With the plethora of bars, restaurants, and lounges in Phoenix, it can be hard to choose where to go. Lucky for you, we’ve narrowed down the best spots to go out in (and around) Arizona’s capital.
Downtown Phoenix
Downtown Phoenix is home to the artsy Roosevelt Row neighborhood and The Churchill, a funky marketplace made of shipping containers with a 9,000 square foot courtyard made for eating, drinking, socializing, and listening to live music. Downtown is also densely packed with drinkeries. Angels Trumpet Ale House is a beer bar with 31 direct-draw beer taps of mostly local and regional craft brews. Order a flight to sample on the patio. If you’re feeling like a little–or a lot of–pinball, head to Cobra Arcade Bar. Located in Downtown Phoenix near the convention center and ballpark, this Roosevelt neighborhood beercade is packed with wall-to-wall vintage arcade games like Donkey Kong and Street Fighter, which you can play while you sip on craft beer or a funky cocktail like the Garbage Pail Kid. There are food trucks outside for when you work up an appetite.
The best cocktail bar in Arizona, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour is housed at the former Arizona Prohibition Headquarters in the historic Luhrs Building. The Phoenix staple serves up inspired craft cocktails, like the Duck Bath Punch served in a mini bathtub and complete with “bubble bath” suds. It’s also a go-to spot for late-night eats–dishes like the Yum Yum noodles with chicken will hit the spot after a night on the town.
The CityScape complex in the heart of downtown is an office tower that doubles as a boutique hotel, with apartments, retail shops, restaurants, and entertainment centered around an open plaza. Whether it’s lunch, happy hour, a first date, or dinner with friends, CityScape has you covered with over 20 restaurants, including Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails. The American gastro-lounge features handcrafted cocktails, a dizzying selection of whiskey, bourbon, and brandy, and seasonal, contemporary cuisine by Chef Sean Currid. CityScape also has a comedy club, nightlife spots like Copper Blues, and a Lucky Strike bowling alley. Located next to the lanes is Gypsy Bar, a 10,000 square foot nightclub where you can dance the night away to DJ music on the neon-lit dance floor and/or hit up the arcade in the game lounge.
Another great place for dancing is Bar Smith. The downtown bar, lounge, and club features a rooftop bar with one of the best views of the city. For live music, head to Crescent Ballroom. This renovated garage-turned-music venue has free live music every night in the lounge, with nationally-touring acts playing in the ballroom. They also have a kitchen…and, not just any kitchen. Cocina 10 was opened by Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco and Bar Bianco fame. Located in the basement, Valley Bar is Crescent Ballroom’s speakeasy sister club. There’s live entertainment in The Music Hall, a cocktail lounge called The Rose Room, and an arcade with skee-ball, video games, and even board games. Owned by the same group as Crescent Ballroom and Valley Bar, The Van Buren is a 20,000-square-foot music venue that attracts even more of the biggest names in music to downtown Phoenix. Once an auto-dealership, the building has been converted into a 1,800 person concert venue, complete with chandeliers, exposed brick, and beautiful Sonoran Desert-themed murals.
Other downtown bars worth mentioning include The Nash–a jazz hotspot–and SideBar, a cocktail lounge with an extensive beer, wine, and handcrafted cocktail menu. Dying for a daiquiri? Visit the heavily-awarded Breadfruit & Rum Bar, with over 150 versions of cane juice and a Jamaican-influenced dinner menu.
Central Phoenix
Locals flock to neighborhood bars and eateries after work, and if you’re considering a move to Phoenix, this is a good neighborhood to keep in mind. At the Culinary Dropout at The Yard, order the slow braised 36-hour pork ribs or fried chicken drizzled with honey and a craft beer or a housemade cocktail to wash it all down. They also have free live music and games! The Vig’s Uptown location is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Go for brunch (Sat-Sun, 10am-2pm) and build your own mimosa with their selection of juices and purees, or get a Bloody Mary with bacon. During happy hour, on weekdays from 3-6pm, you can get a “Vignature cocktail” for just six bucks. The Linger Longer Lounge has daily deals like six dollar draft cocktails and DJs on Saturdays. It’s also a game room and has a kitchen that offers a charcuterie board and pizzas, among other things.
The Womack is a notable cocktail lounge and a tribute to the historic Phoenix ‘60s lounge, Chez Nous, which was known for its classic cocktails and soulful music. Another Central Phoenix favorite is Camp Social, a summer camp-themed restaurant that opened in 2017. It’s worth a visit just to Instagram the vintage campers inside and sip on a s’more cocktail, but you should stay and nosh on “woodsy” fare and play in the log cabin-style interactive game room. There’s also a patio where you can drink an Arizona Summer (made with tequila, chile liquor, watermelon, and jalapeño) under the misters to cool you off! Honor Amongst Thieves is a swanky Central Phoenix speakeasy in the 7th Street dining and drinking district. Enter through the back staircase to enjoy a Prohibition-era inspired cocktail and live music on Wednesdays.
Old Town Scottsdale
East of Arizona’s capital is the bougie desert city of Scottsdale. Old Town is Scottsdale’s downtown area, with a high density of bars, lounges, and clubs like Hi Fi Kitchen & Cocktails, AZ88, The Mint Ultra Lounge, and ZuZu Lounge at Hotel Valley Ho. The Coach House is Scottsdale’s oldest bar, and is one of the best dive bars in the area, opening at 6am every single day of the year (including Christmas). For whiskey, head to the upscale Second Story Liquor Bar. And, if white lightning is more your thing, check out Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse, a Southwest-themed hole-in-the-wall serving up barbecue and housemade moonshines.
Downtown Tempe
Phoenix’s neighbor to the east, Tempe, AZ is home to Mill Avenue, where all of the college kids from nearby Arizona State University like to party at spots like Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant, Mill Cue Club, Pedal Haus Brewery and more. Four Peaks Brewing Company is the Arizona brewery, with multiple locations across the Valley, including the original Eighth Street flagship restaurant inside a creamery and ice factory built in the 1800s in downtown Tempe. Try a signature brew like the Kilt Lifter or the Peach Ale, something seasonal. Pub food is available to soak up the suds.
Phoenicians must really love playing games while they drink because the bar/music venue/game room concept has taken the city by storm. We’re not complaining! Check some of these places out for yourself once you’ve found your new apartment in Phoenix.
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