Nightlife in New Britain
Recommended Nightlife by Groupon Customers
One part bowling alley, one part laser-tag arena, and one part sports bar, eSkape Entertainment Center helps guests settle scores with friendly competition before burying rivalries with a post-match toast. Dozens of high-tech bowling lanes aid players’ pursuit of turkeys with electronic score keeping, customized bumper bars, and instructional videos on how to high-five. A dimly lit laser tag course arms players with a phaser gun before sending them in pursuit of the most dangerous game. Partiers can pass birthday parties or bar mitzvahs at The Arena, a party center designed to look like a nightclub with dance floor, neon-lit bar, and sequestered booths with leopard-print seats.
In between strikes, sharpshooting lessons, or surprise parties, guests can refuel with grub from GrillWorks, eSkape's in-house sports bar and lounge, nibbling on fried cheese curds, pulled-pork sliders, or slow-roasted baby back ribs. Attendants can deliver orders directly to each lane, saving bowlers from having to tide themselves over with bites from defective pins.
Black Bear Saloon may have all the wood paneling of a Wild West watering hole, but it boasts many modern amenities, including 33 plasma televisions that deliver sports from around the globe thanks to a DirecTV sports package. Cooks keep stomachs fueled for the action with a selection of wraps, sandwiches, and Angus-beef burgers.
After a game has aired, the staff dims the lights and cranks up the volume on the bar’s speaker system and turns the stage over to a live DJ every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Saturday, before the rise of the moon transforms the mild-mannered dining room into a dance floor, the saloon hosts the kid-friendly Cub Club. The club’s staffers lead tykes in crafts, games, and Wii activities, which gives parents time to grab a relaxed afternoon meal or nap on the cool floor behind the bar.
Thirty high-definition TVs airing sports games make Black Bear Saloon a destination for fans, who fuel up for fist pumps with a menu of American pub favorites. Beef, chicken, and salmon sliders, paired with crispy onion rings, are a pintsize alternative to burgers topped with a selection of gourmet ingredients such as roasted red peppers or avocado. Homemade marinara crowns flatbread pizzas and also serves as a sauce in which to slam-dunk deep-fried nuggets of mac 'n' cheese.
Hosted events are still another reason to visit: on Tuesday nights, the voices of karaoke singers wash over the bar's exposed-brick walls, and Wednesday trivia challenges guests to unearth factoids from their cerebral nooks and crannies. On the weekends, live DJs spin records as guests tap toes and shout requests for favorite Raffi songs from the pub's deep-brown booths.
Behind the rust-red façade of The Brewmaster’s Tavern, a brick fireplace casts rough-hewn pillars and long tables in a soft glow. The historic tavern dates back to 1812 and may have once hosted the nation’s founding fathers for rounds of grog and annual wig swaps. Now, The Brewmaster’s chefs pay homage to New England’s culinary legacy with meats marinated in beer and sherry sauces alongside tender chunks of seafood baked in flaky pastry crusts.
Giant copper kettles overlook the dining room at Sono Brewhouse, glinting in the light that shines over ornate railings, exposed brick walls, and a colorful collection of flags. Shipped to the United States from a brewery in Germany, these kettles infuse the restaurant with a sense of history and spark visitors’ curiosity about the world’s many beer-brewing nations. Bartenders fan these flames of intrigue by serving drafts of Paulaner Hefe-Weizen from Germany and bottles of Rochefort Trappist ale from Belgium and Innis & Gunn oak-aged ale from Scotland.
To complement these globe-trekking brews, chefs forge hearty New England-style and international entrees, such as lobster pot pie, Argentine gaucho steak with chimichurri, and wiener schnitzel accompanied by potato pancakes. They explore even more of the world’s finest during Sunday brunch, which teems with Italian chicken picatta, Chinese dim sum, and Viennese treats crafted by pastry chef Fran Schuelke. For private events, guests can choose from a variety of buffets, meat-carving stations, and raw bars brimming with freshly shucked oysters and clams.
Bringing back the upscale nightclub atmosphere of yore since 2003, the staff at Shakago Martini & Piano Bar pairs an upscale menu of Italian-inspired pastas, seafood dishes, and steakhouse fare with a rotating schedule of entertainment every Wednesday through Saturday. While the downstairs area accommodates diners with a traditional restaurant setting, a combination of dim candlelight and firefly busboys illuminates the newly renovated and intimate upstairs lounge, where guests rest on comfy couches and chairs. The second floor also frequently hosts parties of 25–50 attendees, which Shakago caters with bites ranging from finger food to dinner buffets. Because enjoying the Pink Floyd's cover of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony can often take you into the wee hours, a late-night menu appeases appetites until 1:30 a.m. Monday–Saturday.
