In summer the beach bars — chiringuitos — are the social centre of Conil's nightlife. They open at lunchtime, serve through the afternoon, and turn into informal bars after dark. Most are on Playa de los Bateles or along the road to Fuente del Gallo; quality varies but the general standard is decent.
The old town has a cluster of small bars around the Plaza de España and along the lanes near the Torre de Guzmán. The Spanish tendency to eat late and drink later is fully observed here: bars get going around 10 or 11pm and the streets near the old town stay lively until well past midnight in summer, without ever becoming the kind of noisy mess that passes for nightlife in Marbella or Benidorm.
In the morning, the café bars around the market and along Calle Pascual Junquera do a good breakfast trade: strong coffee, churros with chocolate, and the inevitable tostada con tomate. The pace is unhurried — this is a place where people actually sit and drink coffee, rather than ordering to go.
Most bars shut down significantly in November, December, and January. Some stay open year-round for the local trade; ask at the town's main café which places are open out of season.