Top 150 Best Nightclubs in USA, Canada and Mexico
"The best thing about having your own nightclub is that everything`s free and you can tell the DJ to play whatever you want." - Paris Hilton.
"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." - Groucho Marx.
NIGHTLIFE used to mean discothèques. Now there is everything from formal nightclubs to nocturnal theme parks with live music, videos, ever-more vigorous lightshows, and cabaret reminiscent of the Sixties-style "happening". Some boîtes have private bars for the chosen few, some have membership but let you in if you're sufficiently beautiful, eccentric or rich.
The best way to find what's "in" is to keep your ears open. However, if you tour the nightclub district and spy a crowd trying to get in somewhere, it'a a clue that something's happening in that dirty old basement. The rule is never to join the queue - go to the head of it and charm your way in.
The best nightlife occurs in cities that never sleep. Clubs beget late-night cafés, only known to the clubbing cognoscenti.
In New York, nothing ever seems to close, so when you finish in one club, you go on to the next. The whole point is your attitude to a nightclub: it shouldn't be the end of the evening, it should be the start of something better.
The nightclubs marked with 'F' indicates that the club has been awarded the "World’s Finest Clubs Award" by The World's Finest Clubs - a network of the most exclusive, trend-setting and elegant memberclubs in the world.
- 13 Ways Being a Night Owl Could Hurt Your Health - TIME Magazine.
- 16 most exciting party cities in the world - The Telegraph.
- 25 Most Exclusive Clubs On The Planet - Best Life.
- AMBER LOUNGE - the ultimate VIP nightlife experience which follows the F1 Grand Prix series around the world. Venues: Monaco, Singapore, Delhi & Abu Dhabi.
- Annabel's member's club becomes the ultimate pin-up girl - The Telegraph.
- Avicii’s dad: 'I miss him every minute, but I get angry at him for leaving' - "On April 20, 2018, the world lost a music superstar, chart-topping DJ Avicii. Aged just 28, he tragically took his own life while on holiday in Oman."
- Berghain: Could you get into Europe's most exclusive nightclub? - The Telegraph.
- Berlin's nightclubs fight for same cultural status as opera houses - "Clubs tell parliament that without protection gentrification threatens their existence."
- Best party cities around the world - CNN travel.
- BLACKBOOK MAGAZINE AND CITY GUIDES - hotels, restaurants, travel, nightlife, fashion, shopping, reviews, celebrities.
- Bottle service - the sale of liquor by the bottle in mostly American lounges and nightclubs. The purchase of bottle service typically includes a reserved table for the patron's party and mixers of the patron's choice. Bottle service can include the service of a VIP host, who will ensure that patrons have sufficient mixers and will often make drinks using the patrons' liquor bottle and mixers.
- Charter member - definition & explanation.
- CLUB - Wikipedia.
- CLUB AWARDS - honor the clubbing peaks of the previous year: The parties that caused countless missed work days; the DJs who made wall flowers into dancers.
- Disco then shower at 33,000ft: Dubai hotelier launches £10k-an-hour ‘party jet’ - "Plane can accommodate up to 16 people and is aimed at super-rich who ‘want to enjoy the money while still alive’."
- DISCOTHÈQUE - Wikipedia.
- DJS OF THE FUTURE DON'T SPIN RECORDS—THEY WRITE CODE - Wired.
- DRESS CODE - Wikipedia.
- Fabrice Emaer - (1935-1983). Called "The Prince of the night" was an impresario whose nightclubs le Sept, Le Bronx and le Palace, were the premier spots in Paris nightlife in the 1970s and early 1980s, celebrated in memoirs and songs like Amanda Lear's 1979 song "Fashion Pack" which declared, "In Paris you got to be seen at Maxim's / The Palace / The 7 and then go Chez Regine."
- FIND ALL BARS - guide to all the best bars in the world.
- First look inside legendary London club Annabel's as it unveils £55m makeover - The Telegraph.
- Giorgio Armani, King of Milan Nightlife - The New York Times.
- He's Been Hiding Celebrities Since 2007 - "With haunts like The Bird Streets, Bootsy Bellows and Delilah, John Terzian is the rare club owner that famous people trust. But when everyone is a paparazzo, how does he keep a secret?"
- How to Be Better at Parties - "Whether you love them or hate them, parties are important. They are where people meet future business and romantic partners and friends, where small talk becomes the stuff of life. Who among us, save the most self-sufficient and confident partygoer (and who is that insufferable person, anyway?), wouldn’t like to party better? This guide will teach you how to make seamless, beautiful small talk that leads to important conversations and connections. It will ease you into mingling effortlessly, and it will even demonstrate the right way to leave (without ruining your life). Go forth and party."
