The vibrant student community of Bologna fuels a lively nightlife scene that can be every bit as radical as the city's politics. There are plenty of nightclubs, discos and live music venues, with a smattering that remain open until 0400. Irish pubs are among the most popular watering holes in Bologna, serving everything from the ubiquitous Guinness to camomile tea. Good areas for nightlife are the student quarter, Old Town and the streets around the main square.

The Bolognese are often considered natty dressers but there is less pressure to get glammed up than in other Italian cities. This is mainly due to the large student population, whose preferred style is utilitarian chic. Nevertheless, some nightclubs will refuse entry to people wearing jeans and trainers. Students cluster around Piazza Verdi and Via del Pratello, while there's a more dressed-up scene in the Quadrilatero. The minimum drinking age is 18 years.

Talkabout (website: www.talkabout.it) and Bologna Web Night (website: www.bolognawebnight.it) offer English listings of nightlife, restaurants, sports and other events. There's also the monthly listings magazine 2night (website: www.2night.it), or buy Bologna Spettacolo from newsstands.

Bars: Osterias are pub-like venues that have been the mainstay of Bolognese drinking for centuries. For an authentic glimpse of an ancient Italian watering hole, serving up booze since the 15th century, plunge into the Osteria del Sole, Vicolo Ranocchi 1D. If you buy a picnic lunch from the nearby market you can eat it here, as long as it's accompanied by a glass of wine purchased on the premises. Barazzo, Via del Pratello 66/B, is another popular traditional pub. The Olindo Faccioli, Via Altabella 15B, founded in 1924, serves over 400 wines and is a great place to relax over delicious antipasti. A popular osteria in the university area is Osteria dell'Orsa, Via Mentana 1F, with long wooden tables and a long history of satisfying its bohemian clientele with hearty local cuisine and a fine array of accompaniments. La Scuderia, Piazza Verdi 2, is another hip bar, an arty place in the Bentivoglio family's former stables, with huge arched ceilings. Even more stunning is Le Stanze, Via Borgo San Pietro 1, in the family's sometime chapel, with original 17th-century frescoes contrasting with the modern art and photography around the walls. High-ceilinged Nu-Lounge, Via dei Musei 6, is full of Bologna's young, hip and beautiful.

Clubs: Soda Pops, Via Casteltialto 6, is a designer dance bar under the Two Towers that is popular with the hip young crowd. In winter, students flock to Matis, Via Rotta 10, Casteldobole (website: www.matisclub.it), for techno, hip hop, local and international DJs, and the very latest music trends, a restaurant has been opened for those who want food and dance together. Kinki, Via Zamboni 1 (website: www.kinkidisco.com), is a long-time favourite, founded in the 1950s but by no means stuck in time. Expect hip visuals, cutting-edge house and multimedia happenings. Popular and small, Corto Maltese, Via Borgo San Pietro 9/2A, is a student favourite where you can start with a generous aperitivo and then dance till 0300. In the summer, the action moves outdoors for many clubs (check local listings for details). Link (website: www.link.bo.it), Via Fioravanti 14, is open daily 2200-0500, featuring avant-garde art and live bands early on, then ambient or techno music late into the night.

Live Music: Cantina Bentivoglio, Via Mascarella 4B, is something of a Bolognese institution. A cross between a wine bar and a restaurant, it hosts live jazz (website: www.cantinabentivoglio.it). There is no cover charge and it is nearly always packed, so it is advisable to book (open daily 2000-0200). In July and August, the music moves outside, when Bentivoglio and three adjacent restaurants create the Salotto de Jazz - live music in a closed-off portion of the street. The Chet Baker Jazz Club, Via Polese 7A, is another popular Bolognese venue for quality live jazz (website: www.chetbaker.it). A New York-style joint, the atmosphere is everything you imagine a jazz club should be (though no longer smoky, since Italy introduced a smoking ban), and the club features top-level musicians, such as Tommy Flanagan and James Moody. Rock, ska, electro-pop and more are featured at Estragon, Via Stalingrado 83 (website: www.estragon.it). Bar Wolf, Via Massarenti 118 (website: www.bar-wolf.it), opened in 1960, is a hotbed of eclectic live music, with everything from folk rock to experimental funk.