Nightlife
Nightlife in rio is famous all over the world and with reason. No one steps out of their door before midnight and most don‚t return before the first rays of sun hit the beach. The Marvellous City pulses at night and it's when the cariocas do that they do best – have fun.
In Copacabana the nightlife is centred around strip clubs and red light bars that line the sea front road. Whether you're interested in that kind of thing or not, a visit to Help on Avenida Atlantica is an experience in itself. The nightclub Bunker 94 on Raul Pompei is at the end of Copacabana and plays drum 'n bass, techno or 70's music depending on the night. The club feels like an underground cavern and attracts a young, eclectic crowd.
The bar action is mostly based in Ipanema and Leblon. There are two Irish bars located around Praza General Osorio in Ipanema, The Irish Pub and Shannigans. The first has a quaint, traditional feel to it and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Shannigans is a lot more hectic, filling up every night by 11pm. It has more of an American bar feel to it and attracts a lot of tourists and richer caciocas.
A little further on into Ipanema comes Syndicato, the best place to get a pizza and a dark beer late at night and then it's only a short walk to Rua Maria Quiteria where you'll find the bar, Emporio. The Emporio is open to 4am every day and on the weekends the crowd spills out into the street making a festive atmosphere. People sell beers out of the back of their car and try to pick each other up before it gets light.
There is upmarket club action in Leblon at Melt and Zero Zero. Here clothes and hair styles become designer and almost everyone speaks English. Chic incarnate.
Downtown
Here you'll find the heart of the city but note that you should always take a taxi to and from these destinations. They are not places for the unaccompanied tourist to wander the streets alone.
One of the coolest clubs is called Casa Rosa on Rua Alice in Laranjeiras. On Sundays they have circles of samba and the whole place swings to the best samba in Rio. The ambient is cool and spacious but you're strongly recommended to take a taxi there and back.
The street of Lapa is the most alternative action around. People of all classes and walks of life converge in this long, winding street where you'll see a variety of music played. At one end there'll be a rock band, a little further down you‚ll come across hip hop dj's with their speakers set up in the street and then you‚ll find everyone singing to a circle of samba at the far end.
Nearby is the ancient Rio Scenarium where live samba bands and ambient dj‚s play in an amazing old house decorated in a style to baffled Salvador Dali. Umbrellas hang from the walls, telephone booth glow in the orange and blue lights from the ceiling and you can explore the three floors for hours and still find something new. There are rehearsals of the samba blocs and other street action thoughout the year and are regularly announced in the newspaper O Globo each week.