22 Best Nightlife in The Tampa Bay Area, Florida

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.

On tap at this local craft brewery, set in a converted industrial space, is a spate of excellent in-house creations (the Bimini Twist IPA is a favorite). There's live music some nights, as well as a few game options. The brewery is also close enough to Central Avenue to walk (or take a short trolley ride) to or from Tropicana Field and Grand Central District restaurants.

Northern Pinellas County is a hotbed for craft brewing. This small tasting room features this brewery's offerings, largely Belgian-style, spirit barrel-aged sour beer as well as IPAs, and a handful of others. It's near downtown Dunedin's shopping, dining, and nightlife and isn't too far from the Pinellas Trail.

Fans of IPAs, saisons, stouts, you name it (even kombucha) will find their brew of choice on the lengthy list of draft beverages at this cornerstone of St. Petersburg's exploding exploding craft beer scene. Live music is also regularly on tap, and although there's some seating inside, the action tends to happen out in the courtyard, where there are plenty of tables and space for listeners to gather when there's a band playing. Although the place is a late-night draw, kids and dogs are welcome, and you can grab food from one of several nearby restaurants to accompany your brew.

If frozen DayGlo concoctions spinning around in washing machine–like mechanisms are your thing, this place should certainly be on your list. If not, this is still a good go-to weekend watering hole across the street from Madeira Beach. In addition to selections like the Grape Ape and the Voodoo Loveshake, there's a respectable selection of beer on tap and a full bar. Entertainment includes some excellent funk and rock bands Thursday through Sunday. The food menu highlights seafood, of course (oysters are a winner), and the late-night menu is served until 1:30 am.

Tampa Bay is seen by many as a flourishing craft beer hub, but, if it weren't for Dunedin Brewery, that might not be the case. It was the first of its kind in the area and continues to offer delicious brews to throngs of patrons. It doesn't hurt that it offers live music many nights of the week, either.

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.

A famous nightclub located in a beautifully restored, brick historic cornerstone building downtown, the Gator Club has live music, DJs, dancing, karaoke, adult bingo, burlesque, and other events 365 days a year. It's also known as the home of Sarasota's largest spirits selection.

This taproom and event venue offers everything from lagers and lighter styles to hoppy IPAs and darker beers (including some tasty stouts) and sours. Although it has spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas, you can also grab a seat at the brewery's neighboring LALA expansion, which features French-inspired American cuisine, craft cocktails, and private karaoke rooms.

The name of this bar is a nod to the green benches that once lined Central Avenue and were often occupied by retirees. But the Sunshine City has shaken its rap as a sleepy retirement town and has become a craft beer town, as evidenced by breweries like this one. Barkeeps here serve brews made on-site as well as those from a few guest kegs. The interior has a lodgelike feel (as much as a bar can in Florida), but the real atmosphere is outside, where Adirondack chairs and badminton sets are scattered across the lawn. It's also just a couple of blocks from Tropicana Field, so the place can get packed before and after the Rays play.

Overlooking vast dunes leading down to the beach, this default stop for tourists and locals alike has an open-air beach bar with seating for all, as well as several full bars. The food and beer selections aren't too exotic here, but they make a mean mai tai. There's live music virtually every afternoon and each night on one of two stages.

Until very recently, Tampa Bay's beach towns were something of a craft beer dead zone, even as the rest of the region teemed with such establishments. This spot, located in John's Pass, is a shining example of how things are changing. Most of the draft beers are brewed on-site, though there are a few guest taps. There's plenty of space at the bar, and the barroom is not only massive, but it's also styled after a German beer hall—large tables and all. There's foosball and indoor beanbag tossing if you're feeling competitive, live music many nights, and a bar-food menu.

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.

If you want to scope out some vintage jazz, blues, or swing, this is the place to do it. It has much better ventilation than most other bars Downtown (despite being attached to a cigar bar), and you can bring your beverages to one of the outdoor tables—if you can snag one. It's also a great place to find a unique cocktail.

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.

Just off Downtown's main drag, this welcoming tasting room offers tons of craft beer options, including longtime local favorite, St. Pete Orange Wheat. There's plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, the clientele tends to be friendly, and this is one of the best places to grab a beer if you have a dog in tow.

If you happen to be riding on the Pinellas Trail between Clearwater and Tarpon Springs, this friendly place makes a great stop. (It's also right on Alternate U.S. 19, though it can be hard to spot from the road since it's in a small strip mall.) Beers such as the Pinellas Trail Cream Ale or the Soul Candy Milk Stout are brewed on site, though there are also some guest taps. Note the small room off to the side: it's packed with vintage video games.

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.

The drinks menu at this classy yet jubilant spot with a speakeasy vibe is as vintage as the decor. Many of the cocktails are classics—including a mean Bloody Mary—made the old-fashioned way, but you'll also find innovative concoctions and craft beers, as well as either live music or a DJ most nights.