Hotel Clermont’s swanky rooftop bar or the lobby bar, then head down to the infamous vice den below the hotel, which needs zero introduction among local Atlantans. Crowds here are rowdy, raucous, and include every walk of life, from Georgia Tech students to Jennifer Lawrence. Drink beer from the bottle, sit at the bar — and bring singles. Remember: no photos are allowed inside the Clermont Lounge, and no touching the entertainers.

Little Alley Steak

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Canton Street in downtown Roswell is the heart of this suburban city’s dining scene. And the best place to people watch is out on the front patio at Little Alley Steak. Order a bottle of wine, some oysters, a charcuterie and cheese board, or the duck confit spring rolls to share and watch what seems like the whole of Roswell stroll by the steakhouse. Dive into a variety of steak cuts for dinner. End the night with some port and truffle fries. The Buckhead location is equally great for people watching, but with business deals going down in the dining room and date nights at the bar.

Highland Tap

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This Virginia-Highland steakhouse institution is a beloved favorite among locals, and serves some of the best martinis in town. Known as “steak basement” or “steak cellar” (it’s located below street level,) Highland Tap is hard to beat any day of the week for people watching. This is especially true in the bar and lounge filled with regulars and curious newcomers, while bands like Night Ranger, Fleetwood Mac, and Run DMC play over the sound system. No need to dress up. Be sure to check out brunch on the weekends, where martinis begin flowing at 11 a.m.

This East Atlanta Village bar is the place for first dates, and also watching those first dates unfold (or just watching people in general) while sipping cocktails and local beers and dining on some of Atlanta’s low-key best pizza. Keep an eye on the private corners at Argosy.

The Rusty Nail Pub

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Billed as “the South’s version of Cheers”, the Rusty Nail and its distinct ambiance, people-watching, and drink specials never seem to disappoint locals or visitors to Atlanta. You can almost count on seeing something interesting happening at the Rusty Nail.

Fogón and Lions

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The best people-watching spot at this downtown Alpharetta Spanish-Latin American restaurant is absolutely on the covered patio out front, which overlooks the bustling main drag of the suburban city’s dining district.

Las Delicias De La Abuela

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This place is always buzzing with energy, but on weekend evenings, the beloved Buford Highway Colombian restaurant has great live music and a dressed-up, see-and-be-seen crowd of its own. There’s also a location in Duluth.

Palo Santo

While the vibey Mexican restaurant is always buzzing with diners, the real people watching action is found upstairs at Palo Santo’s clubby rooftop patio bar. Offering both open-air and covered seating and great views of the emerging skyline along Atlanta’s burgeoning westside, grab a cocktail and nori tacos or oysters from the bar. It becomes a bit of a scene the later it gets in the evening.

Landmark Diner

The Landmark Diner in Buckhead is “where the stars meet at night,” and where anyone seeking late-night food and coffee heads to after an evening on the town in Atlanta. Prime people watching can be had at the Landmark any time of day, but later in the evening is the best time to take in the scene, which could include locals popping by for dessert and coffee, the occasional celebrity, and people post-club soaking up the booze with a burger and fries or pile of fried shrimp. 24/7. The downtown Atlanta location on Luckie Street is also 24/7.

The bar at St. Regis Atlanta

Forget the gin and tonics, the champagne sabering and the mixed nuts, and the transient crowd of this high-end hotel bar will enthrall. Look for Buckhead big shots doing business, ladies of the night drumming up business of their own, and throngs of dressed-up 20-somethings amongst curious hotel guests at what might be the city’s most notorious people-watching spot.

Johnny's Hideaway

Order a scotch and down it because the best place to watch the magic at Johnny’s is on the dance floor (where drinks aren’t allowed.) The bouncers and bartenders proudly sport shirts and buttons touting the bar’s infamous cougars, but don’t be fooled, because after midnight the crowd gets decidedly younger as folks trickle over from nearby Buckhead bars.

Blake's On The Park

A Midtown institution, Blake’s is running a tight race with Mary’s in East Atlanta Village for Atlanta’s favorite drag show. The lip sync battles are not to be missed, and do not sit down for the shows either.  

