Most visitors consider a French Creole dinner under the stars enough of a nocturnal adventure. Beyond that, there isn't a lot of excitement here.
In Gustavia, the most popular gathering place is Le Select, rue de la France (tel. 590/27-86-87), apparently named after its more famous granddaddy in the Montparnasse section of Paris. It's utterly simple: Tables are set on the gravel in the open-air garden, near the port, and a game of dominoes might be under way as you walk in. You never know who might show up here -- perhaps Mick Jagger. Beer costs from $3 to $5; and a cheeseburger goes for $5 to $10. The place is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 10pm, and Friday to Saturday 10am to 11pm. There's live entertainment weekly, but no one knows in advance which particular night of the week it will appear. The locals like it here a lot; they allow outsiders, but don't necessarily embrace you until they get to know you a bit. If you want to start a rumor and have it travel fast across the island, do so here.
La Cantina, rue du Bord-de-Mer (tel. 590/27-55-66), is one of the more self-consciously hip watering holes in Gustavia, where you're likely to hear rapid, idiomatic French like it's spoken, argot and all, in cutting-edge Paris, and where the art objects and sculptures scattered throughout the premises are likely to include conversation-inducing depictinos of phalluses and vaginas. Set beside Gustavia's harborfront, the mood is post-millennium Côte d'Azur, with a casual mix of pretentiousness and permissiveness that's artful and very very French. The menu includes party-colored drinks, meal-sized salads, sandwiches, including a hefty version of a club sandwich; and platters, each priced from 10€ to 18€ ($13-$23) each. La Cantina is open Monday to Saturday 7:15am to 11:30pm, and Sunday 4:30 to 10:30pm.
Bar de l'Oubli, 5 rue de la Republique (tel. 590/27-70-06), occupies the most prominent corner in Gustavia, at the intersection of streets that are so well known that most local residents don't even know their names -- they refer to it simply as "Centre-Ville." The setting is hip and Gallic, the color scheme is marine blue and white, and the background music might be the Rolling Stones. Sandwiches and salads are served. It's open daily from 7am (when breakfast is served to clients recovering from various stages of their hangovers) to midnight or later, depending on business.
