Floripa’s hippest and liveliest nightlife offerings can be found in Lagoa da Conceição. With great lagoon views, John Bull Pub (Av. das Rendeiras 1046, tel. 48/3232-8535, www.johnbullpub.com.br, 9 p.m.–4 a.m. Thurs.–Sat., 10 p.m.–4 a.m. daily in summer, cover R$15–20) is a perennially happening place to listen and dance to good live music, especially national and local rock bands.

Confraria das Artes (Rua João Pacheco da Costa 31, tel. 48/3232-2298, www.confrariadasartes.com.br, 8 p.m.–5 a.m. Tues.–Sun., cover R$10) is an original mixture of nightclub, gourmet restaurant, and antiques and furniture store that attracts foreign DJs, homegrown supermodels (Gisele has been sighted), and beautiful young folk on the prowl.

For something quieter and more intimate, yet no less hybrid, head to Vecchio Giorgio (Av. Afonso Delambert Neto 103, Loja 7, tel. 48/3232-0600, www.vecchiogiorgio.com.br, 8 p.m.–close Wed.–Sat., 8 p.m.–onwards Tues.–Sun. in summer), a warm bar/lounge/restaurant/art gallery decorated with eclectic, secondhand furniture, where local filmmakers screen short features, musicians perform new melodies, and customers mellow out and nibble on pseudo-Italian snacks.

In Floripa itself, an appealingly laid-back place for an icy chopp is Botequim Floripa (Av. Rio Branco 632, tel. 48/3333-1234, www.botequimfloripa.com.br, 5:30 p.m.–2 a.m. Mon.–Fri., 7 p.m.–2 a.m. Sat.). Modeled after a traditional ’60s-era botequim, the floors are checkerboard tile and the walls are covered with old photos of the city. Thursdays and Fridays can get pretty packed.

Meanwhile, the super groovy spot of the moment for dancing the night away is at the plush and funky El Divino Lounge (Rua Almirante Lameggo 1147, tel. 48/3225-1266, www.eldivinobrasil.com.br, 8 p.m.–close Tues.–Sun., cover R$5–10), where, aside from dance floors and swank lounge areas, you’ll find a restaurant, sushi bar, boutique, and cyber café. In Jurerê, the same group owns the super-sophisticated El Divino Club along with El Divino Beach, a very sexy beach lounge that extends right onto the sands.