32 Best Nightlife in Bahamas

This trendy spot on the waterfront at Pelican Bay Hotel is a popular evening and late-night watering hole with the local expat crowd, with swim-up seating at the adjacent pool. Sip high-end tasting rums or fresh-squeezed cocktails like the Silver Fox (lime juice, homemade simple syrup, and vodka). The only food option is their delicious homemade savory meat pies. Call ahead to place your order as they tend to run out early.

This is the place to be on the weekends and holidays in Harbour Island. The dance floor takes off around midnight and is a popular spot for young locals and tourists alike. DJ and owner Devon "Daddy D" Sawyer spins pop music, hip-hop, and reggae tunes late into the night. There are also live bands on select days. Karaoke night is every Tuesday, and they host themed events on some holidays.

Head here to find a singing, carousing crowd knocking back the world-famous Goombay Smash. (Or not—many Goombay novices underestimate the drink's potency, and end up making it an early night.) Mrs. Emily Cooper, creator of the popular Goombay Smash drink, passed away in 1997, but her daughter Violet continues to serve up the famous rum, pineapple juice, and apricot brandy concoction. The actual recipe is top-secret, and in spite of many imitators throughout the islands, you'll never taste a Goombay this good anywhere else. It's worth a special trip to try one. Lunch and dinner are also served here—standard Bahamian fare plus a special Chinese menu on Friday night.

This busy bar on the corner of Count Basie Square specializes in keeping bar hoppers young and old supplied with free Wi-Fi, tropical frozen drinks and punches, and piña coladas served in coconuts. Sit outside for people-watching or inside for cool air-conditioning and TVs broadcasting sports events. The kitchen serves up basic American and Bahamian bar food. Happy hour is daily from 5 to 7.

You feel like you're stepping back in time inside this coffee shop by day, cocktail bar by night hot spot. The decor is vintage tropical, and the menu and the beverages are all very carefully crafted. The coffee is brewed from locally roasted beans, and the mochas and hot chocolates use locally crafted chocolate. There's also a small selection of food to accompany either your coffee or your cocktail. Take time to peruse the menu—the names and the descriptions are pure entertainment.

Day or night, you'll find a crowd of locals and tourists gathered around the largest beach bar on Junkanoo Beach. Pull up a bar stool or grab a table in the shaded dining area and enjoy views of Nassau Harbour and the sounds of live music. There are daily specials on drinks and shots, plus packages that include beach chairs, umbrellas, and snorkel gear. Group beach activities and Wi-Fi are free.

After a long week, locals and tourists alike flock to Anchor Bay Fish Fry on Friday night to let loose and de-stress. The menu is simple, with fried fish, barbecue chicken and pork, and local sides. It's the liquor and lively atmosphere that draw the crowd. Fish Fry's signature drink, Rum Bubbas, is a must-try—and is the perfect liquid courage to get you participating in limbo and outdoor dances.

Featuring a spectacularly open and airy design, the 50,000-square-foot (100,000 if you include the dining and drinking areas) casino is ringed with restaurants and offers more than 1,100 slot machines, plus baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps tables, and such local specialties as Caribbean stud poker. There's also a high-limit table area, and most of the eateries have additional games. The sports book with the massive video wall looks out over the luxury yachts in the marina. The casino is always open, with gaming tables available from 10 am to 4 am daily.

Located upstairs from the Atlantis Casino, this nightclub is the place to see and be seen on Paradise Island, though many of the celebrities who frequent the club opt for the ultra-exclusive private lounge. Dancing goes on all night, and bartenders dazzle the crowd with their mixing techniques. The music varies from night to night.

The party starts at this waterfront bar at sunset and extends well into the evening. Drink specials are available all day, and you can find great Bahamian food at any one of its neighboring vendors. Sunday is karaoke night, and there's live music on weekends.

Each evening Cap'n Jack's offers a different event, including bingo and trivia, along with drink specials. Wednesday and Friday evenings there's live music.

For afternoon or nighttime fun in Gregory Town, head to Champion's Bar on Queen's Highway. The bar hosts live bands and parties on weekends, along with karaoke and pool tables. There's a restaurant serving local Bahamian food and a bar stocked with assorted beers and cocktails. The outdoor tiki bar opens in the afternoon, serving drinks and bar snacks.

