The Best Places to Drink and Stay in Poncey-Highland

The wine list has a dedicated section for aged Madeira, which tells you something about the seriousness of the operation. This moody Poncey-Highland wine bar holds a Michelin selection and landed on Bon Appétit's best new bars list, but the kitchen pulls its own weight with snacks, shareable plates, and evening mains that feel seasonal without being precious. A James Beard semifinalist for Best New Bar, it draws the kind of crowd that actually reads the back label.

1. Bon Appétit America's Best New Bars
2. Wine Enthusiast Top 50 New Restaurants
3. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

The rooftop radio tower sign still blinks over Ponce de Leon, and the Clermont Lounge still does its thing in the basement, which means this 94-room boutique hotel exists, rather perfectly, as the respectable middle of a very Atlanta sandwich. The red-brick building has been around forever and renovated thoroughly, with a restaurant by a celebrated local chef and a Michelin Key to its name.

1. Michelin Guide 1 Key

A 1929 brick building on Ponce de Leon, now a boutique hotel where a sleek modern addition tucks in beside the original without much fuss. The basement once housed a storied gathering place in Atlanta's LGBTQ+ history, and the hotel wears that legacy with genuine intention. Rooms are compact and well considered, with plump bedding and luggage stashed in cubbies under the bed. The second-floor terrace and lobby sunroom give you somewhere to land after a day in Midtown.

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Claudia Martinez
2. Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East

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