19 Best Nightlife in Sicily, Italy

This multilevel cocktail bar between the Vucciria market and the marina is serious about mixology and has created a dedicated oasis in the city's trendiest area. Linger over complex cocktails while lounging on vintage chairs under sparkling chandeliers, all while rubbing elbows with Palermo's cool crowd as records spin on the retro turntable in the corner. A short menu of pasta, meat, and seafood dishes is also available.

Tucked in an alleyway off Via Umberto, the Oliva lounge offers a bit of calm in the city's bustling center. This is where you go to geek out over the impressive selection of mezcal and rhum agricole or go deep on locally made gins and amari. The team here, a trio of hardcore bar nerds, makes all the classics perfectly (like Negronis, daiquiris, and martinis) and uses house-made bitters and tinctures to whip up inspiring drinks.

In the heart of the city's downtown, this always-packed bar has tables that spill into the streets. With an impressive selection of vermouths and local salumi, it's a great spot to go for aperitivo or a late-night drink. But the real draw is the wine program. Don't even bother with the wine list—ask for Antonio Lombardo, a veritable expert with a mischievous smile, who consistently pulls affordable bottles to suit any mood or taste, from obscure natural wines to refined classics. It's a popular spot, so it's best to make a reservation lest you want to be among the crowds who stand in the pedestrian street, drink-in-hand. 

Atmospherically housed in a deconsecrated medieval church with an underground crypt, this self-styled literary café is one of the hubs of Enna’s cultural scene, open evenings only for glasses of good wine and artisan spirits while you enjoy its live music and DJ sets.

This knickknack-filled bar has lorded over Castelmola's town square since 1907, and if you manage to resist the pull of the enchanting view on the terrace, you can explore the historic interior to learn more about the village's past. Try the vino alle mandorle (almond wine) from a recipe produced by the original owner more than a century ago, then follow luminaries such as Guglielmo Marconi, Winston Churchill, John D. Rockefeller, and John Steinbeck by signing the visitors' book.

Truly one of the most infamous places to have a drink in all of Italy, this humorous bar has cozy nooks and crannies on three levels—all decked out with phallic images of every size, shape, and color imaginable, from bathroom wall murals inspired by the brothels of ancient Greece to giant wooden carvings honoring Dionysus. If you can get past the design choices, the roof terrace has extraordinary views of Taormina and the coast, while a limited selection of hearty pasta dishes are served inside.

Founded in 2017 by a Pantescan jazz pianist and his brother-in-law, Birreria Pantesca is the island’s first and only craft brewery. They make five beers, including a summery blond lager, a German-style weiss beer, and Pantipa, an America IPA. More unexpected is the Perla Nera, an Irish stout and—even more interesting—La Zibirra, beer made with a percentage of dried zibibbo grapes. The latest plan is a hemp beer made with legally-grown hemp from Bugeber. Look out for Birreria Pantesca beers in island bars and restaurants or book ahead for tastings in their Pantelleria town brewery (€10).

This is a casual place to grab a beer and enjoy a light antipasto, pizza, or pasta dish at a reasonable price. They are open most of the day, so finding a late lunch when other places are closed won't be a problem here. The location is stunning, with views out toward the sea.

Don't expect too much from the nightlife scene here, but this decent café comes with plenty of tables outside on the main (and pedestrianized) shopping street, so it's a good place to sit and watch Mazara life pass by. Stop for a coffee or an evening aperitivo, when Aperols or Campari Spritzs come accompanied by tasters of panelle (chickpea flour fritters), arancini, and crocchè (potato croquettes).

Open only during the summer, this cocktail bar sits on a small wooden deck bedecked with fairy lights, overlooking the sea. At dusk, it's magical. And once night falls, in the distance to the south, you can make out the outline of the faraglioni by moonlight. They make especially good Negronis and different variations of gin-and-tonics.

With an impressive menu of signature cocktails, wines, and beers, this is a great spot to enjoy a drink in Cefalù. They serve an excellent antipasto plate as well as casual fast food like hot dogs, burgers, and nachos. If you love craft beer, you will find the best selection of local beers around.

When you're ready to upgrade your spritz or Negroni, look to Le Roi. They sling drinks from within the 1929 Vittorio Emanuele III galleria, where the mosaic tile floors and electric Liberty style (an Italian version of Art Nouveau) give historic heft to the inventive cocktails. 

This beautiful club is located right on the beach and is open throughout the year. If you're not into clubbing, it's also a perfect spot to just sit and enjoy a cocktail or aperitif at sunset. It's especially popular in the summer when it's filled with locals and live music. They also have an alfresco restaurant.

Throughout this bar, located in a former bank, you'll find ceramic heads (all for sale) by Catania artist Stefania Boemi. Legend has it that a Sicilian noblewoman discovered her beloved, a visiting Moor, was already married in his homeland. In a fit of rage, she cut off his head and left it on her balcony for all to see. The next morning a basil plant was sprouting from the head. And thus was born the tale of the teste di Moro (Moor heads). Outside, tables sit in the shadow of the Duomo where locals stop for excellent cocktails during their evening passeggiata. 

This enoteca (wine bar) has a few tables indoors but most people choose to sit out in Piazza Vittoria opposite the grand Art Deco cinema Cine Impero. Apart from a range of wines (including, of course, Marsala) and cocktails, snacks are served—mainly pastas and meat dishes—and it stays open late.

In the back streets of the upper town, this pub offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere, energetic jazz music (sometimes live), and a range of international draught and bottled beers as well as aperitifs and cocktails. Service is fast and cheerful, and there's seating indoors and out. Snacks are available, too.

In a garden shrouded in bougainvillea, this cocktail lounge focuses on drinks with a botanical bent. You'll find rosemary-infused vodkas, fennel-scented gin, and cordials made from cedro, a pithy bitter citrus found throughout Sicily. Sit under the canopy of stars and breathe in the fragrant night air as you enjoy your drink.

Immensely popular with the twenty- and thirtysomething crowd, who belly up to the bar for pizza, crepes, and excellent German-style draft beer, this pub is also a good place to watch televised soccer.