Warsaw has hosted dingy to modest bars to outrageous clubs and pubs. Some have closed as quickly as fads change and others have built enough of a reputation to weather the fickle tastes of those on the scene. It's comforting to know that no matter what your style, Warsaw does have a night spot to suit your needs.

The 'hipper' places are either truly worth visiting or too full of bravado, velvet ropes and bouncers with no necks. Posing comes in high doses in many places, so be prepared to see lots of well (or barely) dressed women, and men in shirts and shoes. Trainers and jeans are often frowned at, but, once again, it all depends where you go. Big name DJs do make their way to Warsaw, and in the summer, many night spots offer outdoor drinking areas. Non-smokers should be aware that clubs can get particularly fumy.

There are no licensing hours and many bars and clubs stay open until the last guest leaves. The minimum age for purchasing alcohol is 18 years. Door staff often insist that all coats and bags be left in club cloakrooms - for a fee of course.

A good source of information on cafes, pubs and clubs is Warsaw Insider, which has a monthly printed version as well as a website (www.warsawinsider.pl).

Bars: Warsaw offers everything from spit and sawdust drinking dens, right through to ultra hip lounge-style bars with a myriad of cocktails and live DJs. Enjoy cocktails in a cool but forgiving atmosphere at Paparazzi, Ulica Mazowiecka 12, where the trendy meet the tourists, or sample a well-mixed drink with Warsaw's socialites at Między Nami, Ulica Bracka 20, which also doubles as a fine vegetarian restaurant.

John Bull Pub, in the heart of the Old Town at Ulica Jezuicka 4, has been in operation for years and serves one of Warsaw's finest pints along with views of the Vistula, and Chimera, Ulica Podwale 29, just outside the Old Town, has a wonderful courtyard for spending a couple of hours in. In the southern reaches of the city, Plan B, Aleje Wyzwolenia 18, attracts a young, studenty crowd with regular DJs and a bohemian air.

Clubs: As varied as the bar scene, the late night Warsaw clubs cater to the commercial music lovers, kitsch 70s and 80s evenings as well as hardcore electronica and trance. The place to find DJs and an edge are at Piekarnia, Ulica Młocińska 11 (website: www.piekarnia.pl), and Luzztro, Aleje Jerozolimskie 6 (website: www.luztro.pl), which is best on weekends and is also gay-friendly. Both are well established and attract hordes of revellers.

Klubokawiarnia, Ulica Czackiego 3/5 (website: www.klubo.pl), is a basement club with a mix of music flavours and regular fancy dress parties, while M25, Ulica Mińska 25 (website: www.m25.waw.pl), is the king of electronica in Warsaw and commands the best sound system in the city. Praga, Warsaw's rough district east of the Vistula, is slowly filling with galleries, restaurants, and progressive clubs - Fabryka Trzciny, Ulica Otwocka 14 (website: www.fabrykatrzciny.pl), is a stalwart of the area's art scene, and hosts immensely popular clubbing nights every few weeks.

Live Music: When the big names in rock and pop hit town, they often perform at either Gwardia Stadium, Ulica Raclawicka 13, or Tor Stegny, Ulica Inspektowa 1. The big jazz names tend to be billed at the newly reopened Akwarium Jazzarium, Ulica Zlota 59, Poland's original jazz club, but there are other quality clubs for jazz in the city, namely Jazz Café Helicon, Ulica Freta 45/47 and Klub Tygmont, Ulica Mazowiecka 6/8.

For a taste of live music around town on any given night, you might get lucky at Dekada, Ulica Grojecka 19/25 (website: www.dekada.pl). It hosts live rock/pop bands in a setting of 1950s and 60s Americana. Fashionable venues for domestic rock and lesser-known foreign bands include nightclubs Stodola, Ulica Batorego 10, and the vast Proxima, Ulica Zwirki I Wigury 99A.