Rab nightlife and bar guide

Catch one of the hourly buses from 10pm from Rab town for the 10-km (six-mile) trip to Pudarica beach by Barbat, and a decadent outdoor dance experience. Hundreds of punters, plus the occasional go-go dancer, shimmy on the pebble beach to house and disco hits. There are also gigs by local bands. SBC has a thatch-shaded lounge, a beach volleyball court and a small pool for those who show up (and pose) by day. Modelled after the beach clubs on nearby Pag, the Santos may not be original but it can guarantee you a busy party most nights in high season.

The boat-shaped cocktail bar in Forum’s front terrace, in the heart of the old town, gives a slightly naff touristy look to the place, but this is a real bar, the spot where Croatians tend to hang out when they visit Rab. As the night gets later, the action here shifts from the terrace to the dark pub-like interior. The music, nodding towards rock by day, drifts to dance tunes by the evening, with DJs playing weekend nights. Not quite a club, but a busy late bar.

It’s hard to miss the night spot of the Hotel International, slap in the middle of the harbour, inside a piece of city wall in the Old Town. As the bars around close, this decent-sized dance space fills with a fun-loving crowd, ready to party to commercial dance tunes. The staff are up for a party too, and the volume of holidaymakers should guarantee an entertaining evening. By day, the terrace comes into its own for relaxed coffees.

On the seaside walkway beneath the spot where Komrčar Park meets the Old Town, Banova Vila may not be paradise but get the right sunset with the right someone, and this little beachside bar will be damn close. A thatched roof and 25 types of cocktails, averaging around 30kn, help things along nicely. Everyone, the staff included, seems young and good-looking, and you can sip drinks by the sea until 3am.

Beside Trg Sv Kristofor, where Rab’s Old Town begins to bustle with bar life, this attractive café boasts a spacious, shaded terrace, a pleasant interior and a small gem of a courtyard at the back. It’s a fine place for a daytime coffee or to kick off an evening’s bar crawl. Generous, reasonably priced drinks snappily served are an added incentive.

Next door’s Santa Maria restaurant is behind this slick cocktail bar with great service and music ranging from Latin to electronic. The name and decor continue the restaurant’s Columbus theme. There are over 50 cocktails on offer, frozen, champagne-based and sours, averaging at 45kn. During happy hour from 6pm, several go for 30kn.