CITY GUIDE: Athens, Georgia
There’s a reason people who come to school in Athens so often never leave. The music history is legendary: R.E.M., the B-52s, Widespread Panic, and Pylon all came from here, and the city has never stopped producing artists who matter. The food punches well above the city’s size. The Georgia Bulldogs have brought home back-to-back national championships. And there’s a rhythm to daily life here that you just don’t find anywhere else in the South.
When we published our very first city guide back in 2019, Athens was our first stop -- we're based in Atlanta, just down the road, and many of us at TZP have a lot of heart for this quintessential college town. We were a small blog then, and honestly, we were surprised by what we found. Local makers turning out kombucha, shrubs, and all kinds of creative alternatives. Bars and restaurants quietly building non-alcoholic menus before the category even had a name. Athens was ahead of the curve before anyone was paying attention.
A lot has changed since then. The Zero Proof grew from a blog into the largest online non-alcoholic beverage platform in the country... and Athens grew right along with us. The bar programs got more sophisticated, the bottle shops stocked better, and the restaurants have caught the attention of The James Beard Foundation.
EAT & DRINK
The National
The gold standard for Athens dining, and one of the most intentional non-alcoholic programs in the South. General Manager and Partner Erin Wilson has built a bar program of no- and low-ABV cocktails, NA beers, and housemade refreshers that rival what you’ll find at far larger restaurants in far larger cities. Our must-try is the ‘Bold & Brash,’ made with Lapo’s NA bitter aperitivo, Lyre’s NA coffee liqueur, and rooibos chai. And yes, the Mediterranean-inspired food is every bit as good as you’ve heard.
The World Famous
Lodged in the middle of ‘Hot Corner,’ once a roaring cluster of African-American-owned businesses, the World Famous is part gastro-dive-bar, part music venue. What makes it special is the room itself. On any given night you’ll find people heading to the 40 Watt for a show sitting right next to sorority girls, all under the same roof, all having the time of their lives. The bar serves up hand-made original cocktails alongside an array of specialty sodas, teas, and coffees, and the menu is ‘food cart’ style, no utensils necessary, with dishes that start in the South and travel around the world. Chef Jarad Blanton turns out creative plates that pair beautifully with the original cocktails and house-made sodas.
Five and Ten
A cornerstone of the Athens food scene for over two decades. Peter Dale, of The National and Condor Chocolates fame, recently took the reins from Hugh Acheson, bringing his own stamp to one of the most beloved rooms in town. Farm-driven, deeply rooted, and beautifully executed. Ask your server what they’re pouring without alcohol that night and they’ll hook you up with something special. Lapo’s Non-Alcoholic Negroni is a favorite.
ZZ & Simone’s
In the heart of Five Points, ZZ & Simone’s offers the kind of warm, neighborhood hospitality that feels almost fictional. There’s not a better place in Athens to enjoy a bowl of pasta, and you never know who you’ll see. Coach Kirby Smart and members of R.E.M. are regulars.
THE FIVE POINTS DINNER PARTY ERRAND ROUTE
Five Points is the neighborhood that reminds you Athens isn’t just a college town. It’s a real place, walkable and independent and charming in a way that doesn’t feel performed, full of people who live here year-round. And within a few blocks of each other, you have everything you need for a genuinely great dinner party: non-alcoholic wine at the bottle shop, the best bread in Georgia, and chocolate made from Ecuadorian cacao by two brothers who grew up right here. Here’s how we’d do it.
Five Points Bottle Shop
Start here. One of the best places in Georgia to explore non-alcoholic options in person. The NA selection spans wine, spirits, and ready-to-drink cocktails, and the staff really knows what they’re talking about. Pick up a bottle of Oddbird Blanc de Blancs or Phony Negroni.
Independent Baking Co.
Next stop. Food & Wine named Independent Baking the best bread in Georgia, and once you’ve had a loaf, you’ll understand why. Whole-grain flour milled in-house from organic Georgia grain, a pastry case that changes with the seasons, and morning rolls that sell out before most people are awake. Come early, or they may be out.
Condor Chocolates
Finish here. Brothers Nick and Peter Dale grew up spending summers in Ecuador with family, falling in love with the cacao grown there, and eventually came home to Athens to do something about it. Condor is a bean-to-bar chocolate shop producing bars, truffles, sipping chocolate, gelato, and confections from some of the finest cacao in the world. The perfect final stop on any dinner party run.
MUSIC
The 40 Watt Club 285 W Washington St
VH1 ranked it the second most legendary rock club in America, and Rolling Stone put it among the best clubs in the US. Michael Stipe used to stage-dive here. The 40 Watt is the reason Athens matters in the canon of American music, and it’s still going, still booking real acts, and now carrying NA options like ISH RTDs at the bar. Catch a show. You won’t regret it.
The Georgia Theatre
A rooftop bar with a view of downtown and one of the best mid-size music rooms in the Southeast. Grab a beverage, find a spot on the roof, and settle in for the evening.
Ciné
An arthouse cinema, bar-café, and event space all in one. Perfect for an afternoon with something interesting in hand, like Georgia’s own Montane sparkling spring water.
& MORE
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Athens is the proud home of Georgia’s official botanical garden, and it’s one of the city’s most-visited attractions. Themed gardens offer beauty and serenity in any season, the soaring three-story tropical conservatory is worth the trip alone, and summer brings the Sunflower Music Series. The new Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden makes it a favorite with all ages.
A NOTE FROM US
The Zero Proof launched its first city guide right here in Athens, back in 2019. We were a small blog then, still figuring out what we were building. Coming back feels like something. The non-alcoholic scene in Athens has grown alongside us, and it’s proof that you don’t have to be in New York or LA to live well without alcohol.
