New nightlife hot spots on Long Island

Whether you crave clever cocktails, country nights or colossal TVs, you'll find it at a handful of new venues with lively bar scenes:

Primarily a restaurant, Monsoon is nonetheless drawing an after-dinner crowd to its expansive ground-level bar and lounge area. Housed in the historic Bank of Babylon building, the chic space is done up with contemporary Asian decor. The crowd generally ranges from mid-20s to over 50 -- and everyone is well-dressed. The real animation is on the cocktail menu, where specialties like the "Bloody Samurai" (chipotle vodka, tomato juice, wasabi and Thai hot sauce; $13) and "Babylon Express" (cucumber vodka, St. Germain, pineapple and lime juices; $13) are among the inventive options.

This contemporary Mexican restaurant and lounge has taken over the space of the former Two Steak & Sushi Den. The room now has a regal-yet-earthy place, with exposed brick, burning candles and couches for lounging. Happy hour is a major event here -- the main deal being the $5 "Killer" margaritas. Beer, wine, tequilas and sangria can also be had, along with specialty cocktails such as the $11 "Saintly" (Avion Blanco tequila, Yellow Chartreuse liqueur and muddled limes with juice). DJs spin Thursday-Saturday nights -- patrons tends to be a mix of all ages (over 21).

1702 Middle Country Rd., Centereach

The old Mulcahy's of Centereach is finding new life as a beer garden. And a fairly ambitious one at that, with several dozen ales, stouts and other brews by the bottle and on tap. The bar's side yard now contains an open-air bar and several wooden benches akin to a classic German "biergarten." As it was with Mulcahy's, Thursdays are busy with live country music and line-dancing. Expect a younger crowd (20s-30s) on Friday and Saturday nights, when DJs play club beats.

The sports bar-restaurant adds a blast of energy into the otherwise mostly nightlife-free Jericho Turnpike in Nassau. A three-sided bar separates the space into two rooms -- there are 50- and 100-inch televisions galore, plus a monster-size projection screen that broadcasts live games. Thursday is "Ladies Night" with half-price drinks for women beginning at 4 p.m. (a DJ starts at 8), while Fridays feature live bands after 10:30 p.m. So far, the largest crowds are coming on Saturday DJ nights -- mostly 20-somethings. The weekend winds down on Sunday evenings, when trivia contests start at 6.

The former Wobbly Olive has been rechristened as Barringtons. Although the main space is basically the same, an elevated area has been turned into a VIP room called The Sapphire Club that offers a more upscale approach. It's done up in hues of blue with its own flat-screen TVs and menu of $12 specialty martinis. However, the main nightlife draw remains in the larger main section, where there's a weekday happy hour, live acoustic music on Thursdays and Fridays (starting at 5:30 p.m.) -- and the ubiquitous Saturday night party starting at 10 p.m.