Colorful and Caribbean in style, Quinn's has indoor and outdoor seating with soothing views of the sand and Gulf of Mexico at the JW Marriott Marco Island Resort. Live entertainment happens nightly beginning at 6:30 p.m., including a sunset fire dancer. Its specialty drinks include a spicy mango margarita, blackberry lemonade and a top-heavy bloody mary with bacon and shrimp. The same food menu runs through lunch and dinner hours. It offers a slew of casual beach eats such as ceviche, tacos, chicken wings, salads and and eat shrimp, but there is also more serious fare such as grilled flat iron steak and lobster sofrito. Note: Non-resort guests are welcome after 5 p.m.
Recommended for Bars because: It has the best view of any bar on Marco Island and is popular with beach-goers as well as resort guests.
Chelle's expert tip: Don't miss the dramatic fire dancer show that entertains each evening at sunset.
Billing itself as an Italian gastropub, Bar Tulia grew up next to big brother Osteria Tulia as a noisier and younger version with a more active bar scene. Unlike typical British or Irish pubs, the focus here is more on craft cocktails and fine food than beer. It DOES have "Birra" from Italy, Florida and beyond. The craft cocktails run the gamut from classics to creative ventures with names such as Don't Call Me Pina, Basil Advice and Devil's Backbone. Some favorite noshes: fried pig ears, grilled fennel sausage, charred octopus, fish tacos, beef short rib burger, pizza and pasta. Its newer spinoff at Mercato, too, has an avid following.
Recommended for Bars because: Bar Tulia is the nightlife hot spot on Fifth Avenue South.
Chelle's expert tip: The Roman Ramen puts a hip spin on that old dorm-room standby with pork belly, sausage, mussels and shrimp.
One of a chain of upscale bars nationwide (but mostly in Florida), Naples' Blue Martini has bars both outside and inside that fill nearly every night. Happy hour from 4 to 8 p.m. discounts all drinks 50 percent. Live bands typically play from 7:30 to 11 p.m., at which time the house DJ takes over, spinning the hits until 2 a.m. The bar also offers weekly specials such as Wednesday Girls Night. The over-sized Blue Martini is the signature drink - made with blue curacao and Cointreau and served with a glow stick. It matches the flashy glow of the inside bar, where the dance floor fills with party people all night long. Food from light nibbles to full-blown dinners are available throughout the night.
Recommended for Bars because: It is a hot spot in North Naples for all ages.
Chelle's expert tip: Go before 11 p.m. for a mature crowd, after 9 a.m. for a young vibe.
A modernized, Americanized notion of the British pub institution, it nonetheless is popular among lovers of beer, fine liquors and pub food. It lies along a strip of bars at Mercato Shops, a lively and youthful shopping and entertainment complex. Like many of the others, this is a chain, and it feels a bit cookie-cutter. It does take its tipples seriously, however, featuring more than 23 English, Irish, Belgian and American beers on tap, including rotating local craft beers. Its selection of single-malt scotches and small batch and single barrel bourbons is also quite impressive. In the food department, you will find classics such as Shepherd's Pie and Bangers & Mash, but also burgers, salads and sandwiches.
Recommended for Bars because: This place is nearly always busy and boasts impressive lines of beer and liquor.
Chelle's expert tip: People-watching is best from the patio; the inside is dark and overly air-conditioned.
You need not be a Green Bay Packers or Florida State University Seminoles fan to enter, but duly note that you will be in the minority here, where Packers and 'Noles memorabilia hang in between dozens of sports TVs. The two indoor bars and one outdoor bar pour more than 12 draft beers alone. Pelican Larry's, which has spinoffs in East and North Naples, wins awards for its raw bar and chicken wings. It is also proud of its seven varieties of burgers, sliders, fried baskets, Neapolitan pizza, grouper Reuben, Philly cheesesteak and spicy taco queso dip. The three seating areas are spacious but crowded when the big games air.
Recommended for Bars because: Pelican Larry's is the place to watch the game and get your fill of pub grub.
Chelle's expert tip: This is one long happy hour: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.
