The most popular cluster of bars in the First District is in the old Jewish Quarter, in an area around Ruprechtskirche known as the Bermuda Dreieck (Bermuda Triangle). Other districts with fewer tourists include the Spittelberg area, around Amerlinghaus (in the Seventh District) and in the Fourth District, adjacent to the Naschmarkt. Many of the best places in Vienna will not be obvious to tourists, as they are strictly marketed at locals and are not necessarily in the centre of town. Quite a few clubs are filled with 'schicki-micki' (style-conscious) partygoers and many of these venues operate choosy door policies, where the beautiful or the correctly dressed waltz past the queue. Alternatives to the club and bar scene abound - hip and trendy Viennese still enjoy traditional favourites, such as heurigen and the city's many balls.

Clubs generally stay open until 0200 during the week and 0400 on the weekend, although there is considerable variation. For late, late nights, there are quite a few bars in the First District that are open until 0300, 0400 or even later. The legal drinking age is 18 years.

For information on what kind of sound and crowd to expect on any given night of the week, pick up the Der Falter listings paper (website: www.falter.at).

Bars: The Loos American Bar, 01, Kärntnerdurchgang 1, lies just off Kärntnerstrasse. Designed by the famous Austrian architect Adolf Loos in 1908, it is a small, quiet space that serves as a good getaway from the crowds. The Bermuda Triangle, in the Jewish area around Schwedenplatz, also contains many attractive bars. The Spittelberg area (Seventh District) is dotted with bars, including the perennially popular Amerlingbeisl, 07, Stiftgasse 8, with its leafy garden, and, a little further into the district, Blue Box, 07, Richtergasse 8, hosts a different DJ each night.

Other popular spots include Europa, 07, Zollergasse 8, and Chelsea, 08, Lerchenfeldergürtel 29-31, situated under the S-Bahn arches, with regular live concerts and football by satellite from England. B72, 08, Hernalsergürtel 72, and Rhiz, 08, Lerchenfeldergürtel 37-38, are also situated along the Gürtel; both feature live music and DJs. The Lutz Bar, 06, Mariahilfer Strasse 3, is an elegant venue with a good cocktail selection, but for something more alternative and arty, head along to Futuregarden Bar & Art Club, 06, Schadekgasse 6, with its minimalist interior and electronic sounds.

Clubs: One of the hottest clubs in Vienna is Volksgarten, 01, Burgring 1 (on the Ringstrasse) (website: www.volksgarten.at), which offers raves on Friday and Saturday from 2200 until late in the morning and draws a very dressed-up crowd. Flex, 01, Augartenbrücke (website: www.flex.at), attracts ravers and all sorts of alternative types, while the futuristic Passage, on the corner of Ringstrasse and Babenbergerstrasse (website: www.sunshine.at), specialises in club, dance and house. Club Roxy, 04, Faulmanngasse 4 (website: www.roxyclub.at), tends to feature the latest underground dance hits and nothing too heavy, while U4, 12, Schönbrunner Strasse 222 (website: www.u-4.at), one of the city's longest running clubs, plays an eclectic mix of dance music genres every night of the week. For something a bit different try Elektro Gönner, 06, Mariahilfer Strasse 101/1 (website: www.elektro-g.at), an arty venue with DJs and weekly specials such as a film club or other interactive installations.

Coffee Houses (Kaffeehäuser): The coffee shops are an essential part of Viennese life. For the price of a coffee (anything upwards of €3) you can sit for hours with the papers, some work, a book, or just watching the world go by. The new 'szene houses' attract a young, trendy crowd. Stein, 09, Währingerstrasse 6-8, is the king of the new style, with minimalist décor, Internet facilities, veggie fare and all-day breakfasts. Café Landtmann, 01, Dr Karl Lueger-Ring 4, and Café Demel, 01, Kohlmarkt 14, are two of the best known, and most expensive, of the old-style cafes - the cakes are not to be missed. Café Hawelka, 01, Dorotheergasse 6, is an oasis in the city centre, and is popular with artists, while Café Sperl, 06, Gumpendorfer Strasse 11, still retains its original art nouveau fittings. Café Central, located in the beautiful historic Palais Ferstel at 01, Herrengasse 14, is also an old favourite: it features gothic ceilings and live music daily.

Heurigen: Originally the Viennese word for the wine of the latest harvest, the word heuriger now also refers to the place where this wine is sold. Each heuriger can only sell the wine produced on its own estate - and only for a maximum of 300 days per year. Although it is possible to have heurigen in the centre of the city, the best locations are in the small villages in the 10th to 23rd districts, such as Grinzing, Nussdorf, Heiligenstadt, Sievering and Stammersdorf. See also Restaurants.

Live Music: A converted porn cinema, Porgy & Bess, 01, Riemengasse 11 (website: www.porgy.or.at), near the Stubentor U-bahn stop, is now Vienna's best jazz club. Jazzland, 01, Franz-Josefs-Kai 23 (website: www.jazzland.at), offers what the names suggest, while Birdland, 03, Am Stadtpark 1 (website: www.birdland.at), is another of the city's top jazz spots. Open-air concerts are held on the Donauinsel (Danube Island) in summer, while larger rock concerts are performed at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, 02, Meiereistrasse 2. The main indoor venue for large acts is the Wiener Stadthalle, 15, Vogelweidplatz 14 (website: www.stadthalle.com).