Nightlife in Scarborough

If you’re looking for a live music pub, the Tap & Spile is one of your top options. It’s a little walk away from the town centre but well worth hunting down. They have a great selection of cask ales which are always well looked after, the faces behind the bar are always friendly, the food’s good, the decor is a bit dated but the gigs are frequent, and the atmosphere is great.

Another excellent choice if you’re on the hunt for a gig and a pint is The Waterhouse on St Thomas Street. In some way, shape or form there’ll be live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The pub’s recently been refurbished, so it’s clean and nicely decorated. There’s a solid selection of drinks to choose from, and, best of all, it’s less than a five-minute walk from our Scarborough South Bay hotel.

The Cask Inn near Scarborough Station is also absolutely top drawer. The homemade food is excellent, and portions are huge. As you can probably tell from the name, it’s a great cask ale pub. But what really sets The Cask Inn apart from anywhere else is the subterranean jazz club in the cellar beneath the pub. It’s on every Wednesday. It’s not free, but tickets are a pittance, and considering the quality of music, we’d happily pay more.

Moving on, The Stumble Inn is a micropub near the train station. Size isn’t everything; the proof is in the pint. This tiny boozer has bags full of character. It’s decorated with hundreds of pump clips, there’s always a handful of great real ales and ciders to choose from. There’s no music, or TVs, or frankly anything, just places to sit, people to talk to, and the occasional dog to pet.

Last of all, we can’t talk about pubs without mentioning The Golden Ball. It’s a Sam Smiths pub, so expect cheap and absolutely delicious beers. It’s in a prime location overlooking the harbour. There’s a beer garden for when the weather’s kind, a roaring fire in winter, and a quiet lounge if you want to sup your beer in peace. The Golden Ball is a local hot spot, so it can get very busy, but don’t let that deter you from popping in for a pint, it’s a great pub.

While your main nightlife options are pubs in Scarborough, there are a couple of bars worthy of an honourable mention. First up is The Merchant. It’s an Irish bar with a serious penchant for live music on Eastborough. It’s got bags full of character, and while your first thought might be that it’s a bit spit-and-sawdust, you’ll soon come to love the place; the guys and gals behind the bar are friendlier than a pack of puppies, the whisky selection is rather wonderful, and the music is always grand. It’s the kind of bar where you call in for a pint and end up staying all night for the craic.

If you prefer something a little less rough around the edges, make your way to Ink Lounge & Bar on the Esplanade. They do the best cocktails in Scarborough, the decor is wonderfully stylish, and while it looks like the kind of place where a drink will cost you an arm and a leg, prices are actually very reasonable. Back to the cocktails, they’re absolutely delicious and made to perfection. Alternatively, purists can take their pick from the selection of top-shelf spirits including over 100 different gins.