The Clermont Lounge

Hidden in the basement of the Clermont Motor Hotel on Ponce De Leon Avenue, The Clermont Lounge is an unmatched piece of Atlanta nightlife history. Opened in 1965, it’s the city’s oldest continuously operating strip club — but it also functions as a dive bar, live entertainment venue, and cultural landmark. Walk in and you feel the place: dim lighting, threadbare booths, an old-school horseshoe bar encircling the stage, and a raw edge everywhere. The dancers are unconventional, often older, and full of personality — part of the charm is watching them perform in ways and at times you won’t see elsewhere. It’s not polished; it leans into its grit. Drinks are cheap, service is casual, and there’s a strict no-cameras policy — privacy matters. The entertainment rotates: karaoke nights, occasional DJs, live performances. Many patrons come for the novelty, some for the raw energy, many come back because nothing else feels quite like it. Clermont isn’t about luxury or finesse; it's about realness. You won’t find much draft beer, and the place is cash-only. It’s especially alive late night — the hours are long, crowd very mixed (locals, tourists, curious souls), and the atmosphere electric in its oddball way. Clermont Lounge is more than a bar; it’s an institution for those wanting something bold, unusual, and completely its own in Atlanta’s nightlife scene.