Trinidad
Lively bar across from the beach, with DJs at weekends. Bake and shark (and more sustainable kingfish) on the grill, with a good array of salad and…
Must-see nightlife in Caribbean
Grenada
In a little blue and red kiosk right on the sand of the main beach, this place is the most lively of the bars around town and is usually always open. Also…
Habana Vieja
Through good times and bad, the music has never stopped at La Dichosa on busy Calle Obispo. Small and cramped, with at least half the space given over to…
Camagüey
This casual Spanish-style taverna, nestled beneath Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, is best used as a drinking option. There's a decent wine…
San Juan
This tiny bar is big on color, covered in murals by local artists. In the evening it sets up sidewalk tables, perfect for people watching. Grab a craft…
Aruba
Crooners warble from the jukebox at this smallish Dutch pub that's popular with local professionals. On Saturday there's live music starting around 11…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
Town square, town bar and town radio station (whether you want it or not) all rolled into one, this colmado is where locals gather to talk, drink and…
Ponce & South Coast
Mar y Tierra stands out among the cluster of bars packed along the main street and the docks – primarily because of the eardrum-busting Latin rock and…
Nassau
With 835 sq m of nooks and crannies (including multiple 'VIP' lounges), a glass dance floor and no-expense-spared AV- and lighting-gear, Aura tries to re…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
A quintessential dive popular with expats and Dominicans alike. Solo men may get more attention than they bargained for, however; respond to unwanted…
Cabarete
This mellow bar and restaurant serves food until 12:30pm, when the DJ starts to spin. The 3rd-floor Ojo space has popular salsa nights Thursdays and…
Varadero
Near the Centro Comercial Copey. Expect big, boisterous (young) crowds and plenty of male posturing.
Punta Cana & the Southeast
Divey outdoor bar catering to all-inclusive escapists near Emotions by Hodelpa. There's DJs spinning house through the weekend and live music most Friday…
Trinidad
A cheap state-run copy of Havana's much-hyped Hemingway bar, although this one peddles its daiquiris for a reasonable price. A life-sized statue of the…
Santa Clara
The rooftop bar in this otherwise mediocre hotel is as high as you can get in the city center – thankfully, after the climb, the gentleman at the bar…
Isla de la Juventud
Buy your drinks in the cage-like bar next door then head to the courtyard and hectic disco round the corner. This is hard dancing territory some nights,…
Ciego de Ávila Province
Ciego's long-standing coffee institution has seen better days. Still if you just want a cafecito with no ceremony, milk, take-out cup or wi-fi, it can…
Nevis
For a big dose of local color, belly up to this outdoor bar on the waterfront, order one of its cheap, simple lunches (dishes EC$8 to EC$18) or join a…
Camagüey
The Hunter S Thompson choice. A dive bar with graffiti-splattered walls and interestingly named cocktails, this place consists of one room, four tables…
Habana del Este
This outdoor club in Guanabo is really just a disco with a dancing show (at 11pm) and a heavy assemblage of jinetero/as (touts). Don't expect the…
Port Antonio
This place plays vintage ska and reggae on Tuesday and Sunday, but on other nights it's pretty sleepy. Not a bad place for a quiet beer, rum and a plate…
Santo Domingo
Also known as ‘La Cueva’ (the Cave), this small and dark spot favors good ol’ rock music like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. It recently relocated to Calle…
Tobago
Cool little liming spot set just back from the Big Bay beach, with tables on the veranda and icy cold beers. There's karaoke on Friday nights, and free wi…
Varadero
Varadero's most modern video disco is at Hotel Tuxpán, in eastern Varadero. It plays mostly Latin music and is considered 'hot.'
St Lucia
A popular spot where you can cut loose over some sunset cocktails in pleasant surrounds and eavesdrop on the yachties' tall tales. It's at the marina, on…
Southern Haiti
You know a place is fun when there's a neon martini glass and music note involved. Hot Spot is popular among locals for cold Prestige and homegrown Les…
Southern Haiti
A favorite with foreign residents, this bar is known for its late-night parties fueled by house and hip-hop music. The chicken wings and burgers are also…
Las Tunas
This offshoot of the Hotel Cadillac has tables on a terrace overlooking the Plaza Martí action and serves decent cappuccinos.
Santo Domingo
This small nightclub, part of a revamped hotel not far from the Zona Colonial, gets packed very late on weekend nights after most of the bars have shut…
Culebra
A favorite late-night haunt of locals and expats, with a checkerboard floor and cobalt blue lighting, this tiny bar has style, along with a killer…
Cabarete
This Dutch-owned restaurant and nightclub serves good-value food on the beach, presided over by the popular manager Milton. At night a DJ spins a decent…
Camagüey
The beer drinker's choice. Fake pirate figures and Bucanero beer on tap characterize this swashbuckling tavern, faintly reminiscent of a British pub.
Southern Haiti
Constructed of brick and stone, this low-lit drinking establishment offers the best rum sours around, along with regular salsa-dancing performances.
St Kitts & Nevis
The party starts early at this jamming shack and goes until late. It's open all day, starting with breakfast, and there's live music on weekends.
Granma Province
This two-level bar on the peatonal (pedestrianized section) is a choice spot if you're craving a rum cocktail in a fancier bar setting.
Jamaica
Perk up on Blue Mountain coffee, sugar up on cakes, munch on a panini lunch, or chill out on local Devon House I Scream at this coffee shack.
Camagüey
This Beatles-themed bar has a large inner patio and life-sized bronze sculptures of the fab four. Locals come for snacks and chilly brews.
Bayamo
This busy local place on the main shopping street has beer on tap in ceramic mugs and a constant buzz of conversation. Pay in Cuban pesos.
Treasure Beach
The Onion keeps erratic hours but attracts a mix of locals and visitors with its spacious dance floor and pool tables once it gets going.
Isla de la Juventud
For a little atmospheric booty-shaking, join the throngs of locals dancing in an open-air locale hidden among the trees near the river.
