Nightlife

Puerto Pollensa and Pollenca town are renown for their family-friendly cafes, bars and restaurants. The Pine Walk beach side area and the central plaza of Pollenca are especially delightful for alfresco dining as the sun goes down after a hot day on the beach. The children can play happily together, making new friends, as their parents enjoy fine dining in some of the top restaurants in the north of Mallorca.

For those looking for a more lively night out then the island of Mallorca has many great locations to enjoy. The abcMallorca guide to the best areas for nightlife is a treasure trove of possibilities .... enjoy!

Diverse and extremely popular, Mallorca’s capital, Palma has district areas renowned for its nightlife. Restaurants, bars and enjoying live music are all part of the city’s vibrant social scene. As you may or may not know, the Spanish nightlife differs greatly from that in other countries around Europe, events start later in the day, people take their time to enjoy their food and company. The social scene is a lot more important.

So even if you live on the island or are a visitor, take your time to enjoy the little things… ‘When in Rome’ and all that.

La Lonja is a popular area, filled with cafes, bars and restaurants. As enchanting in the day as it is at night, it is a maze of narrow streets and home to intimate little bars such as the Jazz Voyeur Club (free entry), here you will find live music and a great atmosphere, not to mention a ‘generous Spanish serving of Brandy’.

For a totally over the top experience you can head next door to the mesmerising Abaco cocktail bar. Built in a 16th century palace Abaco transports you to another world. Full of aged furniture, marble statues and fresh fruit and flower arrangements. The highlight is the flower petal rain on Fridays at midnight. All of this paired with classical music is a must see for visitors and residents alike.

Further along the La Lonja district, which takes its name from the 15th century Gothic Maritime Stock Exchange in the centre of the neighbourhood, you can find another Jazz club incorporated on the seventh floor of the Hotel Saratoga (Passeig de Mallorca, 6). The Blue Jazz club has live music from Thursday through to Sunday and offers cabaret dinners, great cocktails and beautiful views of the bay of Palma. Book in advance as it can get busy during the summer months.

With a more central location in Palma, Bimil Lounge in Plaça Mercat is a great place to start the evening with some unique cocktails and snacks. Relaxed yet smart and contemporary Bimil Lounge is a Mallorquin / Asian fusion bar that offers great evening drinks, beautiful surroundings and live entertainment on Thursday nights.

The very popular Nicolas bar is always a favourite with anyone seeking a variety of cocktails, relaxed service and delicious tapas – You can spend hours people watching from the terrace or taking in the clean, yet vintage feel of the interior décor.

Gibson Bar (Plaça del Mercat, 18) with its quirky details and super ‘after work’ cocktails can also be found in the heart of Palma. Open all year round it is a fail safe option for relaxed afternoons or predinner drinks.

The Spanish tradition of going for a ‘Vermut’ has long been instilled in most tapas bars here. Vermut (red or white wine flavoured with herbs and spices) is taken before eating to ‘help’ the appetite and the culture seems to be more and more popular with expats wanting to adopt the easy going Mediteranean lifestyle.

La Vermuteria Rosa (Carrer Rosa, 5) is a delightful bar that specialises in vermouth and serves tapas, snacks and not forgetting a bitter sweet glass of vermouth to accompany the traditional plates. Don’t miss the recently opened ‘sister bar “La Rosa Chica” (Carrer de Monsenyor Palmer, 5) close to Santa Catalina.

Sophisticated, elegant and secret, Tast Club is a hidden gem in Palma’s centre. The bodega like, bistro styled tapas bar serves high quality, delicious plates. Perfect for an evening snack or late cocktails. There are also ‘sister bars’ dotted around Palma – Rambar, El Nautico and Tast Avenidas. Be sure to call in advance to enjoy this one of a kind experience.

The old district of Santa Catalina has the atmosphere of a lively village and is packed with a cosmopolitan mix of places to eat and drink. Places range from American style diners to Irish pubs. Dark rock and roll bars to trendy house clubs. It is basically ‘dinner, drinks and dancing’ all in one area.

The relatively new, Brooklyn Club (Carrer de Dameto, 6) is an upstairs/ downstairs style club that has resident and invited DJ’s all year round that play a mix of anything and everything.

If it’s more classic hits you are looking for then head to Kaelum on Avenida Argentina, it’s a great place to dance the night away and caters to everyone’s tastes.

Just half a minute away is Bar Cuba where many of Palmas locals will visit to sip cocktails and chatter. The large terrace is perfect for people watching too!

Now on top of all this, Santa Catalina has one specific allure that is a fairly recent addition. It is what residents call ‘Tardeo’. On the weekends the bars and clubs of Santa Catalina open up at 4.30pm, just after lunch time so that everyone can enjoy the weekend without having to cut short the day. What better way to enjoy time with friends than have a lunch that goes straight into drinks which then goes straight into dancing – but still be home before 12pm?! All in all Santa Catalina is a superb place to meet friends, enjoy a cocktail, eat tapas and dinner and dance the night away without travelling too far. Whatever you want, you will find it here.