2610 Best Bars in USA

The Violet Hour channels a Prohibition-era speakeasy—an unmarked door in the mural-covered facade leads to a mysterious, curtained hallway. Inside, twinkling crystal chandeliers cast a glow on cornflower-blue walls, and extremely high-backed blue leather chairs encourage intimate conversations. Add to that pricey but flawlessly executed cocktails and a small menu of refined snacks, and it's our idea of nightlife heaven.

This 21-plus live music rock club on the edge of the Sunset Strip has been around for more than 30 years; legends like Tom Petty and Lenny Kravitz have performed on the stage. Today the venue books rising alt-rock acts and cover bands.

Different cityscapes ranging from sunset in Hong Kong to night in Dubai to evening in New York City change on huge screens (so you can order a Manhattan while you're looking at Manhattan) that make up the background at this lounge, which offers specialty drinks like a pineapple mule.

Tucked away from the street, the \"Belgian Beer Bar\" (as everybody calls it) features a European-style, enclosed outdoor courtyard and a cozy interior, all red light and shadows. NYU grad-student types come for the mammoth selection of beers on tap as well as the fries, which are served with Belgian flair in a paper cone, with an array of sauces on the side.

Named after the act that brought about Prohibition, this popular speakeasy-style bar in the heart of Downtown has live music and swing dance lessons every third Sunday. It's an elegant spot that's known for its inventive cocktails, often made with local spirits and other ingredients.

Great views of the city have returned with this indoor/outdoor club 51 floors atop the Rio. Reopening in early 2025 after a long closure, it was unclear if VooDoo would again become a nightlife option for slightly older patrons or those less enthralled with the EDM/DJ culture of the Strip nightclubs, as it was pre-pandemic. The revived lounge shares its space with the VooDoo Steak restaurant and focuses on specialty cocktails—anyone up for a Cursed Cachaca?—and \"shareable punchbowls.\" The lounge opens at 9 pm, with the restaurant opening at 5 pm for those seeking a sundown view and (on select days) a happy hour. 

This gay-friendly after-hours joint offers late-night thrills, courtesy of diverse DJ booking and a potent light-and-sound system. Two massive dance floors are filled with gyrating bodies, and a third-level catwalk gives those wanting a rest (or further libations) an excellent vantage point. Their hours vary week-to-week, so check Instagram or their website for updated events listings.

A resident DJ curates the music at the W's chic lounge and bar. Large-format drinks that serve four people are fun to dive into, alongside some elevated snacks, flatbreads, and a few dinner platings. Crowds tend to gather early in the evening and go to about midnight before making a move elsewhere.

For the most part, Wailuku goes quiet once the office workers clock out and the shops close, but this neighborhood hangout is the exception, and it has become a go-to spot for craft cocktails, good vibes, and late-night fun. Although it doesn't serve food, it does offer a small dance floor, a patio out back, a karaoke night, and lounge music or live jazz.

This company not only brews its own quality craft beer but also serves delicious food. This is its second location—the original is in Waikiki at 1945 Kalakaua Avenue—and it always offers nine beers on tap, including the Skinny Jeans IPA and the Hana Hou Hefe, to which orange peel and strawberry puree are added before fermentation. You can also buy six-packs at the bar to go. Barbecue sauces accompanying some of the smoked meat selections are made with Waikiki Brewing beer. Stop by for brunch on the weekends.

Hawaiian bars should have two things: stellar views of the sunset over the ocean and equally stellar mai tais. This lounge of this restaurant has both, as well as live music, ranging from contemporary to Hawaiian, Thursday through Sunday. Come for sunset or for the late-night happy hour, but seats are scarce once the music starts at 6:30 pm, and an attractive crowd starts showing up around 8.

The sunshiny patio and cozy interior are great spots for creative pizzas and sampling the dozen-or-so craft ales. After a couple of pints of the strong Homo Erectus IPA and Walking Stick Stout, you may go a little ape. Live music on summer weekends skews twangy and upbeat.

Wall Street Plaza is a complex of seven distinct, themed venues. Choose the Wall Street Cantina for Mexican fare, the Hen House ("The World's Smallest Bar-dello") for craft beers, Hooch for an outdoor bar, the Shine dance club for its "moonshine warehouse" look, the Monkey Bar martini lounge, the outdoor WaiTiki Bar, or Sideshow for a party scene. With a calendar packed with events, this is considered Party Central for many in the Downtown crowd.

