Nightlife
Known for its blend of lively music scene, art-world coolness, and trendy places to see and be seen, Louisville offers something for every nightlife taste. Bars and clubs in the ’Ville stay open until 4 a.m., so the nightlife here is thriving, to say the least. And for a city its size, the Derby City boasts some of the most exciting and diverse entertainment niches around. True, it’s much smaller than well-known late-night meccas like Miami, New York City, or Los Angeles, but it still provides a great number and variety of diversion options for adult crowds of all ages. One thing that these other places don’t have, by the way, is the quirky combination of bourbon, old money, hip architecture, vibrant art scene, indie rock, and cultivated southern “weirdness” that defines nightlife in Kentucky’s largest city.
Many fun-seekers experience the diversity of the city’s entertainment scene at lively venues in the downtown area and along Bardstown Road; however, there is also a wealth of neighborhood bars and low-key locales where visitors and lifetime residents alike can enjoy a quiet night out. One thing is certain: With the slew of bars and nightclubs all competing for patrons and a late curfew that keeps many people out till the sun comes up, Louisville can rightfully claim a spot as one of the liveliest cities around.
1. Hotel
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 540-1116
Address: 410 South Fourth St.
Description: Hip and high-energy, Hotel strives to provide an entertainment experience on par with the leading clubs across the country, featuring international DJ talent, premium club service, and unique cocktails. Many locals think a night downtown would be incomplete without popping in at Hotel sometime during the evening. Located right next door to the Angel’s Rock Bar, this club’s main entry off the second-level outdoor deck calls to mind the grand lobbies so characteristic of the world’s most renowned hotels. Patrons entering the nightclub are greeted by vibrant colors and a huge dance floor with a luxurious bar at its center, fully stocked with a variety of beers and spirits. A large portion of the nightclub is also dedicated to VIP parties and exclusive get-togethers.
2. Howl At The Moon
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 562-9400
Address: 434 South Fourth St.
Description: The atmosphere at Howl at the Moon is noisy, song-filled, and liable to get you clapping. Billing itself as the “World’s Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Dueling Piano Show,” Howl at the Moon has talented entertainers who can tickle your funny bone as well as the ivories. This lively hangout features excellent drink deals that come in well-proportioned buckets, and after a sip or two, it doesn’t take much to get the crowd crooning along to the best songs from the ’70s to today. If you’re looking for a high-energy, interactive evening, this is the place for you.
3. Improv Comedy Club
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 581-1332
Address: 441 South Fourth St.
Description: Founded by Budd Friedman in the mid-’60s in New York City, the Improv has become known as the place to go to see tomorrow’s superstars of comedy in a unique venue where burgeoning comics perfect their craft. Today, the Improv continues to showcase up-and-coming talent alongside the hottest stand-up comedians in locations across the country. The roster has included such stars as Robin Williams, Tim Allen, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Roseanne, Steven Wright, Dennis Miller, Rodney Dangerfield, Lily Tomlin, Ellen DeGeneres, Drew Carey, Jim Carrey, and more.
4. Maker’S Mark Bourbon House & Lounge
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 568-9009
Address: 446 South Fourth St.
Description: A hip, trendy hotspot at the heart of Fourth Street Live!, this is the place to get a night on the town started with an exciting happy hour. Visitors can enjoy an unparalleled variety of bourbons from Kentucky’s distilleries at the attractive bar. The interior glows with rich tones of wood and tile, and bourbon-brown furnishings and exquisite draperies make the lounge a lush place to sit back and enjoy a drink. Visitors can sample a wide variety of contemporary, innovative dishes from the lunch and dinner menus, in addition to a wide assortment of whiskey cocktails.
5. The Sports & Social Club
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 568-1400
Address: 427 South Fourth St.
Description: Serving lunch and dinner in a classic pub atmosphere, the Sports & Social Club also offers dynamic nightlife, with bowling, live entertainment, and a fully equipped private party room. State-of-the-art technology includes an ultimate sports viewing room equipped with two 100-inch high-definition projectors and digital surround sound. The S&SC opens seven days a week at 11 a.m. for lunch, dinner, and late-night fun. Closing hours vary, but they’re always open late.
6. Tengo Sed Cantina
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 540-1461
Address: 432 South Fourth St.
Description: “All fiesta, no siesta” is the motto at this popular watering hole at the heart of downtown Louisville’s Fourth Street Live! entertainment district. Open six days a week, most days till 4 a.m., Tengo Sed Cantina offers a variety of Tex-Mex-inspired food and drink. Popular bites include the chicken tacos and beer-battered shrimp with zesty chili sauce and cilantro, but if you’re with a group, the El Guapo platter is usually a hit. The platter includes mini Cuban sandwiches, mex wings, chicken flautas, mexy rolls, and quesadillas, all for just $25. The margaritas are rumored to be some of the best in town, and the late-night crowd makes this a popular destination for out-of-towners. The stripper poles let you know that this is a place for adults at night.
