Shake Up Your Saturday Night

Three new(ish) spots worth the drive downtown

Words by Maddy Zollo Rusbosin

While you may think of Downtown Orlando as a place you went clubbing in your pre-kid days, it has much more to offer than crowded dive bars and bottle service. To show you what we mean, PLAYGROUND put together a perfect itinerary for a child-free evening with your partner or for a girls’ night out:

Stop 1: GET CRAFTY

Artifact Candle Foundry

For a little pre-cocktail hour fun, head to this DIY candle-making bar in Thornton Park. Smell your way through 90 different natural fragrance oils ranging from classics like grapefruit and vanilla bean to more unique scents like Dad’s Den and wasabi. Then create a one-of-a-kind blend with the help of Artifact’s skilled candle experts. Once you’ve settled on a sniff-worthy fragrance profile, turn it into a soy wax candle, diffuser oil, room and linen spray, body mist or pure oil concentrate.

Stop 2: WATCH THE SUNSET

AC Sky Bar

Located in the newly opened AC Hotel Orlando Downtown, this open-air rooftop bar is an ideal place to watch the sunset over the City Beautiful. The only thing better than the view is the signature cocktails — must-sips include the Tropical Mezcal, the Sangria Spritz and the S’mores Old Fashioned. There’s also live music, fire pits and a Spanish-inspired tapas menu.

Stop 3: INDULGE IN A NIGHT CAP

The Robinson Café & Cocktail Lounge

If you want to keep the party going, take a walk over to The Robinson’s Cocktail Room. Created by the people behind Mathers Social Gathering just a few doors down, this second-floor watering hole exudes a Miami vibe with its chic (not to mention Instagrammable) interior outfitted with plush couches and barstools, exposed brick walls and Art Deco-inspired décor. All the cocktails are created by their skilled mixologists, so expect exciting flavor combinations and the freshest ingredients.