8 Best Nightlife in Tampa, The Tampa Bay Area

Offering the fruits of the adjacent Cigar City brewery, this large tasting room puts Tampa on the map for craft beer enthusiasts. On tap, it offers mainstays like Jai Alai IPA and Maduro Brown Ale as well as an interesting rotation of seasonal beers. The staff is friendly, and the music is generally good, but beware: happy hour can be packed.

A happy-hour mecca for hip young professionals, this neighborhood establishment in the historic Lafayette Arcade offers an intriguing, ever-changing selection of creative cocktails with ingredients that might include strawberry balsamic shrub, celery bitters, and walnut bitters. If you're hungry, you'll find a food menu to match.

Notorious Spanish pirate José Gaspar was known for swashbuckling up and down Florida's west coast in the late 18th and early 19th century. His legend has inspired a massive, raucous street festival each winter. This Ybor City drinkery has adopted his name, and rightly so. Decked out in tons of pirate memorabilia, it's the cornerstone to any night spent barhopping on the Ybor strip. The sangria is a good choice, but the aged rums might be even better. You'll also find a food menu that goes well beyond standard bar fare.

Local music lovers rejoiced when this Tampa institution reopened closer to Busch Gardens. In its new location, New World Brewery offers an expanded menu, a patio, and a separate space for concerts and special events. It's known for its stone-seared pizzas, a killer craft beer list, and an amazing line-up of musicians taking the stage.

In addition to playing one of the hundreds of Vegas-style slot machines, you can try your luck at poker tables and video-gaming machines. The lounge serves drinks 24 hours a day, and the Hard Rock Cafe, of course, serves live music as well as dinner. Note that, as at many casinos, there's a good bit of cigarette smoke here.

Comedians generally perform Thursday through Sunday nights, though there might be other shows sporadically throughout the week.

Top comedians perform in this Ybor City venue.

Although it's considered something of a dive—albeit a lovable one—this well-established bar (circa 1946) has a loyal local following that ranges from esteemed jurists to nose-ring-wearing night owls. It's known for its strong drinks and its fantastic jukebox.