The Riga nightlife scene is very diverse, extending from the dingiest pub to the hottest club, with plenty of surprises in between. In addition, the tourist centre is not really where the fun's at, courtyard bars, huge indoor fashion clubs and cutting-edge dance venues are scattered throughout the city.

Riga's nightlife boasts a number of large, glitzy clubs, many on the outskirts of town, which are a haven for fashion-conscious high-rollers - and often attract big-name DJs from around the world. These venues are made for people watching - the women are breathtaking.

By contrast, the cellars hidden beneath downtown buildings offer a very different kind of nightlife. You never know who you might meet - and you won't be the first to suspect that some of the local party people are vampires...

Another feature of Riga nightlife is that there is no rush. There is always time to get an after-hours drink in and things often only get going after midnight. In other words, it is well worth staying up past your normal Friday night bedtime.

So before the hard partying can begin, we recommend grabbing a bite to eat at one of Riga's many top restaurants.

• Rozengrals - Medieval theme with massive portions
• Lido - The Latvian version of fast dining. A buffet style restaurant. Dont miss out!
• Citi Laiki - Nice wooden decor, excellent Latvian food and local atmoshpere, Live music on the weekends.
• Victory Pub - English pub, decent grub, great atmosphere. Home base for many stags .
• Caramel Rouge - Café with terrace and beautiful girls all summer
• Red Fred - Great grilled dishes, more than 20 sorts of beers, open terrace in summer.
• Double Coffee- delicious small snacks, cocktails in a trendy atmoshphare with beautiful girls around
• Kabuki - Fantastic sushi in elegant surroundings
• Steiku Haoss - Steak house, hot waitresses, good steaks, open terrace in summer.