The temple city of Madurai has more of a cultural nightlife than a rocking one. There are some decent nightclubs and bars here where you can enjoy drinks and dancing. But if you want to see the true colours of Madurai, you have to get out on the streets from the evenings itself, participate in festivals, enjoy its cuisine, besides doing many other things. For first time visitors to Madurai, apart from visiting its numerous temples, these are the most interesting places to visit in Madurai at night.
25 Awesome Places to Visit in Madurai at Night
Best Pubs & Bars to Visit in Madurai at Night
1. Sangam Bar
This bar in the Sangam Hotel is a great place to start your evenings on a high note. The bar has excellent décor and a relaxing ambience. The people that you can expect here in the night time will speak volumes about the reputation of this bar.
It has the most vibrant of the dance floor and great live music. The bar is well stocked with a wide range of drinks, from beers, wines, vodka and other spirits, to impressive cocktails, mocktails and soft drinks. The finger food is amazing too and goes well with the drinks.
2. Ecstasy Bar
This bar, located opposite American College is another popular place for night time entertainment. It has a full bar with an amazing array of drinks. Its location in the happening Goripalayam area sees it filled with people who want to unwind after a hectic day of work.
3. Cloud Seven
This bar in the luxurious Germanus Hotel in Madurai has a chill out atmosphere, where you can drink and relax with friends. The exquisite décor and ambience of this bar is perfect for a night of chilled drinks and relishing on juicy snacks and finger food.
There’s plenty to enjoy, from the music to the dance floor. The seating is very cosy and the place is a haven for folks who want to hang out the night and drink with friends.
4. Harveys Lounge Bar
Being in this lounge bar is not just about drinking. This bar elevates your drinking experience and makes it more appealing. You can catch up with some book reading in a quiet corner, all by yourself, or play snooker with friends. The décor is pretty cool and the ambience is nice too. After a tired day’s work, or sightseeing around Madurai, nothing could be more inviting than the drinks at this bar.
5. Tasty Bar
This bar in Hotel Prem Niwas has all the usual alcoholic beverages and cocktails for guests. The elegant décor of the bar and its cosy ambience is perfect for a relaxing night in Madurai.
6. Impala Bar
Eager for a night-out with friends in Madurai? Try the Impala Bar in Hotel Impala. It has a disco floor and some live music playing for guests. Enjoy a sip from their well-stocked bar. It has all the usual alcohols and other soft drinks.
7. Freedom Bar
This bar in Hotel Golden Park has a pretty casual and laid-back ambience. They make some scintillating cocktails, besides serving the usual hard liquor like wines, beers, vodka, whisky etc.
8. Festival Bar
This bar has a decent crowd coming here to enjoy the nightlife of Madurai. It serves a range of premium wines, cocktails, vodka, whiskey and other drinks. The food is tasty too. Enjoy dancing on the dance floor with some cool music playing along.
9. Fashion Bar
This bar is a good place to relax in the evenings in Madurai in the company of chilled beer, some titbits, and friends. They have a nice range of drinks, along with delectable finger food.
10. Sky High Bar
This lounge bar in Hotel Park Plaza has a gorgeous ambience and swanky interiors. Ambient lighting of the place with cosy seating will make you relax after a busy day of travelling and sightseeing. It has a fully stocked up bar with a stunning range of liquors and non-alcoholic beverages.
11. Mohanam Bar
This bar in the luxurious Hotel Madurai Residency is all about chilling out with your pals and drinking through the night, amidst casual conversations. The décor, ambience, seating, all are made for total relaxation and comfort. The full bar, with ambient lighting, has an amazing range of cocktails, vodkas, and other liquor. The food is tasty too.
12. Apollo 96 Bar
This space-themed bar in Hotel Supreme is a great place for relaxation and some moments of joy in Madurai. Bright neon lights, space-themed décor, and seating will make you feel like being in a spaceship. Choose any drink from the bar, it will be great to accompany it with delicious food.
13. Swig & Tee Bar
Visiting this bar in the luxurious Heritage hotel in Madurai can be a very beautiful experience. The contemporary décor of the bar, warm lighting, plush sofa seating, will draw you towards it. They have a fully stocked bar with delicious cocktails, beers, wines, whiskies and other drinks. It’s a perfect way to catch up with friends and have a good time.
14. The Ranch Bar
This bar in the exquisite Fortune Pandiyan Hotel is another place to unwind, relax and drink. They have a pleasant décor and a warming ambience. Seating is very cosy and comfortable. From premium wines to imported beers, they have all the liquor for guests. The food has a range of delectable dishes that will complement your drinks too.
