nightlife (8)

When visiting Sydney the temptation is to stay in the Rocks (the district the world thinks of as Sydney). Don't, it's a tourist trap. Instead, consider Kings Cross or Darlinghurst. These districts are the heart of Sydney. Not as pretty but much more fun.

The House of Blues and Jazz gets a good range of international acts and it's an intimate venue with a music-loving crowd. I happened upon a jam session here, which had every amateur musician in the city crawling out of the woodwork.

The Glamour bar on Shanghai’s bund is an amazing place. Very chi-chi with pink lighting and huge Chinese print panels, it has three huge windows that look out on the city. They sometimes have live cabaret events and the best martinis in town.

If it’s total oblivion you’re after, Yellow and A-Life are marvellous clubs. The former is a cavernous, multi-floor maze with twenty-somethings going completely overboard to the unmistakeable sound of Japanese techno till after you’re back at work; not for the faint hearted I must say. Perhaps better for the average business traveller looking to let his or her hair down is A-Life. The staff speak English, there are expats to chat and party with, champagne is the predominant drink of choice, and the music is mercifully more tame.

The best bars and clubs, seeking to avoid any foreigners, are, deliberately, not (never) publicised. Find a local friend or you’ll end up drowning your sorrows next to Nigel in a hideous Irish Pub.

The following are busy, it would seem, every night of the week: Marquee, Bungalow 8, Pink Elephant, Cielo, and Tenjune.

There is an amazing, high-ceilinged bar called The Establishment on George Street, where Sydney’s stockbrokers hang out. It has massive cast-iron pillars and a 42-metre white marble bar. This is a bit on the big size, so if you want a more intimate feel, head upstairs to The Hemmesphere. It’s pricier, but is there’s much more lounging going on.Sydney

Cuckoo on Swallow Street is the best late-night spot in London: it looks great, the staff are great, the music is great, the drinks are great, the people are great and the dancing is great. It manages to combine an air of relaxed, intimate sophistication with pumping, head-throbbing dance music. It's worth remembering to dress impeccably to guarantee entrance.