Where do you head if you want a more contemporary after hours alternative?
Lanzarote boasts a new generation of stylish bars – offering hotter sounds and cooler surrounds.
The Hawaiian Bar : Puerto del Carmen
Other venues may boast more lavish décor but it’s the friendly, efficient bar staff and quality tunes that create the unique atmosphere at this intimate little bar – based at the San Antonio Hotel end of the main strip on the Avenidas de las Playas.
This Dutch owned and operated venue has been popular with long term residents of all nationalities for years – uniting the crowds with chilled house and good time grooves.
Things can get especially lively at the weekends – with the addition of DJ sets from resident Harry Picon as well as owner Sylvie, who makes regular buying trips to keep her play list bang up to date.
Highly recommended – but don’t expect it to get busy much before midnight.
Rumm : Puerto del Carmen
Rumm is the brash newcomer in Puerto del Carmen, featuring the sort of neutral décor that you’d usually associate with city-centre style bars.
That´s thanks to the work of Madrid based interior designer Tomas Alia. Who has created a cool white interior that provides the perfect backdrop for clever lighting effects and projections.
Rumm also boasts a great location – tucked away down in the Old Town harbour just next to the ever-popular Casa Roja restaurant. And this can all be enjoyed to maximum effect on the outdoor terrace.
The upstairs disco is open until 5am and the play list never veers far from the sort of Latin House that goes down well with the predominantly local crowd.
Café La Ola : Puerto del Carmen
Café La Ola is part of the Lañi´s chain that seems to dominate the strip in Puerto del Carmen. But don’t let this put you off – as money has been well spent here on creating a stylish beach front location that is well worth a visit. If just for the décor alone.
La Ola is a hybrid of the oriental and Morrocan– lots of red drapes and banquettes, plenty of buddhas and beautfiul lanterns. Which all work well together to create a nicely chilled atmosphere – especially once the diners have all finished up.
In terms of the music La Ola usually offers a selection of deep house and electro. Plus a variety of live events and performances, such as Jazz on Wednesday’s and Sunday´s Soul Fusion night.
Bar La Cueva/LagOmar : Nazaret
It may be off the beaten track. But Bar La Cueva is – without doubt – the best looking bar on the island.
And no surprise really, as it was designed by Lanzarote´s very own king of cool, Cesar Manrique.
Bar La Cueva was originally part of the house that Manrique created for actor Omar Sharif back in the 1970´s. So it includes all of his usual trademark touches such as pools, water features and great planting.
As the name suggests, the bar is based within a group of small caves forged from the side of a volcano – and at night, with lots of gentle lighting and different corners to explore it´s a magical setting. Especially when the music is right.
And on Wednesdays – from 9pm – it often is, as a carefully selected variety of music sets the mood of the popular Groove nights, which feature a funky fusion of jazz, blues, soul and just about anything else that moves.
Things get hotter at the weekends, especially during the summer – as resident DJ Jacek takes to the turntables from around 11.30 onwards on both Friday and Saturday night.
Café del Mar : Playa Blanca (Marina Rubicon)
Beyond the overt commercialism of the franchise factor lies a beautiful venue – especially if you prefer to chill in the company of plants.
This latest branch of the Café del Mar has been open for couple of years now and it´s main focus is the stunning interior garden – featuring a fine array of palms, flowers and exotica.
More often than not, the venue gets busier during the day – as it´s well located on the Marina Rubicon, which draws plenty of passing tourist traffic. Especially on a Saturday when there´s a market here. So it can make for a decent lunchtime venue too.
But there are still plenty of good nights to enjoy. During the summer, visiting DJ´s feature more prominently and every month Full Moon is marked with a monster party.
© Photo top Sala Rumm- Stylish interior of Sala Rumm.
© Photo bottom James Mitchell- View from the bar at La Cueva, Lag O mar.
