Manuel's Tavern

Between Virginia-Highlands and Little Five Points, cozy Manuel's stands as the stately grandfather of Atlanta's nightlife scene. Once referred to as "Atlanta's quintessential neighborhood bar," the tavern dates back to the mid-50s, when Manuel Maloof served sandwiches and suds to the neighborhood crowd. Today, the joint serves as city archives of sorts, with its Coca-Cola mural, classic Braves pennants, and old beer cans. Sunday nights feature Manuel's popular trivia contests, which tend to get competitive, and the Laughing Matters comedy troupe leaves patrons in stitches the first Saturday of each month. Manuel's has most recently been visited by President Obama and by rumors of closing. The city's hallmark tavern will not be shutting their doors, but will take a short hiatus in January 2016 for structural upgrades.