Kuta's nightlife is the loudest on Bali. Jalan Legian is the spine — a string of large, music-pounding bars and clubs running north from the bombing memorial — and a younger Australian crowd dominates most nights. Quieter drinking happens on the beach side and in the lanes, where the bars are smaller, the beer is cold, and the music is set to a level you can talk over.
For a sunset Bintang, walk down to one of the bamboo beach warungs at the Legian end. For late-night noise, Sky Garden's rooftop is the well-known fixture. For something between the two, Old Man's up the coast in Canggu is where the surf crowd has migrated.