Lagos Nightlife – Portugal

Sometimes I arrive at a place and just fall into the lifestyle there immediately.

Lagos on the Algarve is one of those places. From chilling on the beaches and coves to going out drinking stupidly strong cocktails every evening.

The Lagos nightlife in the height of season is pretty chilled compared to say Magaluf or Ibiza. For me this is a good thing I like a chilled relaxed nightlife, I like that I see some of the same people out every night and I like that a barman recognises me after 2 or 3 nights.

That’s not to say Lagos nightlife doesn’t get raucous, as it does. The nightlife here is slightly edgy the bars are small in older buildings in the heart of the town and some seem a bit ‘divey’ but this adds to the charm. People still smoke in the bars, the floors are sticky and often there isn’t much room to air the armpits!

But from my experience the people are cool and after all its the people who make it.

Here’s some of the bars/clubs I visited and what I thought of the Lagos nightlife

Joes Garage

A really popular bar and very busy at weekends. It’s a cool party atmosphere with dancing on the bar and tables along with Jagerbomb challenges and strong cocktails served as a pint. Earlier in the evening they have pool games and beer pong along with arranged theme nights as well. The bar also feels like it probably was once a garage too! It has a small entrance but is fairly big inside with a mezzanine area at the back. You might struggle to find it but it’s just round the corner from Inside Out.

Roskos

This is a really stylish bar. It has a city centre or perhaps Marbella sort of look with the white decor and excellent lighting. The bar serves top brand drinks and cocktails rather than the cheaper stuff you might find in some other bars. There is a DJ that plays excellent tunes and a nice boothed seating area to hang out with your mates and have a few drinks and chat before moving onto somewhere else later in the night.

This photo of Roskos is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Inside Out

A backpackers bar that is generally rammed and very sweaty although early in the night it seems a little more chilled! It also has a small bar and can take a while to get served. Whilst I popped in for a couple of drinks it isn’t my sort of place. But if you love fishbowls then its the place to go!

Bon Vivant

This is a bar you can’t miss. If you walk up Rua 25 Abril from the main square it sits right at the top by a crossroads and has some funky lighting and painted a deep terracotta red. The bar actually has a small disco nightclub below then 3 floors above it including a roof top terrace which is a cool place to people watch. Its popular with locals and tourists a like and is a great place to have a drink and watch the world go by from its upper windows or terrace.

Grand Cafe

This is pretty much the only place that I would class as a club in the old town of Lagos and it’s where everyone heads when the bars are closing at about 2am. The Grand Cafe stays open to around 5am and has a nightclub area both upstairs and downstairs with plenty of areas to escape sit down and chill out too.  The upstairs area is quite quirky and gothic with traditional stone stairs and gargoyles on the walls.

I have visited Lagos two summers in a row and it’s a place I instantly fell in love with. It has a cool backpacker vibe but is popular with families and European tourists too.

Whilst I have visited more bars in the town the 5 above were my favourites. So if you’re ever in Portugal check out the Lagos nightlife and the bars above and find some favourites of your own too!

You can read more about Lagos in my previous post here – Lagos: Portugal – History, beaches and a great nightlife