Clubs in san juan: Bars & Lounges | Discover Puerto Rico

San Juan nightlife: liveliest spots to have a good time – Lonely Planet

Given the fervor of San Juan nightlife on practically every street, every night of the week, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is always something to celebrate. The best action often takes place right on the city streets as party-goers spill out of venues in the wee hours of the night for impromptu block parties.

No matter what part of the city you’re in, you’ll be able to experience the legendary nightlife of Puerto Rico. From pulsating night clubs and rooftop lounges to delicious cocktails and cheap beer, San Juan really comes alive at night.

The streets of Old San Juan come alive once the sun sets © Dennis VDW / Getty Images

A night out in Old San Juan

Old San Juan is more than the forts and cobblestones.  As the sun sets, crowds gather in the old city for a night out, particularly around Calle San Sebastian. Often hailed as the heart of Old San Juan’s nightlife, the area is lined with bars and restaurants and home to the infamous Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian.  

Make one of your first stops to La Factoría. The signless entrance and furtive wooden door lead to a series of bars, each with its own speakeasy feel. Grab a casual drink at the front, enjoy some wine and a bite to eat at Vino or head to Shing-A-Ling at the back for live music, DJs and lots of salsa dancing.

Down the road and tucked inside the eclectic Gallery Inn Hotel you’ll find another speakeasy-inspired venue. The Cannon Club’s piano bar is home to not one, but two Steinway pianos, as well as labyrinth-like interior garden and pool bedecked in sunken sculptures. The full bar provides the fuel to sing along to classics on the self-playing piano all night long.

Looking for the kind of nightlife that includes graffiti-covered walls and cheap beer? Head to El Batey for a truly classic dive bar experience © El Batey / Lonely Planet

Get wild in el Callejón de la Tanca

At the far end of the San Sebastian, el Callejón de la Tanca is quickly competing for the liveliest street in town. Take in the views at La Vergüenza Puertorrican Chinchorro, a three-storied dive bar overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. On Sundays, just across the street at Adoquín del Patio, the drums come out and locals dance the afternoon away to the rhythms of bomba, plena or salsa right on the cobblestones.

If el Callejón de la Tanca doesn’t sound quite like your scene, head to El Batey for some straightforward old Puerto Rican authenticity. Forever immortalized by Hunter S Thompson’s novel The Rum Diary, the seedy dive bar’s walls, which seem to sweat in the heat, are covered in decades-old graffiti. Leave your business card on a lamp, take a shot at the pool table or at the bar, or for $0.25 per tune, select some classic 60s rock-n-roll from the jukebox.

Nightlife in Santurce

Young professionals and the older bohemian crowd flock to the hip Santurce neighborhood for its strong drinking scene. 

The Placita de Santurce is the boisterous epicenter of it all. Farmer’s market by day, on weekend nights the area transforms into an open-air block party. With a plethora of bars and restaurants surrounding the market’s central square, you can wander around freely and sway from bar to bar or from side to side thanks to the music that booms from the many open-air establishments.

Just down the road, Scandalo The Club is a LGBTQ spot that hosts some of the best drag shows in town. El Local en Santurce operates as a cultishly popular home base to local alternative rockers and indie bands.

La Esquina Watusi was launched to international fame when the late Anthony Bourdain hung out there while filming Parts Unknown. But locals have long been heading to the bar for its cheap and strong drinks, fried food, urban art and live plena music on Thursday nights.

La Terraza de Bonanza offers an array of live musical performances on Monday nights © La Terraza de Bonanza / Lonely Planet

On Monday night, swing by La Terraza de Bonanza for live bomba and plena music. Let the local experts show you how it’s done, sway your hips to the throbbing drum rhythms as you enjoy some cold beers. Another Monday night classic is hip-hop nights at La Respuesta, an independent music venue with (nearly) nightly performances featuring local bands, DJs, MCs, art exhibits or theater.

Want to experience it all in one convenient location? Spend the night bar hopping on the trendy Calle Loiza for a real wave of experiences. Bounce from chic drinks at Sabrina, to dancing salsa at Piso Viejo. Sip on craft beers at El Tap or go clubbing at Industry Club/Bar. Whatever your taste, you can find a venue for it in Santurce.

Rhythms in Rio Piedras

The collegial Rio Piedras neighborhood is a popular hangout for university students who have no class on Fridays, which means the scene gets especially animated on Thursday nights.

Steps from the train station, Club 77 sets the stage for local bands with an emphasis on rock. Another slightly surprising performance venue in the neighborhood is Baker’s Bakery, which, as the name suggests, is a bakery by day and event venue come night. Amongst the freshly-baked goods, you can see stand-up comedy, theater, bands, DJs or live performances.

But the true stalwart of the Rio Piedras scene is the iconic El Boricua. The al fresco bar has been attracting a mixed crowd of students, professionals and bohemians since 1979, largely thanks to its assorted live music sets including salsa, jazz, DJs, plena, rumba and more.

The lobby at La Concha transforms in the evenings with Djs and a cocktail bar © La Concha / Lonely Planet

Party it up in Condado

Condado is home to a vibrant and upscale nightlife with its bars, lounges and casinos open late. The neighborhood is home to many of the city’s biggest hotels and their guests tend to concentrate along the swanky Ashford Avenue drag. Here you can find popular venues like La Concha, whose hotel lobby is transformed come nightfall into a club for the city’s chicest.

