It might not be New York or Berlin, but Rome has its party scene, if you know where to look for it. Like many Europeans, Romans go out late and the fun only really commences after dinner. The wine bars and cafes around Piazza Navona and Via della Pace tend to be the chicest, while there's a busy scene around Campo de Fiori, with a more trashy vibe. Irish pubs are also popular with Italians and expats, with a few choices around Monti district (close to Colosseo), which also has some inviting bars.

The biggest concentration of nightclubs lies in the Testaccio and Ostiense districts. One of the main drags in Testaccio, Via di Monte Testaccio, is lined with bars, pubs, live music venues and clubs, so it's a good place to head if you want to stay out late. It has spread over to neighbouring, formerly industrial, Ostiense, which has some hip new bars and so-called ristodisco, places where you can both eat and dance. While Rome's hardly the gay capital of Europe, there's a small gay scene, with some saunas and clubs, and many nightclubs have weekly gay nights. 

The weekly Roma C'è (out on Wednesdays; www.romace.it) and TrovaRoma (out on Thursday free with the La Repubblica newspaper) publications, and the online 2night (www.2night.it) have good and reliable information on nightlife in Rome.

The legal drinking age in Italy is 16 and the absence of licensing laws means that drinking is possible at all hours. Most wine bars and birrerie stay open until 2400 in winter and 0200 in summer. However, in general, people are more interested in seeing and being seen - alcohol is almost an afterthought.

Romans tend to dress more casually than their counterparts in Milan and Florence, but the bella figura (‘looking good') is still important, and people tend to look well turned-out.

Bars: The Vineria on Campo de' Fiori makes a perfect rendez-vous for an early evening drink. Customers range from well-known actors to local winos, from tourists to try-hards. Otherwise, Il Nolano at number 11 is as good for people-watching and always less packed. Just a few doors down at number 20 is the Drunken Ship, good for those in search of English-speaking expats and tourists. Rather more refined is Antico Caffè della Pace, Via della Pace 5, close to Piazza Navona. The cosy interior is adorned with antiques, while the ivy-clad facade backs a quintessential summer terrace. For an after-dinner digestivo and good-value people-watching look no further than the hip Freni & Frizioni, Via del Politeama 4-6, a bar housed in a former car workshop (hence the name - Brakes and Clutches) in Trastevere. In fine weather it spills out into a square near the Lungotevere. For something even more artsy, with regular DJs, head to its sister bar Societe Lutece, Piazza Montevecchio 17, near Piazza Navona.

Clubs: House music remains a firm favourite here, although a number of smaller and more alternative clubs play rock and revival. In July and August, many clubs close, opening outdoor alternatives around town and beside the sea near Ostia.

The majority of Rome's clubs are clustered around Monte Testaccio, with places such as small, unassuming, but funky Metaverso, Via Montetestaccio 38, which plays hip hop, house and reggae, depending on the night. Alien, Via Velletri 13-19 (www.aliendisco.it), is one of Rome's longest running clubs, where the dressed-up crowd groove and pout to house, hip hop and ambient. Nearby Alibi, Via Monte Testaccio 40, is mixed gay and straight, has a big outdoor terrace, and plays predominantly house music. Close by, Fake, Via Monte Testaccio 64, is a temple to electronic and hip-hop sounds with a pop-art décor and gauze-draped terrace.

Some of Europe's best DJs play at Goa, Via Libetta 13, close to Mercati Generali in the post-industrial landscape of the up-and-coming Ostiense area. House, jungle and techno music predominate amid a sophisticated ethnic and industrial setting of wood combined with wrought iron. At 3 Via Libetta, another staunch Ostiense favourite is Classico Village (www.classico.it), which offers two dance floors and a restaurant in a former factory, as well as some top notch Italian pop, rock and jazz concerts. Just a few steps away is the glam, vaguely 1930s-themed Distillerie Clandestine, which has a restaurant, club, disco, and expertly mixed cocktails at Via Libetta 7 (www.distillerieclandestine.com)

Live Music: Jazz lovers should head for cave-like Alexanderplatz, Via Ostia 9, near the Vatican (www.alexanderplatz.it) because when the big names come to town, they often come here. Big Mama, Vicolo di San Francesco a Ripa 18 (www.bigmama.it), is cramped but pulls some good up-and-coming musicians, plus a few big names. In summer, there's the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival, with live jazz nightly in a beautiful tree shaded park. Circolo degli Artisti, Via Casilina Vecchia 42 (www.circoloartisti.it) is where big indie names play when they're in town. Fonclea, Via Crescenzio 82A (www.fonclea.it) is a pub-restaurant in the Prati area (close to the Vatican), which stages popular jazz and blues concerts.

For more new or rarefied jazz sounds and ethnic music, try the La Palma, Via Giuseppe Mirri 35 (a short bus ride from the Tiburtina metro stop) (www.lapalmaclub.it). The city now also has its very own Casa del Jazz, Viale di Porta Ardeatina 55 (www.casajazz.it), housed in the former villa of a Mafia boss, seized by the council. Come here for jazz-related concerts and talks followed by brunch or a meal at the restaurant. For jazz, blues, funk and retro sounds, and even occasional burlesque nights, head to Micca Club at Via Pietro Micca, 7a (www.miccaclub.com), pop-art decorated cellars that celebrate the sounds of the sixties. They also hold a flea market on Sunday evenings, with DJs and aperitivo.

For something different, visit the Centri Sociali (see Culture), squatter arts centres that are often a little out of the centre. One of the most cutting-edge for new music is Brancaleone, Via Levanna 11 (www.brancaleone.it), attracting an alternative and dressed-down crowd with concerts, films, art exhibitions and club nights. More central is the long-established Villaggio Globale in the old abattoir (ex-Mattatoio) in the heart of Testaccio's clubbing district at Lungotevere Testaccio 22 (www.vglobale.biz). There are regular big name concerts here, especially of reggae, dancehall, hip-hop and techno. In summer bands play in the huge circus tent in the courtyard. These venues are left-wing politically and tickets are cheap - underlining the ethic of arts for all.