5 Best Bars in Nuku'alofa© TongaPocketGuide.com
5 Best Bars in Nuku'alofa

5 Best Bars in Nuku’alofa

© TongaPocketGuide.com

The Top Bars and Nightclubs in Nuku’alofa

Tonga knows how to party! If you don’t believe us, then just head to the city centre or the waterfront of Nuku’alofa on a Friday/Saturday night to see the capital come alive with merry drinkers and dancers. Nuku’alofa’s bar scene can be experienced along the waterfront of Vuna Road, as well as right in the heart of the city. Meet the friendly locals and relax with your mates while trying Tongan beers and refreshing cocktails. Some of the bars also serve up hearty meals in “Tongan-style” portions, so rest assured, you’ll hardly go hungry. Check out some of our top recommended nighttime jaunts in this list of the best bars in Nuku’alofa!

While you’re here, you might also be interested in The Top Cheap Eats in Nuku’alofa, as well as The Adults-Only Travel Guide to Nuku’alofa.

1. Nauti Ruby’s Bar & Nightclub

Drink like a sailor and hang out with expats, locals and tourists alike at Nauti Ruby’s Bar, sometimes seen as “Nauti Rubi’s”. The nautical-themed bar at Faua Wharf has interesting indoor and outdoor spaces to hang/dance/relax, from the happy hour deck with karaoke from 4 pm to 8 pm, to the bar area with a DJ getting the party going from 9 pm. Shoot a game of pool, watch the big game on the screens, and enjoy a non-fussy selection of bottles, spirits and wine. Find them open from 11 am to 12:30 am Monday to Friday, and from 11 am to 11:30 pm Saturday. Cash and card are accepted.

Location: Faua Wharf (behind Pizzaria Royale), Vuna Road, Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa.

5 Best Bars in Nuku'alofa© TongaPocketGuide.com

2. Reload Bar

Your city centre offering of great drinks, great music and a great atmosphere is at the Reload Bar. Located opposite the Friends Cafe, Reload Bar is a popular place to hang out with mates after dinner and meet the locals. Drink Tongan beers on tap or opt for one of their fun pina colada premixed cocktails in a jar; happy hour is from 5 pm to 6 pm with buy-on-get-one-free beers! Pre-drinks and pool get started in the main bar downstairs, then head next door for dancing, and then, if you make it into the wee hours, upstairs is where you can really let your hair down. You also might be lucky enough to catch Reload’s monthly themed nights! Find them open from 3 pm to 12 am Monday to Friday and until 11 pm Saturday.

Location: Taufa’ahau Road (opposite Friends Cafe and the Lagafonua Handicraft Centre), Nuku’alofa city centre.

5 Best Bars in Nuku'alofa© TongaPocketGuide.com

3. Billfish Bar & Restaurant

An open-air bar on the waterfront, Billfish Bar & Restaurant is an awesome place to catch the game, relax with friends or listen to live music. Head over to the bar decorated in trophy billfish for their wide selection of beers, wines and spirits. Or how about treating yourself to one of their famous oversized burgers, like the “Jucie Lucie”? Later into the evening, there’s often live music or an in-house DJ playing tunes well into the night! The restaurant also features in our 10 Best Restaurants in Nuku’alofa. Opening hours are 10 am to 1 am Monday to Friday and 2 pm to 11:30 pm Saturday.

Location: Vuna Road (opposite the eastern end of Faua Wharf), Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa.

5 Best Bars in Nuku’alofa(c) tongapocketguide.com

4. Tali’eva Inn & Bar

For an alternative crowd of 30-50-somethings, head down to Tali’eva Inn & Bar in Nuku’alofa city centre. You’ll find locals playing pool in the courtyard or singing karaoke early on weekdays, while the weekend attracts a fun crowd letting loose to Tongan contemporary music. Rum and coke with real spirits and Long Island iced tea are a favourite here, especially during one of the bar’s flexible happy hours. Find Tali’eva open from 4 pm to 12:30 am Monday to Saturday.

Location: Taufa’ahau Road (next to The Top Restaurant and opposite Cafe Escape), Nuku’alofa city centre.

5 Best Bars in Nuku'alofa© TongaPocketGuide.com

5. Ciora Karaoke Bar

The new kid on the block, Ciora Karaoke Bar is not only a place to work those vocal cords but to find some of the cheapest drinks in town. As the name suggests, it’s karaoke every night at Ciora’s with the odd competition here and there. Drinks are cheap with canned favourites including Long White rum and Woodstock, as well as fun mixers from rum and coke to fruity punch. Ciora’s is open from 4 pm to 1 am Monday to Friday and 3 pm to 1 am Saturday with happy hour on Saturday from 3 pm to 4 pm.

Location: Taufa’ahau Road (a little further south from Tali’eva, opposite Cafe Escape), Nuku’alofa city centre.

5 Best Bars in Nuku'alofa© TongaPocketGuide.com

More About Bars in Nuku’alofa

That’s it for our list of the best nightclubs and bars in Nuku’alofa. For more about partying in Tonga’s capital, take a look at the following:

Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in The Ultimate Guide to the Nightlife in Nuku’alofa & Tongatapu.

Author

Robin (Lopini) C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Tonga Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. Robin works and consults regularly with the Ministry of Tourism of Tonga. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

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