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In a stylish velvet and cherry-wood venue, Metropolis achieves an upscale ambience often aspired to but rarely achieved in Orlando’s clubs. DJs and a dance floor cater to groups of friends out for a giggle, while dark corners offer privacy for couples who want to smooch and sip cocktails. Top-class facilities include billiards tables and plenty of comfortable seating to encourage lounging around.

This venue looks a bit like a submarine in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea , with its porthole windows and distressed metal. An eclectic crowd – from models to business moguls – hang out around the circular bar listening to ambient tunes.

Kick up your heels at this popular country music dance venue, located near downtown Orlando. This huge club has four bar areas and state-of-the-art sound and lighting. It’s open Thursday to Saturday to guests over 18 years old, and has nightly drink specials and dance contests.

This bar is a fabulous place to kick back, enjoy a bottle of wine and watch the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom. The secret is out, though, so come early for a table. Finding a spot at other times isn’t too hard as long as you avoid the dinner rush. (see California Grill).

A big, noisy Irish pub, Fiddler’s Green has an excellent beer selection, a homey, shabby ambience, and a bartender who pours faster than anyone in town. Darts and occasional live music form the entertainment, but people come here just to down a few beers and shoot the breeze. Lunch and dinner are served.

It’s little more than an average beer joint with sticky floors and loud crowds, but Bar-B-Q is the place to see and be seen for the more creative set. A favorite venue with local musicians, the bar gets packed whenever there’s a good band on stage. People-watch clubbers cruising the Orange Avenue strip from a sidewalk table.

Bar-B-Q Bar

Located above The Social, this rooftop bar is an Orange Avenue hotspot, attracting folks who prefer not to mingle with the masses but rather look down on them. Covered in whitewash, this airy spot is a classier option for folks who usually drink downstairs or at the Bar-B-Q Bar. Entertainment is typically provided via a DJ who leans toward refined, less aggressive grooves.

Luxury is a tough sell Downtown, partly because the club crowd tends to be well under 30 and lacking serious funds. However, this swanky hotel bar is thriving, confirming that an older, upscale, and urbane crowd is more than willing to pay the price for a suave evening of fancy cocktails.

A white-collar after-work crowd frequents this hugely popular bar/ restaurant in a spacious, loft-like room. On fine nights, drinkers often head for the small outdoor space or spill out onto the sidewalk, jostling and juxtaposing with the folk from the fundamentalist church and a working-class beer joint that are located on the same street. Dexter’s is also known for its great New American menu, and for serving dozens of wines by the glass. There’s another branch in Winter Park (see Fiddler’s Green).

With more name changes than there are new moons, and an entrance that’s tough to find (look for a doorway adjacent to the Pine Street Grill), it’s a bit of a challenge to find your way into this bar. But the effort is well worth it, as this is one of Downtown’s most comfortable and appealing drinking spots. The lounge occupies the top floors of two merged brown-stones, offering plenty of space, a full bar, plenty of contemporary artwork, and a fine line-up of DJs and live bands.