Decorate cookies, sample hot chocolate and check out holiday pop-up bars this December in metro Atlanta.
The Worst Christmas Bar
This month, Georgia Beer Garden transforms into the Worst Christmas Bar, featuring tacky decorations and nostalgic food and drink. Expect menu items like deviled eggs, matcha-stuffed quail and smoked salmon fennel salad and drinks like the Whoville Highball (coconut rum, melon, orange, ginger beer) and the Santa’s OF (rum, chai spice, bitters). Find a full list of metro Atlanta holiday pop-ups here.
5-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays through Dec. 28. 420 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta. worstchristmasbar.com
Holiday dinner shows
Petite Violette will host two holiday dinner shows this month, including murder mystery show Die Hard Candy Christmas and Boar’s Head Feast. Die Hard Candy Christmas will include a four-course meal with wine, and the Boar’s Head Feast features hors d’oeuvres, a salad, choice of entrée and a dessert.
Multiple nights through December. $75 per person. 2948 Clairmont Road NE, Atlanta. 404-634-6268, petitevioletterestaurant.com/events.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Cookie Classes
Gelato shop Cremalosa in Decatur will offer cookie decorating classes for the holidays. Tickets include a scoop of gelato, hot chocolate, at least a dozen cookies to decorate and take home and a gingerbread house decorating demo.
6-8 p.m. Dec. 4, 11 and 18. $55 per person. 2657 E. College Ave., Decatur. 404-578-2739, cremalosa.com
Credit: Courtesy of Two Urban Licks
Credit: Courtesy of Two Urban Licks
Gastro Garage
Two Urban Licks will host Gastro Garage, an experiential pop-up featuring deconstructed dinners and blowtorches. Guests can expect an eight-course meal with menu items like the Piston Pizza Tank with mozzarella foam and tomato basil puree; the Gastro Burger Tank with cheddar foam and torched Wagyu beef; and the Pistol Peach Tank with cream cheese foam and black pepper peach puree.
6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. $85 per person. 820 Ralph McGill Blvd., Atlanta. 404-522-4622, twourbanlicks.com
Hot Chocolate Crawl at Buckhead Village
Stroll around Buckhead Village while enjoying hot chocolate, specialty cocktails and local musicians. Admission to the event is free, and for a $5 donation to Livable Buckhead, attendees can take home a campfire mug.
4-7 p.m. Dec. 7. 3035 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. livablebuckhead.com/holiday
Vintage Christmas tea
Make the trip to Château Élan in North Georgia for a vintage Christmas afternoon tea with festive sandwiches, scones, pastries and other sweets.
2-4 p.m. Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28. $45-$130 per person. 100 Rue Charlemagne, Braselton. 678-425-0900, events.chateauelan.com
Finca to Filter holiday market
Head to Finca to Filter’s Old Fourth Ward location for a holiday market featuring art, gifts, jewelry, clothing, a pop-up book store, coffee and wine.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 8 and 15. 652 Angier Ave., Atlanta. instagram.com/fincatofilter
Sips with Santa
By George in the Candler Hotel will hold a Sips with Santa pop-up for two nights, featuring photos with Santa and holiday cocktails like the Christmas Cosmopolitan (vodka, cranberry cinnamon orange syrup, lime, white chocolate syrup and sprinkles) and the Holiday Cheer (tequila, cranberry orange juice, raspberry, simple syrup, grenadine, prosecco and frosted rosemary sprig). Reservations are encouraged.
6-8 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19. 127 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 470-851-2752, opentable.com/r/by-george-atlanta
Credit: Courtesy of the Grand Hyatt Atlanta
Credit: Courtesy of the Grand Hyatt Atlanta
12 Days of Christmas Cocktails
During Grand Hyatt Atlanta’s 12 Days of Christmas Cocktails, guests can try a new Christmas-inspired drink in the hotel lounge each day. Expect drinks like the Partridge in a Pear Tree pear martini (vodka, pear nectar, lemon juice and simple syrup); Two Turtle Doves (a chocolate dove martini with chocolate liqueur, Baileys, vodka and chocolate liqueur); and Three French Hens (a French 75 with gin, lemon juice, simply syrup and champagne).
Dec. 14-Dec. 25. 3300 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-237-1234, instagram.com/grandhyattatlanta
Mikkelson’s holiday market
Mikkelson’s Market in Reynoldstown will host a holiday market with free gently-used toys and pop-ups throughout the day featuring breakfast, traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches known as smørrebrød, Danish mulled wine and dinner.