Cool Nightclubs to Visit in Madurai at Night
1. Vijay Disco
It is a happening discotheque in Madurai and a great place to party through the night. They have a fabulous dance floor and disco lighting. DJs, with their excellent remixing skills, keep the visitors grooving on their feet. The place buzzes with excitement as the evening progresses, and the young crowd starts to pour in into this discotheque. They have a range of drinks too.
2. Aphrodisiac Nite Club
Yet another trendy place to visit in Madurai for its live DJ and dance floor. This nightclub sees the colourful crowd coming from evenings and hanging out late into the night. The club has ambient lighting, a great dance floor and some excellent drinks too. As the DJs start to pump out hip music, the crowd enjoys themselves grooving.
Phenomenal Coffee Shops to Visit in Madurai at Night
1. Sri Meenakshi Coffee Bar
This road-side coffee shop and eatery are the most famous street food joints in Madurai. They run this place for decades and have made a name for themselves as the most preferred eating joints in Madurai. They serve the most authentic prepared South Indian dishes along with the famous ‘Madurai Kaapi’. It remains open until night and sees many people crowded around to have the coffee.
2. Royal Coffee Bar
Yet another popular coffee shop, this time in the busy Tamil Sangham Road, serves the most flavorful and strong varieties of coffee. It remains open past midnight, so all the more reason to drop here for a cup of exquisite coffee.
3. Kalapilla Tea Stall
This humble place in Madurai serves delicious street food of Madurai and hot piping teas and coffees. Food is prepared with authentic ingredients and cooked in traditional ways. Affordable rates and flavorful taste draw people to visit this roadside stall even at night.
4. Famous Shopping Centers to Visit in Madurai at Night
Most markets in Madurai keep open till late night. Shopping here is a delightful experience with so many things to buy. The area around Meenakshi Temple has many shops selling anything from textiles, handlooms, silk sarees, jewellery, ornaments, idols, utensils, and pooja accessories.
There are many skilled tailors who would make your clothes ready within a few hours. Chithirai and Massi streets have big shopping complexes and markets selling traditional garments, fashion accessories, jewellery, readymade dresses etc.
5. Fabulous Street Food Stalls
The street food eateries of Madurai are mostly centred around its temples, markets, bus terminals, and railway stations. They do not adhere to a fixed closing time and are usually open 24 hours. You get a stunning variety of dosas, idlis, appams, rice dishes, uttappams along with special Madurai dishes like Pongal, Kothu Parotta, and drinks like Jigarthanda and Paruthi Paal.
Amma Mess, Madurai Idli Shop, Murugan Idli Shop, Ayyapan Tiffin House, East Murrat Street, Meena’s Idli Stall are some top places to eat out in Madurai.
6. Top Movie Theaters
Going out to watch a movie in the popular theatres in Madurai is yet another thing you can do in the night. There are several theatres that play Hindi and English movies along with Tamil movies. Tamil Jaya cinemas, Ambiga cinemas, Vetri cinemas, and INOX cinemas are the famous places to go for watching a movie in Madurai.
7. Cultural Musical Programmes
Those culturally inclined can find themselves enjoying the culture of Madurai in their own unique ways. To spend the musical nights in Madurai, you can visit various auditoriums for their classical music concerts. Tamil Isai Sangham organizes many such concerts in Madurai. There are dance festivals, where well-known dancers and artists from all over India perform.
Glorious Festivals to Visit in Madurai at Night
1. Jallikattu
This festival is more about brute force and strength than about culture. Here a wild bull is left loose and hundreds of people try to tame the bull by sheer force and physical strength. The festival is held immediately after the harvest festival of Pongal.
Whoever manages to tame the bull is declared the winner and is showered with prizes and acknowledgements. It is a famous public event where you participate free and there are no timings for this event.
2. Float Festival
The Float Festival is celebrated on Full Moon nights in Madurai. It includes taking the idols from the main temple to an island in the middle of a lake and returning them back to the temple. It is a major festival celebrated with great festivities in Madurai.
The colourful procession of the idols to the lake, the lighted boat on which the idols are placed and the return of the idols is a brilliant event, with spectacular fireworks in the night, lighted streets, and attended by millions of devotees.
We are as amazed as you are to know of such places in Madurai to visit at night. If your day is spent in temple hopping, the nights can be as active too, with a visit to various pubs and bars. But the street food and festivals are what takes the cake!! They bring out a nightlife that shines with a thousand lights, and festivities that refuse to die.
If you are also one of those who have enjoyed the nightlife of Madurai, then do write of your experiences. If you know of other places that you think deserves a place in this list, do so in the comments section below. It will bring utmost pleasure to us to keep showing exciting new places to visit in this temple town at night.