In the middle of the funky Mills 50 neighborhood, one of the city's oldest bars (circa 1954) is a hangout for a cross section of cultures and ages. Some would say it's a dive—even in its cleaned-up state—but that doesn't matter to the students, bikers, lawyers, and barflies who land here. Just grab a stool at the bar to take in the scene and down a cold one.

Dubbed the "Friendliest Bar in Waikiki," this charming karaoke joint is a must-visit on any trip to the island. The positive vibe comes from owner Dan Chang, who personally welcomes his guests to this LGBTQ+-friendly establishment. The bar is in the lobby of the Stay Hotel and has a full kitchen cranking out Asian- and Latin-inspired dishes. It's known for a lively late-night crowd and innovative cocktails. The list of karaoke songs is extensive, and the place gets jammed, so arrive early if you really want to add your name to the list and sing a song.

You can get a solid Negroni or Manhattan at this exposed-brick watering hole, but where the bar really shines is in its bespoke cocktails. Fight for a seat at the bar if possible to watch the sharply clad barkeeps whip up house specialties, or simply give them a few descriptive words ("spirit-forward," "something with bourbon," "light and refreshing") and let them create a cocktail on the spot to match your thirst.

A former movie palace is now one of the city's largest rock venues, with folding chairs or standing space (depending on the event) downstairs and theater seating upstairs. The historic venue has booked everyone from Prince and the Grateful Dead to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Despite the cutesy name reflecting its location, Warren Peace is a sophisticated, compact lounge pouring a balanced selection of signature and classic cocktails. There's also a long menu of local and international ales, a nice assortment of wines, and an uncommon list of soft drinks like rose lemonade and ginger beer. The food menu has grown from small shareable bites to include entrées, but instead of dining, most locals head here for a romantic vibe and creative concoctions.

The has a raw bar, 19 beers on tap, hardwood floors, a brick wall behind a bar that stretches on and on, and serves the town's legendary "pub chips."

If you're seeking to sink into gorgeous cocktails with complex garnishes and wicker chairs upholstered in jungle prints, this is your oasis. Wear your loudest Hawaiian shirt and sip electrifying concoctions served in fabulous tiki mugs.  There's a steep charge if you don't return the glassware.

It isn't really on the waterfront, but San Diego's oldest bar was once the favorite hangout for Italian fishermen. Most of the collars are now white, and patrons enjoy an excellent selection of beers, along with their famous Charlie's chili, burgers, fish-and-chips, and other great-tasting grub, including fish tacos and even breakfast until 2 pm daily. By midday, there's almost always a crowd.

Few bars can rival the harbor views of this festive Seaport spot occupying Pier 15. Watermark is an all-season bar that's open-air most of the year (with pop-up igloos and chalets through winter). Thirsty patrons enjoy breezy weekday happy hours, prix-fixe drinking-dining events, and deals on wine, beer, cocktails, plus daily and seasonal specials like Wine-Down Wednesday and Oktoberfest. A variety of bar food and weekend brunch balances out the robust drinking options.

With its retro-chic tiki-bar fittings and waterfall windows, this place is quirky and fun. It's also a Tallahassee institution: the funky bar has been in Midtown since before there was a Midtown. During the day, Waterworks offers a menu of sandwiches, salads, apps, and small plates for lunch and dinner, and evolves into a hip lounge at night.

Come 7 pm, Miami Beach's premier rooftop opens to the public as a full-service bar, restaurant, and lounge (before that it is exclusive to guests of the 1 Hotel South Beach). Up in the skies, expect tropically inspired drinks like pineapple and mint caipirinhas overlooking the twinkle of city lights, the sleek rooftop pool, and the lapping waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Amazingly, this pub was built in County Monaghan, Ireland, and shipped to San Antonio, where it was reassembled. They are open for lunch and dinner daily (lots of Irish specials, naturally) and have live music seven nights a week.

Based in Nottingham, 20 miles southwest of Kennett Square, this well-regarded winery now has a cozy but elegant in-town tasting room (with a bar, shelves, and tables created from fallen trees from its farm) for tastings, sipping a glass, or buying bottles. Carefully crafted cocktails complete the offerings. The tasting room has some daytime hours, but the atmosphere at night is mellow; occasionally, there's live music on weekends.