Baltimore’s Best Nightlife

Best Serious Jazz Club [1]: There are some places where the musicians are stuck in a corner so people can focus on their drinks and food and each other; upstairs at An die Musik Live [1], the audience is there to listen, and the performers respond with knockout sets.

Best Alternative Music Venue [2]: If you like being so close to a performer that their sweat can drip on you, the resolutely indie Ottobar [2] is the joint for you; there’s also a great upstairs bar/jukebox/pool scene.

Best One-Stop Club [3]: Sonar [3] is what every big Baltimore club should be like: different rooms with different vibes, people having fun and not being aggressive, and a constant stream of cutting-edge music, both live and DJ-driven.

Best Atmospheric Bar [4]: The murals are wonderful faux-WPA style, the chairs and booths are Art Deco, the bartenders are charming and make a mean martini, and you can go to a play or a movie across the street, all at the venerable Club Charles [4].

Best Old-School Baltimore Corner Bar [5]: One visit to Fell’s Point’s tiny Duda’s Tavern [5] and you’ll wonder why the once-ubiquitous corner bar has faded into history: there’s cold beer, great bartenders and waiters, old-school rock tunes, local sports on the TV, and some fantastic food.

Best Wine Bar with a View [6]: The views of the Inner Harbor, the Broadway City Recreation Pier, and the historic buildings on Thames Street are made so much nicer with a glass of Riesling and some Jarlsberg cheese at Fell’s Point’s V-NO [6].

Best Lounge [7]: Though it was one of the first modern lounges to come to town, Red Maple [7] is still one of the best, from the great bar and space and music selections, to the outdoor back patio, to the very appealing small plates menu.

Best After-Hours Club [8]: In the dark shadows of elevated roadways and warehouses lurks Paradox [8], Baltimore’s unstoppable, 13,000-square-foot late-night dance club (and restaurant and half-size basketball court) for the city’s cool kids (18 and over).