10 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Santo Domingo

Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito is an underrated gem for history and culture in Santo Domingo. It hosts multiple floors, with 3 main spaces that put on a variety of performances, including theatre, live music, ballet, opera, and award shows.

Certain plays provide interesting information about the country and its most well-known figures like Ulises Heureaux, former president of the Dominican Republic in the late 1800s. It’s worth visiting Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito just to get a glimpse of its magnificent neoclassical architecture.

Sabina Bar offers live music and a chance to mingle with friendly locals and visitors in Santo Domingo. Located in the centre of Colonial City, it has a fantastic vibe and walls that are covered with old records and hand-written notes from happy customers.

Spending the evening at Sabina Bar is one of the best things to do after dinner in Santo Domingo. The comfortable space often hosts locally renowned artists, while its drinks list includes exceptional, creative cocktails for the most discerning tastes.

Coolmado Las Mercedes combines a bar with a colmado (convenience store). Not only does it sell many day-to-day items you might need, but it’s also a great place to meet people and enjoy a drink in Santo Domingo.

Most colmados in the Dominican Republic are too small to actually hang out inside, but Coolmado Las Mercedes has ample space to spend an evening in. It frequently hosts live music and cultural events. Some have even called it the “coolest colmado on Earth.” Prices are reasonable, too.

La Alpagateria is a trendy speakeasy with a quirky entrance. To get inside, you’ll have to walk through a shoe shop, where you’ll see skilled artisans making espadrilles. Continue making your way inside and the store will open up into a trendy café with intimate nooks, comfortable seating, and a lush courtyard.

If you like good German beers or craft cocktails (try the ginger-lemon margarita) along with a somewhat quirky ambience, you definitely won’t want to miss La Alpagateria. The speakeasy is just a 5-minute walk from the Church of Our Lady of Las Mercedes.

Casa de Teatro was created as a non-profit venue by Dominican author Freddy Ginebra to help young actors perform independent plays in Santo Domingo. Opened in 1974, it became a cultural centre that managed to raise a large number of funds for a wide range of events.

The space, which sits within a historic colonial house, has hosted actors, musicians, dancers, artists, and photographers. Santo Domingo’s annual jazz festival takes place in Casa de Teatro between June and July. You can expect world-class performances by local and international jazz musicians.

Parada 77 is a laidback, grungy bar in Colonial City, just a short walk of the Alcázar de Colón and Plaza de la Hispanidad or Spain. There's no dress code here, so expect a fun vibe throughout the night. You can enjoy strong sangria paired with a merengue soundtrack.

Parada 77 stays open well into the morning hours, with DJs spinning the latest salsa, reggaeton, merengue, and international hits. Sunday nights are especially high energy as just about everyone come here to party and mingle.

Merengue Club is a casual nightspot in Santo Domingo’s Ciudad Colonial. It usually plays American oldies throughout the day, but visit after 9 pm to enjoy salsa, bachata, and merengue until the next day.

Another big plus is that it’s a popular spot among locals and tourists, providing a great venue to mingle and enjoy drinks. The bartenders at Merengue Club are known to be phenomenal at both mixing and entertaining. The dance bar/club is just a short walk from Parque Colón (Columbus Park) and Palacio Consistorial de Santo Domingo.

Visiting the Jet Set Club is one of the best things to do after dinner in Santo Domingo, especially if you're looking for live bachata and merengue. This is one of the city’s most revered nightlife venues, attracting partygoers since the 1960s.

On Monday nights, the bar/club hosts live music by outstanding local artists. There's usually a cover charge on nights when famous bands are scheduled to perform. The Jet Set Club is located in Avenida Independencia, just south of the Mirador Del Sur Joaquín Balaguer Park.

Hard Rock Live is part of the trendy and upscale BlueMall, right in the heart of Santo Domingo. This nightspot is especially convenient for guests of the JW Marriott Hotel as it’s right next door.

Hard Rock Live is an outstanding venue for concerts, with 2 floors and an upscale ambience to match the mall. There’s also a gorgeous rooftop terrace, a mezzanine, and a hip VIP bar called Electric Pink. You can enjoy live rock, salsa, and merengue until late. Most people don’t arrive until after 11 pm, and the energetic atmosphere doesn’t end until around 4 am.

Monasterio de San Francisco, or San Francisco Monastery, offers a trip back in time and unforgettable open-air concerts in Santo Domingo. It was established by Franciscan fathers in 1508, making it one of the first monasteries in the New World. 

Monasterio de San Francisco was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times over the years by fire and earthquakes. Visit on Sundays to enjoy free live performances. Hundreds of locals from around the city and beyond come to the complex for a night of dancing to merengue, salsa, and son cubano.