Havana Club, Ormsby’s, Gold Room, and more

Hip-swivelers rejoice. The Havana Club, closed in 2007 after ten years in operation to make way for the Streets of Buckhead development, has reopened in a bigger, swankier space on Piedmont. Three rooms offer distinct vibes: “Stage” pumps in Top 40 and rock hits when it’s not featuring a band on its 360-degree stage; “Studio” is all about salsa and merengue, with a dance floor specifically designed for forceful footwork (early birds get free lessons); and “Gallery” doubles as a dance spot and private event space. Count on plenty of patrons lighting up cigars. 3112 Piedmont Road, 404-869-8484, havanaclubatl.com

2. Ormsby’s
This Westside watering hole was destined to catch fire. Owners Michael Goot and Warren Bruno—veterans of SweetWater Brewing Co. and Atkins Park, respectively—set up shop in Atlanta’s hottest neighborhood, joined an elite but expanding roster of establishments specializing in craft beers, and capitalized on their target demographic’s unquenchable appetite for bar games—pool, darts, shuffleboard, backgammon, indoor bocce, old-school arcade games. The mystique generated by an unmarked, partially subterranean location adds fuel to rapidly spreading whispers of, “Have you been to Ormsby’s?” 1170 Howell Mill Road, 404-968-2033, ormsbysatlanta.com

3. Gold Room
If there were such a thing as a tasteful tribute to the Gold Club, that gilded Gomorrah where pro athletes prowled and strippers did more than strip, Buckhead’s Gold Room would be it. Housed in the same stark black building as the long-defunct gentleman’s club, Gold Room opens up to a sleek, soaring main room for dancing, a glass-encased upstairs lounge for mingling, a floating DJ booth, a five-foot disco ball, a forty-foot bar, and a glassed-in VIP room for celebs such as Lenny Kravitz and LeBron James (both have been spotted there). The decor is minimalist by nightclub standards, done mostly in blacks and golds, with a single gold pole rising up from the dance floor. 2416 Piedmont Road, 404-693-9693, goldroomatl.com

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>> Aurum Lounge 108 Eighth Street, 404-815-9426, aurumlounge.com
>> Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern 1551 Piedmont Avenue, 404-968-2288, hobnobatlanta.com
>> Publik Draft House 654 Peachtree Street, 404-885-7505, publikatl.com