Top 10 Nightlife Places in Cleveland , Ohio

2095 Columbus Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113-4228

A cozy club where chic types order top-shelf mixed drinks and enjoy live music nightly.

Overstuffed couches, an elegant bar and a well-used piano sit under a tin ceiling and comfortably dim lighting. The private back room has a club-like atmosphere for those allowed entry; outside there's a small putting green for self-proclaimed high rollers. Jazzy and soulful tunes are performed (usually unobtrusively) nightly. Go for top-shelf mixed drinks and be prepared to shell out some bucks. Sipping champagne cocktails while chilling to the piano player makes for a sophisticated version of a relaxed evening.

2) Smedlys Bar and Grill

17004 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111

Smedley's is one of Cleveland's best kept secrets. Located just a stones throw from Kamm's Corners on the north side of Lorain Avenue, Smedley's is that rare combination of neighborhood bar, biker bar, military bar, just plain folks bar, and music venue where all types can gather together and rub elbows comfortably. On any given night you'll see a great mix of ages, cultures, and styles. Though the crowd can get rowdy, the place is self policing and rudeness is NOT tolerated. If you are part of the Smedley's crowd, you are part of a family that values respect and courtesy. And the music 3 to 4 nites a week is FABULOUS! From Armstrong Bearcat, to Becky Boyd, to Walkin' Cane, to Allan Greene, to Sonny PC Williams, and many, many more, you are ALWAYS assured of great music at Smedley's. The house band, The Freebyrds featuring Stibbs on lead guitar is a particular treat. Inexpensive neighborhood prices with better than average selections of brew & booze. Good bar food with daily specials for lunch & dinner. As a life long Cleveland resident, guitar player, and music fan, I am really careful where I spend my entertainment dollar. I give Smedley's a BIG thumbs up for value and quality of entertainment. It ain't flashy, it ain't fancy, but it sure as hell is FUN!

3) Beachland Ballroom and Tavern

15711 Waterloo Rd
Cleveland, OH 44110

Local legends Mark Leddy and Cindy Barber founded the Beachland as a high-quality, non-corporate venue to showcase the region's most adventurous, diverse and eclectic bookings. Inside, classic blue-collar beer garnishments mix with modern-day movie posters for a cool effect, but it's the club's layout that's the key to its diversity. There are two main concert rooms, the Ballroom and the Tavern, which allow two shows to fire up simultaneously. The Ballroom is the larger hall, designated for national and local acts that draw ample crowds. The Tavern is a cozier room where watching live music is a bit more personal

4) Blind Pig Speakeasy

1228 W Sixth St
Cleveland, OH 44113

The Pig takes pride that no blenders exist on its premises. The bar is well-maintained and happens to be in a building registered as a historical landmark. There's live music on the weekends, and this is one of the closest-to-the-stadium options for notoriously thirsty Browns die-hards. The creative menu is a down-to-earth alternative to the numerous ultra-swank eateries in the neighborhood. The beer selection is large, though by no means unique, and friendly bartenders pour stiff cocktails.

5) Odeon Concert Club

1295 Old River Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113

Expect a big barn structure with an open floor and a roomy upstairs balcony. With a capacity of around 1,000, the venue plays host to mid-sized national touring acts, indie faves and reunion tours (from folk to metal). The sound mix is consistently excellent and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame often pairs with the club to host various tribute shows, such as the Robert Johnson Juke Joint Jam.

6) Robin's Nest

4059 St Clair Ave
Cleveland, OH 44103-1117

With a dimly lit interior that suggests the days of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, this bar has the feel of a place that has been around for years. A long bar and friendly staff greet visitors. In the main room, there are small tables and a well-lit, classy and cool stage; walls are covered with prints of jazz giants interspersed with black and red curtains.

7) Peabody's Down Under

2083 E 21st St
Cleveland, OH 44115

The main room is the largest and features a four-sided bar with good sightlines to a stage that hosts national and better-drawing local acts, while Pirates Cove offers a smaller stage in a cave-like room with an adjoining outdoor patio. The upstairs Rockstar bar has the most personality, including the smallest of the three stages and "The Makeout Room," replete with leather couches

8) Budapest Blonde

6901 Rockside Rd
Independence, OH 44131

Owner Ilona Simon (the "blonde") transformed this sliver of a shopping mall into a stylishly European, comfortable wine bar. Gilt-framed mirrors dominate the decor, with a crystal clock keeping bar time over the smoke-free conversation. The drink list features drinks like a 10-ounce lemoncello-laced martini and unusual wines, including Hungarian Egri Bikaver. Try the goose liver and Muenster appetizer.

9) Edison's Pub

2373 Professor Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113-4629

At first glance, it's fairly obvious that this cozy, European-style pub is decorated to honor Thomas Alva Edison, with odd artifacts from the turn of the 20th century adorning the bar's tiny front section. It's also fairly obvious that if Edison hung out much at his namesake, he wouldn't have invented a damn thing.

That's because he would have had more than 100 types of beer to drink up, several of which are typically hard to find. Sandy, the manager, recommends the St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout on tap, the Hoegaarden Belgium White and the Leifman Fraumbozien Bier (a raspberry wine-style ale). The bartenders are well-educated on the line-up, and if you still need help choosing, expert Sandy's usually there. Despite the fancy brews, Edison's is an unpretentious hangout built in a converted house. Up a few stairs, the bar's second level stretches out with booths, a pool table and a summer patio.

Invent-O-Meal
Edison's Next Door Deli is but a few steps away--serving up great sandwiches to all Tremont night owls.

10) Velvet Dog

1280 W Sixth St (Cross Street: Saint Clair Avenue)
Cleveland, OH 44113

There's one window that gets plenty of talk at the Dog: It's a one-way mirror in the men's room that overlooks the dance floor, allowing visiting males a gander at the evening's prospects. But the ground-level innovations stop with the pee(p) show. Its first floor possesses all the familiar trappings of a typical dance club. However, this relatively swank Warehouse District spot added two more floors that pull in huge weekend crowds.