Fetch

People watching is good, but dog watching is better. Settle in at Fetch with a cold beer and let the dog do the socializing in the park’s enclosed grassy patio while you chat with fellow pet owners or watch a game on the big screen. Fetch also includes locations at the Works and in Alpharetta.

Biggerstaff Brewing Company

Grab a seat on the sunny patio facing Edgewood for prime people watching in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward. Open in the morning for coffee before shifting to beer, wine, and cocktails and food in the afternoon, the lively front patio at Biggerstaff is a great place to hang with friends and your dog. You never know who you’ll see or meet on this patio.

Any Waffle House after midnight

Atlanta’s hometown diner turns into a hungry and hilarious mashup of people from every walk of life the later in the evening it gets, when folks are looking to soak up booze with all things smothered and covered. But, really, the people watching at Waffle House is good any time of day.

Carroll Street Cafe

Street front cafe dining at its best and most quaint, Carrol Street Cafe is peak Cabbagetown. Sit al fresco for dinner on a nice night — and be sure to be friendly with neighborhood passersby and their dogs. 

Nina & Rafi

The best people- and dog-watching spot at this Eastside Beltline pizzeria and Italian restaurant is on the patio or at the rail inside overlooking the patio. Hop off the trail and find a seat outside and order a Detroit-style pizza paired with a cold beer, glass of wine, or a spritz. The Beltline views and people watching rarely disappoint

New Realm Brewing

New Realm Brewing occupies prime trailside real estate sporting great views of the Eastside Beltline and its cyclists, walkers, and runners. Head upstairs to the rooftop and look down over the Beltline and out toward the city for real king-of-the-world vibes.

Clermont Lounge

Start the night upstairs at the Hotel Clermont’s swanky rooftop bar or the lobby bar, then head down to the infamous vice den below the hotel, which needs zero introduction among local Atlantans. Crowds here are rowdy, raucous, and include every walk of life, from Georgia Tech students to Jennifer Lawrence. Drink beer from the bottle, sit at the bar — and bring singles. Remember: no photos are allowed inside the Clermont Lounge, and no touching the entertainers.

Little Alley Steak

Canton Street in downtown Roswell is the heart of this suburban city’s dining scene. And the best place to people watch is out on the front patio at Little Alley Steak. Order a bottle of wine, some oysters, a charcuterie and cheese board, or the duck confit spring rolls to share and watch what seems like the whole of Roswell stroll by the steakhouse. Dive into a variety of steak cuts for dinner. End the night with some port and truffle fries. The Buckhead location is equally great for people watching, but with business deals going down in the dining room and date nights at the bar.

Highland Tap

This Virginia-Highland steakhouse institution is a beloved favorite among locals, and serves some of the best martinis in town. Known as “steak basement” or “steak cellar” (it’s located below street level,) Highland Tap is hard to beat any day of the week for people watching. This is especially true in the bar and lounge filled with regulars and curious newcomers, while bands like Night Ranger, Fleetwood Mac, and Run DMC play over the sound system. No need to dress up. Be sure to check out brunch on the weekends, where martinis begin flowing at 11 a.m.

Argosy

This East Atlanta Village bar is the place for first dates, and also watching those first dates unfold (or just watching people in general) while sipping cocktails and local beers and dining on some of Atlanta’s low-key best pizza. Keep an eye on the private corners at Argosy.

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The Rusty Nail Pub

Billed as “the South’s version of Cheers”, the Rusty Nail and its distinct ambiance, people-watching, and drink specials never seem to disappoint locals or visitors to Atlanta. You can almost count on seeing something interesting happening at the Rusty Nail.

Fogón and Lions

The best people-watching spot at this downtown Alpharetta Spanish-Latin American restaurant is absolutely on the covered patio out front, which overlooks the bustling main drag of the suburban city’s dining district.

Las Delicias De La Abuela

This place is always buzzing with energy, but on weekend evenings, the beloved Buford Highway Colombian restaurant has great live music and a dressed-up, see-and-be-seen crowd of its own. There’s also a location in Duluth.

Related Maps