Where to Find Cocktails, Live Music, Happy Hour, and Nightlife in Naples

Indoors or outdoors, overlooking the beach, or in the heart of Old Naples you will never be short of places to relax, sip your favorites drinks and dine well. Once the sun dips below the Gulf horizon, Naples, Florida nightlife awakens, tempting you to party, watch a movie, attend a play, or enjoy a little live music. Here’s where it’s all happening –

Stunning Sunsets

Start the evening at The Naples Pier it is a relaxing place to join the fishing fraternity and watch the sun go down on another perfect day in paradise. Alternatively, join a romantic Sunset Cruise with Pure Florida or the Naples Princess, departing each evening from Tin City.

Photo credit Debi Pittman Wilkey

Live Music in Naples

Live music can be found across Naples in most bars on weekends. Those looking for some great live entertainment while they dine should head to Truluck’s Stone Crab Lounge.

Downtown Fifth Avenue South is beautifully laid out with twinkling lights in the trees and many restaurants and bars spilling out on the sidewalk with al fresco dining. Once the Early Bird dining is over, a younger crowd descends on this high-end area. Cocktail bars, live music, and superb cuisine continue until late in places such as Avenue Wine Café, Bar Lurcat, and Paddy Murphy’s Irish Pub.

Mercato, in North Naples, includes a dozen noteworthy restaurants such as The Capital Grille, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, and The Wine Loft. First Thursdays in the month Mercato hosts live music nights from 6-9 p.m. with bands playing a range of entertaining tunes from bluegrass to country. If you want waterfront drinks and dining, Crayton Cove has a range of excellent seafood restaurants including The Dock at Crayton Cove.

For late night bourbon, reserve list wines, and craft cocktails, The Continental on Third Street is the place to hang out.

Photo credit Debi Pittman Wllkey

Happy Hour Heaven

It’s hard to beat Mercato for Happy Hour Specials. With 16 pubs and wine bars to choose from, you can find a place with the perfect atmosphere for your nightlife, from romantic to buzzing.

AZN offers $3.50 domestic beers and $5 wines, wells, and martinis from 3-6 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to closing at their “Reverse Happy Hour”. The famous Blue Martini offers a menu of discounted food and drinks from 4-8 p.m. along with Champagne Saturdays and Wednesday Girls Nights.

Photo credit Debi Pittman Wilkey

Bravo! offers Plates and Pours from $4 weekdays between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. For early birds, the Wine Loft starts pouring $5 cocktails, wines and beers at 11:30 a.m. with appetizers to match.

Cavo at Mercato has bubbly and half-price signature cocktails to get the evenings off to a good start while MASA serves $5 Margaritas, cocktails and house wines.

It’s hard to resist The Pub at Mercato, with Three Olives Vodka for $4 and generous Martinis for $6. From 3-6 p.m. the Rusty Bucket shakes and stirs a plethora of $4 Smirnoff Cocktails for those with a hankering for a Moscow Mule, Cosmopolitan or Grapefruit Smash.

Cinema and Theaters in Naples

Along with the 12-screen Silverspot Cinema at Mercato, Naples has several other cultural venues. Artis—Naples, Gulfshore Playhouse, and Sugden Community Theater all offer diverse entertainment programs. The 1425-seat Artis was formerly known as the Philharmonic Center for the Arts and is home to the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and the Miami Ballet. Broadway shows, opera, dance, and concerts are a sell-out, particularly in the Season.

Third Thursdays are the chance to enjoy Free Movie Night at Mercato. Bring beach chairs or a blanket and spread yourself on the grass in front of The Pub. The giant inflatable screen provides family classics and animated movies suitable for all ages.

Whatever your budget, age or taste, Naples, Florida nightlife has something to satisfy every resident and visitor.