Nightlife in Naples

Folkloric, vibrant and welcoming by day, Naples is a city that doesn’t disappoint when it comes to its nightlife either. The Neapolitan capital presents itself not only as a destination for cultural exploration but also as the perfect spot for lovers of the social scene and entertainment. Thanks to its predominantly mild climate, Naples’s nightlife largely takes place in the open air.

Both at weekends and on weekdays, the streets of Naples from sunset onwards welcome university students, young couples, people heading home from work and many foreigners who gather in various venues for an aperitif before dining in one of the city’s excellent pizzerias.

The city boasts an impressive range of venues, from bars with an informal atmosphere found in the University area to upmarket wine bars in the Chiaia district, from cocktail bars along the seafront to fine pubs in Vomero.

Nightlife areas in Naples

Naples’s nightlife is well distributed across various neighbourhoods, from the historic centre to Chiaia, from the Fuorigrotta area to Vomero. In each area you’ll find the right venue for your needs.

Let’s look at the best areas to find nightlife venues where you can have fun in Naples.

Historic centre

Naples’s historic centre is certainly the best area for discovering bars, pubs and venues where you can enjoy both aperitif time and post-dinner drinks with company. In particular Piazza del Gesù and Piazza San Domenico Maggiore host numerous bars offering excellent aperitifs with snacks at reasonable prices, which is why they’re very popular with young people, university students and Erasmus students.

Landmarks in this area include Mamamu Bar1 and Kestè2, where live music concerts also take place; meanwhile jazz music enthusiasts can head to BOURBON STREET3, which also serves excellent whiskey. For a different evening, we recommend visiting Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina - Museo Madre4, which hosts interesting evenings within Naples’s contemporary art museum.

Piazza Bellini

In the historic centre area of Naples, you’ll also find Piazza Bellini, an area that deserves a special mention. Piazza Bellini offers several cultural hangouts and literary cafés that organise truly interesting events. Among the most famous is Caffè Letterario Intra Moenia5, a meeting place for creatives, artists and art lovers, which hosts various events, exhibitions, concerts and poetry readings.

Opposite the Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella, you’ll find Perditempo6, the perfect haven for book lovers and music enthusiasts, as this is a bookshop that also houses a lounge bar where live music events are organised.

Chiaia

Chiaia is a neighbourhood that hosts chic and elegant venues frequented by what’s known as “wealthy Naples”. The narrow streets of the district are home to refined restaurants and lounge bars where you can enjoy a good glass of wine or an excellent cocktail. Among the most popular streets are Vico Belledonne and Via Cavallerizza, where you’ll find the Enoteca Belledonne7, a welcoming wine bar, and the club La Scalinatella8, a very trendy spot frequented from aperitif time through to late-night drinks.

Pub lovers should visit the Irish pub James Joyce9 on Via Raffaele Ruggiero, one of Naples’s most famous pubs where you can sample excellent beers and delicious sandwiches.

Vomero

The Vomero neighbourhood is also a very popular area for an aperitif with friends, dinner and finishing off the evening at a disco bar. Among the most famous venues is certainly Fonoteca10, a lounge-music bar that’s also a record shop.

Vomero is also the pub area par excellence, as there are many to choose from here. You absolutely cannot miss Frank Malone11, a pub in authentic English style, and The Penny Black Pub12, a pub that serves excellent quality beers. Also worth remembering is the pub Vecchia America13 and Il Cantiere Pub14, which not only offers an excellent selection of beers and sandwiches but also has a nice terrace.

Naples’s best nightclubs

One of the most popular entertainment destinations during Campania’s summers is Bagnoli, where many beach establishments transform into venues in the evening, taking clients from aperitif time to the early hours.

Here you’ll find cocktail bars, disco bars and open-air nightclubs, the most famous of which is Arenile15, undoubtedly one of Naples’s best-known nightclubs. An elegant beach venue by day, Arenile transforms in the evening into a truly exclusive beach club. Located in the Bagnoli neighbourhood, this nightclub is open year-round, but in summer it’s definitely one of the beachfront venues to visit for a good drink and excellent music.

Other much-loved nightclubs in the Bagnoli area are HBTOO16, RIVA CLUB17 and Voga Club18, venues where you can have fun dancing until dawn.

In the Porta Capuana area, you can visit Lanificio2519, a venue that has undergone several refurbishment projects. From an ancient cloister of a 15th-century church, this place was first converted into a wool mill and then into a nightclub. Today Lanificio 25 is a true gathering spot, especially for young people who love attending DJ sets and live music evenings.

Finally, on the Posillipo hillside, we recommend Teatro Posillipo20, a sumptuous and elegant nightclub.

Clubs and disco bars in Naples

In Naples, the line between proper nightclubs and disco bars where you can not only drink but also dance is often very blurred.

Among the most famous disco bars in the city is Alter Ego21, near Piazza Bellini, which offers themed evenings and events with various music genres.

El Krella22 is another very popular disco bar in the historic centre located near the Università Orientale, offering not only excellent drinks but also the chance to dance, organise parties with friends and enjoy great music.

'O Barett23 is another small lounge bar in the centre, well known for the special shots it offers and the good music it provides to its guests.

Opening hours and prices of nightlife venues

As is the case in many Mediterranean countries, in Naples too, especially in summer, people tend to dine late to make the most of the splendid sunny days. For this reason, it’s not uncommon to finish dinner around eleven o’clock, or even midnight, before heading to one of the city’s numerous nightclubs to dance until dawn.

Typically nightlife venues open around ten in the evening, but really get going after half eleven or midnight, especially in summer when the warm weather and longer days encourage people to go out later in the evening. Some venues close at four, whilst others stay open until six in the morning.

As for entry prices, these can vary greatly depending on the type of venue, the evening, the presence of DJs or special guests. The average cost is usually €20, but there are venues with free entry and others that charge considerably more.