- How to party like a Parisian - The Telegraph.
- How will we party post-pandemic? - "In nightclubs around the world, once-crowded dance floors have remained empty for months. If you need reminding, clubbing is close contact activity: People share drinks, hug, kiss and generally invade each others personal space until the early hours of the morning."
- Inside Paris' most scandalous clubs - "Rediscovering Paris' most scandalous salons with Ellen von Unwerth."
- 'It almost destroyed me': behind New York's greatest nightclub, Studio 54 - "In a new exhibition, Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager goes back to the late 70s to explore the highs and lows of the celebrity-packed hotspot."
- 'It's an absurd profession': the world's most infamous bouncers tell all - "They have a fearsome reputation for excluding eager clubbers – but as a documentary about Berlin’s doormen is released, three of them explain why their policies are ‘all about tolerance’."
- Kyiv Nightlife Comes Back Amid Urge for Contact. ‘This Is the Cure’ - "Frenzied raves. Crowded bars (with free therapy). And of course, cuddle parties. Nightlife is returning to Ukraine’s capital. But revelers still have to reckon with guilty feelings. Plus curfew."
- Le Club - was a members-only restaurant and nightclub located at 416 East 55th Street in Manhattan. French expatriate Olivier Coquelin founded Le Club in 1960. It was a playground for New York's elites, including the Vanderbilts and Kennedys. As a young man in the 1970s, Donald Trump frequented the club, particularly associating with Roy Cohn.
 - Mark Birley - (1930-2007). Supreme arbiter of aristocratic London nightlife & founder of Annabel's at Berkeley Square in 1963.
- Mark Fleischman: Ex-Studio 54 club owner dies by assisted suicide at Dignitas - "Mark Fleischman, who owned legendary New York nightclub Studio 54 in the 1980s, has died by assisted suicide in Switzerland, his former business partner has said."
- NIGHTCLUB - Wikipedia.
- Olivier Coquelin - nicknamed “Disco Daddy,” was a French expatriate entrepreneur and nightclub promoter. He opened Le Club, the first American discotheque, on New Year's Eve 1960, on East 55th Street in Manhattan. By 1962, The New York Times, discussing and defining the new term "jet-set," used Coquelin and members of Le Club as paradigmatic examples.
- PACHA GLOBAL - 20+ nightclubs worldwide.
- PETER GATIEN - was the owner of several New York nightclubs, including The Limelight, Palladium, Club USA, and Tunnel. He was once dubbed as the "King of New York Clubs", during his time in New York City.
- Prince William & Harry's favourite nightclub found trying to pass off £10 Prosecco as £360 Dom Perignon champagne - The Telegraph.
 - RÉGINE Zilberberg - (1929-2022). Founded in the 70s the international nightclub chain Chez Régine, Jimmy'z (the 'z' for Zylberberg), Club Maona in Monte-Carlo (named for MAria Callas/ONAssis) and Régine's.
- RÉgine, Whose Discotheque Gave Nightlife a New Dawn, Dies at 92 - "Credited with opening the first disco, she built an empire of glittering playgrounds for the Beautiful People in Paris, New York and beyond." The New York Times.
- Ron Doud - DESIGNER OF STUDIO 54 - "RON DOUD'S life reads like a film, but with a tragic ending. Doud grew up and studied interior design at Seattle, graduating in 1970."
- RUTH FLOWERS - world's oldest DJ. Official website.
- Scotch-Club - in Aachen, Germany was the first discothèque, opening on October 19, 1959. It was closed in 1992. In the 1950s, dancehalls were common throughout the world. People danced to the music of a band that usually played cover songs. On October 19, 1959, the former restaurant re-opened as a dancehall, but the owner didn't want to hire a band and used a record player instead. Klaus Quirini, a volunteer newspaper journalist reporting on the event, was as bored as most of the visitors and took over the record player. He used the style common with many radio news reporters, announcing songs and audience games and giving comments. The first song he played was the chart hit Ein Schiff wird kommen by Lale Andersen. His style was immediately popular, and he from then on remained the disc-jockey, the first DJ ever. As DJ Heinrich, he organised other DJs to found a workers' union that made DJ an official (i.e. healthcare registered) profession. Since the opening of the Scotch-Club in late 1959, other discothèques opened throughout Aachen and in other major towns. When the first club opened in the USA, there were already 17 discos in Aachen.
- Social jetlag - are late nights and chaotic sleep patterns making you ill? - "Waking later at weekends can have the same effect as jetlag – and lead to weight gain, reduced mental performance and chronic illness. But there is a solution."
