14 Best Nightlife in Uruguay

Located in Montevideo's World Trade Center, this club for years has been considered one of Montevideo's best. The red-and-black color scheme gives the place an upscale feel, and Montevideans dance until the wee hours under shimmering disco balls.

An institution in Ciudad Vieja, Baar Fun Fun is a cabaret that serves up plenty wine, beer, and cocktails to go with their live shows. The crowd age is usually pretty mixed, but tends to be younger if the night's music is contemporary rock. Shows, which, run the gamut from folk, tango, neotango to rock, start between 9 and 9:30. The food is okay, but don't go with an empty stomach as the dinner service can be spotty.

With their own on-premise brewhouse, this popular brew pub boasts 20 varieties of suds to please any taste. Offering standard Uruguayan fare, including some crazy pizza variations, there's also live music on weekends (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), when they're open until 3 am.

Set inside the cavernous space of the brewhouse, this brewpub still manages to fill up inside and outside. And for good reason, too. The dizzying selection of beers, whether on tap, canned, or bottled, are expertly and creatively crafted, with a variety that's sure to satisfy the most serious brewhounds. The food is imaginative and well-prepared, and their brick-oven pizza alone is a great reason to visit. 

Happily, Mastra, a craft brewer with a few locations in the country, has opened a pub in Colonia. With several beers on tap, many seasonal, it's a perfect place to unwind and sample a couple, or a few, styles. The ancient brick and masonry makes it feel like drinking in a museum. Best to eat before you go.

A happening jazz club with a lively cocktail and wine scene that's also well known for their tasty, imaginative tapas. It's a great place to meet and chat with some Montevideanos or just enjoy the music and cocktails.

For many visitors, Enjoy PDE—formerly known as the Conrad—defines nightlife in Punta with its casino and a year-round slate of Las Vegas–style shows by some of the biggest stars in Latin entertainment. Even if you don't recognize the names, taking in a performance at the area's largest hotel is de rigueur.

This pub attracts all ages for its tapas (and sushi, too), a decent selection of bottled beer, wine, and the serious cocktails mixed by the pro bartenders behind the well-stocked bar. Later in the evening, though, the younger crowd is there for the drinks and live music or DJs. The food is surprisingly good, with the fried empanadas and milangas (as they call their milanesas) going particularly well with a beer or wine. 

For an ice-cold beer, this popular pub is a late-night favorite. Specialties are frankfurters, chivitos, and other bar food. In good weather, you can socialize at the outdoor tables in Plaza Matriz. This Montevideo staple has an array of franchises throughout the city, including a prominent location on Plaza Fabini.

Punta del Este's most classic and popular pub sits right across from the city's port. While most other establishments close or slow in low season, Moby Dick keeps whistles wet year-round until 6 am every day of the week.

This funky corner space is the perfect place to sample some of Uruguay's terrific wines, from refreshing Albariños to their surprisingly smooth Tannats. With a 200-strong wine list, it's ideal for a glass or two after dinner, or perhaps a cocktail from the well-stocked bar, and nibble their really good picadas and tapas. There's also a separate room for guided wine tastings; check their social media for availability and prices.

During peak season the sunset party at nearby Bikini Beach invariably migrates to Negroni, anchoring the Manantiales strip along Punta's main artery, Ruta 10. Bartenders serve up top-notch cocktails while DJs spin.

Riff Gallery Pub is the only bar in the city devoted to jazz, with live shows on Thursday and Saturday.

Lines form frequently outside this nightlife spot on weekends, where locals come for generous-size drinks. While it's technically a pub complete with wood paneling, bar stools, and pool tables, live DJs get people dancing and give it a club vibe.