When you think of Downtown Orlando, you probably think of crazy club nights and higher end luxuries that are completely out of our college student budget… But that is so not the case! Downtown has a lot to offer, from unreal happy hours to cheap ladies nights and much, much more. If you want to spend a night out on the town, make a whole night of it by going to some of our habitual downtown events or bar hopping to all of the newest and best joints around. I know driving downtown from Main Campus can be a hassle, especially if you don’t know where to go or what to do… So here is my list of the best downtown activities you don’t know about, but probably should:
Best Ladies Night: Thirsty Thursdays are where it’s at! I highly recommend going downtown on Thursdays if you’re looking to have a wild night with your gal pals and your pockets are lacking a little moolah. This day is convenient for us girls because a handful of bars in close distance to each other offer a variety of great deals. Check out one and stay there all night or wander the streets swinging by all these awesome late-night stops.
First, you want to go to Vintage Lounge and Vixen Bar, two connected, trendy hot spots with no cover and free martinis all night long! Only a couple blocks away you’ll find Club 23, another stylish nightclub with the same free cover and martinis all night deal. Or if you prefer a more laidback, local scene, go down Orange Ave. to Ibar (Independent Bar) or Bar BQ Bar. Around 11:45 p.m., Ibar offers free PBR until the kegs are finished, so get there early and chug! Right next door at Bar BQ Bar they have 2-4-1 drinks for girls. They also have a few more bars attached, like Eye Spy (in the back) or Sky Sixty (upstairs) where you can dance like crazy to some sick DJs.
Best New Bars: Downtown Orlando has had the pleasure of welcoming some hip new bars into the mix this spring, starting with Ghost Bar. This bar is unique because you can play some throwback board games (like Apples to Apples and Connect 4!), sing some karaoke and win a $50 bar tab every Tuesday, or join them on Sunday Funday for some cheap mimosas and bloody marys. Another newcomer getting a lot of attention is Native, a revamped social bar with hints of heritage from the early Seminole tribes and the pioneers who originally inhabited Orlando. Join them from “Indiestry” night on Wednesdays for half-off drinks, drafts and shots until midnight.
Courtesy Lounge opened last fall, but has gained tons of respect from the locals for their innovative mixed drinks and absinthe options. That’s right, they have an exclusive absinthe menu. No, you won’t hallucinate…this is thujone-free absinthe, which means it’s legal in the U.S. and lacking that delirious affect it’s known for. It’s a cool drink to watch them make, classy to sip, and if you like licorice you’ll love these drinks!
Team Market Group, LLC (masterminds behind Tier Nightclub, Native, and many others) also plan on opening up a series of clubs collectively called The District. The first one, Black Umbrella, will be an upscale cocktail bar; Brick & Brass Eclectic Bar will be a speakeasy lounge and Saddle Up will be an all-American bar.
Best Happy Hours: Downtown Pour House has one of the longest happy hours, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with $2 Bud Light and Miller drafts and $4 calls. The best restaurant happy hour would have to be at Harry Buffalo, Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Indulge yourself with $2 domestic bottle and draft beers and half-off all wells drinks and wines. If you’re looking for a relaxed, indie setting in the North Orange area try the White Wolf Café, where they have half-off house wines, draft beers, and well drinks Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Another mod spot is The Lodge, where you can get 2-4-1 drinks from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day. This place has a very peaceful, woodsy feel.
Best Downtown Events: My favorite monthly downtown event has to be the Thorton 2nd Thursday Wine and Art Crawl. Every 2nd Thursday of the month, meet at Hue Restaurant and pay $10 to get a glass and go to many different vendors where you’ll get nice-size samples of wine, beer, and liquor while viewing local, talented artists of Orlando. Participating vendors include Thorton Park Yoga, Graffiti Junktion, and Iza Tapas Bar. Everything is in close range and they provide you with a map to point you in the right directions. All proceeds go to Thorton Park District’s Non-profit Organization.
I would also vouch for Tasty Tuesdays in the Milk District, a food truck feast that gathers every Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the back lots of 2424 East Robinson Street, in between Bumby Avenue and Primrose Drive. Almost a dozen food trucks get together, including The Yum Yum Truck, Fish Out Of Water Sushi, 5 Gastronomy, and Tubby’s Ice Cream. I try to go almost every Tuesday and try something different every time. It makes for a cute dinner date or hang out spot for you and your friends!
Vintage Lounge, 114 S Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.thevintagelounge.com
Vixen Bar, 118 S Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.vixenbar.com
Club 23, 23 W Church St Orlando, FL 32801, www.23orlando.com
Ibar, 70 N Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.independentbar.net
Bar BQ Bar, 64 N Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.facebook.com/barbqbarinc
Ghost Bar, 56 E Pine St Orlando, FL 32801, www.facebook.com/pages/Ghost-Bar-Lounge/132222616936130
Native, 27 W Church St Orlando, FL 32801, www.nativesocialbar.com
Courtesy Lounge, 114 N Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.facebook.com/pages /The-Courtesy-Bar/267649053320358
The District, TBA on Washington St and Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.teammarketgroup.com/index.php/brands/the-district
Downtown Pour House, 20 S Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.downtownpourhouse.com
Harry Buffalo, 129 W Church St Orlando, FL 32801, www.harybuffalo.com
White Wolf Café, 1829 N Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32804, www.whitewolfcafe.com
The Lodge, 49 N Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, www.facebook.com/lodgeorlando
Thorton 2nd Thursday Wine and Art Crawl, starts at 629 E Central Blvd Orlando, FL 32801, www.facebook.com/events/274277899370552/
Tasty Tuesdays in the Milk District, 2424 E Robinson St Orlando, FL 32803, www.facebook.com/TastyTuesdaysOrlando