This new downtown hot spot wears its drink-and-party mission proudly, making no excuses that the smart, U-shaped bar dominates the restaurant, both conceptually and architecturally. Okay, so it uses the verbiage Sip + Socialize, which fits better with the classy, sleek design of the new building on 12th Avenue. But that doesn't mean the kitchen wants. Yes, the General Pepper martini (green chili vodka and prickly pear liqueur) and other clever craft cocktails, such as the Cedar Fire Old Fashion with maple syrup and candied bacon - create the buzz at The Bevy (short for "beverage"), but wait until you try the apple and prosciutto flatbread, beet salad with carrot ginger dressing, lamb ragout (with pappardelle and whipped goat cheese), or Hot and Crunchy Trout with corn flake and plantain crust. Then you will know that food is no afterthought. Open-air dining rooms flank the bar, which gets packed as soon as doors open at 3:00.
Recommended for Bars because: Downtown Naples' hot spot makes drinking seem classy again.
Chelle's expert tip: Craft beer-lovers will find local brews on tap. Order your favorite flavor from Naples Beach Brewery.
An out-of-the-box steakhouse, its courtyard seating area turns into a hot music and dance arena as night falls. It also touts its reputation for craft cocktails, some of which fill glass orbs overhanging the outdoor bar. They include the smooth Continental Innovation, blended with Death's Door gin, Cocchi Americano Bianco, Carpano Bianco and grapefruit bitters. Made to order craft cocktails include a Sazarac stirred with Old Overholt rye whiskey, yellow chartreuse, absinthe, and Peychaud's bitters; and The Church Key, a blend of Four Roses small batch bourbon, blueberry-sage shrub and lemon. The Continental's savvy wine menu lists 25 by the glass and devotes one page-plus each to "Chardonnay in Every Style," "Burgundian Descendants" and other categories. Bar and late-night menus serve out-of-the-ordinary bar food until midnight.
Recommended for Bars because: The Continental is known for its craft cocktails and impressive wine list, plus there's live entertainment.
Chelle's expert tip: The Continental's burger blends scraps from its fine steaks. Divine!
Although it strongly promotes its rose and frose selections from around the world, The Hampton Social rounds out its bar menu with inventive craft cocktails and extensive liquor and wine varieties. Sample signature drinks such as the Honey Cove with tea-infused bourbon, apricot liqueur and honey; or the Summer in the East End, a fruit Aperol spritz. The tasteful, nautically themed bar spills onto the patio at one end and into the dining room at the other. (Make it an evening and sample the excellent coastal cuisine.) Daily happy hour happens 3 to 6 p.m. and offers half off rosé plus $5 mixed cocktails along with nosh discounts.
Recommended for Bars because: With a tagline "Rose All Day," its bar program is unique with craft cocktails and extensive rose and other wine offerings.
Chelle's expert tip: Make reservations for its daily happy hour. It's that popular.
Like many of the finest drinking establishments in the Mercato center, The 239 is equally loved for its food as for its nightlife scene, which makes it a perfect spot for guiltless day drinking. Especially on a sunny day on The 239's outdoor patio. Its mimosa flights are a huge hit for brunch or anytime of the day. Musicians, DJs and comedians entertain certain days. Happy hour is from 2:39 (of course) to 6 p.m. daily. Known for its locally sourced kitchen ingredients, its craft beers and mixologist potions too pay love to Floridian products.
Recommended for Bars because: Its entertainment, craft cocktails and lively indoor and outdoor scene draws a party crowd.
Chelle's expert tip: Mimosa flights come in combos of three or six with unusual juices such as lavender or mango chili.
Here's an example of how the Oyster Society's bar team make classic cocktails into a creation of their own: For New Orleans traditional brandy crusta, they substitute a fine cognac, replace the prescribed orange curaçao liqueur with Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur and eliminate the bitters. Then they top it off with dry sparkling wine. The joint has a vintage 20s feel, and the liquor menu goes heavy on the whiskeys. Social Hour runs daily from 4:30 to 6 p.m. (in the bar only) with admirable discounts on drinks and munchies, including the oysters that drive the food menu, along with sushi and other seafood. Weekends bring live jazz to brighten up the lively verve of this indoor-outdoor hot spot.
Recommended for Bars because: Live music on weekends and classic cocktails with a twist strengthen this restaurant's bar scene.
Chelle's expert tip: Social hour (4:30-6 p.m.) is insanely popular. Arrive early.