Although hardly wild, Brasília has a fairly varied nightlife. Many of the best options are concentrated in and around the Asa Sul. Some of Brasília’s restaurants also have bars and even host live music performances.

Among the more classic watering holes, Bar Beirute (Comércio Local Sul, Qd. 109, Bl. A, Lj. 2–4, tel. 61/3244-1717, 11 a.m.–2 a.m. daily) is a local institution that has barely changed since it first opened its doors in 1966. Over the years, major political and cultural figures have engaged in often heated discussions at the tables scattered beneath a canopy of trees. A happy-hour favorite during the week, on Saturday nights it draws a gay and lesbian crowd. As a nod to the original Lebanese owners, the kitchen continues to prepare tasty petiscos such as quibe and lamb kebabs.

Bar Brasília (CLS, Qd. 506, Lj. 15, tel. 61/3443-4323, 5:30 p.m.–close Mon.–Thurs., 11:30 a.m.–close Fri.–Sun.) is a popular old-style boteco where you can get the best chope in town. The draft is served in specially made crystal glasses, at exactly 3°C (37.4°F), and with a 3-centimeter (1.2-inch) head of froth. Snacks include bolinhos de bacalhau and pastéis stuffed with beef and pequi (a Cerrado fruit). Art deco light fixtures and a handsome wooden bar salvaged from a 1950s pharmacy add to the retro atmosphere.

Azulejaria (CLS, Qd. 408, Bl. D. Lj. 1, tel. 61/3443-0698, noon–3 p.m. and 6 p.m.–2 a.m. Mon.–Sat.) got its name from the many hand-painted azulejos (ceramic tiles) that decorate this artists’ atelier that, over the years, has morphed into an enticing bar/lounge with a wine shop in the basement and tables spilling into the garden. Attracting a more upscale, fashionable crowd, the place is thronged on Thursdays when the tables are removed to make way for DJs spinning dance tunes. In the ’80s and early ’90s Brasília was known nationwide as a hotbed for Brazilian rock—from which emerged groups such as Legião Urbana, Capital Inicial, and Os Raimundos.

Although the rocker scene isn’t what it used to be, at the dim, dusky, and vaguely Brit-like Gate’s Pub (CLS, Qd. 403, Bl. B, Lj. 34, tel. 61/3244-0222, www.gatespub.com.br, 9 p.m.–close Tues.–Sun., artistic cover R$3–20) you can catch some live bands and then continue dancing the night away to DJ-spun music.