Bars in New Smyrna Beach

House for Beer boasts a rotating selection of more than 400 premium microbrew beers from around the world, including 50 draft beers and more than 300 bottled beers. Affectionately known as H4B, this locally owned and operated venue presents suds connoisseurs and greenhorns alike with an upscale, yet casual atmosphere, free of liquor and smoking. When visitors want to combine sips with bites of food, they can order from any of the neighboring restaurants in the Pavilion, from pizza and burgers to sushi and ice cream. Entertainment during the week rounds out the H4B experience with live performances by local musicians and bands.

Lined with mahogany-colored shelves, Wine Bank's walls display bottles upon bottles of wines, suggesting that its name is no misrepresentation. But unlike most wine shops, Wine Bank isn't just about wine. Here, beers, fine wines, and cigars complement an in-house menu of upscale starters and gourmet entrees, ranging from pork filet mignon to shrimp mac 'n' cheese. And for those who would rather drink wine than spend thousands building vineyards in their basement, Wine Bank offers memberships with discounts and invitations to private tastings and events.

Twenty-nine stories separate Top of Daytona Restaurant & Lounge from the sands and rolling surf of Daytona Beach. From this vantage point, diners savor expansive, 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean, the mainland, and the Halifax River—views that the Orlando Sentinel lauded as "spectacular"—all while indulging in a menu inspired by classical pan-European cooking.

Executive Chef Vadim Vladimirsky incorporates Portuguese, Russian, French, and Italian flavors into his dishes, embracing the cuisines' rustic roots while adding his own refined, yet accessible touches. Accents such as homemade mozzarella cheese, a reduction of aged balsamic vinegar, and a rosemary-tinged port sauce demonstrate his dedication to upscale eating. And given the restaurant's oceanside location, an emphasis on fish and Caribbean lobster comes perfectly natural—Chef Vladimirsky even personally buys the seafood fresh from local suppliers each morning.

Should guests somehow tear their eyes away from the food and the view beyond the curving wall of windows, they find the dining room echoes Top of Daytona’s classic feel. A stone-circled fishpond bubbles in the center of the room, surrounded by stately chairs and tables draped with crisp white linens. The ambience grows most spirited on select Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings as live musicians entertain the crowd and help teach passing seagulls to sing in tune.

Lucky’s, a hybrid restaurant and fun-center, marries burgers, salads, and sandwiches with games such as bowling and billiards. Guests can eat their fill of entrees that include Cajun rib-eye steak and pan-seared shrimp while flinging orbs down 14 polished lanes. During bowling games the alley’s sound and lighting system evokes a dance-club vibe while a Qubica AMF scoring system keeps track of strikes and splits, enabling players to leave their CPAs at home.

Next to the bowling alley, more than 50 redemption, video, and novelty games challenge guests and include Lazer Frenzy, an interactive maze of light beams like the ones that guard a bank’s best ballpoint pens. Game credits earn prizes such as Legos, Nerf toys, and even Xbox 360s. Lucky’s keeps their atmosphere lively late into the night by hosting lounge events such as Karaoke Wednesdays and by having DJs spin on the weekend.

When French native Joel Martin was young, his family moved to Africa. While there, Joel learned to stalk many jungle creatures including crocodiles with the help of his Malgache friends. Years later, in 1995, Martin packed up his own family and moved them to Florida, where the heat and humidity reminded him of his beloved childhood in Africa. Today he owns and operates Black Hammock Adventures, located near some of Orlando's busiest attractions, and charters picturesque airboat rides on the gator-infested waters of Lake Jesup. His boat, equipped with Goliath's desk fan, skims earplugged riders past alligators and other lake fauna at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. During rides, experienced guides pilot the vessel safely through narrow creeks and shallow wetlands, and help tourists to spot sunning reptiles. After zooming by a congregation of gators, guests can stop by Black Hammock's free wildlife exhibit, enjoy a lively libation at the Lazy Gator Bar with live music every weekend, sit down at the full service restaurant featuring Executive Chef Barth that is known for its fried gator tail, or hand over their cameras as they pose for pictures with a live baby alligator or barter for an autograph with hunks of raw meat.

The view of Florida wildlife from the lakeview terrace at The Lazy Gator Bar needs no food or drinks to make it worthwhile. Over buckets of beers and colorful mixed drinks resting on tables, the setting sun casts an orange-pink glow that adds a charming touch to the airboats coming in from a tour. This glow even makes Hammy look friendly––the 11-foot-long alligator who soaks in a pool at the live gator and bird exhibit adjoining Black Hammock Gift Shop. Waiters bring out bar snacks from the restaurant, while guests to linger over drinks as bands play live music on weekends.