Madrileños tend to make not one plan for the evening but three or four. While the busiest nights are Friday and Saturday (with Thursday a close runner-up), the locals go out every night and miraculously manage to work or study during the day. Perhaps the secret lies in the tradition of consuming tapas - snacks of olives, anchovies, chorizo (sausage), gambas (deep-fried shrimp) and local specialities like orejas (pig's ears), callos (tripe), mollejas (sweetbreads), snails in hot sauce and bull's testicles. After a long night on the town, it is customary to breakfast on thick hot chocolate and sweet fried churros (strips of fried dough).

Nightlife centres on three major districts - Chueca (Madrid's gay village, which specialises in trendy restaurants), Calle Huertas (traditional Spanish music, jazz clubs and bars) and Malasaña (mainly bars and clubs frequented by a young crowd). All bars and clubs are licensed but hours are flexible. It can be hard to tell bars and clubs apart, since bars often have a dancefloor and not all clubs charge for entry.

Many venues close during the month of August. There are several listings magazines. The weekly Guía del Ocio (www.guiadelocio.com/english), available from kiosks, has information on concerts, theatre, film and other entertainment options. It also provides restaurant listings.

Bars: Madrid's bars range from dark, wood-panelled taverns to the fabulous Viva Madrid, Calle Manuel Fernández y Gonzáles 7, with its painted tiles of Madrid scenes from the early 1900s. The Garamond, Calle de Claudio Coello 10, has a castle-like interior and suits a smart older crowd. Chicote, Grand Vía 12, is Madrid's most famous cocktail bar and has preserved its 1930s interior - it is easy to imagine American novelist Ernest Hemingway relaxing here during the Civil War. Del Diego, Calle Reina 12, is another popular cocktail haunt. Los Gabrieles, Calle Echegaray 17, a former brothel run by gypsies, with a tiled interior depicting Velázquez's The Drunkards, is now a respectable bar for a young chic clientele. Tapas bars cluster around Plaza de Santa Ana near Sol, Plaza de Santa Bárbara in Malasaña and Cava Baja and Calle de Cuchilleros, behind Plaza Mayor. One of the best is Taberna los Austrias, Calle Nuncio 17, situated near metro La Latina. As dawn breaks, revellers head for Chocolatería San Ginés, Pasadizo de San Ginés 11, in search of hot chocolate and churros (strips of fried dough).

Clubs: Most tourists head for the clubs around Sol and Gran Vía, although true hedonists might want to try out some of the locals' haunts instead. A typical night might begin around 2300 with the exotic elite at Serrano 41 (www.serrano41.es), before moving on to Fortuny, Calle Fortuny 23, the laid-back Café del Foro, Calle San Andres 38, or super-trendy Mármara (http://marmara.gruposasfer.com), Calle Padre Damián. There are no admission charges here, although chic dress is recommended. The energetic dance to techno at Pachá (www.pacha-madrid.com), Calle Barceló 11. Gabana 1800, Calle de Velázquez 6, is another popular venue for stylish 20- and 30-somethings - if the bouncer allows admission.

Live Music: Madrid offers an eclectic choice of flamenco, salsa, jazz, rock, world music and cantautores (Spanish singer-songwriters). The Café de la Palma, Calle la Palma 62 (www.cafelapalma.com), is the venue of the moment for cantautores, as well as flamenco and Cuban music acts. For more Latino sounds, fans should head for La Negra Tomasa (www.lanegratomasa.es), Calle Cádiz 9, for live music nightly from 2100. Moby Dick, Avenida de Brasil 5 (www.mobydickclub.com) in the Castellana district, plays live pop and rock on weekdays and hosts DJs (reggae and rap) at weekends. The clientele is a charming mixture of foreigners and locals. At Café Populart, Calle Huertas 22 (www.populart.es) punters can experience everything from live jazz to swing, salsa, blues, gospel, African and reggae. The Irish Rover pub (www.theirishrover.com), Avenida de Brasil 7, imports Irish, folk and country music. International acts play regularly at the Café Central (www.cafecentralmadrid.com), Plaza del Angel 10, Madrid's top jazz venue. Pop stars and famous bands perform at La Riviera, Paseo Bajo de la Virgen del Puerto.