Electric Hospitality – the group behind Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall, Muchacho, and Ranger Statio – will open beachy cocktail bar Strangers in Paradise on Friday, May 17, at the Lee and White food hall in West End.
Channeling the design of beachside resorts of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Strangers in Paradise features a large U-shaped bar with a palm leaf canopy hanging overhead. Vintage beachside postcards and other kitschy design elements like a neon-lit alligator on the back bar and souvenir cups line the walls.
The bar seats 28 people, with additional table seating for 45 people.
“With the limited water views in Atlanta, we wanted to create a place for people to enjoy a resort-like and relaxed atmosphere along Atlanta’s own ‘waterfront’, the BeltLine,” Electric Hospitality CEO and founder Michael Lennox said of the vibe at Strangers in Paradise.
Like the decor, the cocktail menu hat tips to the aforementioned eras, when sipping “boat drinks” was en vogue and Jimmy Buffett ruled the airwaves on hot summer days on the Gulf and Florida coasts.
Lennox stressed that while boat drinks have a reputation for being simple concoctions meant to get you drunk fast at the beach, the cocktails served at Strangers in Paradise come finessed with quality ingredients and spirits.
Look for cocktails such as the Shark Bite with blanco tequila, prickly pear juice, and spiced rum or the Pink Flamingo mixed with prosecco, watermelon nectar, and Aperol. Four friends can sip on the Cheeseburger in Paradise with rum, gin, pineapple, and coconut served in a fish bowl. Expect frozen drinks, including an espresso mudslide and pina colada, along with shooters, nonalcoholic cocktails, and beer and wine.
While Strangers in Paradise doesn’t serve food, people can order dishes from stalls at the food hall or take their drinks to go.
Strangers in Paradise joins Costa Coffee, Goodazz Burgers, Gekko Sushi, Honeysuckle Gelato, The Original Hot Dog Factory, and Pastaholic at the Lee and White food hall. Vietnamese restaurant stall Vietvana opened last week at the food hall.
Lee and White is also home to breweries Monday Night, Best End, and Wild Heaven, as well as Hop City Beer and Wine and its restaurant Boxcar, supper club Bovino After Dark, and taqueria El Tesoro.
Take a look at the menu for Strangers in Paradise below:
1020 White Street, West End, Atlanta. Opening May 17. Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 12 p.m. to 1 a.m.