7. Jazzy Blue Cafe & Lounge
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 992-3242
Address: 815 West Market St.
Description: Located in the lower level of the historic Glassworks building, in the space previously occupied by the now-defunct Jazz Factory, Jazzyblu focuses on smooth tunes from local performers with music ranging from neo-soul to traditional jazz. In addition to occasional concerts from regional and national acts, the club also features live music Friday and Saturday nights. Jazzyblu also has one of the best happy hours in town to help get the weekend off to a good start. Stop by on Friday afternoons and enjoy $1 drafts, $2 mixed drinks, and $3 martinis.
8. Proof On Main
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 217-6360
Address: 702 West Main St.
Description: If you’re in search of a downtown nightspot that combines equal parts trendy cocktail lounge with hip art museum and stylish, upscale eatery, then a trip to Proof on Main will provide you with all of that and more. Known for an assortment of colorful cocktails—the Moscow Mule and the Whiskey Smash are popular choices—and an extensive wine list that Food & Wine magazine voted one of the “50 most amazing wine experiences” in 2006, this is the place where locals and guests staying at the chic 21c Museum Hotel mingle. Weeknights at Proof (as it’s known among Louisvillians) are fun and usually less crowded, but you’re more likely to mingle with the who’s who of Derby City on the weekends.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Address: 422 West Oak St.
10. Stevie Ray’S Blues Bar
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 582-9945
Address: 230 East Main St.
Description: The only venue in town featuring the nation’s top touring blues acts such as Roomful of Blues and Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, Stevie Ray’s also showcases many of Louisville’s best local blues bands. The crowd gets especially large and rowdy on weekend nights, and the dance floor teems with a mixed crowd of couples and singles. Usually closed on Sunday, Stevie Ray’s has open blues and jazz on Tuesday nights, with no cover. On Friday and Saturday nights, shows start at 7:30 p.m. and have a $5 cover.
11. Vernon Lanes
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 584-8460
Address: 1575 Story Ave.
Description: The oldest lanes in the Derby City, and some of the oldest in the country, Vernon Lanes has been a favorite with local bowlers for generations. The building in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood was built around 1886, and it became a club in the early 1900s. Today its eight lanes have become something of a local icon. By car, it’s only a couple of minutes from the city center of Louisville. It’s also a popular stop during the Lebowski Fest every year. Downstairs, there’s a hopping club where patrons gather for dancing and live music. One of the reasons it’s so popular is that when guests look up at the ceiling, they can see balls gliding along the track as they return to the bowlers.
12. Air Devils Inn
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 454-4443
Address: 2802 Taylorsville Rd.
Description: To find this popular neighborhood hangout near Bowman Field, look for the red neon sign with the devil. It’s rumored to be the oldest neon in Louisville. Air Devils Inn opened immediately after the repeal of Prohibition in 1934, and after more than 70 years of continuous operation in the same building, it’s one of the oldest and most well-known bars in Louisville. Although it has changed ownership several times throughout its history, it still maintains a reputation for cheap drinks, lively conversation, great bands playing original music, and engaging, friendly bartenders. Open till 4 a.m. seven days a week.
13. Back Door
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 451-0659
Address: 1250 Bardstown Rd.
Description: Known to many as one of Louisville’s most welcoming bars, the Back Door is adjacent to the Mid-City Mall in the heart of the picturesque Highlands neighborhood. Open seven days a week from 4 p.m. until 4 a.m., it is strictly a “21 and over” bar, and identification is rigorously checked. Happy hour runs daily from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., with well drinks for $2.25, domestic beers for $5 a pitcher or $1.75 a pint, and import beers for $3 a pint. As one reviewer in LEO noted, the Back Door is “one of Louisville’s favorite after-work, meet-my-friends, meet-strangers, game-of-pool, bag-of-wings, one-more-stop-before-home watering holes.”
14. Coconut Beach Club
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 618-3311
Address: 426 Baxter Ave.
Description: One of the few places in Louisville where you can dance to salsa, reggaeton, bachata, merengue, and hip-hop, the Coconut Beach Club attracts a regular crowd that is young and mostly Hispanic. Apart from hot dancing, there’s a full bar with reasonably priced drinks. A dress code—casual chic—is strictly enforced, and any individuals wearing hats, gang colors, or tank tops won’t be admitted. The Coconut Beach Club opens Friday and Saturday only from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
15. Comedy Caravan
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (502) 459-0022
Address: 1250 Bardstown Rd.
Description: For more than 20 years, Louisville’s Comedy Caravan has been celebrating laughter with “jokes, jazz, and magical evenings.” Located in the Mid-City Mall in the Highlands, the Caravan presents live comedy five nights a week from Wednesday through Sunday. In addition, the club holds special events on select Monday and Tuesday nights, including jazz, magic, and more. Unless otherwise noted, you have to be at least 18 to enter all shows, with the exception of Sunday, when you have to be 16 or older. Save $2 by purchasing tickets online.