Philadelphia City Guide - Nightlife

Philadelphia has a lively nightlife scene. Much of it is centred on dining out, for the city boasts a wealth of top restaurants - from the best of world cuisine to local specialities, such as cheesesteaks, hoagies and ethnic foods. A range of music is on offer every night of the week, although the city is especially known for great jazz and blues. South Street, between Front Street and Seventh Street, is a trendy nightlife area, with comedy clubs, jazz and rock clubs. Other popular nightlife spots can be found on Columbus Boulevard, along the Delaware River, around Penn's Landing.

The legal drinking age in Pennsylvania is 21 years and bar closing time is 0200 daily. There are no particular dress codes or admission requirements in Philadelphia - these too tend to vary depending on the establishment.

The main daily newspapers containing nightlife listings are the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News (joint website: www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment). Entertainment listings can also be found in the free publications - City Paper (website: http://citypaper.net), Philadelphia Weekly (website: www.philadelphiaweekly.com) and Philadelphia Magazine's Going Out Guide (website: www.phillymag.com). Another useful online entertainment site is City Search (website: http://philadelphia.citysearch.com).

Bars: Bar Noir, 112 South 18th Street, is a popular underground bar with great cocktails and hipster appeal. The second level's hanging swing chairs and the rooftop terrace, which is open in warmer weather, create a very happening atmosphere at Continental Mid-Town, 1801 Chestnut Street. Good food and great margaritas make Copabanana, 344 South Street, a popular hangout. Dave & Busters, 325 North Columbus Boulevard, Pier 19 at Penn's Landing, is a huge sports bar with a 20-screen video dome, billiards and an arcade brimming with electronic games. Owned by Georges Perrier of Le Bec-Fin fame, and within the chic Brasserie Perrier, 1619 Walnut Street, is a popular bar that attracts sophisticates. Mahogany on Walnut, 1524 Walnut Street, in the Rittenhouse district, is a dark and plush cigar bar.

Clubs: Brasil's, 112 Chestnut Street (website: www.brasils.com), is a hot salsa and jazz spot, Live music upstairs, a DJ downstairs plus room to just chill at the bar makes Five Spot, 5 South Bank Street, a swinging place to hang out. Shampoo, 417 Eighth Street, has four levels of various music styles to choose from. Egypt, 520 North Columbus, a huge nightclub decorated with hieroglyphs and ankhs, hosts hip-hop and techno nights. Woody's, 202 South Street, is a fun place to drink and dance, especially for gay males, while Sisters, 1320 Chancellor Street, caters to the lesbian crowd.

Live Music: One of the hottest clubs in Philadelphia is Zanzibar Blue, 200 South Broad Street, where top jazz musicians perform. Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, and Ortlieb's Jazzhaus, 847 North Third Street at Poplar Street (website: www.ortliebsjazzhaus.com), are also good venues for live jazz. Pontiac Grille, 304 South Street (website: www.pontiacgrille.com), is a venerable rock club featuring live local bands.