When you are planning a trip, likely you deal with the main details: the flight and the hotel. If you have any time left over, you may be able to scope out restaurants. The nightlife may be the last part of your research, and therefore, the most left up to chance. This is how we end up in a dive bar with no character, just because it is around the corner from our hotel.
Perhaps you just want to go to a local pub, with an affinity for beer and a seriously good burger. Then Krug's Tavern is your place. They will set you up with a microbrew and a 12 ounce patty to help to shake off the day.
Or are you looking for some seriously good jazz music? The Priory has a unique location, in a church building with stained glass windows. Quality music at affordable prices will leave a little remaining for a cocktail or two.
Embrace the nighttime hours with these 10Best nightlife entertainment options in Newark.
O'Nieals
O'NiAdmittedly, we are cheating a little by including this one, which is located in Hoboken, off a quiet corner at Church Park. Tuesday and Wednesday nights feature and there are nightly happy hour specials, like $5 wine on Wednesdays. Late night bar fare includes buffalo wings, loaded nachos and toasted pita with hummus. Bar drinks include cocktails like the Blood Orange Negroni, with Bar Hill honey gin, Solerno blood orange liqueur, Campari & sweet vermouth, served straight up. Onieal's has an upbeat and comfortable vibe for the visitor seeking a great night out. A great choice for good conversation and a solid pint of beer (they are proud members of the New Jersey Craft Beer Club). (201-653-1492)eals
Club Eclipse
Eclipse nightclub has been now open for over 25 years, with entertainment running from Wednesday nights through Monday nights. DJs spin reggae, hip hop and soca, and people come to dance. Should you prefer a distraction from the dance floor (or just a welcome break), there is a wide screen TV. They are very proud of the fact that they have one of the "very best cricket teams" in the New Jersey League, so if a game is playing, you can bet that the TV will be tuned in to it. Expect a more mature crowd, with a casual but trendy dress code. (973-923-5869)
Allure Lounge
Allure Lounge Open since 2010, Allure Lounge boasts a chic atmosphere with 2 floors, illuminated bars, VIP lounge and bottle service for the over 27s (and over 25 if you are female). Frequent happy hours have martinis and amaretto for under $5 and DJs pump music through the club well until 3am. Expect a nice healthy mix of music, from top 40 to reggaeton to cumbia. Stand up comedy on Saturdays end with an after party and there are many intense sports nights. Expect a strong drink and a good time with people who like to let loose and dance their hearts out. (908-510-6063)
Rio Lounge
Admit it: there are times of the year where you wish you could wear a bikini or Speedo most of the year. Well, Rio Lounge actually has some people who do, but don't worry, it's not a requirement. To go with the eternally sunny theme, this small Brazilian nightclub evokes Rio de Janerio with tapas and Latin and American music to fight the winter (or spring or fall) blues. Happy hour, from 3pm to 8pm, includes the unbeatable $1 sangria. Soccer is the name of the sports game, with televised games on Saturdays and Sundays. It's not just soccer. It's a soccer party. (973-279-7800)
One18 Lounge
Friday and Saturday nights in Newark, One18 Lounge is the place to be. Part lounge and part club, guest DJs work hard to move people from bar to dance floor. The musical flavor is usually hip hop and house and they ask that you "dress to impress," so leave those yoga pants at home. The bar has a huge assortment of vodka (including mango-coconut and peach) as well as champagne. Theme nights are serious -- they even have an Ugly Christmas sweater party. Come with cash as the bar doesn't take cards and the ATM will hit you with a $5 surcharge. (973-344-2457)
Krug's Tavern
Aside from being one of the more established watering holes in the Ironbound, Krug's also holds claim to serving up some of Newark's top burgers, fries and onion rings. 12 ounce juicy burgers are cooked to order and topped with anything from marinara sauce to strips of bacon to the popular "Taylor Ham" burger. Not the type of place to get carried away with the smoke and mirrors of daily themes, loud music or kitschy decor, this laid-back Wilson Avenue establishment is what it is -- a good, old-fashioned neighborhood bar that appeals to folks from all walks of life. (973-465-9795)
Hell's Kitchen Lounge
If your favorite people at night are the ones that go all out, then you have to meet the crowd at Hell's Kitchen Lounge. Part sexy bar, part kitschy Vegas lounge, Hell's Kitchen certainly is one of the coolest places to hang out in Ironbound. Each night has a different treat, from Wednesday's "bacon and beer" theme to Thursday's burlesque nights. DJs scratch on the weekends, and there is even brunch if you prefer to check Hell's Kitchen out in the daytime hours. Just embrace the cheesy aspects, such as the leopard rug and Marilyn Monroe photo and you will do just fine. (973- 465-4422)
The Priory
For jazz aficionados, few places in Newark hold a candle to the Priory, a restaurant and club appropriately located in a renovated section of the old St. Joseph church. Actually, some original architectural and design elements (like the stained glass windows) remain, creating quite a space for enjoying topnotch music and deliciously done Creole and Southern specialties. For a special treat on Sunday, be sure to secure a table for the brunch buffet, which features live jazz until 3pm. Run by the non-profit New Community Corporation, the Priory is staffed by volunteers to make jazz accessible and affordable to all. (973-242-8012)
QXT's Night Club
If someone asks you what type of music you like and you give them a list, then QXT is your nightclub. With an upstairs dance floor and two rooms downstairs (in the "crypt"), you have the opportunity to follow your music if the present playlist isn't your jam. Ladies are free before 11pm and cover is $10 after that. There are also $4 drinks until 11pm, giving reason to come early. Open since 1991, QXT has made its mark as an alternative club, with deathrock, goth, industrial, new wave, 80s and 90s. Lots of theme nights happen (even pyjama parties), so check the website before you go. (973-643-3996)
The Avenue A Club
The Avenue A Club If you like to gaze at vintage cars in hope that one of them will find their way to your house like a lost puppy, then The Avenue A Club is where to go. Downstairs, it is almost as if you were walking through a car museum, with Lamborghinis staring at you. Once you have had your car fix, go upstairs for a nice selection of drinks and food while you overlook the dance floor. Hey, it can take some time for that liquid courage to sink in. Housed in a red brick warehouse and with stained wooden floors, it is part gallery, part club and all man cave. (973-621-1180)