This legendary hot spot has had a complete revamp and offers indoor and outdoor bar and dining areas, accommodating up to 2,000 guests at a time. There's often live music, some of the island's top DJs, top-shelf drinks, and a delicious Sunday brunch.

At the popular and long-standing condominium property Coral Beach Hotel, this spacious, open-air bar bustles with visitors and locals, too. Bartenders serve up tropical drinks and cold beer to a lively crowd with music in the background. The menu boasts Bahamian favorites like conch fritters along with burgers and sweet-potato fries. Situated poolside and beachfront to Coral Beach, this spot is fun for lunch and a daytime drink, too.

This local bar on Gregory Street is the most popular hangout in town.

The debonair, one-man band Cedric Bethel, better known as Doctor Seabreeze, strums his acoustic guitar while singing island songs at Sunset Cove in Hatchet Bay and Ronnie's Hi-D-Way in Governor's Harbour. Call to find out which day he'll be there.

On Monday, head to Eddie's Edgewater for rousing Rake 'n' Scrape music. The front porch is a popular spot, where locals hang out all week long.

There's entertainment scheduled here most nights, from smooth sax to lively Junkanoo and karaoke. This is a popular stop where locals and visitors can mingle and dance to classic rock and Bahamian tunes.

This is a popular local spot on weekend nights and not just because it offers the best sunset viewing anywhere around. There's music, cornhole in the sand, and the Guana Grabber, a potent frozen drink designed to lighten any mood. If you're not staying here and want to keep the party going after the last ferry leaves, ask the staff about catching a ride back to Marsh Harbour with them. During the high season, they put on a range of concerts and special theme nights.

Enjoy a brew on the wraparound patio of Gusty's, on Harbour Island's northern point. This lively, rustic hot spot has a few tables, great drinks, and a pool table. On weekends, holidays, and in high season, it's an extremely crowded and happening dance spot, especially after 10 pm.

After 9 pm every Saturday and on Thursday nights during peak seasons, Harbour's Edge has local bands playing Bahamian and reggae music. This is a favorite spot among locals.

On the water in front of The Other Shore Club and Marina, this bar has a hopping happy hour from 4 to 6 daily and live music every Friday at 7. Bring your bikini and hang out in the pool or on the shallow beach.

With a pool table, outdoor basketball court, and large dance floor, Ronnie's is the most popular local hangout in Governor's Harbour. The scene really takes off on Friday and Saturday nights, when the bar hosts a DJ. If you drop in for a drink on the weekend, expect to stay a while for dancing to popular reggae and hip-hop tunes.

Locals and tourists alike flock to Roy's Lounge on Saturday for karaoke night. On other nights, it's a relaxed after-work chill spot where Bahamians come to enjoy old-school music, great drinks, and quick bites.

No, that's not a spelling error: S sinn L is Inagua's most popular nightclub, with a restaurant, dance room, VIP lounge, and sky booth with a disco on weekends. On Thursday, karaoke is the vibe, and occasionally (during holidays especially), they import live bands from the Turks and Caicos and Nassau; visiting American and Canadian musicians also turn up. Play pool and dine on tasty Bahamian dishes and fresh seafood. The kitchen and bar are open daily.

Some of the best DJs on the island start and keep the party going at Secrets VIP until late at night on weekends. The bar has a variety of cocktails and popular Bahamian drinks. You can also get quick bites like wings and conch fritters from the kitchen.

Staniel Cay Yacht Club has a relatively busy bar, hopping with yachters from all over the world. There's no dress code, but shirts and cover-ups are required after 5 pm. No reservations are required either, but only adults (18+) are allowed after 10 pm.

Locals hang out at Sundowners, a waterside sports bar and grill with lots of drink specials and a kitchen that is open until midnight for late-night snacks. Grab a mic at Monday karaoke nights. There are also ladies' nights and men's nights as well as full-moon parties.

A collection of fish shacks next to the water is open on weekends, with DJs occasionally playing music in the covered pavilion next door.

There's always something going on at The Fish Fry, a cluster of shacks two miles north of George Town. A DJ is usually there on Friday and Sunday.