11 Best Nightlife in U.S. Virgin Islands

Locals and visitors come here to drink freshly brewed mango lager and listen to live music several nights a week. Oh, and there are crab races on Mondays. A nice selection of appetizers and sandwiches, plus shareable build-your-own salads make this waterfront microbrewery a fun place to nosh while you work your way through beer flights and people-watch on the boardwalk.

St. Croix’s first large-scale brewing operation has a plant and tasting room near the oil refinery by the airport; drop by to try some of the more than two dozen beers produced here, including the popular Island Life lager and a saison inspired by local bush tea and flavored with basil, lemongrass, ginger, and sorrel. The kitchen serves appetizers, wraps, pizzas, and calzones.

You can find the beers at bars throughout the USVI and BVI, but they can't be shipped to the mainland.

Landlubbers and old salts listen to music and swap stories at this popular casual restaurant and bar on the far side of the island.

This seafood restaurant is known for its fresh catch of talented local and off-island musicians who play at happy hour and into the evenings, especially on the weekends.

Classic rum-based drinks in decorative tiki glasses (think: zombies, mai tais and hurricanes) star at this dark, atmospheric bar with indoor and outdoor space. For something local, try the Iloilo, made with Mutiny vodka, or the Merciful Mistress, a tiki drink built around light Cruzan Diamond Estate rum. Small plates are available for noshing, including a pupu platter, of course.

The larger of St. Croix's two casinos (the other is in downtown Christiansted) is located across the street from the Divi Carina Bay resort. For a night out on the island's East End the casino has reel-type slot machines, video poker, and table games including blackjack, poker, roulette, and craps. Guests of the all-inclusive Divi Carina Bay eat and drink free at the Carina Cafe.

At this island favorite, funky cocktails, a loud sound system, and dancing under the stars are the big draws for locals and visitors alike.

Once this popular eatery puts away the salt-and-pepper shakers after 10 pm on the weekends, it becomes a rock-and-roll club with a DJ or live reggae bands bringing the weary to their feet.

Bolongo Bay's poolside bar and restaurant offers live music on the weekends.

For a mini adventure in downtown Christiansted, hop the two-minute ferry to this hotel bar on Protestant Cay for trivia Wednesdays, live music on weekends, and periodic Tiki Tuesday parties with a luau-style buffet, steel pan bands, fire dancers, and moko jumbie performers. The beach bar is open until 10, and the ferry from the Christiansted boardwalk—normally $5 per person for non–hotel guests—is free after 5 pm.

Folks like to gather here, a short walk from the ferry dock, where the sidewalk tables provide a close-up view of Cruz Bay action. There's live entertainment on weekends. American country music star Kenny Chesney often stops here when on island and sings a song or two.