4. Magnolia Bar at The Magnolia Hotel
Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday through Sunday Happy hour: 5 to 7 p.m. Valet: Free with validation (or you can park for free downtown after 6 p.m. and all day on Sundays)
There are no signs pointing you to the bar in this downtown boutique hotel. You have to take the elevators to the second floor, which makes it feel like a bit of a hidden gem. Once upstairs, you're greeted with a plush yet modern industrial space that has an expanse of comfortable seating tucked under low ceilings.
The main bar is a bright swoop of white across one whole side of the room and offers an array of house-specialty cocktails that range from sweet and silly (homemade cocoa with marshmallow-flavored vodka) to studied and serious (Tiger's Tears, with Don Julio blanco, Chandon Brut and orange bitters). Prices aren't listed on the menu -- a minus -- but they're reasonable anyway: A glass of neat Bulleit Rye and a Shiner Bock only cost $14.
