The Breakers, 12627 Front Beach Rd. (tel. 850/234-6060; www.breakerspcb.com), is the area's premier supper club, with unsurpassed Gulf views and music for dining and dancing. The beachfront Harpoon Harry's Waterfront Cafe is part of the same complex.
Romantic lounges with live entertainment can be found at the Firefly's 535 Library Lounge at 535 Beckrich Rd. (in Shoppes at Edgewater; tel. 850/872-8444); and at the Boar's Head, 17290 Front Beach Rd. (tel. 850/234-6628).
The 20-something crowd likes to boogie all night at such beach clubs as Schooners, 5121 Gulf Dr. (tel. 850/235-3555; www.schooners.com), where every table has a Gulf view, and Club La Vela, also on the beach at 8813 Thomas Dr. (tel. 850/234-3866; www.clublavela.com), a bikini-contest kind of place and one of Florida's largest nightclubs whose motto, to the horror of crowd-phobes, is "party with thousands." The clubs often stay open until 4am in summer. Pineapple Willy's Lounge, beachside at 9900 S. Thomas Dr. (tel. 850/235-0928; www.pineapplewillys.com), is open from 11am to 2am, serving ribs basted with Jack Daniel's and spotlighting live entertainment during summer and a host of sports on TVs year-round.
Panama City Beach's newest nightlife hot spot is Pier Park, 600 Pier Park Dr. (tel. 850/236-9979), a Disney/Caribbean-style dining, shopping, drinking complex located right on the "strip," across from the beach and featuring, among other things, a movie theater, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Reggae J's Island Grill, a branch of Nashville's legendary Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Hofbrau Beer Garden, and a branch of Destin's Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
