Ribe is not a place for late nights — most bars wind down by midnight even on a summer Saturday — but the few that do operate are excellent. The bar at Weis' Stue (in the old inn opposite the cathedral) is the obvious meeting point; Sælhunden on the quay is a more cellar-like alternative. The small Ribe microbrewery, in a former dairy on the edge of town, runs occasional tap-room evenings.
Café culture is sleepy and pleasant. Most of the cafés on Torvet open from breakfast through to early evening, serving good coffee, smørrebrød lunches, and substantial cakes. By eleven at night the cobbles are quiet.