Best Palm Beach Nightlife

A Palm Beach mainstay that opened in 1941, Ta-boo is simply beautiful inside, with plenty of lush greenery, intricately carved woodwork and endless architectural details. It’s become legendary for the rumors of bad behavior that have come out of it (such as the one about Joseph Kennedy locking himself in the ladies room with Gloria Swanson one night). You can dine off the pricey menu or come for drinks and make a night of people-watching. Open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30AM to 10PM, and Friday and Saturday from 11:30AM to 11PM.

This Latin club is made for dancing—salsa, merengue, hip hop, bachata, you name it. A purple glow envelops the crowd grooving on the big wooden dance floor to the sounds of Klave Salsa Band and DJs Rico Sanchez and Lazy. Ladies drink free on Friday nights (the bar is known for its appletinis); Saturdays are “super star Saturdays.”

As rowdy as The Royal Room is restrained, this is a surprising find in Palm Beach. The 23-year-old club opened back when Clematis Street was lined with decaying buildings and crack houses. The street has been utterly gentrified, but Respectable Street refuses to go softly into that good night; its dark, grungy interior vibrates with live alternative music. Street-side windows filled with scribbled ads announce the next big thing, while inside, big black booths and psychedelic wall murals will have you wondering whether you’re still in Palm Beach. Bands like Dead Kennedys, Death Cab for Cutie, and Gene Loves Jezebel have played here, and most nights you'll find local bands playing to a mixed crowd. Cover charge ranges from $5-$20—when cover is charged at all.

Featuring headliners from Manhattan’s hottest cabarets, this is where you’ll find an impressive lineup of musical talent all summer long, between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends—and, if you scour the audience, some famous faces from the society pages of the tabloids and glossy lifestyle magazines, as well. Don’t expect to rock it all night long at The Royal Room, but if you’re up for an elegant evening with some superb small group performances, check it out.

This is the perfect place to wear that little “barely there” dress you picked up at Michael Kors on Worth Avenue earlier in the afternoon. Located inside the historic Chesterfield Hotel, the décor of this famous lounge built in 1926 lives up to its name, with leopard-spotted carpeting, tablecloths, dishes and even servers’ vests, with red accents all around (aptly described in one review as a “bordello-cum-jungle theme”). There’s live music nightly—on any given evening, swing, jazz, show tunes or classical guitar may be on the bill—and the list of unlikely sounding yet roundly addictive martinis is worth sampling. Happy hour is from 5PM to 7PM every day, and if you’re so inclined, you can dine here as well.