Nightlife
From cool martini bars to quirky dive bars, the Florida Keys has your nightlife needs covered. As a general rule, bars are open later the farther down in the Keys you go, with many establishments in Key West open until 4 a.m. Taverns and pubs in the Upper and Middle Keys are more likely to close between midnight and 2 a.m. Also, a lot of restaurants have separate bar areas in which you can dine as well or continue the party post-dinner. Those typically close around 11 p.m. or sometimes “when the last customer leaves.” Hours and entertainment may vary depending on the season or whim of the owners, so it is always best to call ahead.
We encourage you to have fun and enjoy our casual Keys pubs and restaurants, but keep in mind that the DUI limit here is 0.08 percent, less than some other states. Remember, too, that driving-under-the-influence laws apply to all vehicles—scooters, boats, and bikes included. So if you drink, don’t drive. Or pedal. Take a cab or take along a designated driver. In Key West, you can request a cab with a bike rack at no extra charge. If you are on foot, pedicabs are a good alternative to transporting yourself, and you can usually flag one down in Key West without any hassle.
1. Breezer’S Bar And Grille
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 453-0000
Address: MM 103.8 Bayside, Key Largo
Description: Breezer’s is an elevated gazebo-sheltered bar overlooking the showy property and wondrous waters of the Marriott Key Largo Bay Beach Resort. This fantasy island setting provides the perfect backdrop for fabulous frozen drinks accompanied by live island-style music on Fri and Sat.
2. Caribbean Club
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 451-9970
Address: MM 104.5 Bayside, Key Largo
Description: Bogey and Bacall are alive and well in this famous Key Largo bar and restaurant. The walls are filled with memorabilia from the 1948 classic movie Key Largo, even though most of the movie was filmed on Hollywood soundstages and back lots. Great sunset views and live music Thurs through Sun nights draw late-night crowds, making this a popular locals’ hangout.
3. Coconuts Restaurant & Night Club
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 453-9794
Address: MM 100 Oceanside, 528 Caribbean Dr., Key
Description: A perennial nightclub favorite with a percolating dance floor, full bar, and live entertainment on Thurs, Fri, and Sat, Coconuts is a weekend favorite where the hardworking locals come to cut loose, catch up, and listen to live music. See our Restaurants chapter for dining options here.
4. Snapper’S Waterfront Restaurant
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 852-5956
Address: MM 94.5 Oceanside, Key Largo
Insider Pick:
Description: Snapper’s oozes Keys atmosphere, especially the cypress-and-palm-frond chickees on the outdoor waterside deck. Menu items are innovative (see the Restaurants chapter), and patrons enjoy live entertainment nightly.
5. Tiki Bar At The Holiday Inn Key Largo Resort And Marina
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 451-2121
Address: MM 99.7 Oceanside, Key Largo
Description: The outdoor Tiki Bar at the Holiday Inn Key Largo offers fun tropical drinks and cold beers, as well as an extensive lunch menu, perfect for those hot Keys-y afternoons. The Tiki Bar picks up the pace a bit with live music Thurs through Sat; a mix of reggae, rock, and pop attracts an equal mingling of locals and tourists.
6. Brass Monkey
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 743-4028
Address: MM 50 Oceanside, Kmart Plaza, Marathon
Description: This long-established bar and liquor store is a regulars’ hangout in Marathon. The Brass Monkey serves up not only lunch and dinner but also live music 6 nights a week. The lounge opens early and closes in the wee hours. “That Funky Monkey” is still going strong after more than 30 years!
7. Rocco’S Dockside Bar & Grill
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 743-0000
Address: MM 53 Oceanside, 35 Sombrero Rd., Sombre
Description: There are cold drinks and also good eats available here, and as the menu states, “If there is something you don’t see on the menu that you may want, just ask!” New owners have breathed new life into this favorite local hangout and still manage to set Rocco’s apart from the others for fun in the sun!
8. Looe Key Tiki Bar
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 872-2215
Address: MM 27.5 Oceanside, Ramrod Key
Description: This open-air tiki bar is where you will find many locals and ardent dive tourists alive and kicking in the Keys. Sandwiches and basket dinners accompany a fine sampling of good conversation from the patrons who frequent this no-pretense bar. Taco and open-mike nights are hosted every Tues by Looe Key’s Coral Rick Band, and there is live music nightly.
9. No Name Pub
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 872-9115
Address: MM 31 Bayside, N. Watson Boulevard, Big
Insider Pick:
Description: Wallpapered with dollar bills and full of good cheer and local color, No Name Pub is a must-do, night or day (see the Restaurants chapter for menu offerings and directions). Off the beaten path about as far as you can go in Big Pine, this small saloon sports a funky bar and a pool table.
10. Parrotdise Waterfront Bar & Grille
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 872-9989
Address: MM 28.5 Bayside, 183 Barry Ave., Little
Description: Offering daily happy hour specials on food and drinks, the Parrotdise is a fun, casual meeting hangout perched above the Big Pine Channel. Easily accessible by car or boat, this bar and grill offers wine and beer along with fabulous water views. This is the place locals come to relax, where the live daily entertainment is “just the sounds of quiet on the bay.”
11. The Afterdeck Bar At Louie’S Backyard
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 294-1061
Address: 700 Waddell Ave.
Insider Pick:
Description: The setting at the Afterdeck is exactly what you imagined when you first thought of coming to the Florida Keys—right on the water with beautiful views of the ocean. No trip to the Afterdeck is complete without an Island Cosmo: house-made pineapple-infused vodka and fresh-squeezed lime with a splash of cranberry juice served straight up in a chilled glass. The adjoining restaurant is one of Key West’s finest (see Louie’s Backyard in the Restaurants chapter).
12. Aqua Nightclub
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 294-0555
Address: 711 Duval St.
Description: Live entertainment at the predominantly gay Aqua Nightclub includes nightly drag shows, karaoke, a weekly “Aqua Idol” competition on Tues night, poker games Sat and Sun, and a dance club complete with DJs every weekend. No matter what time you stop in at Aqua, there will be something fabulous going on.
13. Blue Mojito Pool Bar & Grill
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 809-4043
Address: 601 Front St.
Description: Newly revived interior but with the same fabulous view of the Gulf of Mexico and sunset. This pool bar adds all the ingredients, mixed with a tropical punch, for a romantic setting serving appetizers, salads, and sandwiches for light bites. Clink!
14. Bottlecap Lounge And Liquor
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 296-2807
Address: 1128 Simonton St.
Description: Every Fri during happy hour at the Bottlecap, all the tips go to a Key West nonprofit and locals turn up in droves to support their favorite charities. The Bottlecap is home to two rooms, a patio bar, a pool table, and even a Wii and other games, as well as DJs and sometimes live entertainment to keep you occupied all night long.
15. Bull & Whistle
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (305) 296-4545
Address: 224 Duval St.
Description: This local favorite is actually three bars in one. The Bull is downstairs and features live music in an open-air setting. The Whistle is upstairs and offers pool and video games, along with a great view of Duval Street from the balcony. The Garden of Eden, on the very top, has a great view of Key West . . . and more. It’s the only clothing-optional roof garden in town.