Venice Nightlife

This lively, upbeat cocktail bar, conveniently attached to a restaurant, is located just a couple of minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge. This bar is the haunt of the young and trendy thanks to its exciting cocktail list. It also has a strange custom of women leaving their bras hanging on display.

Sprucing up the traditional idea of an osterie, this lively wine bar in the Castello area has an extensive list of bottles and is handy if you’re attending the Biennale. It fills quickly in the evening with people coming for a tipple and cicchetti - small snacks that accompany the drinks such as salami and cheese.

A short walk from St Mark's Square, this bar is located in the Hotel Ala and is named after Countess Maria Tarnowska, who plotted and instigated the murder of one of her lovers in the hotel in 1907. Fascinating history aside, this tranquil and relaxing bar is a great place for a cocktail accompanied by bar snacks, such as olives, crisps and plates of local cheese. The decor is reminiscent of the early 1900s, too, with leather chairs and antique bric-à-brac. There are occasional live jazz performances. 

For most Venetians, clubbing means catching the train to the mainland and heading out in Mestre. Molocinque, a restaurant/nightclub with an impressive art deco columned facade and an equally impressive collection of sounds, is where you’ll find everything from hip hop to merengue.

Just behind Venice’s Venizia Mestre train station, this intimate gem has taken centre stage in the city's nightlife scene for over four decades. Open on weekends only, the line-up here is eclectic and ranges from concerts and exhibitions to underground electro DJs.

Expect anything from big-name jazz bands to solo pianists at Al Vapore, a popular live music joint located a short train journey away in Mestre. It's not just stonking musicians here, you can herald in a hangover with some refreshing cocktails too.

Located between Santa Margherita and Santa Barnaba, what Venice’s only jazz club lacks in appearance it makes up in atmosphere. This lively joint offers gigs by local and international musicians five days a week (not Thursday and Sunday). Closed during August. Booking advisable.