Visitors expecting debauchery and nefarious nights in the licentious 'City of Revel', which Venice was once dubbed, are often disappointed. With so few young people able to afford to live in the city and most places set up for tourists, the city's nightlife lacks real soul. In short, visitors to Venice will be hard-pushed to find entertainment beyond their plate of cuttlefish risotto. Most of the action takes place in the early evening, when Venetians take their daily stroll or passeggiata along the Riva degli Schiavioni or to their neighbourhood campo. Sometimes they stop off for an aperitif - preferably a glass of chilled prosecco, the local white wine that fizzes on the tongue.

For a quick tipple, the swankiest venues are concentrated around St Mark's Square, where you can spend your euros with decadent abandon. Other more bohemian areas are in the back streets of Cannaregio and San Polo, where you can swill a beaker of local wine alongside fishermen and students. Punters have to be over 18 to drink and most pubs close at either 2400 or 0100, although some places stay open later, especially those attached to hotels.

Due to problems with noise pollution, Venetian nightclubs are virtually non-existent and those that do exist operate a well-honed entry system that favours short-skirted women. More places open on the Lido, in the summer, when you can rub shoulder pads with Hollywood's glitziest. However, for the rest of the year, the best of the city's bright lights are the lanterns on the boats twinkling in the lagoon.

For information and listings, A Guest in Venice (website: www.aguestinvenice.com) is published fortnightly in summer and monthly during the winter season and is available from good hotels.

Bars: Harry's Bar, Calle Vallaresso, on the western edge of St Mark's Square, is the home of the legendary Bellini - a cocktail of prosecco, fresh peach juice and a dash of grenadine, although this institution is not for the financially faint hearted. No introduction to Venice (or prosecco) is complete without one. The bar is owned by the Cipriani family and has played host to Hollywood's most rich and glamorous. The two grand old dames, Florian and Quadri, on St Mark's Square may seem exorbitant for a coffee, but a bottle of wine with nibbles is reasonable when when it comes with live classical music and a stunning panorama of one of the world's most famous squares.

A bar with a great Grand Canal view is at the Hotel Monaco, Calle Vallaresso, San Marco. Take a seat on the terrace and watch the vaporetti trundling by and tourists being herded on to gondolas. If you want to nip to the adjoining terrace restaurant make sure you're not wearing shorts.

Campo Santa Margherita was once the only haunt of Venice's young and beautiful, with its smattering of trendy cafes and bars and slightly grungy ambience. Margaret Duchamp is one of the liveliest options on the Campo, with outside tables, a trendy interior and a decent pint of Guinness, while Imagina Caffe, is a favourite of the artsy crowd.

In recent years the freeing up of bar licences in the Rialto Market area has made it the new unlikely hub of Venetian hipsters, just a stone's throw away from the tourist-thronged historic bridge. Bars to look out for include Al Merca, Campo Cesare Battisti gia Bella Vienna, where spritz is the drink of choice and Muro Vino e Cucina, a bar/restaurant in keeping with the pan-European trend for minimalism. Osteria alla Postali, Fondamenta Rio Marin 821, run by a Venetian ex-pilot, is also a great place to lounge next to a cosy canal, sipping a Campari bitter and watching the gondolas drift by.

Clubs: Since these are few and far between in Venice, most young people head for Mestre, where there is more space and less noise restriction, or further afield to the student town of Padua. But if you are stuck in Venice and you want to dance the night away, the best option is Disco Club Piccolo Mondo, Calle Contarini-Corfu, Dorsoduro, where house music is enjoyed by a mixed clientele. Or try the Casanova Disco Club, Lista di Spagna, Cannaregio, a popular Venetian hotspot for rubbing groins with Latin smoothies, very near Venice's railway station. Expect to pay a cover charge, which includes a free drink. Internet facilities are also available at Casanova.

Live Music: Venues for live music in the city are scarce. Two of the best known are the late opening (until 0300) Bacaro Jazz, Salizada del Fontego dei Tedeschi, San Marco (website: www.bacarojazz.com), for hot jazz and a cool clientele, and Paradiso Perduto, Fondamenta Misericordia, Cannaregio, a late-night joint that is popular with students and tourists alike. The wonderfully named Pizzeria 900 Jazz Club, Campiello del Sansoni, San Polo (website: www.jazz900.com), is a nightmare to find but well worth the effort for the quality Italian and international live jazz.