Teetotallers should think seriously before planning a trip to Riga, as this is a city that likes to drink and it often seems the locals never stop partying. The Old Town is awash with bars - everything from lounge style hangouts with DJs, comfy couches and funky visuals, right through to spit and sawdust drinking dens. One thing to look out for is that some bars are unofficially the sole preserve of Riga's Russian community and your presence will be, at best, tolerated. Also, some expats report an increase in foreigners being followed and robbed, particularly after leaving bars that are known to be popular with the expat community. Most bars and clubs in Riga are late opening, with many staying open until 0300, seven days a week. The minimum legal drinking age is 18.

Riga in Your Pocket, widely available in Riga, is an invaluable guide to what's on in the city, boasting extensive bar, restaurant and club reviews.

Bars: Dickens, Grecinieku 9, is filled with expats and locals wanting to meet English speakers. De Lacy's, Skunu 4, is a more recent arrival catering for the same market. Nobody Writes to the Colonel, Peldu 26/28, is an industrial MTV-style bar with frequent live music and club nights, which is a favourite with the local grunge set. A world away is Rigas Balzams, Torna 4, a raucous, unpretentious place that specialises in the lethal local Black Balsam concoction, a strange brew of herbs and alcohol and a real Riga institution. The same owners have also opened a funkier place, Jaunais Rigas Balzams, 2 Doma Laukams. The Skyline Bar, Elizabetes 55, in the Reval Hotel Latvija, may be a touch lacking in real atmosphere but the views from the 26th floor are superb.

Clubs: Riga's club scene is booming and there are over a dozen regular clubs in the city. Nautilus, King 8 (website: www.nautilus.lv), is the most bizarre club in Riga, with a décor that is based on a submarine and bar staff dressed in sailor suits, which make it well worth the visit for the novelty value alone. La Rocca, Brivibas 96 (website: www.larocca.lv) claims to be the biggest club in the Baltics and it certainly is huge both in terms of size and popularity. A smaller alternative is Depo, Valnu 32 (website: www.klubsdepo.lv), an underground hangout with muted lighting, a fashionably grungy clientele and regular guest DJs. Come during the day and you may just be served lunch by one of the city's most renowned DJs. Purvs, Matisa 60/62, is a popular gay club with some dubious live shows.

Live Music: Bites Blues Club, Dzirnavu 34a (website: www.bluesclub.lv), is a fair stab at a genuine blues club. It may not quite be New Orleans but there is regular live music and when no one is on, they beam classic jazz artists on to a big screen. Hamlet Club, Jana Seta 5, has suitably arty pretensions with improvised performances, modern jazz and cultural events. Kalku Varti, Kalku 11a (website: www.kalkuvarti.lv), boasts professional artists and an appreciative crowd who don't tend to spoil performances by singing along - a danger in many other music venues in Riga.