Bars and clubby nightlife abound. First place to look is Le Flon, a low-lying warehouse district bounded by Bel-Air, Grand-Pont and the metro station, where following your ears after dark will bring you to the happening joints of the moment. Otherwise, good areas for concentrations of bars and night-people are Rue Enning; Le Tunnel, around Place du Tunnel; and, on a more sedate note, the streets immediately behind the château. The bars listed here all close at 1–2am, the clubs at 4–5am.

Café Freeport, train station. Quite a pleasant, if tackily neon, bar, with an intriguingly random clientele and the longest opening hours in town (Sun–Thurs 5am–1am, Fri & Sat 5am–2am).

Café de l’Hôtel de Ville, 10 Place de la Palud. Wonderful little wood-floor café with chansons and jazz quartets in the cellar.

Captain Cook, 2 Rue Enning. Crammed and smoky pub in the heart of the action, offering English TV football.

Au Château, 1 Place du Tunnel. Funky music bar serving flavourful home-brewed beers – pale, dark and red – to an excited, talkative crowd.

Chorus, 3 Avenue Mon-Repos. Prime basement spot for live jazz. Closed Mon & Tues.

D!, Place Centrale. Highly respected Flon basement club, close and sweaty, playing house some nights, jungle other nights, and able to pull in some international DJs. Entry Fri & Sat Fr.15. Closed Mon–Wed.

Dolce Vita, 30 Rue César-Roux. Excellent live venue and club, a Swiss institution since 1985, with a regular programme covering all musical genres. Admission varies. Closed Mon & Tues.

Garbo, 3 Rue Caroline. One of the better Caroline bars, split between a hectic downstairs and quieter upstairs. Open nightly.

Kerrigan’s, 8 Rue de la Barre. Hilltop Irish pub in a peaceful spot behind the château. Closed Sun.

Lecaféthéâtre, 10 Rue de Genève. Flon café-bar with live entertainments most nights. Closed Sun & Mon.

Le Loft, 1 Escaliers Bel-Air. A techno club on the stairs up from the Flon, which has a rather tougher reputation than its near neighbours, but has free Friday night admission (Sat Fr.15). Occasional live acts. Closed Mon & Tues.

MAD (Moulin à Danse), 23 Rue de Genève. Infamous and hugely popular Flon dance club with adjoining theatre, galleries and alternative-style café. The club is open from 11pm, and comprises a basement “parlour”, dancefloor, bar and chillout room. Entry Fri & Sat Fr.20. Gay night Sun. Closed Mon & Tues.

La Mine, 2 Place Pépinet. All-day techno bar. Closed Sun.

VO Le Jazz Café, 11 Place du Tunnel. Café-bar plus live venue, also with regular DJ nights featuring British and European big names. Open nightly.