Delhi does nights differently. The city doesn't really get going until 9pm, the good places fill up by 10, and the conversations that started over cocktails at a bar in Vasant Vihar somehow end up at a dhaba in Moolchand at 2am. This is not a bug. This is the feature.

If you're planning a night out in Delhi this weekend and want something better than the default Aerocity strip, here's where to actually go.

AaBbCc, Vasant Vihar

Located in Basant Lok market, AaBbCc is a cocktail conception lab spread across a 21-foot omakase style bar and listening lounge — on the ground level, an entire wall displays the 80-odd ingredients that go into their drinks, stored in individual jars like a whacko periodic table, with an innovation lab next to it complete with beakers and test tubes. The cocktail menu is divided into three chapters — Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow — and reads more like a science experiment than a drinks list. Upstairs, the Amp Room flips between cocktail den and dance temple — moody on weekdays, and on weekends the lights cut, the volume spikes, and it becomes a sanctuary for live electronic acts and experimental DJs.

This is the most interesting bar in Delhi right now. Not the loudest. Not the most Instagrammed. The most interesting.

Best for: people who take cocktails seriously, a first date that needs a talking point, anyone bored of the same bars.

Call Me Ten, Vasant Vihar

Right in the same Basant Lok strip. Call Me Ten operates on a dualist concept — Level 0 is vibrant and casual, buzzing with energy described as the element of Fire; Level 1 upstairs is serene and refined, centred around an omakase bar, described as the element of Ice, where every drink is a work of art designed to be savoured slowly. The Japanese-inspired kitchen under Chef Vaibhav Bhargava turns out Hokkaido cheesecake tarts, pork belly skewers with bulgogi glaze, and grilled king oyster mushrooms with butter confit. The cocktails — Fascination, Breakfast, each with their own story — match the ambition of the food.

Best for: a longer evening where you want both great food and great drinks, groups that can't agree on a vibe because both floors offer something different.

Somewhere Nowhere, GK2

Somewhere Nowhere is tucked away on the third floor in Block M, GK2. You enter through a vinyl record and cigar shop with no obvious signboard. The place has a Japanese-inspired speakeasy vibe with a cosy living-room feel — craft cocktails, candlelight everywhere, only 28-30 seats.

This is the opposite of everything loud about Delhi nightlife. No DJ. No crowd. No scene. Just genuinely excellent drinks in a room that feels like a secret. Reservations are necessary. Walk-ins almost never work. That's the point.

Best for: a date, a small group, anyone who finds most Delhi bars exhausting.

Olive Bar and Kitchen, Mehrauli

The one that's been around long enough to have earned its place without needing to explain itself. A pebbled Mediterranean courtyard, a banyan tree, the Qutub Minar visible in the distance, wood-fired pizza, and cocktails that don't need a concept. Open air seating, great food variety, and the kind of place where you can easily spend hours with friends and family — brunch works very well here, but so does a long Friday evening.

Best for: a group dinner that becomes a night out, anyone who wants the best setting in South Delhi without the concept bar experience.

The Beer Cafe, multiple locations

The most democratic option on this list. Multiple locations across Delhi NCR, a craft beer selection that is genuinely one of the best in the city, sports on screens, good food, and the kind of energy where a quick drink after work always turns into three. No fuss. No concept. Just a reliably good night.

Best for: after work, large groups, when the plan is loose and you just need a place that works.

One8 Commune, Aerocity

One8 Commune is fuelled by a passion for good company, great food and exquisite cocktails — upbeat and lively, with a spread of Continental, Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Live music most nights. The Aerocity location means it draws a mixed crowd — people who've just landed, people heading out, regulars from across the city. The energy is reliably high without being overwhelming. Good for a group that wants to eat well and drink well in the same place.

Best for: groups, post-flight drinks, when you want a full night in one venue.

Hauz Khas Village

Not a single venue but a whole neighbourhood worth navigating. The bars around the lake — Imperfecto, Raasta, and the cluster of rooftops — collectively create the most social square kilometre in Delhi on a Friday night. It gets loud. It gets crowded. The lake view at night is genuinely beautiful. Go early to get a good spot.

Best for: a night that doesn't have a plan, meeting people, the most Delhi experience possible on a weekend.

A note on timing

Delhi nightlife starts late by any standard. Arriving at a bar at 8pm means you're eating dinner with empty tables around you. The city hits its stride between 10pm and midnight. If you have somewhere to be at 9am the next morning, adjust accordingly. If you don't, you'll find that Delhi nights have a way of stretching in directions you didn't plan for.

Discover all of these on Hubb and earn points every time you go out.