- Soir - "Event guide in the major cities worldwide. Soir collects new and obscure experiences for the adventurous city dwellers through a network of experience specialists. Currently available in Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Milan and rapidly expanding to the rest of the world."
 - STEVE RUBELL - (1943-1989). American-Jewish entrepreneur and co-owner of the New York disco Studio 54 (1977-1986) in the old CBS television studio on West 54th Street that the network was selling. Rubell became a familiar face in front of the building, turning people down at the door and only letting in those who met his specific standards. Rubell also dealt with the club's celebrity patrons, ensuring that they were thrown lavish parties. His tactics worked, and the club made $7 million during its first year.
- Subway party - Wikipedia.
- The best days of disco: New York nightlife by Bill Bernstein in pictures - "From Studio 54 to Paradise Garage, Bernstein was there to document the euphoric late 70s peak of the New York City disco scene."
- The world’s best private members clubs - ShortList Magazine.
- THE WORLD'S FINEST CLUBS - "VIP nightclubbing around the world."
- TIPS ON TABLES - vintage reviews of famous nightclubs and restaurants, mostly from the New York area.
- What happened to the great London nightclubs? - "In the past 15 years, some of best-loved venues of the London club scene have shut their doors, for reasons ranging from crime to gentrification and Crossrail."
- WORLD'S BEST BARS - bars, cocktail lounges and cool pubs around the world.
- World's best city for nightlife - "Berlin nightlife from the wildly hedonistic to the traditional."
- World’s 12 Highest-Paid DJs - Forbes.
Canada
Mexico
Cancun
- Antique F - "TThe Most Exclusive and Secure Nightclub in Cancun."
- Shah F
U. S. A.
| Aspen, CO |
Beverly Hills, CA |
Chicago, IL |
| Dallas, TX |
Hallandale Beach, FL |
Hollywood, CA |
| Las Vegas, NV |
Los Angeles, CA |
Miami Beach, FL |
| New York City, NY |
Palm Beach, FL |
San Francisco, CA |
| Santa Barbara, CA |
Santa Monica, CA |
Southampton, NY |
| Washington, DC |
West Hollywood, CA |
West Palm Beach, FL |
- CLUBPLANET.COM - since 1997. "North America's most visited nightlife website, equipped with a comprehensive directory of venue reviews, photos events, news, tickets and guest lists."
Aspen, CO
- BELLY UP ASPEN
- LIBRARY - at Hotel Jerome.
- THE MUSTANG
Los Angeles, CA
 - Coconut Grove - at the Ambassador Hotel (1921-2005). Frequented by Hollywood's top celebrities. The Cocoanut Grove was famous for the list of Hollywood stars who spent time there. It was known to be a favorite hangout of Howard Hughes, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and several others. The club was over the top as far as decor goes. It was known to have huge, fake palm trees throughout, and several outlandish shows took place there. It was recreated for the 2004 movie The Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio.
 - EDEN - "The Los Angeles A-list Celebrity Nightclub."
- LA BOOM
- SUPPERCLUB F
Miami Beach, FL
 - BÂOLI F. 1906 Collins Avenue.
 - Cavalli Club F. 150 Ocean Drive.
 - LIV - at Fontainebleau Hotel. Ultra exclusive lounge and a high-energy nightclub. LIV is home to celebrities, VIPs and Miami’s local party crowd. Within over 18,000 square feet of striking architectural design and lavish decor, DJs spin everything from rock to hip hop to house. For guests seeking ultra-VIP treatment, the nightclub offers six private skyboxes, each featuring European bottle service, a mini-bar and banquettes with secured purse drawers.
- MANSION NIGHCLUB - 1235 Washington Avenue.
- MOKAÏ NIGHCLUB - 235 23rd Street.
- ROCKWELL F
- SET NIGHCLUB - VIP Nightlife. 320 Lincoln Rd.
 - SL Miami Beach F
New York City, NY
- NIGHTCLUBS IN NEW YORK CITY - Wikipedia.
- The Absolute Best Nightclubs & Lounges In New York City - Forbes.
 - 1 OAK - "One of a kind."
- Arthur - (1965-1969). On the site of the old El Morocco, at 154 East 54th Street. At the time, the most exclusive disco in New York. Operated by Sybil Burton, the Welsh actress who'd lost her husband, Richard Burton, to Elizabeth Taylor.
 - AVENUE - opened in 2009. F
- Birdland - "The Jazz Corner of the World. Jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. The current location is in the building next to The New York Observer headquarters. During the 1950s, Birdland also became a fashionable place for celebrities to be seen, with Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marlene Dietrich, Joe Louis, Judy Garland and others as regulars.
