Despite the lack of licensing laws, Jerusalem has never been known for its wild nightlife and if you're looking to dance the night away your best bet would be to follow the example of many Jerusalemites and take a sherut the 60km (37 miles) to Tel Aviv. The nightclubs that do exist in Jerusalem tend to be located in the Talpiot area. East Jerusalem is particularly empty after dark. There's a big overlap between bars, clubs and live music venues - several of the most popular places are all three at once.

The legal drinking age is 18-years. Up-to-date listings for club nights can be found in the Friday supplement of the Jerusalem Post (website: www.jpost.com).

Bars: Most of the city's best or most popular bars are located in the city centre (west Jerusalem). Tzoof Bar, 15 Hebron Road, with its arched entrances, brick walls and floor and ambient lighting, summons up the Old City, and serves a mix of drinks including cocktails. It sometimes has stand-up comedy and live jazz. Dublin, 4 Shammai St, is a crowded warehouse-style bar with DJs playing loud and upbeat dance music till late. The city's liveliest area is Nahalat Shiv'ah, between Jaffa Street and King George V Street; its pedestrianised lanes are a focal point for bars, cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Clubs: Most clubs are located in the Zion Square/Nahalat Shivah area of the city centre, and the Talpiot district. At Underground, 1 Yoel Salomon (Nahalat Shivah), there have been drinks and dancing as long as anyone can remember. With two rooms of music (one rock and one dance) it attracts Israelis and travellers alike. Bar 17, formerly Haoman 17, at 17 Haoman Street (website: www.17jerusalem.com), long considered among the best clubs in the city, is still going strong, attracting international DJs and boasting two dancefloors where you can groove the night away to a mixture of house and techno.

Live Music: For world-class classical music performances, opera, and rock concerts, it's worth travelling an hour to Tel Aviv. However, Jerusalem offers a wide selection of small, occasional music venues, including cafes, bookshops, theatres and arts centres. More than 150 orchestral performances and other concerts are put on each year at the city's principal performance venue, The Jerusalem Centre for the Performing Arts, 20 Marcus Street (website: www.jerusalem-theatre.co.il), in the charming Yemin Moshe quarter.

The Alpert Music Centre, near the Old Train Station in the city centre's pleasant Abu Tor neighbourhood (website: http://music-center.jerusalem.muni.il) hosts a big band, an orchestra and an Arab-Jewish choir. The community arts centre Barbur, 6 Shirizli Street (website: www.barbur.org), stages unusual musical performances. For live rock or blues nightly, in a packed bar setting, go downstairs at Mike's Place, 37 Jaffa Street (website: www.mikesplacebars.com), which is open into the small hours.

Yellow Submarine, 13 HaRechavim Street (website: www.yellowsubmarine.org.il), is a popular nightlife and performance venue and bar in the Talpiot area, with a wide range of live music, from hardcore to salsa to jazz.