Taking over the former Walden space in East Nashville, Tiger Bar is what happens when P.T. Barnum gets his hands on a modern-day saloon. The retro circus-themed bar comes courtesy of the Pearl Diver crew — you can enjoy your freezer martini or cotton candy-topped negroni in one of the booths fashioned to look like a sideshow railcar before diving into high-touch snacks like the Panisse & Caviar, a chickpea fritter topped with crème fraîche and caviar.

Situated in East Nashville’s Highland Yards complex, Golden Pony is a comfy, mid-century modern hang where it seems everyone knows your name (or soon will). Whether you’re hunkering down in a booth with friends, cuddling on a couch with a date, or posting up solo at the bar, order up one of the agua frescas with your choice of spirit and pair it with the hot honey cheese toast or some of the buttermilk breaded fries.

Named in honor of David “Skull” Schulman, the local behind Skull’s Rainbow Room and the pioneer of Nashville’s authentic dive bar scene, Schlman’s is a tried-and-true dive bar with dart boards, a jukebox, and an old-school cigarette machine that dispenses cartons. The drink menu is tightly curated and includes a martini, a negroni, a frozen margarita, and the Frozen Fernz with rum, Fernet, coconut, and mint. The bar — which also offers fried bologna sandwiches and fried pickles for munching on — is open seven days a week until 2 a.m.

Terry Raley (Butchertown Hall, Mercado, Liberty Common) along with partners Aaron Armstrong and Brett Diaz (the duo behind the newly reopened Last Chance Liquors) opened this 1,700-square-foot space on Dickerson Pike with vinyl rock, eclectic decor, and a full outdoor bar with fire pits. You’ll find several types of margaritas and house cocktails on the menu like the Rummin’ Back with dark and coconut rum, Cherry Heering, lime, and Pimm’s, and the Buck Cherry with mezcal, ginger cordial, lime, and cherry liqueur (sensing a theme?). Wood-fired skewers, burgers, and wings help round out the menu.

Barrel Proof Nashville is the second location of the New Orleans Garden District bar from partners Liam Deegan, Jason Sorbet, and Robert LeBlanc. Located in Germantown next to First Horizon Park, the emphasis at this casual hang is on brown spirits — the bar inside boasts over 300 bottles, with 80 percent of them falling squarely in the whiskey category. Don’t expect servers here — or the ability to make reservations. Place your order for food at the open kitchen window and wait for a buzzer to alert you when your cheeseburger is ready to be picked up.

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery recently completed a full-scale renovation to expand the mercantile shop, add an onsite restaurant, and update the interiors. Part of those updates include a full-service bar offering flights of Nelson’s products and cocktails crafted with the distillery’s bourbons and whiskeys, as well as their new house-made vodka and gin. Try the Cold Fashioned, a frozen twist on the classic Old Fashioned.

Sean Brock recently swapped out his mid-century supper club in Downtown for Bar Continental, a hi-fidelity record bar and lounge inspired by the Japanese “kissas” that gained popularity in the 1950s. The reimagined space features two distinct bars — The Wolf Bar and The Onken Bar — in addition to the main dining room, where vintage McIntosh and Tannoy speakers allow guests to listen to one of the bar’s 5,000 records while dining on one of the weekday specials (burgers, wings, Japanese pizza, and sushi make regular appearances) and sipping on beer.

Before settling into dinner at Yolan, you’ll want to stop by the Joseph’s newest cocktail bar for interesting drinks in a visually arresting space: picture hide on the walls, fringe hanging from the ceiling, and a long blood-red, Rosso Levanto Italian marble bar. The cocktail menu here features nine different negronis and a selection of kicky aperitivos — like high-end beef jerky and chicharrones — to tide you over until your next meal.

During the day, Blind Barber is a classic three-chair barber shop offering haircuts, shaves, and styling along with a complimentary cocktail to go with your service. After hours, this New York-born speakeasy turns into a funky 70’s-inspired speakeasy outfitted in gold trim and accents with velour booths, a spacious dance floor, and an expansive bar serving cocktails, mocktails, and light snacks.