# 8 Best Bars & Nightlife Spots in Tampa Bay (2026) A bourbon bar behind a wall, cocktails in teapots, and a '70s lounge with a flaming Zombie. From Water Street cocktail lounges to St. Pete's Central Avenue, Tampa Bay has a growing list of bars worth planning a night around. Picks come from Tampa Magazine's drinks coverage. Spots are numbered for easy browsing, not as a strict ranking. Updated: October 2026. Source: Real Tampa Bay Media, https://realtampabay.com/guides/best-bars-and-nightlife-in-tampa-bay ## Spots ### 1. Alter Ego Build-your-own espresso martinis. - Neighborhood: Water Street Tampa - Address: 1050 Water St, Tampa, FL Alter Ego is known for a build-your-own espresso martini experience. The menu also offers zero-proof cocktails and a wide range of spirits. Highlights: Build-your-own espresso martini; Zero-proof cocktails; Water Street ### 2. Lost & Found A '70s and '80s cocktail lounge. - Neighborhood: Central Avenue - Address: 2420 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL Lost & Found is a cocktail lounge themed on the 1970s and 1980s. Its Zombie arrives in a bright color with a fire element, and its Marlboro Man mixes mezcal, amaretto and Borghetti. Highlights: '70s and '80s theme; Flaming Zombie; Central District ### 3. Clubhouse Bourbon Bar Hidden behind a wall in a liquor store. - Neighborhood: Downtown St. Petersburg - Address: 1211 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL Clubhouse Bourbon Bar is hidden behind a wall inside 1st Ave Liquors and holds hundreds of North American bourbon and whiskey bottles. Highlights: Hidden entrance; Hundreds of bottles; Bourbon and whiskey ### 4. Sparrow Rooftop cocktails in teapots. - Neighborhood: Downtown St. Petersburg - Address: 1234 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL Sparrow is on the rooftop of the Moxy hotel and serves tableside cocktails in teapots. It makes its juices and elixirs in-house. Highlights: Rooftop; Tableside teapot cocktails; House-made elixirs ### 5. Rome + Fig An Espresso Martini Tree. - Neighborhood: Tampa - Address: 317 N Rome Ave, Tampa, FL Rome + Fig is a family-owned bistro with seasonal menus. Its Espresso Martini Tree is a decorated flight of four espresso martinis that change with the seasons. Highlights: Espresso Martini Tree; Family-owned bistro; Seasonal menu ### 6. Beacon Rooftop lounge on the 27th floor. - Neighborhood: Water Street Tampa - Address: 510 Water St, Tampa, FL - Website: https://www.beaconrooftop.com Beacon is a rooftop bar with views of downtown, with drinks created by master mixologist Michael Raines, such as a lemon-pineapple cocktail with basil-infused agave. Highlights: 27th-floor rooftop; Craft cocktails; Skyline views ### 7. Anchor & Brine Waterfront martinis and daiquiris. - Neighborhood: Water Street Tampa - Address: 505 Water St, Tampa, FL Anchor & Brine overlooks the water and has a pet-friendly patio. Its martini and daiquiri menu includes a grape-and-lime martini and a key lime daiquiri. Highlights: Waterfront; Pet-friendly patio; Martinis and daiquiris ### 8. Jekyll Rare vintage spirits and molecular cocktails. - Neighborhood: Hyde Park - Address: 1500 W Swann Ave, Tampa, FL Jekyll, in Hyde Park Village, is a cocktail bar known for rare vintage spirits and molecular cocktails. Highlights: Vintage spirits; Molecular cocktails; Hyde Park Village ## About this guide Picks are compiled from local publications and public sources and are not a paid ranking. Spots are numbered for browsing, not as a strict ranking. Hours and prices are intentionally omitted because they change; confirm details with each venue. All guides: https://realtampabay.com/guides Header photo: Jonathan Hutchins, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_1812_cocktail_bar_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5518559.jpg).