As it turns out, this blog is a great excuse for weekend
getaways … and to drink. So based on some requests from friends, we spent a
recent weekend in Chattanooga
to check out the cocktail scene. While Chattanooga is known for its
outdoor adventures, we found plenty to do indoors at the many bars and
restaurants, including a few speakeasies! And to be fair, we did walk across
the pedestrian bridge to the north shore and back … totally worth the walk.
First, if you are staying in a hotel in downtown Chattanooga, you may find some pretty great cocktails in your own hotel bar. Chattanooga has a surprising number of great hotel bars. We stayed at the Moxy downtown on this trip. It’s hard to beat a hotel where you check in AT the bar and get a free cocktail before you ever go to your room. The signature cocktail is definitely the way to go! While the outdoor bar – the Railyard – wasn’t open yet for the season, we did enjoy our time at Bar Moxy including the patio. Unfortunately, the operating hours have been seriously reduced due to pandemic staffing shortages, so get your drink on before 11:30 p.m.
Just up the street, the Kinley
Hotel has one of our favorite bars in town. Company is a speakeasy behind
the bookcase in the lobby. They actually knock before letting you in (no
password required.) The atmosphere is classic, with a great selection of food
and drinks – including classics like an Old Fashioned and a Flamed Sazerac that
was one of Scott’s favorite drinks of the weekend. They had Christy’s favorite champagne
- a
blanc de blanc. Company
is a must for anyone wanting a classy evening or a step back in time!
And as for classic lobby bars, you can’t go wrong with Bar &
Billiards at the Read
House. Billed as a “speakeasy,” it’s pretty easy to spot off the main
lobby. But the vibe is definitely 1920’s with a modern twist, as is the rest of
the hotel. Scott had one of the best Manhattans of the trip here, and Christy
got her one of her favorite drinks - prosecco.
One of our favorite spots has a new life at the Dwell Hotel. Formerly Matilda Midnight, Night Pearl is a tiki concept in the same
dark and jazzy space off the lobby. The signature cocktails are creative and
tasty. We also enjoyed some small plates here that you don’t find often – like
fish dip and pot stickers.
The Chattanooga Choo
Choo seems to have their own eating and drinking experience on one
property. Food and great cocktails at Stir,
Nic & Normans and Frothy Monkey … their own distillery with
a cocktail bar at Gate 11, and a
historic train car turned beer bar at American
Draft. You could spend all weekend here! We also recommend a tasting
experience at Chattanooga
Experimental Distillery across the street.
Other worthy choices include the rooftop at the Westin
Hotel, where they make a mean Manhattan with some of the best views in the
city, and the new rooftop at the Chattanoogan
Hotel. They actually replaced the indoor pool with a bar!
Of course, there are other options for great food and drink downtown. Another “speakeasy” bar hiding in plain sight is Wiseguy Lounge. It’s basically the basement section of Goodfellas Pizza, right behind the Moxy. We were expecting a secret door but it’s a staircase behind the bar. This building has some very cool stories. One of the rooms at Wiseguy was actually a secret gambling hall hidden behind a wall. You can now hang out in the same room with some of the same restored gaming tables. Oh, and did we mention that the drinks are excellent? The Old Fashioned made Christy happy, and Scott had a flaming bourbon drink called the Broken Hatchet - perhaps the best drink of the weekend. What is it with drinks and fire on this trip?
We love local businesses with great stories. No Hard Feelings is definitely one of those. This bar started out as a popup in Nashville and settled along Broad Street. The name comes from parting words the owner had with a previous employer. Good name for a bar indeed. It’s a great hangout space with a disco ball or two and lots of leather seating. The menu is simple, but the drinks are delicious. This would probably be our hangout space if we lived here.
After midnight, the list of available options gets shorter.
We’re happy to share that we found an excellent spot for your a.m. needs! Exile
off Main is basically a backyard bar just south of Main Street. The indoor
bar space is pretty small, but as long as the weather is nice, this is a great
spot to hang outside! Lots of chairs, a patio, cold beer and some good
cocktails. This was a great way to finish the night.
Main Street has no shortage of great places for food and drink. On past visits, we’ve enjoyed Flying Squirrel’s cocktails and small plates. This time, we tried State of Confusion. Great space, great food and creative Latin / Peruvian food.
To end the weekend, we enjoyed brunch at Proof, an incubator space that also
appears to have a great drink menu. We’ll be back another time for that!
So to summarize our Chattanooga experience / detail our
Tipsy Picks:
Favorite Hotel Bar – Company
Favorite Hangout Spot – Wiseguy Lounge OR No Hard Feelings
Favorite Late Night – Exile
off Main
We realize that we missed an entirely separate category here
– the breweries. We’ll have to save that one for another trip! But feel free to
hit us up for ideas in the meantime … we’ve been to most of them.