9 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 14. 210 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta. mikkelsonsmarket.com
Hot Chocolate Competition
Head to Ponce City Market for a hot chocolate competition between select restaurants located in the Central Food Hall. Attendees can purchase tickets and pick up a hot chocolate passport at the East Entrance by Collier Candy and taste samples at French Broad Chocolate, St. Germain Bakery, H&F Burger, Hop’s Chicken, Spiller Park, Botiwalla, Minero and the Upper Room in Citizen Supply and select their favorite.
Noon-4 p.m. Dec. 14. $10 per person. 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta. poncecitymarket.com/events-all
Tacky Sweater Brunch at BeetleCat
Wear your tackiest holiday sweater for a chance to win free doughnuts for a year. The restaurant’s regular brunch menu will be available.
10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dec. 14. 299 N Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta. 678-732-0360, beetlecatatl.com
Vesper’s Old Fashioned Holiday Party
Head to Vesper for a party inspired by timeless holiday traditions featuring cocktails like a mint chocolate old fashioned, classic holiday tunes and an ugly sweater contest.
5 p.m. Dec. 18. 924 Garrett St., Atlanta. 404-963-6902, vesperatl.com
Snooze After Dark
Enjoy a holiday edition of breakfast for dinner at the Alpharetta location of Snooze. Tickets include an appetizer, entrée, dessert, cookie decorating and two drinks. Proceeds will be donated to local nonprofit Giving Kitchen.
6-8 p.m. Dec. 19. $55 per person. 6065 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta. snoozeeatery.com/restaurant/georgia/alpharetta
Savor Dinner
Attend this community feast at the Works for a good cause. Attendees will begin the night with a cocktail reception with beverages from Taste Wine Bar & Market and Dr. Scofflaw’s Brewing, then move on to small bites from Fuzzy’s Oysters, Flying Fish, Tyde Tate and Your 3rd Spot, followed by a multi-course dinner from Chicheria Mexican Kitchen and Fox Bros Bar-B-Que, and the night will conclude with dessert from Belen de la Cruz, Mochinut, Munster Cookies and Morelli’s. All proceeds will go toward Giving Kitchen.
6-8:30 p.m. Dec. 19. $75 per person. 300 Building at the Camp, 1295 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta. theworksatl.com/event/savor-community-dinner
Ugly sweater bar crawl
Come dressed in your ugliest sweater for this bar crawl around Avenue Peachtree City. Attendees can enjoy drink specials and a chance to win prizes while collecting passport stamps at each location.
6 p.m. Dec. 20. 239 City Circle, Peachtree City. avenuepeachtreecity.com/events-sales
Credit: Courtesy of Melle Houston
Credit: Courtesy of Melle Houston
Boone’s Holiday Brunch
Head to Boone’s for a holiday brunch featuring photos with Santa and cookie decorating.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 22. 2205 Northside Drive NW, Atlanta. 770-835-4267, boonesatl.com/calendar
Holiday Cocktail Class
Lingering Shade Social Club will host a holiday cocktail class where attendees can learn from a mixologist how to craft three cocktails: a peppermint martini, a “Santa-Rita” and a cranberry French 75. Tickets include beverage ingredients and three courses of appetizers.
5-7 p.m. Dec. 22. $70 per person. 660 Irwin St. NE, Atlanta. 404-996-6069, instagram.com/lingeringshade
Feast of the Seven Fishes
Celebrate the holidays at Local Three with this Italian tradition. The Feast of the Seven Fishes menu will only be available for one night and features offerings like Caesar salad, charred octopus, bluefin tuna crudo, lemon ricotta tortelloni, hanger steak tagliata and tiramisu. Reservations are required.
5-9 p.m. Dec. 22. 3290 Northside Parkway, Atlanta. 404-968-2700, localthree.com/event/feast-of-the-seven-fishes
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on X and @ajcdining on Instagram.
Here’s one more present we like: A gift subscription to the AJC. Give your favorite foodies unlimited access to all AJC content, including dining guides, recipes and restaurant news. It’s the gift they can unwrap all year long. Gift subscriptions start at $19.99 and offer digital access to every article on the site and the AJC News app. The gift is for new subscribers only, is a one-time purchase and doesn’t renew. Go to ajc.com/holiday to start gifting.
About the Author