- Bossa Nova Civic Club
- BUNGALOW 8
- CAFÉ SOCIETY - (1938-1948). The first racially integrated night club in the United States.
- CAIN LUXÉ
- CIELO
 - COTTON CLUB - (1925-1940). Was a famous night club in Harlem, New York City that operated during Prohibition that included jazz music.
- Diamond Horseshoe Nightclub - (1938-1951). From 1938 to 1951, entertainment impresario Billy Rose operated one of New York City’s most opulent and successful nightclubs, the Diamond Horseshoe, in the basement of the Paramount Hotel in the Theater District. After opening as the Diamond Horseshoe in 1938 (in the basement of the Paramount Hotel), this site was renamed the Mayfair Theater in 1961, the Century Theater in 1978, the Diamond Horseshoe supper club in 2013, and Sony Hall 2020.
- Eastern Bloc
 - EL MOROCCO - (1931-1997). Sometimes nicknamed Elmo or Elmer, was a 20th century Manhattan nightclub frequented by the rich and famous in the 1930s and 1950s.
- GOOD UNITS
- GREENHOUSE
- HUDSON TERRACE
- JULIET SUPPERCLUB
- LAVO F
 - Le Bain - penthouse discothèque and rooftop bar featuring world-famous DJs at 18th floor of The Standard Hotel.
- Le Club - (now long closed). Members-only nightlub founded by the king of society gossip Igor Cassini (aka Cholly Knickerbocker) and situated on Manhattan's East Side off Sutton Place.
- LE POISSON ROUGE
- M2
- MAISONETTE - (1935-1966). At St. Regis hotel. One of the most popular supper-nightclubs in New York at the time. The Maisonette had Peter Duchin and his orchestra playing through much of the 1960's.
 - MARQUEE - F. "The quintessential ultralounge, Marquee possesses the appeal of both an intimate boîte and a high-energy nightspot."
- Max's Kansas City - was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City, which became a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. It was opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933–1983) in December 1965 and closed in 1981. It was also a favorite hangout of Andy Warhol and his entourage, who dominated the back room.
- NIKKI BEACH
- NUBLU
- Output - for diehard house and techno aficionados, Williamsburg’s Output offers an experience modeled on the storied megaclubs of Berlin.
- PACHA - Ibiza's best nightclub has landed in NYC!
- Peppermint Lounge - (1958-1965). Was a popular discotheque located at 128 West 45th Street in New York City. It was the launchpad for the global Twist craze in the early 1960s. Many claim The Peppermint Lounge was also where go-go dancing originated, although this claim is subject to dispute.
- PH-D | PENTHOUSE AT DREAM DOWNTOWN F
- Peppermint Lounge - (1958-1965). Popular discotheque located at 128 West 45th Street. It was the launchpad for the global Twist craze in the early 1960s. Many claim The Peppermint Lounge was also where go-go dancing originated.
- PINK ELEPHANT CLUB
- Riobamba - East 57th Street. Operating from 1942 to 1944, it was closely associated with singer Frank Sinatra, who made his solo nightclub debut there in 1943. The Riobamba was owned by American Mafia boss Louis "Lepke" Buchalter. Patterned after the larger Copacabana, the Riobamba was a "glitzy jewel box of a joint" with a small dance floor on which stood a baby grand piano. There was no stage; the performers stood near the tables at which patrons sat. The room seated 400.
- SANTOS PARTY HOUSE
- Savoy Ballroom - (1926-1958). Was a medium sized ballroom for music and public dancing located at 596 Lenox Avenue, between 140th and 141st Streets in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan.
- SIMYONE LOUNGE
- STAR LOUNGE
 - STORK CLUB - (1929-1965). Columnist Walter Winchell, who described the Stork Club as "the New Yorkiest spot in New York", could be found holding court at his favorite table no. 50 in the Cub Room of Sherman Billingsley's Stork Club.
 - STUDIO 54 - (1977-1986). Was a world-famous disco in the 70s and early 80s.
- TENJUNE
- THE BOX - "The old-timey theater-like environment is augmented by antique chandeliers, gogo girls on trapezes, and ridiculously expensive cocktails, but that’s all distraction from the "burlesque" performances that would make Stefon blush."
 - THE COPACABANA - since 1940. 268 West 47th St., corner of 8th Ave.
- THE ELDRIDGE
- THE GRIFFIN NIGHTCLUB - upscale cocktail lounge inspired by the Gilded Age of the late 19th century.