A newcomer to the Condado nightlife scene is the recently inaugurated rooftop at the O:LV Hotel. The Arya Rooftop delivers incredible views of the Condado skyline and lagoon to be enjoyed with signature craft cocktails.

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Nightlife in San Juan | Fodor’s Travel

From Thursday through Sunday it’s as if there’s a celebration going on nearly everywhere in San Juan. Be sure you dress to party, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights; Puerto Ricans have flair, and both men and women love getting dressed up to go out. Bars are usually casual, but if you have on jeans, sneakers, and a T-shi

From Thursday through Sunday it’s as if there’s a celebration going on nearly everywhere in San Juan. Be sure you dress to party, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights; Puerto Ricans have flair, and both men and women love getting dressed up to go out. Bars are usu

From Thursday through Sunday it’s as if there’s a celebration going on nearly everywhere in San Juan. Be sure you dress

From Thursday through Sunday it’s as if there’s a celebration going on nearly everywhere in San Juan. Be sure you dress to party, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights; Puerto Ricans have flair, and both men and women love getting dressed up to go out. Bars are usually casual, but if you have on jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt, you may be refused entry at nightclubs and discos.

Well-dressed visitors and locals alike often mingle in the lobby bars of large hotels, many of which feature bands in the evening. Some hotels also have clubs with shows and/or dancing; the cover generally starts at $10. Casino rules have been relaxed, injecting life into what was once a conservative hotel-gaming scene, but you still won’t be allowed in wearing a tank top or shorts. There are more games, plus such gambling perks as free drinks and live music.

In Old San Juan, Calle San Sebastián is lined with bars and restaurants. Salsa music blaring from jukeboxes in cut-rate pool halls competes with mellow Latin jazz in top-flight nightspots. The young and the beautiful often socialize in Plaza San José. Mid-January sees the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, one of the Caribbean’s best street parties.

Young professionals as well as a slightly older bohemian crowd fill Santurce, San Juan’s historical downtown area, until the wee hours. The revitalized Plaza del Mercado (Calle Dos Hermanos at Calle Capital) has structures—many painted in bright colors—dating from the 1930s or earlier. On weekend nights the area’s streets are closed to vehicular traffic. You can wander from dive bars to trendy nightspots and sway to music that pours from countless open-air establishments and the marketplace’s front plaza.

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• Old San Juan | Bars/Pubs

  La Factoría, the former Hijos de Borinquen, is hands-down the best mixology bar in San Juan. Artisanal cocktails are crafted with the highest…Read More

• Miramar | Bars/Pubs

  Dark, sexy, and romantic, this hidden speakeasy is a lovely spot for a cocktail. There’s a cigar lounge in the backroom, and the sliders are…Read More

• Old San Juan | Bars/Pubs

  As the name suggests, this small bar is known for its beers and its small but tasty selection of baked empanadas. Ask for the homemade sauces. …Read More

• Old San Juan | Bars/Pubs

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• Santurce | Bars/Pubs

  For a non-touristy experience, head to this lively dive bar in the heart of Santurce, and order a Medalla or a rum drink with fresh juice. There…Read More

• Santurce | Bars/Pubs

  Run by the same guys as La Factoría in Old San Juan, this tropical tiki bar is steps from La Placita. Although it has a charming patio, its…Read More

• Old San Juan | Bars/Pubs

  If you love beer, don’t leave Puerto Rico without visiting Lúpulo. At the island’s largest craft beer bar you’ll find over 25 varieties on tap…Read More

• Old San Juan | Bars/Pubs

  This lively, three-story bar has spectacular views of La Perla and the Atlantic. On weekends, it’s popular with locals (be prepared to wait…Read More

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  This gay-friendly bar is just steps from Condado beach. …Read More

• Casinos

  The crowd is casual and the decor tropical and bubbly at this spacious gaming room. Right outside, there’s a huge bar where Latin musicians…Read More

• Old San Juan | Bars/Pubs

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• Old San Juan | Bars/Pubs

  Set in the former headquarters of the Nationalist Party, this contemporary take on a 1920s speakeasy is a chic space that’s conducive to sipping…Read More

• Bars/Pubs

  One of the few late-night dining options in Condado, Bar Gitano keeps the tasty tapas and sangria flowing until around midnight during the week…Read More

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  Packed on weekends, this chic outdoor bar that’s on a breezy plaza is a great place to sip tropical drinks oceanside. It also has a menu if…Read More

• Old San Juan | Dance Clubs

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• Old San Juan | Cafés

  Across the street from the Hotel El Convento, this funky, tropical-color bistro with a charming interior patio serves good pizza and pasta as…Read More

• Old San Juan | Dance Clubs

  This multilevel club has spots for quiet conversation, spaces for dancing to loud music, and a landscaped roof deck overlooking San Juan. The…Read More

• Hato Rey | Bars/Pubs

  This typical sports pub is well outfitted with televisions if your travel plans coincide with that game you just can’t miss. Local Ivy League…Read More

• Santurce | Bars/Pubs

  This women-oriented bar in the middle of Santurce has been a mainstay of San Juan’s nightlife since 1980. Karaoke on Thursday night is especially…Read More

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