Nightlife in Moscow has moved on since Soviet times. Modern Muscovites are free to enjoy the hedonistic pleasures of a 24-hour city - but it comes at a price. Like fine dining, going out in Moscow can be a very expensive business. Nightspots can be divided into 'democratichny' establishments, where the doormen just keep out hooligans, and 'elitny' venues, where even wearing the latest Prada may not get you through the doors. Dress to impress and book ahead if you plan to go anywhere that attracts the A-list. Moscow also has a seedy side after dark, with lots of lap dancing bars, though visiting them is less taboo than in many other countries. Casinos are now a thing of the past as a ban was enforced on 1 July 2009, making them illegal in the hope of reducing crime.

Moscow has plenty of 24-hour bars and 'night restaurants' that may stay open until 0500 or 0600. Otherwise, bars tend to stay open until 2400 or 0100. The minimum drinking age in Russia is 18 years, although the minimum purchasing age is 21 years. Live music is played all over the city but the quality of the music varies widely. Keep an ear open for nostalgic performances of music from the Soviet era and the up-and-coming bands who play the Moscow student circuit. The Moscow Times (www.moscowtimes.ru) has a weekly entertainment supplement with listings.
 
Bars: Trendy bars abound in this most urban of Russian cities. Bilingua, Krikokolenny pereulok 10/5, is a student favourite that also attracts older, arty Muscovites; they play some great live music here. Keks, ulitsa Timura Frunze 11/3, is young and trendy without being naff or expensive; Friday and Saturday are the big party nights. Hungry Duck, Pushechnaya ulitsa 9/6, has a reputation that can than only be described as notorious - it's not for the faint-hearted, but it's certainly an experience.

You can't visit Moscow without sampling the vodka, and one of the best places to try the local firewater is Vodka Bar, Lva Tolstovo ulitsa 18B. It serves every type of vodka you could hope to try and if shots aren't your thing the cocktails are excellent. Moscow has gone crazy for cocktail lounges: for fantastic views, dress your best to please the face control at the ultra-pretentious City Space, set atop the Swissôtel tower at Kosmodamianskaya Naberezhnaya 52, for swoon-inducing views over the river and city. Even swisher is the glass domed O2 Lounge, perched on top of the sleek Ritz Carlton hotel at Tverskaya ulitsa 3.

Suzy Wong Bar, 11 Timura Frunze, is a laid back but elegant warehouse bar. Tinkoff, Protochniy pereulok 11, is a microbrewery with restaurant that plays live acid jazz and funk at the weekend. For those who pine for something more ‘spit and sawdust', there is the John Bull Pub, 2/9 Smolenskaya Ploschad, which has decent music and real ales on tap. The Irish pub Rosie O'Grady's, ulitsa Znamenka 9/12, is another popular spot with the expat crowd.

Clubs: Many of the new wave of clubs that opened in the 1990s closed after the economic collapse of 1998, but Propaganda, Bolshoi Zlatoustinksy pereulok 7 (www.propagandamoscow.com), is one of the city's great survivors. It's a cafe by day, a warehouse club by night. Gaudi Arena, Skladochnaya ulitsa 1 (www.gaudiarena.ru), attracts all the top-flight international DJs and is committed to showcasing the best in techno and party nights from international names such as Gatecrasher.

The huge and popular B2, Bolshaya Sadovaya ulitsa 8 (www.b2club.ru), has something for everyone, from karaoke to dance music, spread over four floors. Gay and lesbian clubbers could do worse than head to the small 12 Volt, Tverskaya ulitsa 12 (http://12voltclub.ru), or the larger Tri Obezany, Nastavnichesky pereulok 11 (www.gaycentral.ru), one of Moscow's oldest gay clubs, which features out-there drag shows in its techno mix.

Live Music: Many of the bars and clubs have live music (usually rock but occasionally country, reggae or folk) for a couple of hours in the evening (generally 2200 to 2400/0100). Dom u Dorogi, 8 Dovatora ulitsa (http://roadhouse.blues.ru), is an intimate club for aficionados of jazz and blues. Le Club, Ulanskiy pereulok 16 (www.le-club.ru), was founded by jazzman Igor Butov. Bunker, Tverskaya ulitsa 12, sibling to the famous B2 nightclub, scores points for its diverse music. For good, honest rock, head to Tabula Rasa, Berezhkovskaya naberezhnaya 28 (www.tabulaclub.ru) or 16 Tons, ulitsa Presnensky val 6 (www.16tons.ru), housed above an English-themed pub.