Nightlife on Anguilla centers mainly on the various hotels, especially in winter, when they host barbecues, West Indian parties, and singers and other musicians. The hotels hire calypso combo groups and other bands, both local and imported.

Open-air Johnno's Beach Bar, Road Bay, Sandy Ground (tel. 264/497-2728), is a favorite of Hollywood types when they visit Anguilla. The club offers Beck's beer on the beach, barbecued spareribs, grilled chicken, and fresh fish for lunch and dinner. Live entertainment takes place Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8pm to 1am. A weekly Sunday barbecue begins at 11am, with live music starting mid-afternoon in winter. Try the Johnno special (similar to a piña colada, but made with rum and guava berries).

A restaurant-cum-beach bar, Palm Grove Bar & Grill, Junk's Hole Bay (tel. 264/497-4224), offers a long stretch of uncrowded white sand and offshore reefs full of eels, squid, and manta rays. Nat Richardson, the owner, is waiting to boil or grill fresh-caught lobster, crayfish, or shrimp for you. Bon Appétit liked his johnnycakes so much it stole the recipe and published it. Hours are usually 11am to around 6:30pm daily, but can vary greatly depending on when the owner feels like getting there, and whenever clients decide to show up.

Pumphouse Bar & Grill, Sandy Ground (tel. 264/497-5154), is the island's latest hotspot, boasting 30 different rums. The food is good, too, served in a funky dining room with an uneven concrete slab floor that was originally designed as a repair station for heavy trucks. Standard but satisfying menu items include grilled half-chickens, 8-ounce beef burgers, pizzas, and a Caesar salad with slices of jerk chicken. Go any time from 7pm to 2am, except Sunday, when it's closed. Reggae lovers should show up on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights, and Thursday nights are often devoted to merengue.

There are some other little nighttime joints on island that seem to close with irritating irregularity. Most of these dives are active only on the weekend, including Dune Preserve at Rendezvous Bay (tel. 264/497-2660), where the best known singer on island, "Bankie" Banx, performs. You might also check out another weekend hot spot, Rafe's Back Street at Sandy Ground (tel. 264/497-3918), offering live music for dancing on Friday and Saturday nights, which are also the nights to hit Red Dragon, The Valley (tel. 264/497-2687), a dance club where a DJ provides the music.