 - Up & Down - 244 W 14th Street (b/t 7th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas).
- Versailles - 151 East 50th Street. World famous nightclub of the late late 1940s & 1950s. NOW CLOSED.
 - VIP ROOM NY F
- WEBSTER HALL - "The biggest bestest nightclub in NYC."
- Westway
- XENON - (1978-1984). Popular disco in Manhattan in the late 1970's and early 1980's. It was located at 124 West 43rd St. Xenon was the only nightclub popular enough to compete with Studio 54.
Palm Beach, FL
 - 251 - 251 Sunrise Avenue.
- Club Y - 191 Bradley Place.
- Leopard Lounge Bar - "Palm Beach's Hottest Night Spot." At The Chesterfield hotel, 363 Cocoanut Row.
- Ta-boÓ - 221 Worth Avenue.
San Francisco, CA
 - hungry i - was originally a nightclub located at 599 Jackson Street on the ground floor of the International Hotel launched by Eric "Big Daddy" Nord, who sold it to Enrico Banducci in 1950 who closed it in the mid-1960s. Banducci was instrumental in the careers of actor/comic Ronnie Schell, comic Bill Cosby, comic Lenny Bruce, Dick Cavett, Woody Allen, Herb Alpert. John Phillips (of The Mamas & the Papas fame) and his The Journeymen were the house band in the early '60s. The young Barbra Streisand begged Banducci for a single night at his nightclub. The resulting concerts (March–April 1963) were well-attended, giving Streisand nationwide acclaim.
- SAN FRANCISCO NIGHT LIFE
 - SUPPERCLUB - 657 Harrison Street.
Santa Monica, CA
- THE BUFFALO CLUB - exclusive supper club with internationally acclaimed cuisine and live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
Washington, DC
- KABIN LOUNGE F 1337 Connecticut Avenue NW, 2nd floor.
 - KSTREET - Washington DC's premier nightclub.
West Hollywood, CA
 - 1 OAK LA - 9039 Sunset Blvd.
- Bootsy Bellows - 9229 Sunset Blvd.
 - CIRO'S - was a nightclub at 8433 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip, opened in January 1940. Ciro's combined an overdone baroque interior and an unadorned exterior and became a famous hangout for movie people of the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. It was one of "the" places to be seen and guaranteed being written about in the gossip columns of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons. The site of Ciro's became The Comedy Store in 1972.
- Eleven Nightclub - 8811 Santa Monica Blvd. "West Hollywood's premiere luxury nightclub destination."
 - Greystone Manor Supperclub - 643 North La Cienega Blvd. "Its a good sign when at midnight the line is full of 10s who will actually wait to get in." Greystone Manor is a supperclub situated in the heart of West Hollywood that offers an alluring combination of cuisine, mixology, and cutting-edge design and entertainment.
- GUYS & DOLLS - 8713 Beverly Blvd.
 - HYDE LOUNGE - 8029 Sunset Blvd. "Welcome to Exclusivity."
- La Rue - 8361 Sunset Blvd. Opened in 1944, now long closed.
- MI-6 - 9077 Santa Monica Blvd.
 - MOCAMBO - (1941-1958). Nightclub was a nightclub at 8588 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. The club's Latin American-themed decor designed by Tony Duquette cost $100,000. Along the walls were glass cages holding live cockatoos, macaws, seagulls, pigeons, and parrots. With big band music, the club became one of the most popular dance-till-dawn spots in town. On any given night, one might find the room filled with the leading men and women of the motion picture industry. In 1943, when Frank Sinatra became a solo act, he made his Los Angeles debut at the Mocambo.
- The Abbey - "A West Hollywood Icon." 692 N Robertson Blvd.
- The Beverly - 8713 Beverly Blvd.
- The Viper Room - It was opened in 1986 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp. While predominantly known as a music venue, the Viper Room also hosts a lower level below the stage and audience area, which is home to a large whiskey bar. 8852 West Sunset Boulevard.
 - Troubadour - 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard. "Since opening in 1957, the legendary Troubadour club in West Hollywood has helped launch some of contemporary music's most talented performers. Greats such as Elton John, James Taylor and Tom Waits performed there early in their careers, and it continues to be a destination for cutting-edge acts from around the world."
- VILLA LOUNGE - 8623 Melrose Ave.
- VOYEUR - 7969 Santa Monica Blvd.
 - WHISKY A GO GO - 8901 West Sunset Blvd. Opened on January 16, 1964. Has been called the first real American discothèque.
- WINSTON'S - 7746 Santa Monica Blvd.
|
|
