Atkins Park in the Highlands is a bar with top notch food. Noche is a Tapas place with (at least they used to have) a $10 all you can eat tapas night on mondays. There are a dozen or so bars and restaurants right around the corner of Virginia and Highland (hence the Virginia Highlands). Just a few blocks south on Highland is where you will find Atkins Park, the Dark Horse, Limerick Junction and a bevy of other eateries and bars. A number of them such as 10 High, Limerick, Blind Willies, etc have live music as well.
I am not as familiar with the up and coming East Atlanta area but it is on Boulevard just on the south side of I-20.Casual

