5 Best Nightlife in Napa and Sonoma, California

Fans of this storefront bar pouring dozens of Champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world call themselves Bubbleheads, fitting given the bubbly atmosphere owner-impresario Erin Riley, aka the Chief Bubblehead, has created. The knowledgeable servers will help you choose the right glass from the well-curated selection and keep you entertained with bingo, trivia contests, and other diversions. On some nights, Be Bubbly presents DJs and musicians.

The husband and wife behind this energetic garden-theme bar (its name is a play on "arboretum") aim to provide patrons with more than a place to throw a few back in a verdant indoor setting. It's a sit-down affair, with specialty cocktails, no two remotely alike, the focus. Some, like the San Remo, you may have heard of or tasted. The spicy concoction a bartender calls "carne asada in cocktail form" maybe not.

The famed New York jazz room's intimate West Coast club hosts national headliners such as Kenny Garrett, KT Tunstall, and Jody Watley. At Locals Night on many Wednesdays, homegrown talent performs. There's a full bar, and you can order a meal or small bites from the kitchen. The larger JaM Cellars Ballroom upstairs books similar artists.

Cadet plays things urban-style cool with a long bar, high-top tables, and a low-lit, loungelike feel. California wines and beers predominate, but the lineup circles the globe. Artisanal tequilas in cocktails or on their own will be the focus of Chispa, a new bar a few blocks away on 1st Street the same owners plan to open in 2023.

The effusive subtropical decor of this Tiki bar flirts with excess, but the artistry of the murals, carvings, and furnishings elicits respect. A noted mixologist's sensibly updated fruity drinks, adorned with orchids in lieu of umbrellas, are poured along with more straightforward cocktails and artisanal beers and wines. Hawaii-inflected dishes pair well with the libations, and a deck with Napa River views enhances the overall appeal. There's live music on some evenings.